Eight of the best pubs in Cornwall — chosen by our beer expert

Times

7 hours ago

Southwest England, like East Anglia, is odd in that there are simply too many great pubs for the number of people who live there.
You can put a lot of this down to tourism, which might mean a pub is great for reasons unrelated to beer: the breathtaking harbour views; the tales of smugglers; the links to that famous novel.
Sometimes these factors are exploited to distract from stale ale or debit card-melting bills. But there's far more to Cornish pubs than tourist traps. Doom Bar — one of the biggest-selling ales in Britain — may not be to everyone's taste, but it has helped Cornwall build a justified reputation as one of the top real-ale spots in Britain.
Of my eight picks here, some are just really good at keeping and serving great ale; at others, the beer is good but they stand out for different reasons. And if I've missed your favourite, let us know in the comments below.
After a couple of pints at this mock-Tudor treasure, if you're not having an argument about whether it's a bookshop in a pub, or a pub in a bookshop, you'll start one yourself. Leave your drinks at the table while you browse the shelves. The focus here is on well-curated second-hand books — none of your charity-shop piles of Dan Brown. The local and national real ales are excellent but on a hot day a rarer German lager such as Spaten hits the spot. If you fancy settling in with your purchases, there's also a formidable coffee machine. 3 Bells Court; fb.com/beerwolfbooks
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The pretty village green out front and the formal-looking façade give you no clue to the cosy, quirky rooms in this place on the edge of Bodmin Moor. The main bar feels like a farmhouse kitchen — if your farmhouse roof beams were covered in real-ale pump clips and a collection of vintage mugs bearing logos for brands such as Oxo and Fujifilm. The landlord, Gary Marshall, has stocked more than 4,000 real ales over the three decades he's been here; the local Camra branch describes it as 'a permanent mini beer festival'. Meanwhile, the foodie crowd comes in for his wife Margaret's daily specials such as curries and steaks. The Green; fb.com/blislandinn
Built as a monk's rest home in the 15th century, the Blue Anchor is now an authentically preserved pub without the slightest whiff of theme-pub plastic history. Low ceilings, flagstones and wonky angles set the tone for a place that feels reassuringly old-fashioned. Groups of elderly locals who might have been drinking here for hours — and decades — turn pub banter into a spectator sport. Spingo Ales, the in-house brewery at the back of the building, has been here for centuries. When a pint of the 6.6 per cent Spingo Special goes to your head, you'll see how it earned its name. This is one of the UK's best proper pubs. 50 Coinagehall Street; spingoales.com
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On the face of it, the Fountain is the classic tourist trap: an ivy-clad building down a lane just off the harbour; tales of smugglers; a 500-year history; St Austell beers on tap. But while locals may roll their eyes at what they see as a regional corporate giant, St Austell has become one of the UK's most impressive brewers, turning out beers at scale that delight young craft and older cask drinkers alike. This pub has been owned by the brewer since 1883 and is the oldest pub in the village. More importantly, it's a member of the elite handful of British pubs that have remained in Camra's Good Beer Guide for 40 years.3 Cliff Street; mevagissey.net
Pubs that are better known for their food than their beer often have purists grumbling. But while the Gurnard's Head looks like a smart restaurant inside its mustard-coloured coastal building, it feels like a proper watering hole. It's not just the relaxed and friendly staff; it's a philosophy that runs through everything. The main bar is as you'd expect the bar in any pub to be: warm and welcoming, with a small, carefully chosen range of Cornish beers, from the traditional local brewer St Austell to new craft players such as Firebrand and Harbour. The food — featuring locally caught seafood such as charred cuttlefish or crispy red gurnard — is high-end restaurant quality at not much more than pub prices. A place to lose yourself for an afternoon — or a weekend: it has eight bedrooms with sea or moor views; one has its own terrace and log-burner.gurnardshead.co.uk
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A former debtors' prison that takes its name from how food was delivered to inmates, the Hole in the Wall is now a grotto-cum-fairytale-junkshop. In the garden you're greeted by a stuffed lion in a glass case. Inside, the walls and beams are cluttered with military helmets, tankards, bells, horse brasses and objects you'll spend a pint trying to identify. You can tell this stuff has been left by generations of staff and customers, rather than bought in bulk. The beer range is dominated by familiar brands such as Butcombe and Sharp's Atlantic, but nevertheless the pub won Camra Cornwall's Pub of the Year award in 2024 and 2025. It shows that what counts is not necessarily the beer you stock but what you do with it.16 Crockwell Street; fb.com/holeinthewallbodmin
This spacious city-centre pub was once a draper's shop but looks more like a converted cinema, painted up gaily. Inside the dark-wood space, not everyone will love the barrel of monkey nuts on the bar and the nutshells and sawdust scattered on the floor. But the range of well-kept real ales, mostly local but with the odd appearance of classics such as Bass, always puts it in contention for Camra Cornwall's Pub of the Year — it won in 2017. The place is as well known for its music as its beer, with bands playing in a room upstairs every weekend and a live jam session on Mondays.7 Quay Street; theoldalehousetruro.co.uk
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Great pubs manifest in many different ways. Does this place have the best beer in Cornwall? No. The best food? No. There's nothing wrong with the usual big brands on cask and the predictable pizza and fish and chips on the menu. But the reason it makes the cut here is that it is on the beach — not near the beach but in the middle of it. Somehow, what began in 1978 as a hut selling ice creams has evolved into a fully blown pub. There's year-round live music — expect lots of cover bands, and Blue in September — and stunning ocean views. The location makes it pricey, but anyone complaining about getting sand everywhere has perhaps missed the point.19 St Pirans Road; thewateringhole.co.uk