The Unicorn on the Beach in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Had my mums 99 th b day here last week . Staff totally spoilt her fabulous time had by all . Food and service very good . Thank you unicorn staff x

Visited on Thursday 31st October wanted a lager shandy to be told they have NO LAGER! A pub with no lager! Never seen that before EVER, asked for a menu was given the more expensive menu not the cheaper one with sandwiches on it so had to go back for that one, wanted crisps was given a choice of only 3 flavours! Wanted a pulled Pork Sandwich guess what they have NO pulled pork, had to wait 40 minutes for sandwiches, poor service, poor lack of basic items on menu and drinks, real shame as a nice pub that should be so much better.

It was busy and took a long time before our drinks arrived. We had a burger and belly pork. The salad was and sauce were a bit light but the burger was nice. The belly pork was lovely, however I couldn't cut the crackling. After mentioning this to the young lady she told the chef and they replied with: "Well it is cracking so it's supposed to be hard". She offered us to ommit the service charge in recompense. Not the response I welcomed. Shame. It meant we didn't have another drink and we didn't buy a dessert.

Great hosts to my mum in laws 99th birthday. The Unicorn went above and beyond to ensure the celebrations went with a bang. They were fantastic, the food, the service and they were so attentive. Highly recommend this restaurant. Absolutely Fabulous, thank you.

Fantastic position on the beach. Staff couldn’t have been more helpful. Lovely food. Would definitely come again. Nice to see staff who have so much pride in their work place

Lovely food and service, dog friendly bar and restaurant

Very nice staff made you welcome. Only fownside food stops at 15.00 until 17.00

We were staying in Perran and the day was a wash out, fancied some seafood but most seafood places don't take dogs, we stumbled across the Unicorn online and chanced it, SOOOO pleased we did. Stunning views no matter the weather, lovely seating, half inside & half conservatory. They were very welcoming, loved the dog, and despite their oven being out of order they were coping just fine, no dramas. I was torn on two items on the menu, no oven meant that one of the dishes was off the menu so my mind was made up. We had beautiful food, good service, lovely atmosphere and scenery, couldn't fault it and the price was good even with service added. Only wish we'd found it years ago..!

Superb service with really good quality food at very reasonable prices. We'll certainly go back next time we're in the area.

Lovely spot to eat, indoors or outdoors. Warm welcome. Friendly and efficient staff, great food. We had bread , whipped butter and oils, followed by Mussels in wine and cream sauce, and chicken caesar salad. Just right and will be back when we're next in the area.

We are staying up on Eastcliffe and found the pub down in the town. A lovely establishment with friendly staff, a good selection of beers and a great menu. We were made to feel very welcome and visited several times during our stay in Porthtowan. Tp add, the apple crumble is simply amazing don't miss out on trying it.

Excellent service, attentive staff, great food at very reasonable prices. Lobster was amazing!

Absolutely delicious food, the decor was beautiful, great pricing and variety. I would recommend the Veggie Thai curry! Staff are friendly and accommodating. Very Dog friendly which was perfect for us. Based right next to the beach and a small play park for children, also a huge bonus. Would recommend, great little hidden gem. Thanks for a great last evening meal in Cornwall.

Food is good but expensive with an added service charge fee of 12.5%, which is to be paid before any service has been provided! This totalled to £12, yet you have to go to the bar to order your own food, grab your own sauces and cutlery which was displayed in tacky looking buckets. Paid additional £3 for sauce with the steak but after asking for my fries which were forgotten, I did not bother to mention the also forgotten sauce. Food was lovely, chips are great. Not given a steak knife, have to find a member of staff to ask for one, of which they did not have enough for everyone at the table - all steak came with garlic butter which is not stated. Location is nice near the beach, small car park available but also bigger pay and display car park down the road.

It is stunning i went here when i was visiting cornwall and the food was outstanding. I lkve that it's dog friendly aswell if i ever got back to cornwall i would 100% come back here and the location is amazing the sunset at night is lovely and how it is right next to a beach as soon as you finish surfing you can go to the pub i reccomend if anyone wants to go.

