Eat and Drink: the best of Falmouth, Cornwall

Matt Brady spent his student years in Falmouth and shares his favourite places to eat and drink in this sleepy Cornish town.

Falmouth is set on one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, making it an ideal location to enjoy seafood, or experience some great Cornish ales on the harbourside on a sunny day.

It gets very busy during the summer tourist season, but there are plenty of pubs to escape to, or coastal walks to get out of town altogether.

Look out for the oysters

Oyster fans rejoice – Falmouth is home to one of the last remaining traditional oyster fisheries in the UK, and every October the town celebrates with a festival dedicated to the delicacy. The square next to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall (which is worth a look if you’re into boats) hosts the event, at which there are chef demonstrations and plenty of other foods to try out for those not keen on shellfish.

Be prepared for sea shanties, craft and food stalls, live music and prize draws. And oysters. Buckets of oysters.

Where to grab a quick drink

One thing that you’re obliged to do while you’re in Falmouth is enjoy a pint of Doom Bar – it’s now very popular throughout the country. Maybe it’s simply the placebo effect of the sun and the sea, but it tastes completely different in Cornwall. It’s served in many pubs in town, so you won’t have trouble tracking it down. Skinner’s Porthleven and St Austell Tribute are also common, and all three are classic Cornish pints.

Also worth a punt is Bullhorn Black Lager, which is brewed just up the road in the small town of Penryn. A very refreshing beer, it's often served at the bookshop-come-pub Beerwolf Books, located just off the high street. They stock a fantastic selection of literature in Beerwolf, and an even better range of ales and ciders.

If you’re up for a challenge, brave Jacob’s Ladder, a notorious set of 111 steep stairs that leads from Falmouth Moor to the Jacob’s Ladder Inn at the top. Jacob's does a cracking roast dinner on Sundays, which you’ll have more than earned after that climb…

To the market

There’s a great Farmer’s Market that takes place on the Moor (one of the main squares in Falmouth) every Tuesday between 9am and 2pm. Get down there and pick up some brilliant cheeses like Cornish Old Smokey or Cornish Yarg, fresh seafood, bread baked the same morning, and meat.

It's ideal for stocking up your holiday larder or getting presents for your foodie friends at home.

A filling lunch

If you’re looking for a quick bite out on the harbour, visit Harbour Lights chip shop. It’s an award-winning chippy that does a traditional range of fish dishes and decent burgers, and its popularity usually results in a long queue – get there early to avoid that.

There’s a wonderful little pub on the harbourside below called The Front that you can then nip to, as it’s one of several pubs in town that lets you bring your own food in. They offer an ever-changing range of cask ales, and supply board games if it's raining outside.

And of course as you’re in Cornwall the other obligatory activity is to try a proper Cornish pasty, and not one of those rubbish mass-produced ones shipped up and down the country. Oggy-Oggy’s is generally good, but there are plenty of other pasty shops down the high street to try.

Teatime

The Cavendish Coffee House does a mean slice of cake and great espresso, though it does feel very dated inside.

For an afternoon tea that’s a bit less conventional but well suited to sunshine, take a walk down the short coast path round to Swanpool beach to grab one of their brilliant ice creams smothered in clotted cream and a generous amount of toppings (the menu is pictured left). The hut on the beach also does some nice sandwiches and hot drinks.

Dinner

By the square outside the Maritime Museum, you’ll find a trio of restaurants called The Shack, The Shed and The Ranch. All three are run by the same team, and have a great informal atmosphere and brilliant food. The Shack specialises in fresh seafood, The Ranch is a steakhouse and The Shed offers a range of favourites. Take your pick!

Further afield, the award-winning Ferry Boat Inn is set on the picturesque Helford Passage, a 20-minute drive from Falmouth. The mussels on the menu are picked from the same river you’re sitting next to – talk about fresh! Their fish, crabs and lobsters are also sourced from the local area.

If you’re looking for something way more casual (perhaps on your first night after the long journey down to Fal), picking up a pizza from Belly Timber is a good idea. Located on the Moor, they offer a range of stonebaked pizzas with brilliant toppings like their pulled BBQ pork. Plus on Tuesdays they do a two-pizzas-for-£12 deal, which is great value for money as the pizzas are huge and very filling.

You can view a larger, printable version of this map here

Beerwolf picture courtesy Beerwolf, Yarg picture courtesy Lynher Dairies, Quirky Ice Cream board picture courtesy of Swanpool Beach Café, Ferry Boat Inn picture courtesy Wright Brothers.

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