The Best Restaurants in St Ives
St Ives has a reputation for being a foodie destination, with a great choice of contemporary and traditional restaurants offering all types of cuisine. If you are coming on holiday to Cornwall, how do you know the best places to eat in St Ives? To help you find your perfect table, we have put together a locals’ guide to the best restaurants in St Ives – please let us know what you think!
The Loft Restaurant & Sun Terrace
For some of the best seafood in town, step away from the seafront and head for the Artists’ Quarter. You will find The Loft in Norway Lane among a house-jumble of traditional fisher cottages and studios. While we love the bright and lively restaurant space, we will always aim to get a table on the terrace with its views across the picturesque rooftops of this older part of town.
The menu changes frequently; however, there is always a great emphasis on fresh fish and seafood. Look out for dishes with a Mediterranean twist, such as the mussels with chorizo. Special occasion? Book ahead to order the lobster thermidor.
Take a look at The Loft Restaurant & Sun Terrace.

Cintra
Stay in the harbour area for seafood restaurant Cintra, home of delectable small plates and fabulous cocktails. Sitting outside Cintra, overlooking the harbour and ticking into tapas-style fish dishes, it’s really hard to believe you’re still in the UK. The name, however, is local, named after a ship lost in the storm of 1893 and whose anchor is displayed on Smeaton’s Pier.
If you love sharing small plates, this is the place to come. Local seafood blends perfectly with tapas favourites like patatas bravas. However, we love coming here for breakfast, which is served from 8:30 and comes with special breakfast cocktails: holiday perfection.
View Cintra’s Seafood Bar!

Host
If you haven’t been to St Ives for a while, you might not be familiar with relative newcomer, Host. The bar and restaurant has quickly bedded in to St Ives’ food scene and it’s definitely not one to miss on your Cornwall holiday. It’s housed in a former bank, with opulent decor to match the grand Victorian architecture.
Again, it’s a good place if you’re after small sharing plates; however, we head here for their wood-fired pizzas. They’re made using traditional Italian ingredients and methods and flashed in their 400oC oven for just 90 seconds. Fancy a night in? You can also pick up a takeaway pizza from Host.
Check out Host Bar & Restaurant.

Hub St Ives
Welcome to the home of the rapidly growing collection of Hubbox restaurants. The original (and we think best) Hub is on Wharf Road, with fabulous views across the harbour from its glass front and terraces. Family-friendly and dog-friendly, it’s no wonder that Hub St Ives has won such loyalty from its local clientele and returning visitors.
The Hub is here to take you through your whole day, from a hearty post-morning-swim breakfast through to morning coffee, then onto a pile of dirty fries or one of their famous burgers for lunch or dinner. In the evening, come here for craft beers, cocktails and a lively vibe.
Visit the Hub St Ives website.

Porthmeor Café
Arguably in one of the best locations in St Ives, the bustling and friendly Porthmeor Café sits between Tate St Ives and the golden sands of its eponymous beach. It’s open all day, but we recommend dinner or evening drinks, as the sunsets here are so beautiful. You can usually pick up a walk-in table, but if you want one of their much-coveted outdoor booths (trust us, these really are special), book well in advance.
The food majors on great local produce including seafood and their tapas menu is just the thing for a sunny-day lunch. If you can, try to leave room for a dessert, because their puddings are divine.
Take a look at Porthmeor Cafe.

Porthminster Café
With its elegant menu, stunning sea views and onsite kitchen garden, Porthminster Café set the standard for elevated seaside dining in St Ives. It has that wonderful St Ives vibe of feeling like somewhere special, while still welcoming diners straight from the beach with sandy toes and salty hair. Come for the location, but definitely stay for the food.
If you want one of those Med-style window tables, book well ahead. It’s worth it, because even on a duller day, the sea and sands of Porthminster Beach glow with colour. As you’d expect, it’s a pescatarian’s delight, with plenty of Asian- and Mediterranean-influenced seafood dishes; however, vegans, veggies and omnivores will also be spoilt for choice.
View the Porthminster Café website.

Talay Thai Kitchen
Talay Thai Kitchen is a little bit along from Hub St Ives and has those same wonderful harbour views. This friendly restaurant serves authentic Thai dishes, with classics like pad thai and panang curry. If you’re here with friends, order a selection of their small plates and try a bit of everything. The chefs make great use of local ingredients and fresh Cornish fish marries beautifully with those aromatic Southeast Asian flavours.
The Wharf Road eatery is also tremendous fun, with a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. Call in on spec or get here early: if your table isn’t ready, you have the pleasure of waiting in the downstairs cocktail lounge (try the Fiery Longtail).
Discover Talay Thai Kitchen!

Book your holiday cottage in St Ives
Feeling hungry? Book a holiday in St Ives and you can dine in a different restaurant every night! Enjoy a fabulous meal with a cocktail or two, then stroll home along the moonlit harbour: what could be better? At Cornish Escapes, we have a selection of luxury holiday cottages and apartments in the heart of St Ives.
The Mermaid Seafood Restaurant
Mermaid Seafood Restaurant, Fish Street, Saint Ives, UK