Great bar/floor staff, engaging, happy to be there, was lucky to pass through on a music night, great band! But I'm disappointed to see such high pricing in the county...

Had a birthday lunch which was super! Great staff (made a real fuss for our daughter for her birthday - which was very much appreciated 🎂) and super food - I had the pulled pork burger, really good value and tasted delicious 🍔 definately worth going to again - and thoroughly recommend 😊 thank you so much for a super afternoon!

We had a table booked for my mums 50th birthday, and popped this in the booking form so they’d be aware of the occasion. We turned up having booked, our table was unprepared - tables had to be moved to accommodate us (we’re only a family of five so unsure why this wasn’t sorted). Cutlery was forgotten which caused a little wait. One of the starters had been forgotten however was brought out quickly - the waitress was really friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, we had an hour wait in between starters and mains which was not acceptable. This was only made worse as a table next to us arrived and ordered after us, and received their meal before we did. We had to ask where it was, to be told it would be with us in ten minutes and was next on the pass - we couldn’t help but feel we were heavily forgotten about. We came to understand other tables had similar issues. Once the food arrived, it was tasty and a great standard. The half a rack of ribs was disappointing though as myself and my sister only had four ribs on our plates, so this didn’t feel as though it was worth it as an adults meal. The pickled slaw wasn’t a favourite of any of ours and was unfortunately left on the plates. The experience was heavily disappointing, especially because it was my mums birthday. The disorganisation and slow service could be slightly understood due to how busy the place was, especially as they were celebrating the 5th birthday of the restaurant, but this isn’t a customers issue to have to deal with. The music playing was definitely not expected - background music is absolutely fine no matter the genre, but was far too loud. This experience has definitely not made us want to come back.

The service in this place is terrible. All the staff are too young and don’t know what’s going on… they add a service charge on the bill as they know they won’t be getting any tips. Quite smart actually. The food is actually good, I can’t deny that. You just have to wait hours for it, without a drink too. Claude likes a drink.

Food was excellent and well presented, plenty of it, must say burgers tasted delicious, very attentive staff and landlady on the ball ensuring everybody and everything runs smoothly. Will go again

Mediocre. Clearly trying to do more covers than they could cope with. Multiple order errors and very slow. Felt for the young staff having to deal with all the complaints from other dinners.

Really nice food and service. The barman with the cool beard was pro. Thanks

Lovely pub in a real nice little cove , friendly staff, good beer and some of the best food I've had. The Fisherman's pot of smoked sausage and catch of the day is probably the nicest dish I've ever had. Couldn't fault it. Also tried the chicken burger and the fish and chips. All cooked beautifully. Highly recommend the unicorn if you're that way on.

Great location - superb food specifically their burgers !! Attentive service Booking essential

Short menu, lost order, long wait, no sauces, but eventually good food… Family walked in after a session on the beach, and found an outdoor table. Comfortable (in August), good location, friendly, and a ‘relaxed vibe’. Very limited outdoor menu though, okay if you only want a burger (which we did). Ordering at the bar automatically added a £14 service charge, which ‘can be taken off if you like’. At that stage the service is fine, so you feel a bit rude. However, after a misunderstanding in the kitchen (they lost our order!), an apologetic free round of drinks which we didn’t really need, and a long hour wait, our food finally arrived. Nice chicken burgers with the trimmings, slaw had mixed reviews, fries were very good. By this time they had run out of every sauce and mayonnaise though. Left a bit disappointed.

This fantastic little restaurant is situated right on the beach and the views are just amazing . The staff here could not be more pleasant and attentive in fact simply lovely especially the Manager Katy . The food is literally five star !! I had the Seafood Steampot and it was one of the best meals I ever had . Thanks

Lovely location, easy parking, great outside seating. Lovely staff except one really stressed and unfriendly staff ( probably a manager, guessing from how he talked to other staff) lovely cakes and the worst Pina Colada.

