Porthgwidden Beach Cafe in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

We booked a table early on a Sunday evening and, because we had our dog, we expected we'd be sat on the heated terrace. But we were surprised to see we were sat inside. We had a nice spot not far from the entrance, but still sea views. Service was very friendly throughout. Quite a small menu, but something for all of our group. I had the asparagus pasta dish, which was really nice, followed by a toffee apple crumble dessert. Really tasty too! All in all, a great evening!

Wife and I have just enjoyed fish and chips, Trevaskis beef burger and flour free chocolate cake. All of it delicious. Staff really nice. Fab view from window too. Eric.

Incredible beach & very much enjoyed the bacon baps and coffee. Lovely! Came here a few times during our holiday. Excellent

Breakfast baps and coffees on a superb small beach what more do you need in the morning

Great food, great service, fantastic view.

Food OK, right on the beach front

Staff here are lovely and the position and ambience are first class but all at a price…. Food with additional extras added on really have out priced this restaurant. We have been visiting this restaurant every holiday for many years but unfortunately they have priced us out!

Delicious food. Stunning views. Excellent service. Such a lovely evening. Couldn't fault it. Would definitely eat here again.

Wonderful staff and a fantastic dark & stormy!

We’ve been coming here for years whenever we visit St Ives and the Porthgwidden is still an absolute treat & a fave. The main restaurant interior is largely unchanged – which is a good thing! The staff are always very efficient, helpful and friendly. The service cannot be faulted. Atmosphere and food is great, though it has to be said the prices get higher and higher. We’ll visit once more before the week is up and are already looking forward to it! Advice for patrons: book ahead! Request for the Porthgwidden: Pleeeeeeeeease bring back the Miso Squid! The new squid dish is as succulent as always but the miso dressing and batter made the original dish so very light and zingy. 🙏☺️ 🦑

After a walk on the beach with the dogs we stopped off for something to eat and drink on the outside benches We had the chicken, halumi and beef burger and they were all amazing. The skin on fries were lovely too. With the beautiful view over the bay, the fantastic food, and staff who are really friendly, why wouldn't we return?! See you soon

Lovely looking restaurant with fabulous sea views, very clean, tidy loos but pricey food! We ordered just a light lunch for 6 of us, there were no window tables so we sat at the back of the restaurant and ordered our food and drinks. While waiting a table by the windows became free, so we asked the chap if we could move and he said "Yes, could you give me a few minutes to clear the table" We were happy to do so, however some new people came in for lunch and he gave them the window seat and apologised to us - NOT happy!!! We had been patient and did as he requested only to have it pushed back in our faces! The food then arrived and to say we were dissappointed was an understatement, I have never seen such small ramekin dishes for the pate or smaller flat breads. As other reviewers have said - lovely surroundings but very pricey for what you get. I don't think we'll be back!

First tried to give my drinks to someone else. Then burnt my breakfast order to charcoal then forgot my bottle of water. Morning staff are a disaster.

We’ve been visiting St. Ives for years - it is such a special place for us and we have always enjoyed a trip to Porthgwidden beach cafe. This year was even more special as we were bringing our newly adopted children for the first time so of course we booked to take them here for a special meal on the last evening of our holiday. Upon arriving at 5:30, there was a table for 4 right at the front with a beautiful sea view yet we were shown to a table at the back which must have been close to an extractor fan as it stunk of fat. I asked if we could sit at the one at the front with the sea view. Imagine my surprise to be told that as the owner was coming in tonight, that table had to be left for them! I suggested that the owner would surely prefer happy customers to a table in a restaurant that they must have been to many times before. I was assured that this was not the case and that the table had to be left free for the owner! What a total disgrace!! What a self important entitled attitude to have! We left immediately and found somewhere else much more deserving of our custom!

Really cute place on the beach. Food was delicious. We had a burger and courgette and broccoli pasta. Absolutely delicious. Service was really good and our server an absolute delight. Nice place for a stop after or before your swim

Celebrated my friend’s birthday today at this café, and I must say the staff were really friendly, approachable, and accomodating. We had lobster, seafood linguini, affogato, and chocolate cake…and they were 💯 delicious!! I would definitely come back and highly recommend.

