5 Stars is not enough for this restaurant. Ocean Grill is such a diamond of St. Ives!!! Food is…read moreimpeccable, very very fresh and delicious indeed plus the price is not a wallet killer. Service is ace, I could say flawless, staff are well-trained and very understanding. Special requests will never be rejected. Starters, main courses, desserts, 2 bottles of wine, coffee, tea and liquor for 4 people....altogether is around £30 each (more or less). This is one of the highly recomended places in St. Ives.

The Ocean Grill is one of the best restaurants in St.Ives…read more It is situated on the sea front and if you get a seat by the window you have an excellent view out over the beach and sea. The staff are very friendly and can't do enough to help you. There is a wide range of food and they do an excellent fish and chips. The portions are also very large - I have a big appetite but couldn't finish my main course! The prices aren't the cheapest available but given the quality of the food and the location it is good value for money.

Select menu done well. Fresh seafood was our choice. Spiciest food I have had in the UK. My…read morecrayfish pasta was cooked perfectly the crayfish were naturally sweet contrasting with the fresh red chilies and garlic. For a starter we had warm baguette with olives and ras el hanut, a Moroccan spice blend, and fruity olive oil. The chief honored my request for a dairy free entree. The hubs had fresh John Dory sautéed in brown butter accompanied by new potatoes and a small salad garnish. It was nice to find local seafood done simply. There were great looking pizzas coming out to the other table near us.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of this place, its brash exterior seems a little out of place in…read moreSt. Ives' historical street frontages; but we were assured by our local chums who had made the reservation that it was THE place for seafood, and they were right. Having got ourselves settled in and drinks ordered, we were told to go and peruse the day's catch in the counter and pick our choice of main course. There is a 'standard' menu on the tables to help you decide, and it would be much easier if they just let you choose from that instead of having to huddle round the counter; still, it's a nice option to offer. We picked the seafood medley for two, which offers a good cross-section of what's on offer, and it was just the right size to satisfy the appetite without resorting to gluttony. Everything was very tasty and well-cooked - it doesn't get much fresher than this! For dessert, I couldn't resist the chocolate, hazelnut and tia maria torte, although in deference to my dairy intolerance I had it without the clotted cream. To give them their due, the server did come and ask if I was OK with that as there was some dairy involved in the torte itself; I responded that sometimes I'm prepared to suffer a little where chocolate is involved! I'm glad I did too, it was absolutely yummy, and I love the little crunchy sugar-caramel decorations that accompany several of the desserts. I'm definitely bookmarking this place for the next time we're in St. Ives.

When we arrived our table has been given to 2 people, the team advised us we had to wait. We…read morethought it was terrible service as there was a few empty tables of two seats and the two people were holding our table. The team didn't even offer us an aperitif while waiting so we left and went to a pub next door to spend our money. 40 minutes later... our table was finally available. As a starter, a few of us had the scallops. The dish was well presented but the scallops were pretty smalls and tasteless. Two of us had the whitebait fritters, the battered was light and crispy around the whitebait, a fine starter but nothing exceptional. For main some opted for monkfish, Cornish megrim sole and sea bass. Some others had duck or chicken breast. I didn't think the main were nicely presented, they were quite simple. I had my monkfish as recommended with hollandaise sauce. It was two tiny pieces of monkfish, it was good but again I wasn't impressed by the dish and by its taste. For dessert, few friends shared a chocolate and orange creme brûlée. I didn't like it and I just thought this dessert shouldn't be called creme brûlée but chocolate mousse ! Overall I didn't think this restaurant was amazing. Maybe on this day we were not very lucky and the team was not at its best. The person who booked this place goes very often to the Sea food cafe and she was very disappointed by the night too and the lack of great service.