Extremely noisy, service was pleasant, bit very slow

Really disappointed that management have decided that patrons at outside tables, are now unable to order from the main menu. Outside options are a vegan burger, a chicken burger, or a beef burger ! We’ve tried their burgers before, and to be honest they’re mediocre. After hearing that the table next to us had been waiting over an hour for their burgers. We decided to give it a miss. The previous week we visited , and although my food was okay. , my husbands steak was so tough it was inedible. The table next to us had been completely forgotten :( If you’re local, and want more than a burger, definitely book inside, or just wait until summer holidays are over.

Very nice place on the beach. Cocktails 🍸 list and mocktails are very good. Food good salt and peppered squid very good. Very friendly staff.

Fantastic food and service at The Unicorn. Great location and well worth a visit.

Just had a beautiful meal at the Unicorn. Service was excellent and everyone was really friendly. Highly recommended.

Loved the food, we had half a lobster and the Unicorn Steam Pot, both were delicious, we had a couple of ciders outside and enjoyed the view. Serving staff were really friendly, the bar man was very helpful. One point, don't pay for parking at the meter, register your car inside when you order

Great friendly service and amazing food at competitive prices. The specials board inside had some amazing options too. Highly recommended.

Excellent food, very friendly staff and food delivered in good time, not too quick not too slow. Much better than other restaurants in the area. Had a couple of evening meals whilst on holiday highly recommended.

My wife and I stopped off at the Unicorn for a quick drink with our dog having walked the coast path from Chapel Porth to Porthtowan. Grabbed a seat outside and I popped inside to order drinks. Two members of staff were chatting away inside which isn't an issue at all, as I don't expect/need to be greeted the second I enter a pub/restaurant. However; when after three-four minutes of being stood at the bar neither of those two staff members has even acknowledged you, and the female has wandered off outside to continue her conversation whilst the male is still sat on his stool looking at videos on his phone...then it's just sheer arrogance and rudeness . There were only four other customers in the inside area that I could see, and a handful outside, so not even busy. Needless to say we didn't stick around, and won't ever be returning. As the old saying goes "manners cost nothing"... Date/time of visit Weds 26th June 14.21 hrs.

Went for a meal on the off chance after finding it while driving around. The manager who served was really lovely and welcoming, and you could see loved her job. The food was excellent, much better than we had come to expect after other restaurants we visited. I would definitely recommend

Went with friends, lovely place to sit in the sun, I ordered the ham terrine as I have a small appetite, it came looking lovely with an odd garnish (think the tail end of a small mouse complete with tail!) which after asking the chef the waiter told us were caper berries, anyway first few mouthfuls were delicious, then it all started to get rather fatty and full of gristle so I had to leave nearly half of it, coffee after was lovely but lukewarm as were others in our group, all in all disappointing.

Great bar.really nice food and atmosphere 👌

So good we came here twice in our week down in Cornwall! Would highly recommend the mussels - very generous portion even for the small.

Beautiful hidden gem in Cornwall and definitely worth a visit. We found this spot whilst exploring Cornwall with our 4 month old and it sits on the edge of the beach. There is a free car park meters from the pubs car park that charges. The staff were so friendly and helpful. The food was amazing and the prices were great and they were child friendly. The only thing I wish was that their calamari starter didn't have the whitebait and was solely calamari as it was so tasty and I'm not keen on whitebait. But over all the meals were amazing. And it was clean and the atmosphere was sociable and happy. We will definitely be coming back.

Service was amazing ...accommodated our dog with water and free treats.food is amazing ...may have to wait for around 30 mins but if you want fresh tasty food it's worth the wait.

This was such a fabulous Sunday lunch! A cool and welcoming team and interior. After walking across from Chapel Porth, the Unicorn is perfectly placed on the edge of the beach.The staff were so welcoming and accommodating for our family (and mischievous pup) and the food was a cut above the regular beach or pub Sunday lunch - and beautifully executed too. Interesting cocktails to boot, we all left feeling thoroughly refreshed and chillaxed.