Delicious Cider on a muggy day with a nice view of the small beach 2 x Ciders £11.80

I have never been here before but I can highly recommend it the food was amazing and the quick service I will be coming back here again for sure

Can’t believe we had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same restaurant today. The food, service and the view is absolutely amazing. Definitely will include in our plans to St Ives next time. =)

Lovely little restaurant set overlooking porthgwidden beach. We have visited a few times and the food and service has been consistently excellent, as well as the relaxed atmosphere. I had a beautiful blue cheese and Parma ham salad to start, followed by lemon sole in a creamy pea and samphire sauce - both delicious! They have a good children's menu too, and when my son decided that he no longer liked mussels, they were able to whip up an alternative in super quick time which was hugely appreciated. It's not the cheapest place, but lovely for a treat or special occasion.

The service was great (guy working there was kinda cute?????!!). the rest was alright I guess

Wonderful location for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The cafe has windows overlooking the beach and sea. The food is delicious and staff friendly.

Very handy, right on the beach.

Always a quieter place to visit.

We had a quick bite of mussels n chips here as we were still full from a heavy breakfast earlier at the hotel. We found the mussels were very good especially with their unique kimchi flavor. The chips were one of the best we’ve had in St Ives … crispy on the outside, mushy in the inside, drizzled with rock salt. The food was excellent so the only complaint“ would be that the portion was a tad small. Please consider giving more. 😁

Good food with beautiful breathtaking sea view

Fab little fine, service was slow but good food and atmosphere made up for it

This used to be a fav place to eat but since the dreaded C has really gone down hill but I’m really glad we tried it again as we had a superb meal. Padron peppers, crispy Korean cauliflower and then the special of cod on coconut dhal. Really delicious and not too expensive. It’s on such a gorgeous position so it’s great to see that the cooking now matches the view!!

Das beste Essen, dass ich seit den zwei Wochen in Südengland hatte!!! Der Fisch wunderbar zart und perfekt gebraten ( und kein Fish&Chips), feines, gut gewürztes Dahl dazu und tolles Gemüse. Ausserdem eine schöne Ambiance und die Location direkt am Strand - sowie sehr nettes Personal. Absolut empfehlenswert!!!

We had fabulous welcome at this great cafe restaurant overlooking Porthgwidden beach. It was a busy evening. After being seated we noticed a couple leaving a table with a sea view and when we asked they were more than happy to have it prepared and move us over. The meal was superb. We have to say, the service and genuine interest shown to us during our visit was outstanding. This was our last evening in St Ives and Porthgwidden Cafe was the icing on the cake. Very many thanks to Claire, Ruby and Millie for giving us a fabulous evening to remember. Your people skills and nothing-too-much-trouble attitude is a credit to you all! See you next year.

Lovely setting, beach bar sells lovely beer and cocktails. Food is good and you can drink and eat it on the beach. Good array of beach equipment for those things you forgot to bring. A lovely little spot. Public loos close by as well

Excellent service with very good quality food in an amazing location. Met my wife’s needs very well and we both ate a very nice crab sandwich.

We came to St Ives for the day and had decided that we would have fish and chips for lunch. However, we were worried about seagulls stealing our food and decided to find somewhere to eat in. We spotted this beautifully situated restaurant as we were walking around in the morning and decided it would be a great place to stop if we could get a table. We arrived just after 12, and the friendly staff were more than happy to find us a table, not only that but a table in the best spot in the whole place overlooking the sea. The food was delicious, lovely fish, plenty of chips and a generous helping of tartar sauce. The staff are friendly and obliging. I think the earlier review criticising the fish and chips may have been writing about the wrong location as the price they stated wasn’t correct either. All in all we had a lovely time and would return again if we came to St Ives another time. The restaurant has its own toilets and there is no need to use the public one as a previous review has stated.

Simply beautiful, Stunning setting, Great service and great food everything was perfect.

Fab food and service however pricy it’s the best

Updated due to our latest visit 2nd June 24 We've been many times before and had a great time. We've always booked ahead and had a table with a great view. There was a noticeable difference this time. The guy behind the bar that greeted us seemed almost disappointed to see us. We had booked a week or so ahead, 3 of us plus 2 dogs (we've always taken the dogs and always made sure they know we are bringing them when booking). The way he instructed our server to seat us was almost like he had intentionally given us the worst table they had. The place was only half full so there would have been walk-ins already in there yet all the tables with views were taken. They seated us towards the back right in front of a door that they assured us they didn't need to access . As soon as we were seated they needed to get to the door. There was food on the floor under an empty table next to us that meant the dogs wouldn't settle. Food only seemed OK this time which may have been due to our overall experience. We won't be back in a hurry.

