Tate St Ives

The Tate Gallery in St Ives is compact but very well packed. You can see major artists and a great selection of modern works in a space that feels easy to explore. The way the exhibitions are curated makes the visit smooth and enjoyable. The building itself is impressive, and the terrace with a sea view is a real bonus. It is a great stop if you are in St Ives, even if you do not usually spend much time in museums. Thank you Alfie for your interpretation and explanation of the Chagall’s “Bouquet aux Amants” painting, it was the peak of our visit !

visited Tate St Ives and it felt like art meeting the ocean. The building itself is bright and open, almost sculpted by the sea breeze. I loved how the light poured in, making every piece feel alive. The works of Hepworth and Nicholson connected beautifully with the town’s spirit. The changing exhibitions kept it fresh and surprising. And stepping outside—those beach views were a masterpiece on their own.

Lovely display of various creative arts. The staff were exceptionally kind and friendly. Great location. Enjoy a stunning view of the beach from inside the building. Even the staircase is a genius display of art and architecture. Clean atmosphere and great display of artwork by some of the best artists.

a lovely experience! most of the reviews i read said they were disappointed and that it wasnt worth the visit however the collection of art is beautiful though perhaps not accessible to those not into modern art. even still, i think the environment and the building itself its worth the visit - though i did get slightly lost and the gallery is smaller than i expected. even saying that, i could spend hours in here staring at the pieces. the cafe and shop are lovely too. staff are kind and welcoming. bought tickets online as part of the 16-25 tate collective for £5 which is well worth it!! maybe not worth anymore if youre not into modern art though.

A fantastic art gallery nestled within St Ives. Both the art on display and the big windows framing the coast were great to pause and observe. Friendly and helpful team on reception and throughout the museum. The cafe was great - nice coffee, and scones, and great views.

Setting is amazing right by the sea, with a good cafe at the top selling nice, good value food. The main collection is small but interesting. I loved the exhibition.

The building itself is a beautiful round landmark overlooking Portmeor Beach. We stopped by for a short break and enjoyed a cream tea at the café on the 4th floor. The view was amazing, the cream tea was delicious, and the staff were super friendly

don’t even know where to begin… the outside facade and the architecture in this building is amazing! sees one of the most wonderful beaches from the top and the waves are so peaceful. yet i had low expectations of its curation based on reviews here. i visited with my 6 yo daughter and i could not even do justice in close to three hours. the pieces are so good, galleries are so distinct, installations and interactives are balanced with laintings, and the works are amazing. staff was super helpful. shop selection especially books were lovely. i visited london tate many times for free but this experience was worth more than the 14£ ticket price. cafe was crowded as it can be visited for free but the best view is from the galleries.

My review encompasses the museum and the restaurant. (There's a "Tate Cafe" entry here on Yelp that is old, I think that's something else.) St. Ives is super arty, and having a Tate museum in town honors that nicely. But I still get more out of just ducking into the various galleries and studios around the village than I did from my stroll through the Tate. But that's largely because of my taste and my relationship with modern art. I like when art is more playful, art that makes me feel like I'm in on the joke, as opposed to "my lazy paint-roller slappings are important, you wouldn't understand". In that way, this location is a bit less fun than the big one in London. But it's still diverting, and anyone is likely to get at least something out of it. If you have an appetite for modern art and are in St. Ives, you'd likely regret skipping the Tate. I had lunch in the restaurant, "Sea View Restaurant & Bar". It's kind of swanky, with a small menu of pretty expensive entrees including a £27 steak. I got the £24 seafood curry, Langoustine Moqueca. It was really tasty actually, with its slightly spicy curry broth and a variety of seafood chunks. There lot of cool spots to sit and enjoy views while you dine, including a patio. Upbeat staff, very attentive. But wow was that an expensive lunch.

Focusing on 20th century paintings and sculptures of British vintage, Tate St. Ives offers a nice if limited collection of mostly regional artists, which is not surprising considering that St. Ives has enjoyed the status of an "art colony" since the early years of the last century till the present day. Its most famous artist is probably Barbara Hepworth, who had a studio there (which you can also visit, and you can get a combo ticket for Tate and the Hepworth Museum and save a couple of pounds there), whose rounded wood and stone objects are immediately recognizable; most of them remind me of vaginas somehow. It is a rather smallish gallery (though a bit bigger than when I first visited 8 years ago), and the entrance fee of UKP 9.50 (only for Tate) strikes me as rather hefty considering especially that the London Tate Galleries are both huge and free of charge. The presentation of its limited collection is rather striking though, and the building itself is something to behold. Lots of information on the objects is available, and non-professional photography is allowed - or at least no one stopped me. That's not standard for modern art galleries and should be praised. You will get a very decent overview on art in St. Ives, and if you're an art lover per se it is not to be missed. The location is spectacular (just opposite of St. Ives's main sands), and you will find different kinds of cafés, pubs and restaurants close by. St. Ives is a tourist hotspot, so expect the gallery to get busy during peak hours.

