Lifeboat Inn, St Ives

Nice, friendly staff and most of the food was enjoyable, but for Christmas Day and at £95 per person it did not quite live up to expectations. The bread sharing board was disappointing. It was just a couple of stale, dry slices that felt like cheap supermarket bread. Some decent fresh bread and a bit of butter would have made a big difference and would be an easy improvement. We ordered drinks at the bar but were not offered any during the meal, including water, and empty water and wine glasses were left on the table throughout. The service was friendly but a little inattentive. I really enjoyed the starter and the main was tasty, but the portion of fish was very small. It is Christmas and I expected to leave feeling full. Some extra sides would have helped, or perhaps the roast would have been a better choice. The pudding was the highlight of the meal. Overall, a few small changes could have made this feel much better value for money. £190 for two before drinks is a lot, and it just missed that special occasion feeling. The biggest issue for the atmosphere was the TVs all showing BBC News on Christmas Day. Something festive like a fireplace or music would have made it much more enjoyable. On the plus side, we were grateful to be able to bring our dog, although a bowl of water or a small dog friendly touch would have been lovely, though perhaps too much to ask! We do genuinely appreciate the staff working on Christmas Day. This place could be really good, it just needs more attention to the details.

Booked for birthday lunch on a very busy Monday of half term. Lovely warm welcome, despite the crowds, cheerful, helpful staff who couldn’t do enough for us and a bustling, vibrant, yet cosy atmosphere. The fish and chips was amazing but the beef pie stole the show! Best pie I’ve ever had in a pub. Gorgeous food, wonderful service and great buzz about the place, can’t wait to visit again… Perfect birthday treat, thank you!

We stayed a night at the Lifeboat Inn just before Christmas, having been let down by an AirBnB host. Not only was the stay fantastic, but the staff were amazing. Dan, the manager, was so helpful and relaxed despite it being the 23rd December. We only booked in at 9.30 at night but the staff set us up in a room and made sure we had everything we needed. The room was really comfortable and breakfast the next morning was delicious. The Inn was prepared to let us stay a few more days, including over Christmas, had we not been able to find an alternatice self-catering B&B. We highly recommended the Inn as a friendly, comfortable and welcoming place to stay.

A group of us had lunch at this pub in the summer. When we arrived for our booking, the Lions rugby was just finishing and our table was occupied. It took a little while for the staff to convince the people to move, but otherwise the service, food and drink were very good. I had the fish and chips, which was quite pricey at around £19, but no complaints about the quality.

We live in Carbis Bay & really love coming to town to visit the Lifeboat . The kitchen & bar staff are great, so friendly & we always like to have a nice chat with Sam & Ella who are so friendly, helpful & work so hard.They really make a difference. All the staff deserve a pat on the back really, great attitudes from them all. Well done guys. Also love the food here & make sure we use our St Ives Gold Card for a bit of locals discount!

Had a lovely few days spent with family visiting. Breakfast staff Amelia, Dan & Sophie were great and the evening staff were very friendly and helpful. Sam & Katie couldn’t do enough to make us feel welcome & relaxed.

Just back from a truly lovely stay at The Lifeboat Inn, it was our preferred choice having stayed here previously and it just doesn’t disappoint.||We opted for a room with views of the harbour and beach, it could not be faulted. The beds are so comfy you just drift off to sleep. ||It’s worth remembering that the harbour does get busy and at times a little noisy, however the secondary double glazing does a very good job of reducing any possible noise.||Breakfast was perfect and they cater very well for gluten free diets and are proactive in asking if you have any allergies.||We ate here in the evenings and on Sunday for lunch, nothing could be faulted. ||The total stars of our stay were the people. St Austell breweries should be so proud of them all. They are a fantastic credit to the company. They are so helpful, friendly and just lovely and make you feel so very welcome. ||We will be back

Popped in for a breakfast, was warmly welcomed in and served a great breakfast and coffee. Special mention to John who showed excellent customer service to me and my friend and even helped us with some questions and history regarding the town, top man.