My favourite place in the whole of the UK !

Great little cafe we had the bacon baps a nice refilling drink and managed to get a seat right out side with a great view of the beach, we also had some friendly birds join us as well

Lovely baguettes to eat on gorgeous Porthgwidden beach.

My birthday at my friend's Petrini,on the work place 😉

Sean and his fantastic team looked after us brilliantly. The food was delish. Can’t recommend enough ☺️.

Been going to Porthgwidden Beach Cafe for years but this time wasn’t great. Not sure if it has new owners but felt really uncomfortable. Quite pricey too. It was okay but not amazing.

Lovely chilled beach side vibe. Friendly and welcoming service team. Excellent simple menu options for all and well chosen drinks. Loved it

Great !!! quiet beach 👍👍👍 fantastic for a family day on the beach

Only reason 4* and not 5* is because the toilets were public loos (although only steps away from restaurant). Would we go again - most definitely. I had Moules Mariniere and garlic bread. Absolutely delicious. My husband had fish and chips and the batter on fish was really light. Chips were very tasty. Shaun/Sean was great really helpful and friendly. Cafe had relaxed atmosphere and we didn't want to leave. We will return again.

If I could give these guys zero, I would! The worst coffee I've ever tasted. Absolutely undrinkable. Customer service leaves much to be desired. Definitely don't recommend.

We sat outside on the beach benches. Opted for a couple of fish finger sandwiches and fries. When the food arrived it lacked any freshness - fried seemed old? Main concern was the rotting lettuce in the sandwiches! One side of lettuce was dark and showing signs of rotting. Fish was ‘fishy’ but not in a tasty way! Breadcrumbs overcooked and burned. When I returned to question the order, was question and shown salad which was fresh and obviously not the same as what was our sandwiches. Lots of silence and in the end given cash as refund with ‘I’m too busy for this’. We are locals and visit St Ives all year - don’t treat visitors like dirt! Based on this experience we wouldn’t return!

Food locally sourced and beautifully presented. Relaxed atmosphere. Customer service good without being intrusive.

We had a wonderful evening celebrating a birthday. The food was delicious and beautifully presented and the staff were friendly and helpful. The fantastic views are a bonus.

Arrived in St Ives for the first time yesterday. Walked here having been to the Tate. Really loved it and would return and order the same again. Great view of the beach. Great service. Wonderful food. Best moules I have ever had in cream and white wine with nduja. Cooked to perfection. Then a fresh crab and kimchi sandwich with fries and Asian slaw - different and delicious. My husband had two starters - Parma ham, pear, blue cheese and walnuts and then slow cooked belly which he said was incredible. Lovely simple white space. Dog friendly. Calm vibe. Great attention to detail and spotlessly clean. Hope to return before the week is out. Thank you!

Best fish and chips had in st ives And the burger was lovely too

Delicious food, great views of the sea and wonderful staff. Plus dog friendly which is a bonus. Will definitely be back, thank you x

The food was average at best. I’ve had better fish and chips from takeaways. I think you pay for the setting which is nice on the seafront.

Good enough service with friendly welcome Food was very average to be honest and not really in line with pricing The burger was not handmade and felt a bit rubbery but tasted ok Fish and chips were fine and spaghetti was quite chewy Also the crispy squid was dark brown / over fried We felt it wasn’t worth the money and walked away unsatisfied but location is incredible and the staff were nice Could be a lot more effort with the food standard and quality

Lovely fresh food, seafood delicious and good kids menu. Dog friendly. Lovely attentive staff. Highly recommended

Been stopping by here for years,it's such a perfect spot,however the coffee is absolutely disgusting....served in the tiniest of disposable cups,we ordered a 'flat white' and I could see the staff member using powdered instant coffee mixed with hot milk and water.....it was predictably revolting! Total rip off.....at £3.40 per person,if it had actually been a proper flat white coffee I wouldn't have minded but THIS.. ?!!!

