Cornwall is a fantastic county, full of history and wonder. There’s loads of stuff to do there too from surfing, to brilliant walking, to what we think is some of the best art outside of the city. But what we really love about Cornwall is the countless little beach cafes, perched in a whole host of glorious spots along the coast, that allow you to sip coffee (or something stronger!) and take in the simple pleasure of being by the sea. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to try out a few of them and rustled up our top handful of beach cafes in Cornwall, so you can head straight for the sweet spots!… Enjoy.
1. Godrevy Café, near Hayle
This friendly beach café, built out of wood, is a favourite spot with locals because of the good food at reasonable prices. We recommend getting a seat on the top deck to get stunning views out over the grassy sand dunes and out across the sea. All of their breakfasts are generous and hearty and if you’re stopping for lunch their Mexican wrap is delicious too. Make sure you take a good stroll along the beach afterwards – at low tide it runs for miles and you can walk all the way along to the Hayle Estuary, getting some of the most wide open sea views in Cornwall. Lovely!
2. Swanpool
Swanpool beach café, on the south coast, is everything you would hope for from a tiny little beach café and more. They have outdoor seating on a deck, that is both very close to the road and very close to the sea, making it easy to get to if you have little ones with you, or granny for that matter! They sell lovely home made food, hot drinks and a range of quirky ice creams that you have to try whatever the season. We recommend the ‘hedgehog’, which is covered in honey and roasted hazelnuts, mmmm.
3. Porthmeor
This beach café is one of the highlights of St Ives. They do a range of yummy food, from breakfast to lunches to delicious light puds, but the best bit by far is their juice bar. They make a whole range of freshly pressed juices and smoothies that are perfect if you are fending off a hangover, or if you are looking for something refreshing to take back to the beach. Our favourite is the Morning Zinger juice – grapefruit, lemon, lime and orange and the Berry Berry Nice smoothie – raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and frozen yoghurt.
4. Falmouth
The Gylly beach café on Gyllyngvase beach is somewhat an institution. A favourite hangout of students from nearby Falmouth College of the Arts it has a young and trendy atmosphere, though is by no means just for the young ‘uns! Families, visitors and locals alike all come here for great coffee, good beers and seaside food with a modern twist. The deck is great in summer time, though in colder weather it’s a good spot to head to as the glass wall towards the sea gives you that outdoors-indoors feeling! Look out for Gylly’s regular gigs and events too as these are always lively and good fun.
If reading about these has tempted you then why not take a look at last minute cottages online and get down to Cornwall for a brilliant seasonal break! There are a few really special late lettings around… You’ll be sipping a cappuccino overlooking the sea before you know it!
