As my friend group and I all turned 30 this year, we decided to celebrate with a group holiday to…read morethe Scilly isles. To save on funds we camped, meaning we mostly cooked our own meals and ate under the stars. We did decide that we would treat ourselves to a cosy pub meal a couple of times during the holiday and I'm very pleased that the Mermaid Inn was one of the chosen destinations. As we were a large group (12 plus a dog) we were provided with a large table in the Slip Inn bar and much to our surprise, we had the bar to ourselves! The food was incredibly good, lots of local seafood with some fresh caught specials as well as some fashionable favourites (such as crab mac and cheese!), the portions were good, I could have done with a little more but then I am quite greedy. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. My only criticism is something that is to be expected on the Scilly isles so I debated whether or not to put this in my review or not, but it does need saying: The prices. The Scillys are not cheap, so I was not expecting the food to be cheap. However there was not a main course that was under £10.95, with most being around £15-£20, even starters cost up to £9.95 (averaging ~£7) If you are on a budget you will be limited to sandwiches or salads so won't get a chance to appreciate the fantastic local seafood. I have included this criticism as I do feel the Mermaid Inn could perhaps offer some smaller versions of their mains with salad or bread etc to allow people to try the food without spending a fortune (the mac and cheese mentioned above is £16.50, perhaps £11 with some of the dish replaced with bread would be a good option for those on a budget). Having said that, we did not visit for breakfast and the eggs Benedict etc did look reasonably priced. Overall I do recommend eating here, but perhaps like us you'll have to include it as a one off expensive treat and spend the rest of the week with camp-side rations!

Fantastic Food, great beer on tap! Family Friendly. Relaxing with Excellent Service!read more

Inn, restaurant and hotel on the main drag in Hugh Town. During summer, booking is essential to eat…read morein the restaurant, which has views over St Mary's harbour, but the same menu is available in the pub, where tables are first come, first served. Food is available from 5:30 until 8:30. We had the selection of soda breads as an appetiser, served with butter whipped with herbs and sea salt. These were sensational: served freshly baked, the bread was cakey with a crispy crust, and indulgent with the butter. Absolutely delicious. My Greek Salad was very good, with lots of olives and feta (though served with salad leaves, so not classically Greek). The red wine vinaigrette was a lovely touch. My partner had the Hunter Chicken, with cheese and bacon. This was more classic pub grub, so perfectly decent but not outstanding. They have a full bar, including a good choice of real ales. Service was very efficient, helpful and friendly. Overall, a good 5* experience.

Excellent pub, the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon after a busy morning exploring the…read moreScilly isles. Being so close to the port it can get very busy especially as the ferry comes in, but the atmosphere is still that of a proper pub, with low ceilings and a nice view over the beach. I didn't eat here but they had a small but pleasant selection of Cornish gins which kept me more than happy. Like most of the Scilly isles it isn't cheap, but it is lovely.

Well I personally couldn't believe the distasteful review that was given to this lovely small and…read morepersonal pub. The food I have had there has always been lovely, along with the views. The staff are very cheerful and often have a bit of banter between themselves which not only myself, but many others, find very amusing. After asking, I found out that the kitchen is quite small, so, after being inundated with locals, campers and the supperboat, then one can surely, with a bit of common sense, understand that there will be a wait for food. Why not have another drink and wait until the rush is over? The ales are always good in any case. I found the review to be unreasonable, a little bit too mainland stressed, and for goodness sakes, if you are on holiday, then adjust your mindset to that fact. I will definately be returning to this lovely picturesque pub, with my friends, as they feel the same way as I do, come rain or shine!

I'm quite upset that our experience of this place has been a damaging one. In the daytime, it was…read morelovely. Luckily that day was quite sunny so there was quite a lot of room outside to sit. Food was quite nice. Unfortunately, we went over to the island on the supper boat, the place was full up so, desperate to eat, we sat outside. It was raining but we were under a large umbrella, and as we were on holiday, we didn't mind a bit of roughing it! We ordered, telling them that we were sat outside, it was pretty obvious it was raining so was hoping we'd be served relatively quickly. No chance. After two prompts, we were eventually served our relatively easy order 1 hr 20 mins later. Not so funny when you are outside with the rain pouring round you. Other people who'd also decided to rough it in the rain had been for a walk round the island, come back and ordered food and still got served before us. And there was no apology or explanation. Did get a free round of drinks but they didn't want to give us them. The place doesn't even hold many people, and it wasn't running at full capacity because if it was sunnier, the inside and outside would have been full, not just inside. Basically can be rounded up by saying, they don't care if you have to wait too long for your food. Not one of the four people over that period apologised. Very disappointing, considering its part of one of my favourite locations.

We went for a family meal here last night. I would totally agree with previous reviews on its…read morelocation, ambiance, food & drink. My only grip is the price of the menu, £10 for a cheese burger & chips was the cheapest option. Still worth 5 stars & would return if I could find it again! Poor signal in the area but wi-fi availible.