Brilliant food and great service as standard here last night . I had a Parma ham and pear starter followed by spicy mussels . All beautifully cooked but not at a price to break the bank

We dined at the Porthgwidden Beach Cafe a number of years ago and always loved the food and the experience, then a menu change happened to pizza and tapas which, whilst I am sure was very nice, was not what we sought. So pleased that the menu is now back to be more reflective of what it used to be with a focus on excellent cooking, presented beautifully and catering for a range of tastes. Not unreasonably there is a focus on sea food but there are options for people like me who don’t eat it. Situated RIGHT on the beach with a panoramic window overlooking the sand (though we were there in February when it was dark during the evening) , decorated simply but elegantly with a clear nautical, relaxed vibe. Food was excellent, staff were relaxed yet attentive, and we had a thoroughly pleasant evening. Will most definitely be back later in the year.

Amazing chefs amazing front of house also I cannot fault this place To get a steak cooked exactly like you want it couldn’t ask for anything more If you come to st.ives forget the others like porthmister cafe Try the new number one in st . Ives you won’t regret it

So! Big birthday holiday. Went back to Porthgwidden beach cafe again and again Reason was quality of food, quality of service, quality of wines. Thank you for making this birthday girl feel very special. Xxxx

Fantastic meal this evening. Had three courses all of which were fantastic. Food great. Service great. Lovely restaurant .. can't say any more. Just go.

It is now 13:20 and we have already been very pleasantly accomodated at a restaurant round the corner. My husband called at 11:18am to inform the restaurant that one of our party was running late due to unforseen circumstances and asked to push our booking to 2pm. He spoke to a gentleman who informed him that the table was ours till 3pm so just arrive as soon as we can but obviously we have the table for 2 hours. Now I will start by saying I know it is frustrating when people are late thats why I never am unless it is unavoidable & in that circumstance I will call ahead with plenty of notice & pre warn. I will then rush like anything to make it, unfortunately things can happen! We arrived at 1:09pm (table was booked for 1pm). My husband gave my name to the blonde woman on front of house and apologised, explained we were 9 minutes late. She grimmaced and hmmmm'd as she walked away. She then showed us to our table and said we had to be gone by 2. My husband questioned this and explained that he had called, spoken to a gentleman who said 3. She then argued back at him several times, her tone was horrible, then she changed it to half 2/2:45 suddenly after saying 2 over and over, then scolded us for being late whilst pulling faces. After this she stormed off leaving us all standing at the table open mouthed. My husband approached the bar and spoke to the gentleman who had answered the phone to him, he agreed he had said 3pm but it had now changed and we had to be done by 2:30pm. You cannot tell someone a time then decide to change it. There was zero atmosphere, this womans attitude seemed to have infected the entire dining room and we weren't prepared to sit in it. The staff looked miserable, she was rude and the customers didn't look overly impressed. So in her bid to prove a point about us being 9 minutes late, (9 minutes that would have been spent looking at a menu/going to the toilet/talking) they missed out on a bill for 4 people which would have included wine, not to mention the fact we gave them plenty of notice that we may be a little bit late, unfortunately things happen But for goodness sake it was 9 minutes, may have even been 8 when we actually walked in the door! As i said, we went to another restaurant, we were accomodated and sat down all within 5 minutes of leaving porthgwidden, the food was amazing and the staff were wonderful (I have done a review on their page), so thank you to that rude front of house staff member, today I have had one of the best meals I've ever had in the 10 years I have been visiting st ives.

We visited for New year's eve and had a lovely table overlooking the sea and the food was lovely. We had to cut our meal short after mains as our dog was poorly and had to go the emergency vet but the staff were so nice about it which we were really grateful for. Thank you for your kindness and for making us so welcome. It is a beautiful restaurant and we will be back, maybe leave the dog elsewhere next time :)!

The manager was rude. He knew the bill was wrong when he gave it to us ...we ended up paying for neighbours drinks ..no apology ...never going back

Really lovely meal this evening, with great flavours and good portions! Service was great, friendly and chatty. Would definitely return, especially in the day as the location on the beach is fab. Great find.

