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It’s not every day you get to enjoy Cornish cuisine, enhance your experience by opting for a restaurant in St Ives with sea view
Planning a trip to the Cornish hotspot? What better place to start than pinning down the best St Ives restaurants with a sea view? Cornwall’s food scene continues to grow at epic proportions, as culinary greatness graces the county, something we can’t be rivalled on is our epic sea views, which can be appreciated from a selection of St Ives restaurants.
Here we round up 15 of the best restaurants in St Ives with sea views
Location:Porthminster Beach, Carbis Bay, St Ives TR26 2EB
A restaurant with some of the best sea views in St Ives, Porthminster Beach Café with a beautiful panoramic sea view out to Godrevy Lighthouse, is open from breakfast to dinner. This rather special white art deco café building houses a multi-award-winning seafood restaurant, specialising in vibrant Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, with taste plates available.
Naturally, seafood takes centre stage, with sustainable local freshly-caught sea fish and shellfish from the Cornish estuaries.
porthminstercafe.co.uk
©Amy Setterfield-Smith
©Amy Setterfield-Smith
Location:Porthmeor Beach, St Ives TR26 1JZ
Situated just below the Tate (which also affording some wonderful coastal outlooks), due to its beachfront location, Porthmeor Beach Café naturally is one of the best St Ives restaurants with a sea view. Somewhat renowned for its ‘build your own breakfast’, we’re big fans of the seafood tapas, using the freshest, locally-sourced produce.
Or for something more relaxed, West, open from April through to September, invites walk ins to chow down on delicious pizzas as you watch the waves. A casual affair, enjoy the stunning sea views at West Beach , which offers an alfresco dining experience with a small but perfectly formed pizza menu.
There’s also plenty of tipples to sip as you watch the sun go down. Cheers to that.
Location: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LG
Expect 180-degree sea views of St Ives from behind the huge picture windows, or when the Cornish weather is on side There’s also a delightful sun-drenched terrace to the sea. Diners will relish a ‘small plate’ eating experience with a plethora of Cornish seafood with a Mediterranean twist, on offer.
Light eating options from the menu of creatively adapted global foods are made with the freshest local ingredients, from moules frites to fresh shucked oysters. We could easily while away the hours here, sitting back in appreciating the sea views from this St Ives restaurant.
Location: Norway Lane, St Ives, TR26 1LZ
The Loft and Terrace is situated in the prestigious artist’s quarter, with its impressive views and sought after location, it’s no surprise that this venue has been a restaurant for over 50 years. Boasting a fabulous undercover sun terrace, this restaurant in St Ives with sea views, makes for a discerning dinner or lunchtime spot.
The sizeable menu takes inspiration from sea and land with a focus on local produce with a contemporary far-flung flavours. Expect beautifully designed dishes, which are as easy on the eye as they are on the palate.
Location: The Wharf, St Ives, TR26 1LP
Looking for a laidback restaurant with a sea view in St Ives? One of our favourites has to the Balcony Bar. Situated on The Wharf, perched above an ice cream shop, the restaurant doesn’t take bookings, however there are plenty of sea view tables.
The floor-to-ceiling sash harbour-fronted windows, make best use of the incredible sea and harbour views, while their tacos are the talk of the town, generously filled with the likes of beef brisket, prawn and pork belly. If you’re on the hunt for a breakfast with a view, The Balcony Bar breakfast menu ensures you’ll have a hearty start to the day with some of the best views in town.
Location: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LF
It’ll come as no surprise with what’s served here. The Rum and Crab Shack is situated on St Ives Harbour. One of many St Ives restaurants with sea view, because of its elevated position, views of the harbour and St Ives Bay beyond are spectacular.
Menu highlights include crab loaded dirty fries, while dressed crab and soft shell crab bao buns. Not a fish fan? Fear not, while it’s a seafood heavy menu you’ll also find a selection of vegan and meat dishes. They also stock over 100 rums, if that tipples your fancy.
Location: Porthgwidden Beach, St Ives, TR26 1PL
A small and sheltered bay, tucked between St Ives’ ‘The Island’ and its picturesque harbour, is Porthgwidden Beach, home to Porthgwidden Beach Café. A restaurant with a sea view, your eyes will be treated to spectacular views of St Ives Bay overlooking Godrevy Lighthouse, Gwithian, and Hayle Sands.
