Cornwall, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: This “modern spa hotel with views out to sea” from its clifftop vantage point is fully geared-up for the eco tourist, with a solidly rated kitchen serving up sustainable meals from breakfast via lunch and afternoon tea to dinner, when there is a choice of tasting menus including vegetarian and vegan. Non-residents are now welcome to book, but it remains child-free.

2022 Review: The “lovely riverside setting” – complete with moorings and showers for passing yachties – is the main attraction at this inn, parts of which are believed to date back 800 years. But the low volume of feedback tells you something given the stunning position – it’s well-rated by reporters but doesn’t have to strive that hard given the place’s other virtues.

“Great food cooked interestingly with great local ingredients” keeps reporters coming back to this “dog-friendly” pub in a stone building dating back to circa 1460 (and whose rangy garden overlooks the local church). Given the “‘back lane’ location” off the usual Cornish tourist trail, it’s a surprisingly “busy place” – its popularity certainly not hurt by the good-value set-lunch deals.

Set within a “beautiful sculpture park” outside Penzance hosting works by art-world stars James Turrell and Richard Long amongst others, this pleasant eight-year-old restaurant offers an “excellent selection of vegetarian dishes” (but not just) and classic cream teas. Stop in for the “lovely brunch and then walk it off” in the grounds – or else grab a takeaway from their hut, and picnic on the hill with views of St Michael’s Mount.

“High-quality cooking, a buzzy atmosphere and reasonable prices” characterise locally born chef Benjamin Palmer’s six-year-old outfit “right by the harbourside”. Fresh fish and seafood dominate the menu, but there are beef and veggie options to satisfy fish phobes.