Greetings from, um, rainy Cornwall!
Within 24 hours, I went from the sweaty confines of central London to the salty air of St Ives. I’ve been here less than a day, but I’ve already eaten my body weight in various Cornish delicacies and taken about 5 million obligatory photos of the beach (see below).
Holiday posts can be awfully boring, a 2013 version of the snooze-inducing slideshow, but because so many people now choose St Ives as a holiday destination, I thought I’d write some recommendation posts this week for newbies. There are heaps of restaurants and cafes, and choosing where to go can be a little overwhelming. Don’t worry though, being the intrepid, courageous explorer that I am, I’ll step up to the plate (literally) and suggest the best.
Firstly, though, is our wonderful accommodation. I’m staying in the gorgeous Velnoweth house. Four bedrooms, a wood burner, ridiculously comfy sofas, and a massive kitchen are just some of the amazing assets. This morning I’ve even been grappling with the house cappucino machine. (I failed, but I’m DETERMINED to improve)
When in Cornwall, you can never have too many stripes:
The four essential fabric groups for holidaying in the West Country: cable knit, tweed, waxed cotton, wool:
Porthminster CafeĀ I saw one review describe this Art Deco space as looking like the set of Poirot. All white walls and sloped ceilings, Porthminster is much more towards the fine dining side of St Ives. This time though, we only went for afternoon tea. An absolutely perfect flat white and a gooey blondie that gave me a huge and instant sugar rush.
The LoftĀ Very much tucked away, The Loft has a team of charming staff, an outside terrace decked out with fairy lights, and a rather hearty menu. As a vegetarian, it can be difficult to find inventive meals in a town based on seafood, but the waitress very kindly allowed me to combine different sides from the meat dishes, creating my very own meal.
After some tinkering, I ended up with smoked butter mash (GLORIOUS), kale sauteed in butter, apple and red cabbage slaw, and a genius crispy poached egg. Dipped in breadcrumbs and fried on the outside, and yet still perfectly runny on the inside, it’s something I’m keen to try and recreate at home. Also boasting a diverse cocktail menu, I started off the evening with a delicately flavoured elderflower Collins. Full of twinkly candles and dim lights and with Laura Mvula songs playing softly in the background, The Loft is a great choice for a simple but elegant supper. Oh, and the triple-cooked chips are what dreams are made of.
ameliaflorencesimmons 
Loft and Porthminster are really good indeed. Do continue as there are plenty of cheaper but extremely good options. Personally I can’t recommend Porthnear beach cafĆ© enough, although it might be closed out of season.
Ah, I love Porthmeor! Always go there a handful of times every visit, and in fact went yesterday lunchtime! Such inventive food and always very lovely staff š
I am so jealous you were there, I have such love for St Ives! My boyfriend and I want to move there!
South Molton St Style
Ahh it’s so lovely! I always daydream about living there, but ultimately wonder if I could hack the lack of proximity to London. Such a special place though!
I love the Porthminster Cafe I have been a lot but went to the Loft for the first time a few weeks ago – very good! I also tried the Black Rock which was equally as good. To be fair you will have to go far to find a bad place in St Ives!
I love the Black Rock! The only reason I didn’t go back on this trip was because they change their menu fairly infrequently and I’d had their current options a couple of times before, but absolutely wonderful place. So true, St Ives is very blessed with restaurants!