Porthminster Kitchen

We had a fantastic lunch at Porthminster Kitchen in St. Ives. The location is unbeatable - right on the harbour with stunning views across the water. We were lucky to get a table on the terrace without a booking, and the view was absolutely breathtaking. It does get busy, so it’s worth arriving early or booking ahead if you can. The atmosphere was lovely - clean, relaxed, and welcoming, with a modern coastal vibe that suits the location perfectly. Service was fast and friendly. The food was outstanding - fresh, beautifully presented, and packed with flavour. I had the sea bream with an Asian twist, and it was incredibly tasty and well-balanced. My partner went for the steak sandwich and absolutely loved it. There’s also a good selection of drinks, and I really enjoyed a glass of local Cornish cider. Prices are on the higher side, but that’s expected in St Ives - and honestly, the quality, setting, and service make it well worth it. A brilliant spot for lunch or dinner with a view - highly recommend!

Definitely a 5-star experience. This restaurant exceeded my expectations in every way. Each dish is boldly crafted by a chef with a deep understanding of flavor balance. The seafood is incredibly fresh, and the use of lemon elevates the dishes beautifully. The service is warm and welcoming—our server made us feel right at home. I started with the mussels, which were rich and creamy, yet well-balanced. The accompanying bread was a perfect match. I also recommend the linguine—it had a subtle Asian twist with wonderful crab flavors. The curry dish was an interesting interpretation of South Asian cuisine; I appreciated the creative use of sesame, though the rice was slightly overcooked for my taste. Overall, I highly recommended the place - especially impressive for a sightseeing town like St Ives.

Well worth visiting. Stairs to a first floor. We sat on the balcony, giving us a terrific view of the harbour, albeit that comes with the usual seagull dangers. Staff were pleasant. Food was good. Given a 4 due to the greens being undercooked and inedible. Would recommend.

We came with our one year old daughter & 2 dogs and they were so accommodating. Views were wonderful. Food was incredible! Fully recommend the beef roast. Even the children’s menu had fab choice. First timers here and won’t be the last!

We recently stumbled upon a true gem by the harbour in St. Ives, and it turned out to be the perfect place for dinner on my friend's birthday. From the moment we arrived, we were charmed by the lovely ambiance. The food was an absolute highlight – each dish was bursting with incredible flavours. We savoured the delicate scallops, the rich seafood linguine, the perfectly cooked roasted hake fillet and a lovely desert. The service was attentive and friendly without being intrusive. this place is a must-visit!

Perfect for my wife and I's first night in St. Ives, Porthminster Kitchen came recommended. It's up a flight of stairs in and old building right on the sea, every table has great views, though you might ask about one of the tables on the terrace for the full experience. Menu focuses on local food, from the potatoes to the fresh caught local fish. Service is excellent, effortlessly casual but highly efficient helpful and knowledgeable. We ordered the catch of the day, hake in this case. Perfectly cooked, juicy but firm. Well seasoned, with a beautiful sauce. My wife ordered the sole, she was up for the adventure of the whole fish. Also expertly prepared and tasty. The roasted Cornish mids (a kind of new potato, picked mid season) were cooked perfectly and richly seasoned. The menu also had a shockingly good selection of non alcoholic drinks, the best we've seen in England this trip. Can't go wrong with St Ives, and you can't go wrong with Porthminster Kitchen. Well done!

Better than I expected — I came in a bit hesitant, worried it might be a typical tourist trap, but I was pleasantly surprised. The starter, a slow-cooked pork belly, is a pleasant surprise — tender, flavorful, and elevated by a thoughtful pairing of shredded apple and a smooth apple sauce . The scallops, fresh and delicately seared, are complemented beautifully by a hint of seaweed. The seafood linguini was another highlight. Instead of the usual heavy, creamy or tomato-based sauces, it came with a refreshing, sour twist (Thai inspired ?) that made it light and vibrant — a creative and welcome surprise. To finish, the Baileys crème brûlée was a perfect touch — smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. In short, the food quality is genuinely good, and the kitchen clearly puts effort into creativity and flavor. Service was excellent throughout. All the waitresses were friendly, helpful, and always had a smile.

I had a lovely birthday dinner at Porthminster Kitchen. I ordered the half lobster and crispy squid, which was delicious. The staff was incredibly kind and accommodating. I arrived around 3:45 PM, but most restaurants don’t serve lunches after 3 PM. I returned at 5:30 PM for dinner and was pleasantly surprised to find a table available.

Excellent modern food! Everything we had was outstanding. Including rib eye beef; vegetable curry; pan 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 deserts. 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.

The food was decent but it's really the view that makes this restaurant. The food is modern with a hint of Asian fusion. It was pretty good but I've found the best places tend to be out of st Ives. Ordered the grilled oysters - which I can't rate because I think I don't like cooked oyster!! The pork crackling was ok but I'd say the dish of the night was the mackerel pate. Had the hanger steak as a main which was decent but not the best.

food ok, but service crappy food is not bad but the service lady (yellow hair, mid-aged looking, no function of smiling of coz) is rude, annoying, impatient, immature, unprofessional. doesnt look 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 wanna be served like a guest

The best meal we've had so far in either London or Cornwall. a welcome break from all the English standards. very well done.