The Best Pubs in Cornwall
With more than its fair share of stunning sea views, beautiful buildings and brilliant local breweries, it’s no surprise that Cornwall is home to an absolutely absurd selection of award-winning drinking spots. The only problem is, with so many to choose from, it can be easy to lose yourself in choices.
Well, here at SnapTrip, we see it as our mission to get you into the perfect pub as quickly as possible. We’ve scoured the South West shores to bring you the ultimate Cornish pub guide, meaning you can spend less time searching, and more time sipping. If you see anywhere you like, why not make a trip of it, and check out our selection of Cornwall holiday cottages nearby. If you’ve left everything a little late, but are still dreaming of a superb South West getaway, worry not, just check out our last-minute Cornwall cottages here.
Best Pubs in North Cornwall
The Tinners Arms
Best for: Feeling like a local
Opening times: 12am-12pm
Contact details: 01736 796927
Location: Zennor, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 3BY
Every community has a heart, and for the charming St Ives village of Zennor, it’s this picturesque pub. Built in 1271, it’s been the centre of village life for over 700 years. Quaint and atmospheric, a trip to this old-world inn makes you feel like a real St Ives local. Originally built as accommodation for the masons constructing the local church, its flagstone floors, stripped pine furnishings and roaring open fires still feel cosy enough to call home. Best of all, the inn regularly hosts local live music, to complete the Cornish experience.
The Port William
Best for: Stunning sunsets
Opening times: 8:30am–11pm
Contact details: 0333 257 4289
Location: Port William, Trebarwith Strand, Trebarwith, PL34 0HB
Set on Cornwall’s northern coast, this glorious shoreside spot serves up some of the best sunsets in Cornwall. The perfect place to sit back, with a sumptuous plate of traditional pub grub, and watch the last of the day’s rays disappear above the incredible Cornish sea. Owned by the world-famous St Austell Brewery, you can expect a range of award-winning ales on tap, all of which can be enjoyed in front of the inn’s cosy log fire, as the stress of your day melts away.
St Kew Inn
Best for: Delicious wines by the glass
Opening times: 11am-3pm, 6pm-11pm
Contact details: 01208 841259
Location: St Kew, Bodmin, PL30 3HB
Nestled in the tranquil Parish of St Kew, this historic pub looks as if it were plucked from an idyllic English postcard. Built-in the 15th century, it has retained many of its original, Renaissance-era features, including its beautiful low-beamed ceilings and grand open fireplaces. You can expect a lot of choice at this traditional village inn, including a huge range sumptuous wines by the glass, many seasonal beers on cask, and several glorious dining rooms and secluded garden spots to enjoy them in.
Napoleon Inn
Best for: Local live music
Opening times: 12pm-10pm
Contact details: 01840 250204
Location: High St, Boscastle PL35 0BD
This thick-walled 16th-century inn is the definition of traditionally Cornish. Nestled in a beautiful harbour village of Boscastle, it’s home to slate floors, oak beamed ceilings and a range of local ales straight from the barrel. Expect to be welcomed like a local, as this quaint cottage is renowned for its hospitality, well, that and the live music that’s on every Friday night. Perched atop a steep hill, if the walk works up your appetite, there’s a vast range of comforting food on offer, all whipped up by a team of award-winning chefs, best enjoyed in the beautiful beer garden, sat beside a former orchard.
See the best holiday cottages in North Cornwall
Best Pubs in South Cornwall
Admiral Benbow
Best for: Immersing in smuggling history
Opening times: 11am-11pm
Contact details: 01736 363448
Location: 46 Chapel St, Penzance TR18 4AF
Cosy, quirky, and steeped in maritime history, this celebrated Penzance smuggling pub is decked with dozens of incredible nautical artefacts, rescued from over 400 years worth of shipwrecked vessels. One of the oldest, and most iconic pubs in Cornwall, it’s worth going just to say you have. But this traditional pub offers far more than a walk through Cornwall’s past. Countless cosy corners and a welcoming open fire provide the perfect place to settle down with one of its many local beers, or a plate of its sumptuous seasonal pub food.
The Blue Anchor Inn
Best for: Stepping back in time
Opening times: 10am-1am
Contact details: 01326 562821
Location: 50 Coinagehall St, Helston TR13 8EL
Iconic, individual, and utterly Cornish, this 15th-century inn has boasted its own brewery for over 600 years. Producing its very distinctive, and very strong, Spingo IPA, for all that time, no trip to Cornwall is complete without sampling this momentous local ale. Of course, it’s not just the beer that’s steeped in history here. Quaint, rustic decor, flagstone floors, stripped stone tiling and well-worn furniture, make it feel like little has changed since this Helston pub was founded all those centuries ago; and why would it, it’s perfect just the way it is.
Trengilly Wartha
Best for: Idyllic pre-drink walks
Opening times: 11am-11pm
Contact details: 01326 340332
Location: Nancenoy, Constantine, Falmouth TR11 5RP
Nestled in the Constantine countryside, tucked atop the peaceful hills, this traditional, family-run inn is the perfect place to escape the city, and immerse yourself in Cornish culture. A favourite for Falmouth locals, the bustling atmosphere, and local live music give the feel of an authentic country pub. Best of all though, is the gorgeous gardens which surround the inn, offering dozens of idyllic walking routes, perfect to work up a thirst before sampling one of the inn’s many luscious local ales.
