Cornwall’s food scene has come a long way from cream teas and pasties - though both are still worth having. The county now has three Michelin-recognised restaurants, dozens of beach cafes serving fresh fish within sight of the boats that caught it, and a growing network of gastropubs and independent restaurants that make eating out one of the best parts of any visit.
We’ve written detailed dining guides for the six main food towns. Here’s an overview of each, with links to the full guides.
Padstow - The Food Capital
Padstow has more serious restaurants per head than anywhere else in Cornwall. Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 holds a Michelin star. Rick Stein’s Cafe has a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Prawn on the Lawn does the best sharing plates of seafood in the county. Even the casual options - Burgers & Fish, Caffe Rojano - are a cut above.
Book ahead in summer. Set lunch at No. 6 (around £25 for two courses) is one of the best-value Michelin meals in the country.
Full Padstow dining guide - 8 restaurants →
Newquay - Range and Volume
Newquay has the most restaurants of any Cornish town, spanning fine dining to street food. Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling at The Headland earned a Michelin star in 2026. Lewinnick Lodge has the best clifftop setting. The beach bars at Watergate Bay and Fistral are institutions. And Bowgie Inn near Crantock has the best pub beer garden view on the north coast.
Full Newquay dining guide - 14 restaurants →
Falmouth - Year-Round Quality
Falmouth has the most varied food scene on the south coast, kept honest by a university town population that eats out year-round. Culture restaurant holds a Michelin green star for sustainability. Gylly Beach Cafe serves fresh seafood on the sand. The Pandora Inn is a 13th-century thatched pub on a creek that you can reach by boat. Star and Garter is the best gastropub.
Full Falmouth dining guide - 10 restaurants →
St Ives - Beach Cafes and Beyond
St Ives has three beach cafes - Porthminster, Porthmeor, and Porthgwidden - each on a different beach with a different character. Porthminster is the best-known, with award-winning Mediterranean-influenced seafood. Beyond the beaches, Ardor brings Michelin-trained cooking to Fore Street, and Hub Box does the best burgers with a harbour view.
Full St Ives dining guide - 9 restaurants →
Penzance - Newlyn Fish on Your Plate
Penzance benefits from being next to Newlyn, one of the UK’s largest fishing ports. Restaurants here get first pick of the catch. Harris’s has served fresh Newlyn seafood for over 30 years. The Bakehouse has a courtyard setting on Chapel Street. The Turks Head claims to be the oldest pub in town.
Full Penzance dining guide - 8 restaurants →
Truro - The City Food Scene
Truro is Cornwall’s only city, and its food scene caters to locals rather than tourists. Tabbs has been the top fine dining restaurant for over a decade. Hooked! does modern seafood with an open kitchen. The Old Ale House is a proper pub with no pretension. And the vegan and international options are broader here than anywhere else in Cornwall.
Full Truro dining guide - 9 restaurants →
The Cornish Food Essentials
Cornish pasty: The real thing is hand-crimped, filled with beef, potato, swede, and onion, and baked until golden. Philps (Hayle, Falmouth) and Ann’s Pasties (the Lizard) are local favourites. Avoid anything labelled “Cornish style.”
Cream tea: Scone, clotted cream, strawberry jam. In Cornwall, the jam goes on first, then the cream. (Devon does it the other way round. They’re wrong.)
Fresh fish: Ask what’s local and in season. Mackerel and sardines in summer, crab from spring through autumn, mussels in winter. If it says “Cornish” on the menu, it should be.
Cornish beer: Skinner’s (Betty Stogs, Lushingtons) and Sharp’s (Doom Bar, Atlantic) are the big names. Smaller breweries worth trying: Verdant (Falmouth), Harbour (Bodmin), and Firebrand (Launceston).
Browse all places to eat and pubs in our directory.
See also: Best Hotels in Cornwall | Dog-Friendly Dining in Cornwall | Things to Do in Cornwall
