Newlyn’s best restaurants and cafés
They’ll have you droolin’ in Newlyn
Newlyn is the fishing capital of Cornwall, so it’s no surprise you can get a good fish supper here. It’s a short drive from Three Mile Beach in St Ives Bay to Newlyn’s restaurants on the south coast. And for such a small town, it has a lot to explore food-wise. Here are the highlights for me.
Tolcarne Inn
Ben Tunnicliffe (who held a Michelin star at his now-closed Penzance restaurant, The Abbey) is the chef behind this cosy pub restaurant. The menu is ever-changing and based on the catches of the day. The style is classic; Ben worked as a trainee chef with Grand Chef Michel Trama in his lauded 2 Michelin star restaurant in south-west France. Expect sauces, dressings, jus, and emulsions you’ll never be able to recreate at home, and super-fresh fish cooked to absolute perfection.
Lovetts
To be fair, this excellent little place is more about superb coffee in the a.m. and gorgeous wine and beer in the p.m., but if you’re just after a snack – like a gourmet cheese toastie or a ridiculously good donut – head here and enjoy its great vibes and style.
Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar
If you can get a table outside this tiny restaurant when the sun is shining, you have bagged yourself a little slice of paradise. Here, you can watch the comings and goings of Newlyn while dining on small plates of deliciousness like mackerel with sweet pickled cabbage and parsley sour cream. Or, how about scallops, chorizo, and roquito pepper pearls? This place uses its proximity to the fish market to its (and your) full advantage, and the chefs and staff are smiley joys.
Newlyn Filmhouse Café Bar
The handsome café bar upstairs at the Newlyn Filmhouse is a great spot for a bite whether you are grabbing a screening or not. There’s always a good vegan option or two, and market fish inspires lovely dishes like bouillabaisse and fishcakes.
Lewis Fish and Chips
This is a proper chippy that usually has treats like monkfish on the specials board and does a nice-n-crispy gluten-free batter option.
Aunty Mays
This local snack stop is brimming with goodies like bountifully filled sandwiches, jacket spuds, quiches, salads, and sweet treats, but it’s on this list for its famous pasties, which are lush. Grab one and go sit on the beach or the green and take in the glorious Cornishness of it all.
Newlyn Meadery
This medieval-themed restaurant has to be experienced to be believed. You’ll be served by staff dressed as wenches, there’s a salad cave, and the food is hearty, to say the least. It’s great family-friendly fun, and you’ll love the look on your kid’s faces when their desserts arrive.
More about Three Mile Beach
Three Mile Beach is a collection of 15 luxury self-catering 2, 3, and 4 bedroom beach houses in the wilds of St Ives Bay, Cornwall.
For more on what to see and do in West Cornwall, take a look at our things to do in Newlyn.
The best flavour finds in St Ives Bay