Porthminster Kitchen in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Tried out the usual places in St Ives whilst staying for half term week and here was the best meal we had all week. Price perfectly realistic compared to others. Staff and service were fantastic and friendly. Crab linguine was perfect, Lebanese wine was delicious and the view is the best in town.

I live in Cornwall and this is my favourite place to eat a tasty lunch with an amazing view. You may need to book if you want to enjoy the sunny upstairs terrace overlooking the stunning harbour (that’s where I would choose if you are a couple) Talented chefs and friendly efficient staff!

Yes - book a table here immediately. One of the best monk fish curries I have ever had. Also the place where I discovered my love for rice pudding and rhubarb, what a moment!

Dinner was excellent but the staff made the evening exceptional. They were warm, extremely welcoming, helpful and professional. Thank you !

Delicious food, especially the mussels! It has a real fireplace that makes the place extra cozy! Overall amazing food!

Went during our Wedding Anniversary September 2023. Food was unfortunately fairly average, especially considering the price. One of us went for seafood while the other went for a meat dish, both left us disappointed. They also had a forced tip included in the price, which you had to request to be taken off. Considering the price they charge for the meals, this felt completely unreasonable.

Myself and my father had a perfect lunch here. The sole was delicious, as was the steak sandwich. Service was brilliant too. My dad is 92yo and he said the steps up ‘were definitely worth doing for such delicious food!’ Thank you.

Had lunch here of fish and chips. The food was delicious, and the fish tasted so fresh. It was a great view over the harbour even though I sat inside. The atmosphere was great and the music was not too loud. The only grumble I had was that the service charge added to the bill was not explained to me that I could ask to have it removed. Plus, I asked for a small sparkling water and was charged a different price from what I was told by the server.

Superb location with stunning harbour views. Service impeccable. The food was first class and beautifully presented the wait between courses was just right. The wine list extensive enough to be able to choose a good bottle, cocktails divine. There are heaters and blankets to keep you warm when dining outside. Highly recommend dining here when visiting St Ives.

Lovely ambiance, very warm, friendly and professional staff and sensational food. Also, great location on the sea front.

We visited without a reservation and they managed to fit us in but explained we could only have the table for 1hr 15 mins which was fine as there was just three of us. Between us we had the beef, pork and the Seafood Thai Curry. Yes it is a little on the expensive side but the food was fabulous and the staff very attentive. We will definitely visit again on our next trip.

Fantastic three course dinner with super service and a lovely view over the sea. It was the best food any of us have eaten - the steaks were tender and perfectly cooked as was the duck breast and the accompanying vegetables and sauces were excellent too. Would highly recommend.

Top Restaurant!!! The best in town!!!

Wanted to celebrate a birthday dinner with some delicious seafood and it didn’t disappoint! The scallops were perfect, the mackerel pate was incredibly smooth. For the mains, I had a perfectly cooked hake, my partner had a very buttery and soft lobster. Rest of the family had fish and chips which they were happy with, definitely no need to order extra chips as they’re very generous with the potatoes (also a plus in my book). It’s dog friendly and the staff are very kind and thoughtful, especially the woman with reddish hair and a fringe - apologies we didn’t get your name. Price wise it’s not cheap at all, but I would recommend it for a treat or if you are comfortable with the price. We all left incredibly full! I think the only downside is that it’s very hot in the main space, which for dining is mildly irritating but probably stifling for staff. If it was cooler I think the atmosphere would be more pleasant.

My son & I went in for Sunday Roast at the Porthminster Kitchen on the St Ives Harbour. We both had Beef, although the Roast looked good, the beef was very chewy & clearly not cooked properly 😒. The Broccoli, Onions, & Yorkshire puddings were hard. The Roast potatoes were the only thing that was edable so I told the .manager I was not prepared to pay for something We did not eat. I would definitely NOT recommend this place.

Really wonderful food and excellent views. We had some oysters, pate, scallops, lobster and for dessert, crème brûlée and baked rice. All was really great and their wine list is excellent too. We brought our dog and she had her own space too. The service was ok but not great. We had to ask repeatedly to order food and also extra drinks, which was a little off putting.