Great food, amazing setting with a view of a picturesque bay. Only let down was the somewhat confusing service... Though all worked out in the end.

Great location, next to a playground so perfect for kids. Sadly, prices are big, orations are small. £17 for an “ok” chicken burger.

Came for birthday drinks, it was quiet but service was so slow and drinks forgotten had to go and find out where our order was twice, also a really rowdy pair of young guys at the bar who were being crude and boisterous. I felt embarrassed that I'd taken my friends there to be honest - it was a cold and hostile environment- bizarre! My partner came to collect me and stayed for a drink.. at 10pm. Now have a £100 parking fine too. Blue bar or victory instead from

A great place, friendly, welcoming and a real chilled vibe. Service and food was top notch - special mention to Cad who served us! There were 8 of us and all our needs were catered for, no request was too much - well recommended!

Went twice over the Bank Holiday weekend Good selection of food great quality and generous portions at a competitive price . Really friendly helpful staff , seem genuinely wanting to help and always have time to stop and chat .Highly recommend you drop in when you are in the area - even for a quick drink .

Great location next to the beach. Ate here on the first and last days of our holiday.

Went for a quick walk with our dog down to the beach then decided to stop by and look at the menu. Despite almost missing the kitchen, Eden did not rush us to order and was very accommodating. The chicken burger was very good along with the pickled garnishes and fries. The side Mac and cheese was not so side and more of a main and we were not complaining about that. Big noodles and lots of cheese pairs nice as a dipping sauce for the fries. Would like to stop by again before our trip ends.

Went to the Unicorn as a birthday celebration while on holiday in Cornwall. It was one of those times when I wanted the reviews to be wrong - they weren't, and we left disappointed. First, our booked table had been given to a walk-in even though we were early. We got a table in the end, and the staff were very apologetic. Order was taken quickly, but the bread as a starter didn't arrive until we complained. Even then, the hummus never arrived. Mains took over 1 hour to arrive and only after complaining. Both steaks were cold and not cooked as requested. We were given free drinks and a hefty discount, which was nice but didn't make up for a failed celebration. Staff were nice and tried their best, but the whole setup just didn't seem to work.

Very good food but a bit pricey. Given the great location understandable. Staff were excellent 👍

We stopped by for a Sunday roast. Couldn't fault the service. The staff were lovely and accommodating. The food arrived fast and was presented well. But the food quality was very disappointing. The meat was carved very thin and there wasn't alot of it (we had beef) it wasn't the best quality either. Half the plate was cabbage and there was only 3 roast potatoes, all of which were clearly reheated/recooked and were overcooked to the point it was hard to cut into them. We left feeling under satisfied. We didn't feel right saying anything to the staff at the time as they were already getting a hard time from the table next to us who were complaining and sending back food and quite frankly being rude to the staff. We didn't want to add to it so happily paid and went on our way. I think the location was fantastic and the restaurant has potential to do much better. So to constructively criticise, The food just needs to be fresher and better quality. The staff were amazing and I'm sure if we had said something at the time they would have been more than happy to send us a replacement but as I said above we didn't want to be mean and gang up on them like the rude table next to us

This review is just to comment on the helpful attitude of staff. The car park adjoining/belonging to the pub is managed by the infamous Britannia Parking so no surprise that I received a Penalty Charge notice despite having paid and displayed. The hotel manager was very helpful and offered to pursue my appeal if it got bogged down. Not necessary in the event but much appreciated ...thank you ....Still... watch out for the car park and retain your ticket !!!!!

Came here for lunch on my hiking trip along the coast. Service was very nice from the staff. I ordered the mussels with fries, they were nice although could have done with some bread to mop up the broth. Nice stop if you’re coming along the South West coast path.