Decent food, good range of (St. Austell - inevitably) ales, nice, family-friendly décor and down-to-earth staff characterize this popular pub in St. Ives Harbour. The small town, which has enjoyed the reputation of being an "artists' colony" for more than a hundred years, is a very touristy place - the most touristy of all in the area. So expect this pub to be busy throughout the day and into the evenings, and not just during the summer months. If you intend to eat there with a group of friends of family in the evening, a reservation is surely in order. As a single traveller you should always be able to secure a spot. The food is superior grub, and the menu streamlined as The Lifeboat Inn is part of a chain. However, on the upside you'll know what to expect.

First time here yesterday. We live locally and have started trying out different places in St Ives that we haven't been to before and it is out of season so thought it wouldn't be too busy. I feel ripped off. I ordered one of their "festive cocktails" - which I understood was a glass of Prosecco with Chambord liqueur. Pity I can't show you a photo of what I was served. Talk about a disappointment. The first odd thing was that when my partner ordered it at the bar he was told that it would be brought to our table. It is not a complicated drink so don't understand why they would say that unless they don't want you watching when they put it together. It has TWO ingredients?! Secondly when it came I was confused because I only got about half a glass of sparkling wine - could have had Chambord added or could have been rose sparkling wine. Who knows. We paid £9 for half a glass of wine which, as I said above, was a rip-off and certainly NOT worth £9. I won't be going back. Ever - you are paying over the odds for the view. I can have the view anytime I want and I don't need to ever pay £9 for half a glass of wine.

During our holiday we decided to pay a visit to the Lifeboat Inn, since the card on display was very interesting. What we didn´t know was, that they have live SKY Sports TV and it was the evening of the Championsleague final... It was very crowded, bu we got a small table for 2. Presumably the last one. Drinks and food has to be ordered at the bar and is paid at order. Don´t forget to check your table number before ordering ;-) A waiter will bring your food. We had a mackerel and the Homity Pie. The fish was delicious but the pie tasted somewhat boring and was all in all not convincing. Waiting time for the food to come to your table was avarage, which needs to be considered positive as the restaurant was completely full. 3 big TV screens make sure, that everyone in the Inn can see the game. Though the Inn is located directly at the harbour, only few tables offer a nice view.

A pub on the front in St Ives. Although you can only work with what you have, it is a shame to have a pub so close to the sea, but with no outside area. Close but no cigar! It is often busy, which I guess is goodbut on a nice day, why would you want to come inside to a packed, hot pub when you could stay outside? There were several ales on offer, of which I tried a bitter called Tinners. The ale was alright, but there was a bit of a funny smell by the bar. I didn't have too enough chance to figure out what it was though, as they had a good number of people serving.

Lovely traditional pub/restaurant. Great selection of beers,wines and spirits. Although I've never eaten here have stopped in many a time to have drink especially when my children were younger as they welcome. Nice and clean with friendly staff.

Great food. Excellent service. Very clean. I had the dressed crab which was well presented.

large fronted old building right on the front over looking the harbour and pier. great for children because it is very big inside, has a varied menu and they do various different themed nights like Wednesday is curry club and you can choose from popular curry dishes and get a free drink all for £6.50 which is not a bad deal. they have a large tv with various sports or entertainment on. the bar has a wide variety of drinks from proper job ale and the Cornish rattler cider to many international beers/largers. a good place to go.

Touristy pub setup for food, good but limited menu. Staff are friendly if you smoke, if not they are doing there job. To be fair it does get busy and they are quick. Stau off the Ratter cider its over 6%.

the atmosphere in this pub is electric, with a view to die for! the homemade burgers where amazing and the fish and chips fresh and scrumptious! the staff where friendly even giving us a water bowl for our dog. fantastic x

A bit kack, and a bit snotty ..