Places to eat in St Austell

If you’ve built up an appetite exploring the huge indoor tropical rainforest of the Eden Project, the nearby Edie’s Kitchen will hit the spot. It’s right up there with our favourite restaurants in St Austell. It’s a completely unpretentious bistro on Beach Road of Carlyon Bay. The style and setting might be laid back, but the food is serious. The beef carpaccio is sublime, and every one of the octopus dishes is a delight too. Considering the quality of eating, the prices are more than reasonable. The local beer is lovely, so too their selection of wines. If you’re here on a Sunday, it’s hard to justify going anywhere else for a roast.

The nearby Charlestown Harbour is home to another excellent option. The Longstore is a fantastically stylish steak and seafood restaurant. It’s so impressive that it even features in our favourite places to eat in Cornwall. The views across the harbour are lovely, and the food is a delight. The steaks are particularly good, as is the lobster.

Our next recommendation, The Strand Bistro, is a little further afield in Tywardreath. Nevertheless, it’s still less than a 15-minute drive from our St Austell hotel and well worth the trip. It’s attached to the back of The New Inn pub. It’s got a lovely local feel about it, especially when the summer sun’s shining and they’ve got the BBQ going. The rest of the time you’ll find a fantastic menu with a heavy bias to local produce, particularly freshly caught fish. Portions are generous, prices are splendid, service is friendly and, most importantly of all, the food is terrific.

Burger lovers looking for a meal in St Austell town centre simply have to visit Moustache Jacks. A word of warning, it doesn’t look like much from the outside but don’t be perturbed; inside you’ll find some of the best burgers on the south coast. They’re handmade on the premises and cooked to perfection with a creative array of different toppings. If burgers aren’t your bag, there are plenty of other excellent options; the fish goujons and falafel platter is a winner. All in all, it’s an excellent option if you’re looking for a casual spot for an evening meal.

You won’t find a restaurant with a better view than Sams on the Beach. It’s practically on the sand of Polkerris Beach, which heads up the beach section of our page dedicated to activities in St Austell. It’s just one of a local chain of Sams restaurants dotted around Cornwall. They’re well known for their delicious, fresh seafood. When the weather’s warm, there’s plenty of seating outside for you to enjoy some al fresco dining. Stay for a while and enjoy a drink or two; catching the sun set behind the headland is a real treat.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for somewhere to eat on the way back from either Porthpean or Pentewan Beach then try Kingswood Bar & Restaurant. It’s a good all-rounder. The restaurant is stylishly decorated, the food is very good, the presentation is top-class, and you can rely on the service being good. It’s not the cheapest of our recommendations, but you get your money’s worth.

Charlie’s Coffee House is just an excellent no-nonsense café on the way down to Charlestown Harbour. It’s not the biggest, so don’t be surprised if it’s jam-packed with people enjoying their delicious homemade cakes, breakfasts and brews.

If you’re visiting The Lost Gardens of Heligan, nearby in Pentewan, you can sample one of the most delicious scones in Cornwall. You’ll find it at the Little Bay Café. They do the best Cornish cream tea, the service is sublime, and it’s a stone’s throw from Pentewan Beach.

Last of all, our top tip for Cornish pasties is The Gallery. It’s on Charlestown Harbour, overlooking the sea. It’s barely more than a hole in the wall, with a few outdoor tables and chairs. The most important thing is the pasties are heavenly. They’re big, cheap, seasoned to perfection, and the flavour puts them up there with the very best in all of Cornwall.