Such a lovely place, such a lovely face. Could there be a more gorgeous English town? Possibly...Clovelly, maybe Penzance. This idyllic beach and harbor town reminds me of Carmel in many ways and the village is rife with art galleries and studios. The ocean wraps itself around St. Ives and seascapes are everywhere. Though art was a secondary consideration behind surfing, when I wasn't in the surf, I was walking the streets, stopping into numerous galleries and pubs. I keep a well-balanced attitude for life and were I an English lass, I'd try to make it here. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=tate%20modern%20st%20ives&source=web&cd=11&ved=0CGsQFjAK&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTate_St_Ives&ei=_MqGUaf6Hc7xigK9noCIAg&usg=AFQjCNHVMnxn_V8_kc-hwmLCMC1EsZMIsA&sig2=3kQqkO6v8MIa_0GT_fxezQ&bvm=bv.45960087,d.cGE The Tate Gallery is small compared to the mothership in London but represents notable English artists specializing in English themes on a rotating basis. A sculpture garden presents all kinds of unique objects that will leave you scratching your head, saying "Huh, I don't get it." You should call in advance to see what is being displayed while you're in town. www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives There are many more galleries in town than I can cover but the Tate is a must. The Wharf also hosts many art shops and galleries and spending a week here would be easy. The weather here is unusually warm compared to the rest of the UK and the beaches are full of residents mingling with tourists and artists. But it's still too cold for skinning it in the surf, unless you're a crazy loon (or "bloody daft" in English parlance). And now, off to Land's End and learn about the "Berserkers".

A beautifully designed little gallery with the odd 'projector installation' dotted between a thoughtful and delightful collection of paintings and sculpture. Make sure you follow a speaking tour and double up with the Barbara Hepworth Museum for best value.

Contentious it might be, the locals may mumble, but I bet they aren't complaining about the regional uplift and cache of having the gallery sited here, nor about the tourist dollars it undoubtedly attracts. The local working artists might sneer and bemoan the hard work they have to put in to earn a crust, compared with the astronomic valuations of the Tate exhibitors' works. But the locals don't have to bake their bread this way, their choice. The gallery is a wonderful counterpoint to the beautiful Porthmeor Beach a surprising but entirely apt compliment to the famed pure light cascading off the beach, revered by artists down the ages. Excellent (why not go the whole hog and get a combined ticket for the Barbara Hepworth museum, a discount on the overall cost for a real cultural breakfast and lunch before splaying out on the sands to recover).

This is my favourite of the Tate's, the building is lovely, with magnificant views out onto the bay in St. Ives. They have wide variety of paintings and sculpture, including a great collection of Alfred Wallace's (many of whose paintings are of the local area) They also have a alot of more recent local art as well. Definately worth the journey down there!

Fabulous views, brilliant modern European light lunches. We had Mezze plate of chickpea and coriander hummus, roasted pepper and tomato dip, beetroot dip, goat's cheese, slow cooked red onion, lentils and flatbread. With a glass of Saumur and coffee we paid £28 for two. Perfect. And they specialise in locally sourced produce too.

I have massive issue with the Tate, St Ives. Whilst the town itself may be famed for its legion of artists and its light, I find this is in no way reflected in this gallery. In addition, what is on show is pretty sub-standard. The use of space is poor - the layout could do with a massive re-design. Everything is incredibly sparse - you could probably fit all the works on view into one corner of the building. It seems a lot of locals have serious issues with the Tate. If those grievances were based purely on the artwork within the building, it wouldn't be surprising. The best thing about the Tate is the views of the beach and the ocean. But you can walk to the car park to the side of it and get the same amazing views without having to pay a penny!

Although this Tate Gallery is in a fantastic building, this isn't really reflected by the contents. The exhibitions change throughout the year so it's best to check what is on before you go as on occasion you can feel more than a little cheated as the entrance fee is quite high for what you get, even if the exhibition is good! The best bit is the view from the main window out onto the beach and sea, but you aren't meant to take photos which is disappointing. If you get there in time it is worthwhile buying the joint ticket to go round this and the Barbara Hepworth museum as you can save quite a bit of money. The shop and restaurant are quite good but they are expensive but you can find some nice gifts in the shop.

