Wondering where to find the best pubs in Cornwall? You want real history, proper local ale and a setting worth the walk, and the pubs below, from Helston to St Agnes, deliver.
This page sits within the wider guide to cornish pubs, so treat it as a starting shortlist rather than a ranking.
| Pub | Key fact |
|---|---|
| Blue Anchor, Helston: brewing its own ale | More than 600 years |
| Pandora Inn, Falmouth: age of the building | Dates back to the 13th century |
| The Driftwood Spars, St Agnes: beams used in the building | Salvaged from shipwrecks in the 1650s |
| The Mariners, Rock: ales on offer | Up to seven ales |
| The Barrel at Bude: micropub open since | 2017 |
These figures come from Great British Life’s real ale pub list (updated June 2021) and Forest Holidays’ pub guide. They can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
What makes a Cornish pub one of the best?
Every list of the best pubs in Cornwall is an editorial pick, so it helps to judge each pub on the same few things. The guides from CAMRA Kernow, Great British Life and Forest Holidays keep returning to the same qualities.
- Heritage: old buildings, original features and a story behind the bar.
- Beer and cider: local ales, rotating guests and in-house brewing.
- Food: seasonal, locally sourced and honest pub cooking.
- Setting: harbours, coves, village greens and the edge of the moor.
- Welcome: dogs, families, live music and quiz nights.
No single pub wins on every count, which is why the picks below are grouped by what each one does best.
Pubs with real history behind the bar
The Blue Anchor in Helston is the clearest example. Great British Life says the pub dates back as far as the 15th century and has brewed its own ale for more than 600 years. Its Spingo Middle is one of four distinctive beers brewed on site.
Forest Holidays adds that the Blue Anchor was once a monks’ rest house that produced honey-based mead. It also has a skittle alley and a large beer garden.
Further along the coast, the Pandora Inn near Falmouth dates back to the 13th century, according to the same Forest Holidays guide. It has flagstone floors, low-beamed ceilings and a thatched roof, and local sailors often moor alongside.
The Driftwood Spars at Trevaunance Cove in St Agnes has had many lives. The same guide says it was a tin mining warehouse, a chandlery, a sail-making loft and a fish cellar, and that the beams used to build it in the 1650s were salvaged from shipwrecks.
Inland, the Rising Sun Inn at Altarnun began as a farmhouse dating from the 16th century. The CAMRA Kernow pub guide lists open fireplaces, slate floors and wood beams among its original features. The Old Ferry Inn at Bodinnick is described there as an unspoilt 400-year old pub overlooking the Fowey river.
Real ale destinations worth a detour
If beer is your priority, start with the Blisland Inn. The CAMRA Kernow guide places it on the village green on the edge of Bodmin Moor and says it has served over 4000 different real ales. It usually has between five and six ales available, including two house ales and at least one dark ale.
Great British Life notes that the pub was once crowned CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year. It also mentions a ceiling adorned with Toby jugs and a welcome for dogs.
The Front in Falmouth has a long list of awards. As of Great British Life’s June 2021 update, it had won Packet Pub of the Year 2019, plus South West CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011 and CAMRA Kernow Pub of the Year in 2011 and 2012, and had passed to new management. Check its current form before you go, because that update is now several years old.
Micropubs are the other draw, and Great British Life picks out two:
- The Barrel at Bude: described as North Cornwall’s first micropub, open since 2017, with beers chosen by the owner every Monday.
- The Pilchard Press Alehouse, St Ives: found down a hidden alley, with its weekly line-up posted on the pub’s Facebook page.
- The White Hart, Chilsworthy: Butcombe always on, with guest ales from south west breweries that change weekly.
Coastal and waterside pubs
Cornwall’s best views often come with a pint. At the Bowgie Inn in Crantock, Great British Life recommends the terrace, with views of Crantock, Polly Joke and the Gannel. Beers come from St Austell, Skinner’s, Keltek and Rebel Brewery.
In Rock, The Mariners was reopened by Paul Ainsworth in partnership with Sharp’s Brewery, per the same list. It offers up to seven ales including Doom Bar, and it sits opposite the River Camel with plenty of outdoor seating.
The Old Ferry Inn at Bodinnick has an upstairs terrace, open in all weathers, with great views over the river and Fowey, according to the CAMRA Kernow guide. The same entry lists 11 ensuite letting rooms, so check with the pub if you want to stay.
Food-led pubs and country inns
The Quarryman at Edmonton is a family-owned independent freehouse that Great British Life says has appeared in the Good Pub Guide and CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide. Its menu leans on homemade pies, scampi and chips and prime Cornish steaks. As of the June 2021 update, it had been a finalist at the Cornwall Life Food & Drink Awards for Best Country Pub.
The Plough in Duloe is dog-friendly and serves real ales and seasonal dishes, with a garden view of Looe valley towards Churchbridge, says Forest Holidays. At the White Hart in Chilsworthy, the weekly Monday fish and chip night uses fish caught locally in Looe, per Great British Life.
For a weekend lunch, the CAMRA Kernow guide lists a Sunday lunchtime roast at the Angarrack Inn and a Sunday carvery at the St Michael’s Mount Inn in Barripper. The guide to cornish pub sunday roast goes into more detail on that tradition.
How to choose the right pub for your trip
A short checklist saves a wasted journey:
- Pick your priority: beer, food, views or history, then choose from the sections above.
- Check food and opening times: the CAMRA Kernow guide says food at the Queen’s Head in Albaston is available daily except Tuesday, while the Beacon Inn is not normally open at lunchtimes.
- Look up the ale list: micropubs such as the Pilchard Press change their line-up weekly, so check before you visit.
- Ask about dogs: the Rising Sun Inn welcomes well-behaved dogs in the bar area, and the guide to dog friendly pubs in cornwall covers more options.
- Plan how you will get there: the Queen’s Head sits on the Tamar Valley Rail Ale Trail, up the hill from Gunnislake railway station, and trains run to Plymouth until late evening.
Frequently asked questions
Which Cornish pub brews its own ale?
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The Blue Anchor in Helston brews Spingo ales on site, and Great British Life says it has brewed its own ale for more than 600 years. The Driftwood Spars in St Agnes is described by Forest Holidays as a seaside brewpub.
Are there micropubs in Cornwall?
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Yes. Great British Life names The Barrel at Bude and The Pilchard Press Alehouse in St Ives, and both change their beer lists regularly.
Can you stay at a Cornish pub?
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Some pubs have rooms or pitches. The CAMRA Kernow guide lists 11 ensuite letting rooms at the Old Ferry Inn in Bodinnick and camping in the grounds of the Rising Sun Inn at Altarnun. Contact the pub directly to confirm what is on offer.
Are the best Cornish pubs dog-friendly?
Show answer
Many are. Forest Holidays calls both the Pandora Inn and the Plough dog-friendly, but rules vary by pub and by room, so ask before you arrive.
