Category: Eat

After a day of sea air, steep streets and coastal walking, a pub can feel like an essential part of St Ives rather than simply somewhere to buy a drink. The town has a mix of traditional pubs, lively central venues and places where the view is almost as important as what is in your glass.

Try something Cornish

If you drink beer, look for ales and other drinks produced in Cornwall. Local selections vary from pub to pub, and asking what is brewed nearby is an easy way to try something different.

Cider is another natural choice in the South West, while non-drinkers will generally find plenty of alternatives.

Harbour atmosphere

Pubs close to the harbour are convenient and lively, particularly during summer. They are good places for people-watching, but they can also become crowded at the busiest times.

Walk a few streets away and you may find a quieter atmosphere.

Food in the pub

A British pub can also be a practical option for dinner. Menus vary enormously, from straightforward classics to more ambitious food built around local produce and seafood.

Come back outside summer

St Ives pubs have a different appeal when the weather turns colder. A cosy interior after a windy coastal walk is one of the pleasures of visiting Cornwall outside peak season.

My advice is not to create a rigid list of pubs you must visit. Walk around, look through the door and choose somewhere that matches your mood.

In a town as compact as St Ives, discovering the right pub by accident is much more enjoyable than spending the evening following a spreadsheet.

St Ives and seafood belong together. Fishing has shaped the town for generations, and although modern St Ives is now strongly associated with tourism and art, the harbour still gives the town a direct connection to the sea.

Look for local fish

Menus change with seasons and availability, which is exactly how seafood should work. Rather than arriving determined to order one particular species, look at what restaurants are serving that day.

Fresh fish cooked simply can be more memorable than something unnecessarily complicated.

Fish and chips

You do not need a formal restaurant meal to enjoy seafood in St Ives. Fish and chips eaten near the water is a classic British seaside experience.

Again, watch the gulls. They have no respect for the concept of personal property.

Shellfish and more

Depending on season and restaurant, you may find crab, mussels, scallops and other shellfish alongside locally landed fish. Ask what is local if that matters to you rather than assuming everything on a coastal menu came from the harbour outside.

Harbour view or back street?

Restaurants overlooking the sea naturally have an advantage when it comes to atmosphere. But I would also explore the narrow streets away from the waterfront. A great meal does not require a window overlooking a fishing boat.

If there is one evening when I would consider booking ahead, it is the seafood dinner. St Ives becomes extremely busy in peak season.

Keep the rest simple: good fish, something cold to drink and enough time afterwards for a walk around the harbour.

A cream tea is one of the easiest Cornish traditions to enjoy in St Ives. You do not need a special occasion: find a café, order tea and scones, and prepare to take a surprisingly serious position on the order of jam and cream.

The Cornish way

In Cornwall, the traditional approach is to split the scone, spread the jam first and add a generous spoonful of clotted cream on top.

Across the border in Devon, the order is famously reversed. This friendly rivalry has probably generated far more discussion than the actual difficulty of eating a scone deserves.

What is clotted cream?

Clotted cream is thick, rich and much denser than ordinary whipped cream. Combined with jam and a fresh scone, it turns a simple afternoon snack into something substantial.

Make time for it

I would not squeeze a cream tea into ten minutes between attractions. Part of the pleasure is sitting down after walking around town or spending time on the coast.

On a wet Cornish afternoon, a warm café and a pot of tea can suddenly feel like the best attraction in St Ives.

Where should you have one?

You will find cafés and tearooms around the town, so there is no need to chase a single famous address. Look for somewhere that feels inviting and check what is freshly available that day.

My preference would be to have cream tea in the afternoon after a long walk. By then, concerns about whether the amount of clotted cream is excessive tend to disappear.

Few foods are as closely associated with Cornwall as the Cornish pasty. In St Ives you will see them in bakery windows all over town, making them an easy lunch between the beach, galleries and a coastal walk.

What is a traditional Cornish pasty?

The classic version is a pastry filled with beef, potato, swede and onion, seasoned simply and baked until golden. The distinctive crimped edge helped turn it into a practical meal that could be carried and eaten by hand.

Today you will also find plenty of alternative fillings, including cheese, vegetables and more modern combinations.

A food with working roots

Pasties are strongly linked with Cornwall’s mining history. They became famous as a convenient, filling meal for workers, although the story of the pasty stretches beyond any single occupation.

That background makes eating one in Cornwall feel slightly different from picking up an ordinary takeaway pastry.

Perfect for a St Ives day

A pasty is particularly useful when you do not want to spend an hour sitting in a restaurant. Buy one before heading to the beach or take it along on a walk.

Just be careful around the harbour and seafront. St Ives gulls have years of experience spotting distracted visitors carrying lunch.

Traditional or adventurous?

For your first one, I would choose the traditional filling. After that, try whatever sounds good.

Look for bakeries making pasties locally and eat yours while it is still warm. It is simple food, but after a windy coastal walk it can taste better than a complicated restaurant lunch.