If you're in St. Ives and thinking of opening a seafood restaurant, Fish Street would be the…read moreobvious location; and then why not call it The Mermaid? Well, it worked on tempting us to try it out. It's only 100m or so from the sea, so the fish should be fresh, right? The interior is more reminiscent of an Italian restaurant at first glance, as the ceiling is covered with chianti bottles in those quaint raffia holders, each inscribed with a dedication of some sort in black Sharpie. From this, you might deduce that they host a lot of weddings and other functions, and indeed the long table taking up most of the centre of the room promised more company for us during the evening. Taking up our booth seating in the corner (they seem to have a lot of recycled pews), we settled down to peruse the menu. Surprisingly, it wasn't all seafood; they had a fair selection of 'turf' as well - not that it was of any interest to us as we don't eat it. I had the Salt & Pepper Squid to start, which was served on a bed of salad with some chilli mayo. The squid was cooked just right, not chewy at all, although I would say that overall the dish wasn't as spicy as its title suggests. The Seafood Soup was the other choice, and that garnered approving noises from across the table. At least they sounded like approving noises - it was hard to hear over the hysterical cackling coming from the large party that had by now occupied the big centre table. We followed that with the seafood platter, which was the most expensive fish dish on the menu, served with a cute wee fryer basket of chips in the middle of the plate. I was mildly disappointed at the size of the portion initially, but actually it was just perfect as we were pretty stuffed afterwards. To finish off, Herself was in an indulgent mood and decided to have the cheese selection of Cornish Yarg. Yarg is a local cheese produced by the Gray family (geddit?) and is wrapped in nettles; although this had to be explained to us as the slices were too thin to be able to notice the nettles. A glass of Taylor's late bottled vintage port each wrapped things up nicely.

Over rated sea food restaurant only decent menu item is the curry so covering the bland fish and…read moreshell fish with sauce. Seafood Por 98% mussels in sauce. So spent over £350 for 8 of us only to leave my wife and I to have severe poisoning from eating their mussels.

Really pleasant restaurant overlooking the scenic beach. I came in for dinner and had excellent…read morefish & chips. My very kind server had a large table of twelve jolly regulars to deal with (and from their chatter it was clear that they come here for celebrations, which is telling) but I was never ignored. I had flourless chocolate torte for dessert with a gigantic dollop of the smoothest clotted cream I've ever had. They're open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a takout window facing the beach. And although they have quite a bit of outdoor seating, the generously-windowed dining rooms are where it's at.

Excellent food and service combined with a great view make for a five stars review. I had Thai fish…read morecurry which was delicious and beautifully presented. My wife chose traditional fish and chips - it was cooked to perfection. Tip: book a table inside for the best views.

Every time we come to St Ives we visit this place for lunch-it's just down the steps from the train…read morestation, so easy to get too but away from most of the crowds. the dining room is quite large, but the terrace is too, so sit out if it's a nice day. -For our most recent visit we booked online but didn't seem to have a choice of table. We arrived to find our table inside, but luckily there was space outside so we moved. Our orders were taken quickly but drinks took a while to arrive-they couldn't find the wine! Nevertheless our food was very good. The vinegar was a bit too strong on my warm beef salad, but everything else was great. They do separate vegan and gluten free menus too.

food is not bad but the service lady is rude, annoying, impatient, immature, unprofessional. doesnt…read morelook like the waitress was there to serve but there to get served. this is UK anyways.. so should have reasonable expectation regarding the civilization here and not too much complaint... a "poor" rating is fair. definitely does not deserve the Michelin recommendation. well probably the same case with most of the restaurants there. anyways, avoid going there if you can.

I tend to assume the places along the harbourside are pretty rubbish (except Alba). But this is an…read moreexception. Very glossy modern decor and furniture, but someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing. The service is quirky to say the least, as though diners were an inconvenience (but she may have been trying to ease the load on the kitchen, in a graceless way). We booked in advance for lunch, and so got a prime table with a great harbour view. I had Provencal fish stew, with fennel, tomato and mussels, which was terrific and came with lovely doorsteps of crusty brown bread. My companion had chicken with potato and tomato pesto. We rounded it off with a couple of cappuccinos as we watched the world go by, and the traffic wardens at work. With wine & coffee, the bill was £31.85 for two.

