24 of the Most Unique Pubs in Cornwall You Should Try Out
With literally hundreds of pubs and inns scattered around the coastlines and countryside of Cornwall, you could have a different pub experience every day for a year. Here are 24 of the most unique pubs in Cornwall…
Whether the perfect place to enjoy the sunset with a pint, a gourmet menu and wine list to match, a place to welcome your dog or your kids, we’ve whittled down the list to offer an expert(ish) view of 24 pubs to explore across the Duchy.
If you’ve already explored the 12 prettiest villages and best towns in Cornwall, it’s time to take a load off and stop off at one of the most unique pubs in Cornwall for a pint…
1. The Foxes Revenge, Summercourt
For foodies: The Foxes Revenge, Summercourt
This beautiful 400-year-old pub is set in Carvynick Estate and has quickly established itself as a must-visit place. Head to the smoke shack for a bite with your pint.
You can find out more about this pub here.
2. St. Tudy Inn, St. Tudy
Gourmet Pub Grub: St. Tudy Inn, St. Tudy
St. Tudy Inn in its namesake Cornish village is famed as the home of one of Cornwall’s best chefs. But there’s also a bar menu.
Run by Emily Scott, who cooked for the G7 leaders in 2021, there is an ever-evolving seasonal menu as you would expect from a venue that has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand award for seven years. There’s also a separate Sunday lunch menu and a bar menu.
You can find out more about this pub, here.
3. Tinners Arms, Zennor
Built in 1271, The Tinners Arms has been at the heart of village life in Zennor for more than 700 years. Originally built to accommodate the masons who constructed St Senara’s Church (famous for its mermaid), today it’s a popular spot for visitors to this mystical corner of Cornwall.
You can find out more about this pub here.
4. The Plume of Feathers, Mitchell
A classic pub: The Plume of Feathers, Mitchell
Discover The Plume of Feathers, a family-owned 16th-century dining pub with rooms in Cornwall where rural charm meets modern chic. The Plume of Feathers markets itself as a gastropub offering classic pub dishes like gammon steak with duck egg, pineapple chutney, garden peas and hand-cut chips or beer-battered cod with triple-cooked chips and mushy peas.
You can find out more about this pub here.
READ MORE: 25 Interesting Facts About Cornwall
5. The Driftwood Spars, St Agnes
Microbrewers: The Driftwood Spars, St Agnes
The Driftwood Spars in Trevaunance Cove, St Agnes, is a magnet for walkers, craft beer lovers, and families out enjoying the Cornish coast. The menu is unpretentious but delicious, showcasing local ingredients including fish caught in the cove. The highlight of the show is the pub’s very own microbrewery just across the road, where handcrafted beers are made and delivered with the lowest beer miles imaginable.
You can find out more about this pub here.
6. Ship Inn, Mousehole
The Ship Inn in Mousehole gets a mention for its position overlooking one of the prettiest harbours anywhere, if nothing else. Contrary to what you might expect for a pub in tourist central the Ship Inn is still a proper village pub with a friendly and lively atmosphere. A great place if you’re looking for a festive pint in Cornwall too.
You can find out more about this pub here.
7. The Sloop Inn, St Ives
For spirit-lovers: The Sloop Inn, St Ives
One of the best and most famous views in Cornwall, The 14th century Sloop Inn sits at the corner of St Ives harbour serving up food and drink – and their own distilled Sloop Gin.
If you can’t make it to the sunny harbour-facing beer garden, there’s a handy webcam on their website.
You can find out more about this pub here – it’s in one of the prettiest seaside towns in Cornwall after all!
- Check out our post on the best drinks in England!
8. Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor
Photo-op: Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor
Cornwall’s most famous smuggling inn is set amongst some of the beautifully wild scenery of Cornwall, high on Bodmin Moor. But forget the cynicism – the pub is far more than a tourist attraction.
Surrounded by a hotel, smuggler’s museum and farm shop, the pub itself boasts a varied bar menu served up with plenty of atmosphere. There’s also a picnic menu for those heading across the moors to Brown Willey, Cornwall’s highest point.
9. The Blue Anchor, Helston
Discover a brewery-slash-pub in Helston’s town centre which brews and serves one of Cornwall’s best-known ales, Spingo. Brewed around the back of the pub, The Blue Anchor features a front bar for casual drinkers with a back bar usually populated by locals.
The beer is also served in their sister pub in Porthleven, where you can enjoy live music and a weekly raffle.
You can find out more about this pub here.
10. The Admiral Benbow, Penzance
A taste of nautical history: The Admiral Benbow, Penzance
The Benbow is often cited as being the pub in which the classic novel Treasure Island begins. The pub gets its name from a 17th-century admiral.
Sitting on Penzance’s historic Chapel Street, the pub was originally a cottage so watch your head and your step as this former cottage boasts low ceilings and uneven floors.
The inside is also full of nautical oddities including canons and ship figureheads recovered from the treacherous Cornish coast.
11. Blisland Inn, Blisland
Beer-lovers: Blisland Inn, Blisland
There’s no shortage of beer-lover pubs, but Blisland on Bodmin Moor has been voted three times Cornwall CAMRA Pub of the Year. Who are we to argue? There’s a village green and seven real ales on tap at any one time.
You can find out more about this pub here.
12. Roseland Inn, Philleigh
Best pub garden: Roseland Inn, Philleigh
Popular all year round, the Roseland Inn serves traditional food including game and fish and a range of ales to match. But head there in the summer to enjoy the outside seating in the beautiful Roseland Peninsula close to King Harry ferry.
You can find out more about this pub here.