Cheap furniture, indifferent service, fine dining ingredients prices. Warm water, no ice. Squid starter, nice batter but very little squid £13, not great. Belly pork, basically miniature pork scratching ion a tiny pork base- £14, tasted great but worth about £5. Main course duck was good , but for £35 it should be. Crème brûlée desert nice but came in a miniature ramekin -£10, seriously- £1 cost. Could be great but fleecing tourists is easier than building a great business.

Incredible seafood linguine and the roasted hake!!

Spontaneous trip that exceeded expectations, food and wine was exceptional (especially since one of us is gluten free and one is vegan). Made us feel at home, service was great, particularly Joanna, thank you.

The best balcony on St Ives. Great food, served by great people on a perfect spot if you choose a table on the balcony. Mussels are the best starter to have, while the Baileys crème brûlée the perfect way to end your dinner. Congrats to the owner keeping high standards.

Overpriced for what it is. London prices without the flavour. Lovely views. Nice staff.

Hands down the best meal we had in Cornwall. The staff is fantastic. The food was absolutely brilliant. I had the duck which was cooked to perfection. The fish and lobster dishes on the table were excellent too. Highly recommend a visit here. Note that you need to inform the restaurant if you are bringing a dog as they do not allow inside, outside tables only.

Fabulous Sunday lunch. Excellent food Amazing view

Lunch for 4 and our dogs on the balcony. Just Fabulous. What a special treat. Particularly impressed with the total consideration & knowledge of celiac needs. Fantastic 3 courses. We live locally so will be back soon.

Magnificent dinner in St Ives. Impressive friendliness of the staff, with patience in the face of a couple with a language that they do not master well; and good food, with local and very fresh products, aspects that are often conspicuous by their absence currently. And price, British for a Spanish. Very satisfied and highly recommended

Experienced really great service from here two weeks ago during our visit to St Ives. We were initially stuck behind a large table of about 8 loud children (which are not the restaurant's fault). When we asked if we could move they understood straight away and moved us to another table as soon as possible and actually moved us again when space became available on the balcony. The food was very nice. I went for the day catch special.

Excellent Scallops and the truffle potatoes were cooked to perfection.

What a joke just walk in they opened clearly just as we walked in very rude just said can you sit on the bench outside so we sat on the table next to the bench she came out rudely and told us to sit on the bench wouldn't recommend this place would of been a 200 pound order easily then food but not worth the rudeness many thanks kieran and sara

Not the best Sunday roast and overfull plates Should have been better.

Definitely recommend, great food and great service

Delicious food, great ambience, excellent service. I am very delighted with what I ordered (Hake fillet), a bit pricey compared to average restaurants around but believe me, rather pay more with superb food than pay less and not get satisfied with the food afterwards. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Great place with outstanding staff and delicious food. Best fish & chips ever.

All recommended, especially the pork belly, definitely worth a try.

Good spot with great views and decent food.

Fabulous restaurant on the harbour front with indoor and outdoor dining options. Excellent main courses but the desserts are truly amazing: we had the crispy rice pudding and the chocolate brownie.

The best in the town in my opinion

Cannot recommend the food highly enough, especially the seafood linguine. Staff extremely friendly and helpful and a wonderful view of St Ives harbour

Good food...fantastic wines from South Africa...remarkable. nice terrace with a view of the sea.

We had lunch here after roaming St Ives. Great food and service!! A bit pricey though , I feel like it's London price . Amazing view of the harbour !!

The best sunday roast..I'd recommend a plate of their roasted potatoes only: to die for! Staff very kind, and also pretty good espresso (trust me, I'm Italian :)

Excellent meal and great service. Attentive, great wine selection. Beautiful view across the harbour. Reasonably priced.

Went there for birthday. Best views to have dinner. Chef kiss. Just be careful with the seagulls outside 😭

It's not cheap but neither should it be. There are few better locations and on this occasion we tried the roast beef. Not what we had planned but when we saw the plates coming out we couldn't resist. And I don't even enjoy roast dinner. It was superb, served quickly and politely. Did gets asked if everything was ok 7 times which was a bit much little changed every four minutes, but yeah. Highly recommended. Just beware the seagulls if you leave your table.

Four of us booked this in advance for our holiday to Cornwall. We were so looking forward to this dinner, and I have to say it was amazing! The seafood was incredibly fresh and tasty. I don’t think we’ve ever had such good seafood, and some of us come from Sicily! The staff were so nice, attentive, and enthusiastic about their work. We loved everything! The pictures don’t do it justice! Shout out to Lucy/Lucie for taking good care of us 🩵 also to the kitchen staff for such good food and amazing food presentation!! 🤌🏼 Thank you all for your hospitality!