Pandora Inn
Best for: A fairytale feel
Opening times: 10:30am-11pm
Contact details: 01326 372678
Location: Restronguet Hill, Creek, Falmouth TR11 5ST
Home to flagstone floors, low-beamed ceilings, and a picturesque thatched roof, stepping inside this quaint Falmouth pub, can feel like stepping back almost 700 years. At least it would, were it not for its plush, cosy furniture and sumptuous modern cuisine. A place where 13th-century aesthetics, meet the quality and comfort of the present day, this spectacular inn offers roaring log fires, smiling staff, and wonderful waterside views. As one would expect from such an utterly Cornish inn, almost all of the food and drink here is locally sourced, most of the beer coming from the award-winning St Austell brewery.
See the best holiday cottages in South Cornwall
Best Pubs in Cornwall for food
St Tudy Inn
Best for: A cosy, comforting feast
Opening times: 11am-11.30pm
Contact details: 01208 850656
Location: St Tudy, Bodmin PL30 3NN
Cosy really is the word. Lying back in this welcoming Bodmin pub’s leather armchairs, lounging in front of the crackling log fire, it can be easy to forget you’re not snuggled up at in home in your own living room. Were it not for the fact, of course, that you’re surrounded by much, much better food. Cooked by the landlady, the creative and wholesome cuisine is delicious, decadent, and incredibly comforting. Enough to earn the Cornish pub a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2017, an award they have retained to this day.
See the best holiday cottages in Bodmin
The Victoria Inn
Best for: Imaginative and inventive cuisine
Opening times: 12pm-2pm, 5.30pm-9pm
Contact details: 01736 710309
Location: Perranuthnoe, Penzance TR20 9NP
Set in the heart of a quiet, coastal village of Perranuthnoe, this quaint watering hole is one of the oldest, and friendliest, pubs in Cornwall. While many punters stop by just for a chat, or to pet the pub spaniel Monty, the real draw is the enticing array of imaginative food. Creative, inventive and unapologetically delicious, the food at this warm, welcoming inn is perfect for those looking to take their taste buds on a journey they’ll never forget. Serving a range of inspired dishes, it’s worth heading down just to read the menu.
Driftwood Spars
Best for: Traditional pub food
Opening times: 11am-11pm
Contact details: 01872 552428
Location: Trevaunance Rd, Saint Agnes, TR5 0RT
Home to a rich sailing history, a range of nautical memorabilia, and three bars timbered with the masts of great sailing ships wrecked in the nearby cove, stepping into this friendly Saint Agnes inn makes you feel less like you are overlooking the rough Cornish seas, and more like you are sailing upon them. Even better than the rustic decor, however, is the sumptuous grub. Specialising in traditional pub food with a decadent gourmet twist, it’s the perfect place for everything from lunchtime sandwiches and local cheese platters, to mouthwatering joints of slow-roast pork.
Old Coastguard
Best for: Decadent brasserie-style cooking
Opening times: 12.30pm-2.30pm, 6.30pm-9.30pm
Contact details: 01736 731222
Location: The Parade, Mousehole, Penzance TR19 6PR
Located in the fishing village of Mousehole, this seaside inn offers up one of the best outside areas in Cornwall. Giving new meaning to the phrase ‘food with a view’, the dining room and beer garden sit atop a tropical paradise. The garden is complete with exotic palms and dracaena, sloping down to a range of rock pools, and some stunning views of St Michael’s Mount and the Lizard. Even better more sumptuous than the sights, however, is the food. Modern brasserie-style cuisine lets your taste buds travel to the most decadent regions of France while overlooking the stunning Cornish seas.
Best real ale pubs in Cornwall
Rashleigh Inn
Best for: Soaking up sun in the beer garden
Opening times: 11am-11pm
Contact details: 01726 813991
Location: Polkerris, Par PL24 2TL
This traditional watering hole is one of Par’s most popular pub year-round, and we can certainly see why. In the Winter, the comfortably cushioned chairs and roaring log fires make it the perfect place to curl up away from the cold. In the Summer, the front terrace is ideal for soaking up the Cornish sun, while enjoying views out toward the magnificent Mevagissey bay. Of course, the real reason locals love this seaside spot is its incredible selection of real ales. With countless classics on handpump, you’ll have to head down more than once to try them all.
Castle Inn
Best for: Soaking up some history
Opening times: 11:30am-11pm
Contact details: 01736 796833
Location: 16 Fore St, Saint Ives TR26 1AB
Settled in the centre of St Ives, this friendly, one-room pub is always bustling with local hubbub. Established in 1841, it’s thought to have formed part of the offices of the Union Castle shipping line, and the nautical artefacts that adorn the walls take you on a trip through the town’s rich sailing past. But let’s be honest, history lessons aside, the real reason you’re coming here is the beer. In the summer, there are usually seven real ales on offer, made up of a mix of local and national classics.
Ship Inn
Best for: A traditional Cornish feel
Opening times: 11am-11pm
Contact details: 01736 731234
Location: Mousehole, Penzance TR19 6QX
Home to a dimly lit bar, flagstones floor, ropework decor and roaring open fires, a trip to this harbourside local makes you feel like a real Cornish sailor, fresh off the water and in need of a pint. Settled in the centre of the famous fishing village of Mousehole, every part of this cosy watering hole is steeped in tradition, and that includes its selection of ales. With a range of local St Austell ales on offer, drinking here means sampling a true taste of Cornwall.
Trewellard Arms
Best for: An ever-changing selection of ales
Opening times: 12pm-12am
Contact details: 01736 788634
Location: Pendeen, Trewellard, Penzance TR19 7TA
Another award-winning establishment to make our list, this fantastic family-run Penzance pub is sat beside some stunning Cornish coastal walks, perfect for working up a thirst before you arrive, and with so many sumptuous real ales on offer, you might just have to. Home to an ever-changing selection of brilliant brews, sourced almost exclusively from local and regional microbreweries, no two trips to this traditional-style spot are ever the same.