The Tate, St. Ives, is a great space in which to exhibit art. The setting, the views and the gallery spaces themselves are all excellent. There are great views of the coast and over the town from the huge picture windows and from the cafe on the top floor. Your reaction to the contents will obviously depend on the current exhibition, although there is a small number of works which remain permamently on display. The exhibition I saw in early December 2008 was hugely disappointing - but this will change in the new year, so my opinion may too.

The best thing about the Tate is the view from the building which is stunning but I was disappointed with the contents which for me were boring & sparcely set out. I enjoyed the food in the cafe, the menu was interesting & the food good quality.

Not really impressed with the Tate St Ives at all. We're Tate members and have to say the layout leaves a lot to be desired and the selection of artwork on both trips were disappointing. I'd expect more from the Tate.

The Tate Gallery in St Ives is the sister of the Tate Gallery in London. This gallery is towards the center of St Ives and has wonderful views over the coast. The building itself is very plain white building which you enter through a amphitheater. I am not a fan of the building design itself, but everyone has there own opinion art. The exhibitions vary throughout the year, but usually of a high standard. The gallery also takes school groups which it does workshops with. When I was a child I went with my school to the Tate Gallery several times, and found it very useful.

The only reason to go into this edifice of arrant pretension is to see the views from the windows on the top floor. Save yourself the extortionate and unwarranted price of admission and go to one of the many other galleries in St Ives stocked by artists who have to produce something worthwhile to remain able to practice art. Here, the Tate simply continues to provide succour to those who no one else would spare the time of day. Rubbish.

A modern gallery which is a lovely introduction to art for children. They often have special days which have special activities for children which i think is really good. There is a lovely cafe. The gallery is on the edge of the town so you can combine it with a day out in the town, there is realy easy parking neary in the town car parks and the views of the cast and the beach are stunnning. The gallery itself is quite small, but the art is well laid out and displayed and makes it feel very spactious. The atrium is probably one of the best architectural pieces in town.

Complete waste of money. I visited this in December 2014. Completely rubbish exhibits of photos, sculptures and paintings by talentless 'artists'. Admission cost me £7, on top of which I could have paid £1 (non refundable) to leave my bag in a locker: really not worth it as I had finished touring the place in 20' (compared to the nearly 3 hours it took me to go round the similarly sized Borgia exhibit at the Maillol museum in Paris). When I think that for £10-£12 you can spend a whole day in the Louvre, the Uffizi, or the Academia in Florence or Venice, and see some real art! The café on the top floor is not worth a visit either: I spent a whole week on the South West Coast Path and repeatedly enjoyed much more beautiful views. The only thing worth seeing is the building itself: just walk into reception to take a look, or maybe ask for a pass for the café. Otherwise, of no interest.

I am not going to bemoan modern art or the validity of such work as some others have on Qype in regard to Tate St. Ives. Comparing the works on display here to the tourist galleries in the town is a pointless excercise akin to comparing Renaissance art to Surrealism, ok they are both valid forms of art but they are coming from very different places. I am purely going to review the gallery and content of the gallery when compared with my local Tate. Firstly I found the entrance fee quite high, when you consider that I am fastidious when it comes to reading every plaque relating to a piece of artwork and on this trip I even watched all the video installations and I really struggled to make the visit last 80 minutes. £6.50 is simply too high a price to justify for the content and to actually have the nerve to ask for donations as you leave is a bit much. Fair enough at Tate modern which has no entry fee but here it seems a bit cynical. Some of the pieces on display I didnt think were very good, but art, especially modern art is a subjective field so that is not an issue. My second point really is the setting, the view from the upper and lower gallery 2 is stunning across the beach and out to sea but I have to be honest I found it incredibly distracting from the art itself. My eyes were constantly being drawn from the pieces to the beautiful vista beyond. There is a reason that art galleries are generally featureless white boxes, because the art should be the focus. Tate modern in London has stunning views across the river and Millenium bridge towards St. Pauls however these are from the cafe and can be savoured with your cappucino rather than battling for your attention when viewing the art. Maybe the fundamental layout of Tate St. Ives is just wrong or maybe they would've been better served in a less attractive and prominently positioned building and instead been tucked out of the way somewhere. They may have been able to keep the cost of entry a bit lower and/or increased the size of the gallery to have more on display. As much as I love the views over Porthmeor beach I really dont feel they are using those views in the right way here. All in all it really isnt too bad but don't expect to get too much for your entry fee.