A charming little restaurant with beautiful views and superb staff. I love curry and I love monkfish but having never had a fish curry before I was still uncertain. My word it was absolutely fantastic, the most deliciously silky smooth sauce and an abundance of monkfish, prawn, mussel and more. If we hadn’t booked into another restaurant tomorrow I would be back for the same again !!! Will be driving 4 hours to return next year.

A little disappointed with the food. Booked for Sunday roast and was told not sure if any left. Then, yes, only pork. What arrived was overcooked and hard. Was so hungry we still ate it but it has just put a dampener on a place we had great memories and experiences at on previous occasions.

It’s a walking restaurant but they will Check and if you have baby they tell you to wait out side very rude

Great food but this is about flavours not quantity, london prices , lovely place , really tasty food and great expensive wine list

Great venue overlooking the harbour in St Ives. About 10 minute walk from train station Welcome and service great food fabulous!!

Love this place; probably the best food in St.Ives. My one request would be that the vegetarian main option (a good but not overwhelming Indonesian curry) has been the only option for some years now. With the quality of food and imagination clearly visible in the rest of the menu, it would be good to see a seasonal change of vegetarian option. Seem to remember there was once even a full vegetarian menu available? Otherwise keep up the good work !

This is an amazing restaurant for seafood, the food is second to none, staff are really friendly and remember you, especially Jo.. I just can’t fault it at all.. Excellent, a must when you visit St Ives

We have been to the portminster cafe several times and rank it top. This has the same owners fabulous food and staff. We loved the view across the horbour. Not changed, fabulous lunch.

Pleasant atmosphere, we were seated at a table overlooking the sea. Excellent service. We chose to order a starter and a main dish as per the waitress' instructions. The squid was crispy and the cod was very tasty. The two dishes were enough for two people. Excellent option in St. Ives.

For seafood, this place was top on my list of places to visit in Cornwall. Unfortunately, they did not have any availability in the evenings that we wanted to visit during the Bank Holiday weekend. I think we tried to book a week in advance. We really wanted to try this place so we booked for lunch instead. This restaurant is on the first floor above a shop. There are some steep stairs to climb before you get here. The view from restaurant was lovely. You get to see out onto the beach. We would have loved to sit in the outside, but we had 8 people, so I doubt we would have fitted there and there were about 3/4 tables there(?). The food was so good that we ended up being so full! We were the first to arrive when they opened and people started filling up the place quickly. I can hear them turning people away who didn’t have a booking. I loved the seafood linguine, so fresh and such a good portion. I had to share a bit with my husband as I didn’t want so much for lunch. If I was able to book for dinner, we would have tried more food. I shared the squid starter, burrata salad, linguine and side salad with my husband. The sauce for the squid was so good, it was sweet with a touch of citrus. The price is higher here, but it is expected since there is a lot of seafood. Service was good too, the waiter was helpful and we had a good conversation. There was a 12.5% service charge, so the total came just under £250, which was not bad! We thought it would be much more, maybe if it was for dinner it would have been more. I would recommend this place for the seafood linguine. There were a few other dishes we would have loved to try. So if I came back, I would love to visit this place again.

Great food, great service, and lovely view.

I had the best lunch here, the food and service is amazing. Plus the view over the bay is simply beautiful.

The fish and chips are delicious, and the seafood noodles are also okay. The taste is bland and not particularly amazing, but I think the overall price is too high. The seafood noodles don’t have much seafood, so it can be considered a small amount.

Food was exceptionally good. It's worth taking dessert. 😋

We love this place. Seafood linguine is beautiful and their espresso martinis are to die for

Best mussels , mackerel patè, and best cooked sea bass. Enjoy

When you come to this port, you must come to this restaurant to eat seafood. The seafood is very fresh and the scenery from the balcony is also very beautiful! Highly recommended!

Best food in St Ives. Great service. Loved the place. The ladies were so nice and our diner was so delicious.

This restaurant impresses with its top food and nice views over St.Ives harbour. Though the prices are high, they're justified by the quality of the food. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, ensuring a delightful dining experience. I'll definitely be returning.