St Ives in November. Rain lashing down. A warm oasis of light at the top of the lovely little beach at the foot of the island. We were welcomed warmly on our early arrival and everything worked well. The menu is not huge but is well considered. The local sardines as a starter were delicious and the lemon sole rich and flavourful. Possibly the star was the rich chocolate cake with clotted cream- a good-sized scoop, not a grudging smear. Friendly service and well-priced. This is a terrific restaurant and was just what we needed on a filthy night.

Lovely meal this evening thank you. Did feel a bit rushed towards the end though despite it only being 9.30pm.

Historically one of my favourite places and hadn't visited for about 4-5 years. The food was delicious but the menu wasn't what we were expecting. It's gone up market with the lunchtime menu. The view hasn't changed and is still incredible!

Terrible food. Don’t bother . Don’t recommend at all.

Earlier in June this year we booked a terrace table for dinner and requested one overlooking the beach for a 'special' birthday - arrived on time and a couple just ahead of us (who we heard hadn't booked) were shown to the last table - you guessed it - overlooking the beach, whilst we were directed to an inside table. Disappointed - I remarked on this to the Maître D who curtly told me there were no 'guarantees' for tables and wasn't interested I had booked weeks previously - tough? Nevertheless on our return (now in October) I booked again for another 'special' occasion requesting - you guessed it! - a terrace table overlooking the beach. Arriving on time, we were approached by a waitress who behaved very strangely - as if puzzled we had walked in (we noticed the inside room was packed much to our surprise in October) and when we told her of our booking she informed us 'we are all inside tonight' and offered us a table virtually sitting on the laps of the adjacent diners - which we declined and left. Whilst restaurants these days go to great lengths to make sure you are 'reminded' of your booking (even to the extent of taking advance, non-returnable no-show deposits) they don't seem to be interested in two way communications - it would have been nice to know here that our favourite part of the place (and the reason we like it so much) was 'unilaterally' closed off and we were not given the courtesy of any advance warning.

Great place, the food was lovely, the best location ever.

Sat in the window inside, so perfect view east to Godfrey. Mackerel pate starter and fish and chips main very well done. Service was attentive for our friends who have allergies, all well catered foe. Atlantic pale ale perfect with the F&Chips. Al round a perfect beach cafe.

Fantastic place and really helpful. The chef cooked me something from scratch without salt as I have an intolerance to it. Definitely above and beyond Thank you

Friendly welcome, good food and attentive service. Added bonus of watching a dolphin and seals while eating our dinner!

This is a special little beach cafe with great food and a lovely location. Small beach cafe atmosphere and lovely food.

Wonderful setting outside the hubbub of St Ives on a stunning beach. Food was excellent and the service outstanding. Special mention for Clare…. she is brilliant

Another fantastic meal at Porthgwidden. Amazing food and fantastic staff!

The dishes are not wrong and the taste is not bad. But the service attitude was very poor, I never talked to the customer, and I did not clean the table before the dessert. I suspect their staff is racist.

Very welcoming & accommodating staff, given we arrived with no prior booking. They fitted us in on the indoor terrace, #whataview. Wonderfull meal & overall service. Will definitely visit again!

The worst coffee ever experienced. £3.20 for what appears to be instant coffee. Service was slow and unapologetic - serving other customers their hot drinks first although ordered after me. But the coffee is appalling.

Loved the food. Best hake I have ever tasted. And amazing fresh sardines!

The best thing about this cafe is the location. It is beautiful and a great place for a beach day! Coffee is £3.40 (latte), from a machine & served in a disposable cup. Poor quality coffee and the server (as described by our 8yo) was very glum! Smile-it's the summer and your time to make loads of money!

Not sure what's happened to feel so drastically different from last year. We were seated (by the manager ironically it seems) at which point it was then over 15 minutes till we were acknowledged, no offer of water or anything else whilst others were being served, including tables coming in after. By this point was already not pleased, the servers response to this was to note I could complain and "ask the manager hire more staff" while I can sympathise understaffing means overworked servers, why is that my issue to raise... As it was unlikely I'm to get another decent restaurant at that time we ordered (mistake). Waited a further 5+ minutes for the still non-existant water then decided to leave. Complained to the manager who offered to comp our non existent drinks...poor management

Nice breakfast baps, coffee, and stuff. Outdoor seating only, at breakfast. They don't curate their outdoor tables very well though, so you have to deal with water, sand, and bird poop yourself, which is a bit disappointing

hit and miss... bacon bap two days ago three big rashers... today one.... not as good as the other two beach cafes