Nice location and facilities but really missing opportunities. 4 of us popped in lunch time bank hol Monday , sat outside in warm sunshine, it was pretty dead despite being absolutely packed in village. Asked for menu as wanted a sandwich or something light but menu was what you'd expect for an evening restaurant meal, not a pub and not for lunch. Understood then why it was not busy like the other establishments nearby. Such a shame we had to leave and go else where.

Popped in for a random drink, hospitality at its finest! Played a pub quiz and got made 2 absolutely divine cocktails by the amazing Eden. Hats off to her and a great team. Beardy x

Had a meal here tonight, great service, lovely food, owner amazing, food served piping hot.... Thank you

Nice place but food was average. Ordered a lemon sole and it was swimming in a large quantity of butter 😬

We had a lovely meal last night (13th Feb). The food was fab and the service from Eden, Cad and Liv was just the best. Many thanks team for making it a great night! Steve and Ali

We came for dinner, it was brilliant. We mentioned it was a birthday when booking and all the staff made us feel very special and went the extra mile. The service was fantastic throughout the evening. The food was delicious, really well presented and very tasty. We will be back!

Went here for dinner as a group of 7. Good selection of food with two vegan options, a Thai butternut squash curry and a vegan burger. No draft cornish cider. Cosy warm atmosphere with friendly staff. Very dog friendly!

Really lovely cosy place, log fire, friendly staff and good food too!

Genuinely excellent food - a small menu but every item on that menu is brilliant! Great staff and atmosphere also

Had lunch at the Unicorn and can oly say the food and service is second to none. we will be back.

Never stayed. Food good price and quality and quantity katter well for children. Worth the visit .

Just popped in here for some lunch today:) absolutely lovely , friendly staff , superb food and very dog friendly. Highly recommended.

Very friendly. Enjoyed a quick light lunch in the airy restaurant by the windows overlooking the beach(sort of).

Overpriced mediocre food, with rather slow service

What a fabulous pub. Used as my peaceful, friendly, evening retreat after spending all day running around with family, this beautiful place has stunning views and excellent staff. Special thanks to Harry, Ruben and Josh who instinctively knew when to engage in conversation at the bar and when to leave me alone to relax. I was in Porthtowan for five nights and in the Unicorn for five nights. Thank you for being just what I needed!

Often exceptional but when it's really busy the standard drops significantly. My advice would be to avoid during holiday season. Out of season some of the best.

Last night The Unicorn on the Beach held a Halloween disco with an amazingly talented DJ, decorations were brilliant, staff wore great costumes and worked so hard to help make it an absolutely brilliant night. Thank you, well done, best night in a very long time!!

Poor and slow service, even though not many other customers.. Shame as staff seem friendly, but More interested in putting up decorations for Halloween party. Not very attentive to customers. A few mistakes with food and pudding orders.Very expensive with not alot of choices. No plain meals except for kids. Could do better.Would not eat here again.

Lovely place great views of the sea and coast. Food was great but a bit overpriced for the portion received.

Great reception and welcome, great food at a good price. 👍

Lovely location, great ambiance, great food, great service. Recommended 👌

What a find! Dropped in to Porthtowan and fell into the pub for lunch. What a treat, fantastic food, great service, 5 star all the way. Totally Recommend

Place looks nice but had a disappointing lunch. We had two dishes: nachos was fine but what was supposed to be ciabatta and sourdough with harissa hummus and seeds was really poor. Ten quid for very stale bread and small pot of hummus with no sign of any toasted seeds. Lazy effort and total waste of money.

Not much choice of ales and mostly pale ales. Some pumps were out of use. Fries were over cooked but the burger was delicious. Too late in the evening to request replacement fries and I hate food waste. The staff did apologise that they were short of kitchen staff on our departure. The staff were friendly and helpful but as its a beautiful spot I guess they'd had a very busy weekend!

First time in Porthtowan, enjoyed afternoon drinks and dinner . Staff friendly and attentive, great menu with lots of choice . Highly recommend to everyone coming to this beautiful part of Cornwall.