This restaurant impresses with its top food and breathtaking views over St.Ives harbour. Though the prices are high, they're justified by the quality of the food. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, ensuring a delightful dining experience. I'll definitely be returning."

Service and location are excellent. The food had a lot of good flavours but certain things can’t be overlooked. I had the steak - supposedly 12 oz but was most certainly no more than 8. It was overcooked - more like medium well vs the medium rare I requested. Really not good for £37. My partner had the duck. Whilst tasty, there were 3 small slices. For a main costing £35 this is entirely unacceptable.

Fantastic food monkfish curry best I’ve ever had and my partner had the fish of the day,said it was beautiful,definitely visit again first class

We managed to get a window table which was great but all tables can see the sea ! As before a very tasty meal served by pleasant staff. We loved the tasting menu we had last year but sadly they aren’t doing that this year … 🤞🏻🤞🏻. Loved the postcard idea! Thanks for a great evening.

Very good sea food, creative dishes using some more spices. The moules with chorizo were excellent. Nice atmosphere with view over the harbor, friendly service.

All seven of us had a great time here. Not too cramped, like a few places, and a nice relaxing vibe. Friendly and helpful staff providing excellent service and serving up great food. And all on the harbour front too. What more could you ask for. Looking forward to our next visit.

Absolutely fantastic,best food in St Ives by a mile, definitely coming back, truly wonderful,service and chefs amazing,went to the loft the night before,very poor in comparison

Superb restaurant. Lovely food, great service and nice ambiance. Lovely view across St.Ives harbour too! Thoroughly recommended for a great couples night out away from the kids!

We definitely would recommend Porthminster Kitchen for a Sunday roast! We booked a table for Easter Sunday & it was delicious! Staff were fab & very thorough the whole time we were there, on hand & taking orders quickly. Food also came out in timely manner. It was great value for money, the cauliflower cheese & pickled cabbage was a great touch! Was absolutely delicious & will definitely be back!

We were really disappointed in this restaurant. We didn’t get a very warm welcome - to the point where we almost walked out before being sat down. The food is very overpriced for the quality - £30 for pasta (which seemed like dry pasta from the supermarket). The food came out really quickly and we felt like they wanted us out as soon as possible. We weren’t offered desserts or any drinks. Unfortunately it was just a really underwhelming and overpriced experience

Best dining experience that we have had in a long time, fantastic food, great service with an equally great atmosphere. Highly recommend, can’t wait to go back!

Celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary here :) The food was scrumptious. Services were impressive. Noted on our reservation that it's for our anniversary and the woman who served us congratulated us. Didn't expect anyone would take notice of the note I added on our reservation. This simple gesture made our dinner more special. Thank you. 😊

Overpriced and average food (which also gave us both dodgy stomachs). Service wasn't that friendly either.

So good, we returned for a second time in a week! Lovely menu, offering something delicious for everyone. The staff were attentive without being intrusive and we didn’t feel rushed. We recommend the Monkfish Curry and Hake from the mains and the crispy rice pudding was scrumptious. Hats of to the chef(s).

Lovely location overlooking the sea. Very yummy seafood dishes and excellent chocolate brownie. Service was friendly and efficient.

The food, location and service were amazing. We had the best fish and chips over looking the beach with sea views. Very special!

We came to st Ives for a long weekend we visited this restaurant I can highly recommend it it was the best meal we’ve had in a long time service was amazing food was 💯 % and the staff were amazing definitely be visiting there again when we return thanks for your hospitality

Had a fantastic meal last night. The food was incredible, full of flavour and eveything was cooked perfectly .The waiting staff were brilliant and super friendly . Will be back again .

Called in for a spontaneous lunch. We ate the steak sandwich and the special of skate wing. Both were delicious. Staff are friendly but professional. We will be back. We've been here many times for a coffee on the outdoor balcony.

Unbelievable food from start to finish, do not leave St Ives without dining out at the Porthminster Kitchen. We’ll be back, definitely.

I came here with my family and the service was below expectations. We thought it would be a welcoming experience however the waiters were passive aggressive and my family had to endure dirty looks throughout our lunch meal. Then when we wanted to order more food, the replies and attitude from the waiters were rushed and it seemed as if they wanted us out of the shop despite it not being very busy. It was quite uncomfortable as we had older family members with us as well. We were the only family there who received this treatment. It was really disappointing. The food was alright. Made and served quickly but it was hard to enjoy with waiters who seemed like they didn't us around. Hopefully other customers who come here to lunch or anything do not catch the waiters on a bad day!

