Port Gaverne Hotel

Pub with rooms in Port Isaac, Cornwall

From £150 per night

Curator's notes:

  • Vibrant coastal inn; stroll from Port Isaac
  • Fresh local fish & seafood; simply cooked
  • Comfortable, refurbished rooms
  • Cool, buzzy Pilchards Cafe opposite
Enquire to book

Speak to us on +44 (0)203 868 4999

Overview

Set in a sheltered cove a stone's throw from the beach and a 5 minute walk from the pretty fishing village of Port Isaac is this traditional 17th-century inn, run by David & Jackie Barnard, who have transformed the fortunes of this coastal retreat.

The ship-shape, character pubby bar oozes traditional charm with a polished slate floor, painted half-panelled walls, simple wooden tables and wall bench seating, seafaring memorabilia, and a roaring log fire - the place to be on a wild winter's night. The tiny snug bar features old local photographs, a genuine ship's table and carved chest and an interesting diorama of the port years ago when it thrived trading slate, pilchards and herring. Away from the hustle and bustle of the bar are two comfortable dining rooms.

In 2017, the Barnard's opened Pilchard's opposite, a cool little cafe-bar with sun-trap terrace and a daily menu listing tapas and sharing dishes. Take the (free) tuk-tuk up the hill into Port Isaac to visit the Stargazy Inn (see entry) for a fine dining menu and fabulous views out to sea.

Rooms from

15 doubles: £150

Good to know

All credit cards accepted

Alfresco & private dining

Limited parking

Dog stay: £15

Port Isaac

Just a 5-minute walk up the hill (or take the free tuk-tuk in summer), the pretty fishing village is famous for being the film location for the TV series Doc Martin.

Pilchards Cafe

Perfect for morning coffee or a light lunch following a coast path stroll, Pilchards thrives as an all-day eatery during the summer.

Walk the coast path

Savour the exhilarating and challenging 6-mile cliff-top walk to the magnificent beach at Trebarwith Strand.

Rooms

Upstairs, along the warren of corridors lined with attractive paintings lie fifteen spruced up and comfortable bedrooms, all individually refurbished without losing their traditional quirky character.

Expect to find old beams, nooks and crannies, antique furnishings and a seaside feel to the decor - fish motive wallpaper, porthole mirrors, rope lamps and the odd toy boat. Cossetting extras include Sky TV, Nespresso machines, fresh coffee, homemade biscuits, and Molton Brown toiletries, slippers and bathrobes in fresh, simply furnished bathrooms. The best room affords magnificent cove and sea views.

Restaurant & bar

Ex-Nathan Outlaw chef James Lean knows a thing or two about cooking fresh fish and seafood so look to the ever-changing chalkboard menu for mackerel hooked from the rocky cove, or the best crab brought in from Jim's boat, just 50 yards from the kitchen door.

Naturally, given the coastal location, menus focus on the freshest local fish and seafood, yet they evolve with the seasons, using the best Cornish produce available and featuring game from local shoots in the autumn. Expect, also, well-cooked pub classics like cider-battered haddock with hand-cut chips and crab mayonnaise, and sausages, mustard mash and red onion gravy.

Typically, tuck into Cornish lobster and salt cod fishcake, taramasalata and red pepper sauce, then follow with partridge, savoy cabbage, fondant potatoes, beetroot and smoked bacon, leaving room for poached quince, pear and hazelnut crumble with bay leaf ice cream. At lunch, try the ploughman's board of Cornish ham and cheese. You're spoilt for choice at the bar - four ales on tap, farm cider, 40 gins, 30 malt whiskies, and an interesting, eclectic list of wines (20 by the glass).

Things to do

Trerice is a delightful, small, secluded Elizabethan Manor House built in 1571, with fine fireplaces, ceilings, furniture and clocks. Famed for its barrel roofed Great Chamber, it also has lovely flowering gardens and an old Cornish apple orchard, as well as an experimental Tudor garden.

One of the most fascinating and complete Victorian houses in the country, Lanhydrock is full of period atmosphere. Don't miss the servants quarters for a real 'Upstairs Downstairs' experience. The garden has a stunning collection of magnolias, rhododendrons and camellias, and 364 acres of park and woodland sweeping down to the River Fowey.

Getting here

Directions

Nearest railway station: Bodmin

Taxi from station: 40min

Drive: Wadebridge 21min; Newquay Aiport 44min; Launceston 38min

Address

Port Gaverne, Port Isaac, Cornwall PL29 3SQ

Enquire to book

To make a booking enquiry, please use the form below or you can call our reservations team on 020 8161 0100. Our phone lines are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 11am - 3pm.

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