St Ives Portthgwidden Beach Cafe is a wonderful spot for a very nice lunch or Dinner. They do walkins but if you can book as it is very popular. It opens for lunch at 12 midday to 4pm and Dinner 5:30pm until 10pm. Nice little menu especially if you are a fan of Seafood. Lovely friendly staff and the view is Cornwall at its finest (If in the Sun). There is a public car park nearby (The Island Carpark) but it is very popular and nearly always full, so my tip would be come early to get a spot and come for the full day of beach ⛱ and a lovely bit of lunch. But if you don't get in the carpark it's still worth the walk. Nibbles around £4 - £6 Starters around £10 - £15 Mains around £17 - £45 (full lobster 🦞) Desserts around £8 - £12 They do specials, price may vary. P.S I forgot to mention they sadly have stopped doing breakfast 😕

Just been served a pint which was very frothy. Joking around, I said could I have a flake with that, to then be greeted with the most rudest lady behind the counter given me filthy looks. Unbelievable really. .

My favourite beach 🏖️ the best atmosphere ❤️

Nice coffee but expensive for the size of cup

An absolutely lovely spot to have a Pimms and see the views

Lovely meal, all courses were delicious. Great location with views over the beach. Service was excellent. Overall a fantastic evening!

Sundowners thoroughly recommended. Great place

Wir haben über OpenTable einen Tisch für 4 Personen (2 Erw., 2 Kinder (und ein Baby)) für 17:30 reserviert. Wir waren 17:10 da und unser jüngstes Kind brauchte seinen vorbereiteten Abendbrei. Da erst um 17:30 geöffnet wurde, durfte ich nicht früher hereinkommen, um ihn drin in Ruhe (und ohne Wind und aggressive Möwen) füttern zu können. Des Weiteren setze man uns so weit wie möglich von der Fensterfront mit Blick aufs Meer weg, mit Verweis auf den Kinderwagen, obwohl wir die ersten waren und das Restaurant bis zu unserem Verlassen eher übersichtlich besetzt war. Unsere Bedienungen wirkten aufgesetzt freundlich, reserviert, teils improvisiert und Nachfragen nach Kinderbesteck o.ä. wurden immer erst einmal prompt abgelehnt/ verneint. Das Ambiente wirkt durch Plastestühle und Tische ohne Tischdecken, sondern nur mit Papierunrerleger doch mehr wie eine einfache BeachBAR anstatt ein BeachRESTAURANT. Das Essen war in Ordnung, aber wirklich weder reichhaltig noch außergewöhnlich! Allerdings war der Preis stattlich! Wir haben letztlich 146,41€ (125£) bezahlt, obwohl wir die Einrichtung enttäuscht verlassen haben und nicht wieder kommen würden. Wir sind seit 3 Wochen in England unterwegs, geben gerne und viel Geld für tolles Essen aus - haben hier allerdings bisher das mit Abstand allerschlechteste Gesamtpaket erhalten!

I will call this review the Hero. Today we come to the restaurant to have some lunch. We come and the bartender give us a table close to the door and with almos zero views of the sea... We then ask other bartender if we can get please other table close the window to admire the amazing views that this restaurant have... That's why I call this review the Hero. The woman blonde with glasses give us the best table of the place us soon the other clients finish eating, this defenetly make a crazy differences I will like to say to her thanks so so much one more time for this small toach. Very disappointed with the youngest bartender but today we had the Hero. Thanks so much one more time for this Blonde Hero

Most fantastic view, lovely food, friendly staff. Worth the effort to find it, it's a bit tucked away. Ask for a table with a view if you're booking!

Great cafe for all types of food. Food very good quality in the restaurant section and staff nice snd friendly. Looks over the beach for fantastic sea views.

This cafe is right on the beach with tables and chairs and parasols to sit under. Fish and chips were cooked fresh when ordered. They tasted lovely. Especially eating them looking at wonderful scenery.

Disappointing breakfast.Think it was their last service until they had a full staff complement.

Great location, food first class worth the walk to get away from the main shops and cafe's.

We had a lovely coffee in the morning overlooking the beach. One of the staff out an umbrella up to protect us from seagulls. We also visited early evening for drinks, staff are friendly and the prices are reasonable.