Great seafood and service to match, never had a bad meal here.

Food was not only flavourless but actively disgusting. Service was really nice though. Can’t believe this place had so many good reviews, the fish isn’t event fresh although it’s ON the sea front. Bit of a joke. Do not recommend.

Not much of an atmosphere and hardly any tables booked. Plenty of space for walk ins which was surprising having been there a few years ago and remember it being packed out. Food was ok but nothing spectacular. What really let it down was how pretentious some of the waiting staff were. Really unfriendly considering how it’s not exactly cheap! Wouldn’t recommend for families at all.

Superb birthday lunch. Tasty and fresh seafood. The calamari and the sole with prawns and samphire were gorgeous. We also loved the pineapple desert with coconut sorbet . The whole experience was lovely, the views super and the atmosphere very relaxed and informal . Staff were great, and nothing was too much trouble.my other half enjoyed the mussels with a chorizo broth. Every course was well presented, tasty and delicious.

Me and my friends had lunch in this amazing place in front of the beach. From the lovely welcoming until the dessert, we enjoyed every single detail. The food was amazing, very tasty. The place it's warm, simple and nice decoration with a fire place which make you feel cozy. I recommend it 10/10. Thank you

We arrived with our dog for a birthday lunch after using open table to book in. The staff were arrogant and dismissive from the start. They said they didn’t realise we had a dog. I explained there wasn’t a facility to add a dog to our booking on open table, so I’d checked online beforehand where it stated the restaurant was ‘dog friendly’. It clearly wasn’t! Despite the restaurant being empty, they said we could only sit at one table by the door due to our canine companion. We were made to feel completely uncomfortable and unwanted. Because of the terrible, unfriendly, arrogant front of house staff, we chose to forego the overpriced food and just had a drink and left, NEVER to return. Such a shame as we were really looking forward to a lovely birthday lunch. As I see from reviews, the arrogant service continues and we were not alone in receiving it!

Amazing views. Got access through narrow stairs. Lovely terrace. Great staff members. Delicious food. Very good quality.

Pretty location. Food exceptional. Staff welcoming. Think improves each time we visit. We had steak, duck, monkfish curry ; mackerel Pate was so good.

The PK seafood linguine is super delicious I order other one

What a lovely restaurant with a fab view, great food, and looked after our little girl so well. It’s just about the only restaurant we have ever been to that serves plain pasta on the kids menu….something she loves!! We will definitely be back.

We came here for a birthday dinner and I must say, we really enjoyed our experience. The staff were welcoming and wished my partner a happy birthday, which was a nice touch. The food was absolutely delicious. The only downside was that we were seated near the door on a chilly August evening, and the draft that kept coming in was most unwelcome. Otherwise, I would return again, but maybe on a warmer evening.

I struggle to understand on what planet a business would accept as a norm the level of arrogance manifested by the front of house staff towards their customers. Who ever you are employing to train your crew I suggest you ask for a refund. Having read some of the other reviews on here it is comforting to know we’re not alone in experiencing this. Looking back it is laughable that they are so full of their own self importance they treat paying customers with borderline contempt. It’s a real shame because the food was really really good.

Absolutely delicious restaurant! We were 4 friends and all loved our meals! Would recommend 100%.

Delicious food. They could charge double and I'd still come back.

Literally one of the most incredible meals we have ever had. The most stunning views across St Ives and the ocean. The food was out of this world, service sublime and excellent wine list. Can’t wait to visit again.

Where do I begin, WOW! Just amazing I would even happily put my bets on that meal being personally my best meal EVER! The seafood linguine !! Just out of this world! The service next to non they are speedy, friendly and polite which is what you like the location of the kitchen right over the harbour so beautiful views, the inside decor is outstanding and nice contemporary style very family friendly and dogs welcome, great for my toddler and he enjoyed my seafood linguine more than his children’s crispy chicken tenders chips and peas !! So for my toddler to like the linguine and seafood with chilli and garlic twist is also something special. I would 1000% reccomend such a place to dine if down in st Ives.