Mousehole Restaurant Guide

An “impressive location” commanding sea views to St Clement’s Isle makes this seaside hotel a “great place for fish and seafood” landed just two miles away at Newlyn. It’s a lesser-known (and less highly rated) sibling to the Gurnard’s Head and the Felin Fach Griffin in Wales.

Ben Tunnicliffe’s centuries-old pub with a “lovely” terrace serves a “menu that’s almost exclusively fish and can change twice a day” depending on the catch – “unsurprising given its location next to Newlyn harbour”. “Nothing beats a great plate of fish that was landed only a few hundred yards away… if you close your eyes and picture a fisherman’s inn in an old Cornish port, the Tolcarne is what you’re seeing”.

“Exquisite cooking, with fish straight from the Atlantic” again wins very high ratings for Bruce Rennie’s very personal 14-seater, where service is by the man himself. Seafood is the speciality here and there are lots of Japanese accents used in the preparation of the six-course tasting menu. No walk-ins, as the fish is purchased in the morning for the number of reservations.

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.

2023 Review: “Simply all that you could desire of a gastropub” – this attractive twelfth-century inn welcomes everyone from walkers from the nearby SW Coast Path near St Michael’s Mount to dog walkers with its enjoyable bistro-style food – “good Sunday lunch” in particular.