24 of the Most Unique Pubs in Cornwall
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13. Pandora Inn, Mylor
Yacht parking: Pandora Inn, Mylor
Dating from the 13th century, The Pandora Inn sits on the banks of the picturesque Restronguet Creek and boasts its own pontoon to park your boat. Pandora Inn is named after the ship sent to capture the mutineers from the HMS Bounty.
Inside there are traditional low-beamed ceilings, flagstone floors and a great seafood menu.
You can find out more about this pub here.
14. The Gurnard’s Head, West Penwith
One for wine lovers: The Gurnard’s Head, West Penwith
You can’t miss the gorse yellow building as you wind your way along the roads traversing rugged Zennor moorland.
The Gurnard’s Head offers a short-seasonal menu of food you would like to eat in the most breath-taking setting, sandwiched between The Penwith Moorland, alongside a well-considered wine list, with around 20 of their list of 60 wines offered by the glass.
You can find out more about this pub here.
15. Rashleigh Inn, Polkerris
Pub on the beach: Rashleigh Inn, Polkerris
While there are plenty of beachside cafes and eateries, pubs on beaches are relatively rare. The Rashleigh Inn overlooks Polkerris and St Austell Bay beyond and has a reputation for great food.
You can find out more about this pub here.
16. Halzephron Inn, Helston
Afternoon tea: Halzephron Inn, Helston
The Halzephron Inn sits on the South West Coast Path in a quaint fishing village on the Lizard Peninsula. It has history, unparalleled views and welcomes dogs and walkers.
The award-winning pub serves scrumptious afternoon tea and a wide range of starters and mains, prepared from fresh, local, and seasonal produce wherever possible.
You can find out more about this pub here.
17. The Ship Inn, Mevagissey
For fish-lovers: The Ship Inn, Mevagissey
Claiming cult status across the globe, the Ship Inn is a traditional dog-friendly pub set in the heart of the cute fishing village of Mevagissey. Wander the village, watch the fishing boats land their catch, and then stop at the Inn and enjoy freshly caught seafood.
You can find out more about this pub here.
18. The Logan Rock Inn, Penzance
Pub with a walk: The Logan Rock Inn, Penzance
Much more than a traditional pub, this award-winning pub sits by the South West Coast Path in the village of Treen.
Wash down home-cooked food with real ales, after earning your appetite on this section of the path which includes the cliffside outdoor Minack Theatre or Land’s End.
You can find out more about this pub here.
19. The Old Coastguard, Mousehole
Festival fun: The Old Coastguard, Mousehole
Danny Garland took over as head chef in 2023, adding The Crabshack, which is at the centre of a family-friendly festival in the pub garden which includes a street food menu, beers from local breweries and live music.
You can find out more about this pub here.
20. The Heron Inn, Malpas, Truro
Riverside: The Heron Inn, Malpas, Truro
Stunning views overlooking the Truro and Tresillian river, this is a great spot for sun-downing with a stroll along the riverside to St. Clement, set in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) area, there is plenty to look at.
You can find out more about this pub here.
21. The Working Boat, Falmouth
Pub on the sea: The Working Boat, Falmouth
Boasting private pontoons on Falmouth Harbour, there is also a pub mar-quay on the sea to enjoy al fresco dining and a pint of home-brewed Working Boat beer.
You can find out more about this pub here, and more about the best activities to do in Falmouth here.
22. Victoria Inn, Perranuthnoe
Young Gourmands: Victoria Inn, Perranuthnoe
The 12th century Victoria Inn sits close to St Michael’s Mount and combines great views with a two AA Rosette menu. There’s a very child-friendly menu, as well as smaller portions of some of the main menu dishes for more adventurous young diners.
You can find out more about this here.
23. The Tolcarne Inn, Newlyn
Seafood fans: The Tolcarne Inn, Newlyn
On a tour of gastro pubs, a visit to The Tolcarne Inn is a must. The historic maritime pub is a stone’s throw from Newlyn’s famous fishing port.
Here, chef Ben Tunnicliffe serves up some of the freshest seafood in the whole of the UK alongside seasonal produce from local market gardens and community farms. The daily menu is displayed on a blackboard, the result of an early-morning conversation between Ben and his fishmonger and the various day boat fishermen who supply the pub direct.
You can find out more about this pub here.
24. The New Inn, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Pub by helicopter: The New Inn, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Take a short helicopter ride 28 miles over the sea to award-winning gastropub The New Inn on Tresco. There’s the Driftwood Bar, a wreck wood-lined snug and choose from a variety of eateries to go with your locally brewed beers.
The pub holds an AA Rosette among its awards, with a menu to match its idyllic setting. Ingredients are hyper-local with vegetables from Tresco Abbey Garden and dishes including Bryher lobster from the neighbouring island of Bryher.
You can find out more about this pub here.
Quick List: 24 of the Most Unique Pubs in Cornwall
- The Foxes Revenge, Summercourt
- St. Tudy Inn, St. Tudy
- Tinners Arms, Zennor
- The Plume of Feathers, Mitchell
- The Driftwood Spars, St Agnes
- Ship Inn, Mousehole
- The Sloop Inn, St Ives
- Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor
- The Blue Anchor, Helston
- The Admiral Benbow, Penzance
- Blisland Inn, Blisland
- Roseland Inn, Philleigh
- Pandora Inn, Mylor
- The Gurnard’s Head, West Penwith
- Rashleigh Inn, Polkerris
- Halzephron Inn, Helston
- The Ship Inn, Mevagissey
- The Logan Rock Inn, Penzance
- The Old Coastguard, Mousehole
- The Heron Inn, Malpas, Truro
- The Working Boat, Falmouth
- Victoria Inn, Perranuthnoe
- The Tolcarne Inn, Newlyn
- The New Inn, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
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