Best restaurants in Cornwall

The 300-year-old Ferryboat Inn’s riverside location means you can take in the view of the Helford Estuary as you dine. Stop by for a cosy Sunday lunch or hard-to-beat fish and chips and feel yourself unwind with every bite.

The clue is in the name: The Seafood Restaurant was opened by Rick and Jill Stein back in 1975, and has been a popular staple ever since. Options range from the classic – fish and chips, lemon sole – to the ultra-creative like Singapore chilli crab.

Zacry’s brasserie makes the most of the outstanding ingredients found on its doorstep, from starters of Cornish crab with pickled cucumber and seaweed mayo to local plaice served with sauté potatoes and lobster butter. 

Set in the heart of Newlyn harbour, Argoe champions Cornish produce and aims to bring fresh fish straight from the boat onto diners’ plates. This sustainable waterside restaurant is the brainchild of ex-Rochelle Canteen chef Ben Coombs and local fishmonger, Richard Adams.

The 7-course tasting menu at Driftwood is a whistlestop tour through sumptuous delights from grilled Cornish monkfish with gnocchi to barbecued short rib atop celeriac and smoked bone marrow, there’s also a vegetarian version that’s equally thoughtfully devised.

Owned by the same Paul Ainsworth of No.6 fame, dog-friendly Mariners has only been open since May 2019 but has already developed a reputation for excellence. Sunday lunch is particularly well reviewed, as are the sweet and savoury cream teas.

The residents of Looe are mighty fortunate to have a restaurant like The Sardine Factory on the doorstep, which serves a large a la carte of elevated seafood and fish cookery. Alongside excellent classics you'll find some more adventurous cooking too, like Cornish cod tacos with harissa mayo, and St Austell Bay mussels in a Thai broth.

Carnivores, seafood lovers, vegetarians and even vegans alike are brilliantly catered for at the Porthminster Beach Café in St Ives. Ask for a window table for a shoreline panorama that’s stunning regardless of the weather.

The welcoming dining room gives you a choice of two menu styles: a more informal selection of small plates, or a set menu with bigger dishes such as sirloin of beef or salt baked celeriac. All created with produce from its very own walled garden.

Jude Kereama boundary-defying restaurant is one of Cornwall's most loved, as the Kiwi chef breaks the fine-dining mould, incorporating a huge range of influences in his menus. The restaurant has a few rooms available too, and this is a perfect place to stop and enjoy a bit of Cornish seafront bliss. Sister restaurant Kota Kai is excellent too.

Tucked away amidst 66 acres of meadows, whether you stay in the five-bed guesthouse on Coombeshead Farm or simply stop in, you won’t be disappointed. The airy converted barn serves up sustainable tasting menus and lighter bites that change with the seasons.

Cornwall’s renowned eco-hotel and spa also houses The Scarlet Restaurant, which works with organic, sustainable suppliers from the area to create modern European cuisine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all excellent, or book the showstopping Champagne afternoon tea.

It may reside in a quaint 15th century fisherman’s cottage, but inside Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen is a modern vision of warm woods and cosy cushion-lined benches. Expect a collection of tasty seafood sharing plates like ginger cured mackerel and tandoori monkfish.

Ex-L'Enclume chef Dan Cox takes on the new challenge of Crocadon, celebrating both food and agriculture with this commitment to farm-to-table cooking. Here, sustainable farming sees the focus put on the wellness of the soil, following Dan’s belief that this is the key to the best tasting produce.

This Michelin-starred townhouse is the ultimate destination for contemporary British cuisine with, of course, a Cornish twist, particularly if you’re marking a special occasion. Arrive for your reservation early and enjoy an aperitif in the adjacent Cici’s Bar.

Padstow’s restaurant is the second branch of Prawn on the Lawn, and follows the same philosophy of being both a fishmonger and an eatery. Menus change on a regular basis depending on the catch of the day.

Adam Handling's Ugly Butterfly offers guests spectacular views of the bay while they dine on its low-waste tasting menus, which showcase local produce. What's more, any part of the ingredients that don't get used on the food menu are utilised in clever cocktails. 

A fairly new gastro pub, the St Tudy Inn sits prettily in a little pocked of northern Cornwall's countryside. Here you'll find classic comfort food dishes with a spin - think risotto topped with a crispy quail's egg. 

Outlaw's New Road sits on top of the hill in Port Isaac, offering a casual, inclusive dining experience with seaside views. The twelve-course tasting menu is designed to reflect the location and seasonality of ingredients.

A picturesque, brightly-decorated pub with a short but very sweet menu of seasonally-rotating plates of regional meat, fish and greenery. Keep your eye out for the eponymous gurnard with tomato, anchovy, olive and samphire.

Head Chef and owner of The Shore Bruce Rennie prizes produce above everything and so cooks with a seasonal focus, meaning no two days' menus are the same. With a petite dining toom, this has an almost supper-club-like feel. 

Nature dictates the menu at Culture, which has received a Michelin Green Star for it's wild food-leaning menus. Lunch and dinner take place in a single tasting menu, with courses designed to shine a light on specific producers and seasonal ingredients. 

St Mawes’ hotel and restaurant The Idle Rocks has an award-winning seafood-heavy menu, with head chef Guy Owen taking inspiration from both France and Asia for his dishes. Enjoy the sight of the harbour as you sample delicate lobster raviolo or curried Newlyn hake.

Another Paul Ainsworth property, Rojano’s is one of Cornwall’s best Italian restaurants; ideal if you’ve got a hankering for sourdough pizza or pasta, rather than the locally-favoured seafood. Be sure to save room for the signature ‘Whoopsey Splunker’ dessert.

Brasserie on the Bay showcases hearty, inventive British cooking at St Michael's Resory, showing off great Cornish ingredients like duck breast, rump steak and wild mushrooms. For a healthier option, try its Garden Kitchen menu, which boasts an abundance of hearty, wholesome fare.