Service was Fantastic with friendly staff and the food was excellent. A definitely must if your in the area or visiting the beach.

Nice enough place. £5.95 for a pint of Heineken, and expected to pay for the car park. A step too far for a local. Update; Thanks for the reply below, we tried all that but, on that particular night, the bar staff said the system wasn't working and people were getting fined by the lovely parking company regardless.

Great pub and has a good play area for the kids

Food was really nice, location was perfect right on the beach front, I felt that the bar and restaurant didn't really flow with the ordering process and the staff could have been friendlier. Plenty of tables to choose from outside or inside depending on the weather. Toilet facilities were not great.

Had a meal here, we had cheesy nachos to start followed by a steak and the whole mackerel, a very nice meal in a lively pub with live music on the night we ate, very good.

Lovely pub! 🍻 Great service and menu 🎣

Having just returned from our third visit in under a week, I cannot recommend enough. Service has been first class, food has kept the 5 of us coming back. Massive shout to the nachos with pulled pork! Sarah has created a fantastic team.

The location is perfect close to the beach and the Ambiente of the Restaurant is nice. However, in total it did not meet our expectations: the Service was a bit confused and we had 3 different persons taking care of us, maybe thats why our order was forgotten and we waited nearly an hour for the main meal. The fish and chips were tasty, the vegan curry was a total disappointment in terms of Taste, presentation and price. We got 2 free drinks as apology for the long waiting time.

Beautiful meal at lunchtime today ! Excellent service and great value for money .we were only passing bye but will definitely make the effort to revisit in the future

Gorgeous place! If you're in the area, do yourself a favour and visit this little tranquil haven. Super friendly service, and absolutely stunning food! We were craving fish and I myself got the 'catch of the day', pan fried sole; and it was divine! All accompanied by beautiful views, fresh beverages, and a very reasonable price tag. Rather faultless. I hope your experiences here are as blissful and as beautiful as mine was.

Disappointing. Visited this evening and the location is superb, heard good things about it. The best part about the visit was the crab on toast starter. Service was poor, drinks order incorrect but rectified however, the starter arrived before our drinks order. Husbands meal came out 15 mins before mine & my sons, without cutlery or condiments offered, thankfully a burger and fries so continued to eat. By the time the other two meals had arrived he’d finished eating his burger which he said was overdone. My Cajun chicken burger was very bland with a plastic cheese slice burnt on to it, my Son ordered the whole mackerel, the potatoes were cold and hard, I would have raised this with staff if we had been checked back on or asked if everything was ok. We left our meals and left shortly after as no staff seemed to notice uneaten food even when walking past the table several times. Best part of £90 for a disappointing experience and poor service, what a shame for such a fantastic location.

Food is terrible but service was good.

Fantastic meal. Favourite meal of our holiday in Cornwall. The trout was unreal! Lovely atmosphere and decent cocktail menu.

Great night out, very tasty food and perfect service, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Very nice place, alive with activity and nice food

Went for a meal with friends and our server liv was amazing she was so lovely and chatty!!

Excellent vibe, delicious food and the most wonderful vistas

Really lovely pub , fantastic location and view and practically on the beach , really friendly staff and great service , but the food was a bit overpriced and a bit bland and not a lot of choice on the menu for what was average pub grub at best , an adult burger was £16 and the kids meal burger was £8 and it was basically the same burger without the gherkins for half the price . I wouldn't eat there again but it's a really lovely place for a drink with a fantastic beer garden and lovely play area for the kids which was really nice and will most definitely be back again for a drink .

The food was lovely and this is why they have a 4 star from me. If it was based on just the service, the score would be 2! Didn't give us menus, forgot our drinks twice, forgot our bill when we asked for it, got my meal wrong. Even the waitress said 'your table is tainted today'.

Visited for 4th consecutive year and we were not disappointed. They made a real fuss of her and she had a fabulous evening - thank you.