We holiday at nearby Holywell Bay evry year (see review) and have visited this inn on many…read moreoccasions. We stumbled on it years ago and loved it. The Smugglers Den Inn is a 16th century thatched inn with family, beer garden, childrens play area and ample parking. The beer garden is where we like to crash and relax. While the kids play on the apparatus we chill with a ool drink in the sun and order from the menu full of lovely food and they always have plenty of specials on the board all made using the freshest local ingredients. It is situated in a little village called Trebellan, near Cubert, less than than 15 minutes from Newquay. You approach down a steep, high sided road which is typically Cornish and the pub is right before you and very welcoming. They have regular live entertainment and also have an annual Real Ale and Pie Festival which is is it's 9th year. It's definitely worth pulling off the beaten track and seeking it out for a refreshing treat.

A really good, solid, real ale, old world pub set in the heart of st Ives windy, cute streets. I…read morewas allowed to sample three local ciders before deciding on what I wanted. Lovely old world pub with mismatched chairs, friendly staff and beams and beers mats aplenty dotted on the walls. My husband and I were there with a bottle of red for a few hrs. My daughter joined us and she sampled a Rosie cider. We were happy.. a lovely locals pub. Come n stop a while...

Castle Inn is a superior real ale pub in the centre of St. Ives, just a short walk from its popular…read moreharbour. Like many community pubs it doesn't look like much from outside, but the place is fairly elaborate and its rough, dark wood décor exudes the atmosphere of real local history. The range of hand-pumped real ales is far above average for St. Ives, and unlike many other establishments in the town it is not affiliated with or owned by St. Austell Brewery. As a result the beer selection offers real variety. They offer live music events on a regular basis, and it is one of those places where locals and tourists mix. Recommended.

Best Café on Tresco. Nice and large terrace next to the sea…read more Food is only be served until two pm so if you do a day trip be beware of this. Inside lots of space maybe a bit dark but nice pub atmosphere. They serve nice burgers and the usual stuff. However everything is freshly made and tastes delicious.

Tresco has one pub, and one pub only. And in all honesty The New Inn is really all it needs! This…read moreclassic food serving, real ale selling and local talent producing pub is Tresco's real treasure. This pub also offers a limited amount of accommodation which is only a stones throw away from the beach. Friendly local staff are also a big bonus since they can talk for hours by declaring the "Tresco Tipple" as the best tipple in the world and give the pub that "local" feel even if there are many tourists. Since Tresco is such a small island this pub is a shining light in the dark by being the only nightlife it has, but this is not a downfall since it brings the whole island together in one venue and gives you the opportunity to meet many interesting people. The food is excellent and the menu changes with the seasons creating the perfect island pub.

We were staying in Botallack and ended up eating here three times! Wonderful spot with great…read moreambiance. The beer garden was packed all three nights but service was still quick. We so appreciated the friendly and accommodating staff, we even met the new owners who had just taken over and chatted with them! For food, our favorites were the crab linguine and risotto. We enjoyed the great local beer selection, seasonal cocktails (try the aperol spritz!), and ciders.

From the owner: Our aim is to provide you with Excellent food and drink in a relaxing atmosphere. All our food is…read morefreshly cooked to order using local produce with plenty of homemade dishes. We also offer a daily specials menu. We also serve Real Ales and have 2 on at all times, this can increase to 4 at busy times

A super cozy pub that saved us from our hangry selves when we were looking a place to sit and eat…read more(after the kerfuffle of waiting around for one other place down the road to open for 15 mins only to be told that there was no food service then!) We were greeted as we walked in and seated at a nice table. Drinks and food were ordered and didn't take too long before we were served our meals. My fish & chips were cooked perfectly and was really nice. My husband enjoyed his pasta carbonara, our friend had chicken fajitas (forgot to take a picture) and said it was really lovely, and my son had fish fingers and chips. Super pleasant ambiance and great food. Would highly recommend this pub!

Very welcoming and helpful. Meal cannot be faulted and was very reasonable. A MUST GO TO if in…read morethe area and looking for excellent food and really reasonable prices.

We were planning on going somewhere else for dinner but as we drove past this wonderful place we…read moredecided that we will go in for a drink and to look at the menu. What can I say?! I had BBQ ribs which were AMAZING the sauce was like I have never tasted before, the ribs chunky and full of meat unlike most ribs you get. and all of this for just over £8. The best pub food I have ever had.

Never thought a pub meal could be as satisfying as that! Really impressed! We were prepared for the…read moretourist prices and tourist sized meals, what we got was a feast. Delicious, home cooked mouthwatering fare! I had seafood platter with a mound of local crab, smoked mackerel, piles of prawns and tasty hot scampie. £14.50 which I felt was really reasonable considering the the size and how fresh it was. Even the side salad was lovely, not the typical sprig on the side. Tourists mixed with locals in an easy atmosphere a stones throw from the beach. It's a must.