The Gurnard's Head
The Gurnards Head Near Zennor St Ives Cornwall TR26 3DE
The Gurnard's Head isn't the sort of dining pub you simply stumble across. Set in a minuscule hamlet between St Ives and Lands End, you either have to be a hardy coastal path walker who knows where to turn inland and find it, or committed enough to gastronomy to break away from the cluster of award-winning eateries 20 minutes' drive away in St Ives. Whatever led you to this middle-of-nowhere spot, as soon as you walk into The Gurnard's Head, you know it was worth the trek. Friendly locals neck pints of Cornish ale in the bar, where fine art hangs beneath the rafters, travel and comic books line the shelves, and diners kick back at heavy wooden tables by the roaring fire, dogs at their feet. If you prefer a more formal ambience, bag a table in the eccentric red and blue dining room. Wherever you choose to sit, the menu is the same selection of succulent, seasonal produce plucked from the Cornish larder – samphire straight from the beach, seafood landed by a local fisherman or meat from a local farm. Bold, innovative dishes come beautifully presented (wood pigeon with fresh fig, brill with oyster rissole, crispy pigs head with pumpkin puree...) and the accompanying wine list boasts excellent, unusual varieties that are also available by the carafe. And, when you've eaten and drunk your fill, the good news is that they have rooms upstairs with ultra-comfy beds to crash out on.