St Ives is very pretty but very touristy. Chips, pasties & ice cream are the grim order of the day…read morein these parts but Alfresco served quality food in their little fenced off area by the harbour. It's a couply place & portions are a little light but what there was was cooked with flair. I enjoyed a risotto & Mrs Idler pork belly and scallops. I'd happily visit again.

I came in on my first night in St Ives thinking I better have some good seafood. I got the crab…read morelinguine and it was good, I wouldn't mind having that again. But it was kind of pricey, especially considering it didn't come with bread or anything on the side. Flavorful and well-made, though. I waited about a half hour between finishing my entree and getting my bill. I heard others being asked if they wanted dessert, and I might have been interested in that (which speaks to how non-full I felt after my meal), but I was ignored for too long. That was annoying, but they've got a vibe here that makes it a pleasant place to hang out. Great location on the Wharf. Worth checking out, especially if coming in just for drinks on the pub side.

Nice enough restaurant slash pub..divided Down the middle, food on one side, watering hole the…read moreother side. Nice ales and ciders on tap. The service was friendly but slow. The burger was pleasant, the ribs had a nice smokey flavour to them but were a bit dry. My husband had the steak and he said it was too salty.

Excellent modern food! Everything we had was outstanding. Including rib eye beef; vegetable curry;…read morepan fried mackerel; mackerel pate; charred kale; baby gem salad; peas with mint and butter. Very fresh, creative, great flavors. This is the place to come for your vegetables; they do a great job with them, nothing over cooked, and have super variety. Also, we got lucky walking in at 6:00 without a reservation, and had to be done by 7:30. So, get a booking in advance if possible. Highly recommended.

Porthminster Kitchen is lovely. They have really friendly staff, gorgeous seafood and interesting…read moredeserts. It is located upstairs so also has beautiful views of St Ives harbour. We tried: - Mackerel pate: Oh my goodness I loved this! I could eat a bucketful! - Scallops (one came with bacon jam, the other with mac n cheese and truffles...) These *were* good, but I think I have been spoilt by the truly stunning scallops in Japan...so they didn't quite compare. - I had the hake, served with potatoes and beans. It was light, perfectly seasoned and delicious. - My husband had the sea trout with some sort of ponzu sauce. I tried a bite of this and it was also lovely. - I also tried the frozen apple desert, which was a bit of a work of art! I liked it, but had food envy for the white chocolate mousse. My friend (who booked a table for us) told me that the owners also run the Porthminster Beach Cafe, which is more famous, so harder to get a table. It was pretty busy when we visited, so it is probably worth booking a table in advance, even if this is their less-well-known resturant.

Just 1 minute from the main street in St. Ives. The Wave is a small restaurant specialising in…read morelocal seafood but opens up at the back with more tables so is much bigger than it looks from the outside. Really enjoyed our meal here. Welcoming and friendly staff, great menu choices. We sampled Cornish sardines and scallops with pumpkin seeds & chorizo followed by a huge portion of brill on a leek rosti, chargrilled asparagus and a crab and tomato sauce. Generous portions and well made food. A local white wine from Cornwall to accompany. No room for dessert after that.

The Cornish Crab Gnocchi to start was sumptuous creamy and delicious, a fork rolled along the…read moresquidgy beads of dough in prep however would have allowed more light and lovely crab to attach itself to a ridged surface area, but it had a lovely flavour lifted with star anise. The main, char-grilled lobster however was a little over done for my liking and it was a dryish near molted specimen. A shame as I was really hoping for more of a succulent morsel or two. There is a need to also invest in some new cutlery, not great having to share a pair of rusty crackers and a pincer between two very excited kids trying to demolish a very cantankerous crustacean. The lobster thermidor, however was a popular choice with other diners and I regret my choice as my meal was over-ridden with food envy. Chewy, cheese slathered on shellfish? I was wrong to doubt my dirt-o-meter, go for broke everytime when faced with such options.