The Best Restaurants in St. Ives: Tried & Tested Guide on Where To Eat

My favourite places to eat in the Cornish seaside town of St. Ives!

St. Ives is probably one of the most quintessentially ‘Cornish’ towns you might think of when you think of Cornwall. It’s known for being a perfectly picturesque fishing harbour, with cobbled streets and stunning white-sand beaches, and it’s a dream to explore if you love discovering independent boutique shops, art galleries and delicious restaurants.

There are SO many amazing eateries in St. Ives that it can be difficult to choose where you want to eat, so I thought I’d share with you some of my favourites. This guide includes only restaurants that I’ve personally tried, tested, and compared with others (ie. it’s not just a list I’ve made up from a Google search!).

Of course with so many great choices I haven’t been able to try ALL the tastiest spots yet, so I will try to keep this list up to date as I try more places to eat in St. Ives, but these are the ones (so far) that I love the most…

Best Burgers in St. Ives: Firehouse Bar & Grill

I’ve been to Firehouse Bar & Grill a couple of times now and their food never disappoints! Most recently I tried one of their chicken burgers and OMG if you love a juicy, quality burger this is the one you want to try. They also do great pizzas, and I’d definitely recommend for a chilled out lunch or dinner in St. Ives.

📍Fore Street

Best Comfort Seafood: Rum & Crab Shack

If you love rum cocktails and laid back, TASTY seafood dishes, you have to try the Rum & Crab Shack. I’ve raved about them many times before, and if you want a dish recommendation, it has to be their lobster mac n’ cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

📍Wharf Road

Best Small Plates in St. Ives: SILCo

In the mood for a tapas-style selection of top quality snacks and small plates? SILCo is my new obsession. With dishes like Singapore Crab Fries, Lentil fritters, and Burrata with pesto and capers, you’re going to be in foodie heaven. And I love the chilled atmosphere right on the harbour here!

Read my full review of SILCo here >

📍Wharf Road

Best Fine Dining in St. Ives: Ugly Butterfly

Okay this technically isn’t in St. Ives, but it had to be included! 10 minutes away in the luxurious Carbis Bay Estate you’ll find the incredible Ugly Butterfly restaurant by Michelin-starred chef, Adam Handling. If anyone ever asks me what the most luxurious, best fine dining restaurant in Cornwall is, I always say this one. Not only because the food is impeccable, but the value is there too. Yes, the tasting menu is pricey (as they tend to be!), so not one for if you’re on a budget – BUT compared to other tasting menus & restaurants of the same style throughout the county that we’ve tried, course-for-course Ugly Butterfly delivers the most.

Read my full review of Ugly Butterfly here > 

📍 Carbis Bay Estate

 

This list definitely has some gaps and more foodie places I need to try, so what else should I add to my list to try?

Where’s your favourite restaurant in St. Ives? Let me know in the comments!