Serving food all-day-long, the menu boasts a selection of tapas-style small plates – a seafood lover’s dream, graze on Newlyn crab nachos and Cornish mussels, or its Tuscan-style pizzas are perfect for refuelling. The ever-changing specials board is particularly tempting, as is its fully licensed bar, offering local beers, wines, champagne or good cup of freshly-ground coffee. For those accompanied by four-legged friends, there’s a terraced area which is dog friendly.
Location: 27 Fore Street, St Ives, TR26 1AB
On Fore Street – a popular cobbled street directly behind The Wharf –The Firehouse Restaurant with its buzzy atmosphere is a popular choice for holidaymakers and locals, too. While you’re not as close to the sea as the restaurants along the harbour, thanks to the rooftop position, The Firehouse restaurant in St Ives with its far-reaching sea views is not to be missed. Head to the restaurant’s top floor and over the pretty St Ives roofs and you can see the golden sands and tranquil sea.
Open daily from 12pm, on the menu you can expect to see tempting local seafood and flame-grilled steaks, gourmet burgers and brick fired pizzas, alongside plenty of veggie options, catering for all appetites.
Location: The Wharf, St Ives, TR26 1PG
When dining along The Wharf, a sea view comes as part of the service, just moments from the beach The Searoom, brought to you by the creators of St Ives Gin, offers a tasty selection of small plates, and an even tastier range of drinks.
The perfect grazing spot for a lazy afternoon, positioned on St Ives harbour front, if you’re able to get a window seat you’re in with a treat with this sea view St Ives restaurant, or even better grab a table outside for some alfresco dining.
Location: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LF
For unrivalled sea views of St Ives, it doesn’t get much better than Hub. The birthplace of the popular west country burger chain Hub Box, you’ll find award-winning burgers, hand-cut fries and deliciously crafted drinks.
The burgers are hard to beat, but the view even harder. A casual affair, situated in one of the best spots along the harbour, our favourite spot is from the balcony upstairs but there’s also a terrace out the front which allows you to see the world go by.
Location: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LF
Positioned above an ice cream shop, this Thai restaurant in St Ives comes complete with incredible sea views. Overlooking St Ives harbour, it’s a rather wonderful location to sit and enjoy the authentic Thai street food.
With a creative tapas menu, you’ll find classic Thai dishes such as Thai fish cakes, prawn toast and chicken satay, alongside some more unusual dishes like the green papaya salad. We recommend trying the Talay recommenced dishes, such as tamarind duck, Chu chi hake and the seafood jungle curry.
Location: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LF
A modern Italian in St Ives, if you fancy your fresh pasta or sourdough pizza with a sea view of St Ives harbour and beyond, Caffe Pasta is the place for you. You can expect a selection of Italian classics such as beef ragu and gnocci, alongside a seafood inspired selection of small plates and hearty sourdough pizzas.
Situated along The Wharf, there’s an outside dining area with a handful of tables for dining alfresco – where four-legged friends are welcome to join – and a few desirable window seats in the sea-view restaurant itself.
Location: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LF
A delicacy associated with a day by the sea, Harbour Fish and Chips is the best place to sit inside a restaurant and enjoy the British classic in St Ives complete with a sea view, of course. As the name suggests, this sea view restaurant is wonderfully positioned on St Ives
Harbour serves up some of the best fish and chips in town, using local fishmongers and potatoes from Cornish farms.
Location: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LF
The new sister to The Searoom – also featured on our list of restaurants in St Ives with sea views, this new gastro-bar by the Harbour, is perfectly situated on The Wharf. Small but perfectly formed, as well as plentiful sea views, small plates and delicious snacks await. Also home to St Ives Gin, you’ll find a tempting drinks menu, which are best enjoyed from the handful of benches outside.
Tate St Ives café © Rikard Österlund
Location:Porthmeor Beach, St Ives TR26 1JZ
A less obvious sea view restaurant in St Ives has to be The Tate. Perched above Porthmeor Beach with panoramic views to the Atlantic Ocean. The top floor restaurant affords a wonderful view of the beach and ocean, which alone is worth a visit. You don’t need to visit the gallery to enjoy a spot of lunch here (although we highly recommend it!). The café’s sea views are some of the best in town, while its offering of seasonal dishes, traditional cream teas, breakfast and lunch are tasty, too.
We have curated a collection of our favourite luxury self-catering holiday cottages in the artist town of St Ives, known for its harbour, shops and food scene. Browse our accommodation to book your perfect stay.
Categories: Restaurants with a view
