PENZANCE

Penzance  is a town on the coast of Cornwall at Mounts Bay on the English Channel attracting lots of people in the holiday season as Penzance has one of the mildest climates in Britain.

Penzance  is a town on the coast of Cornwall at Mounts Bay on the English Channel with about 21,000 folk, although this will rise in the holiday season as Penzance has one of the mildest climates in Britain.

Penzance can be reached by train or driven to by motorway to Exeter and then the A30.

Places to visit close by are Land’s End, St Michael’s Mount and an Art Deco outdoor swimming pool.  There are also many beaches, other interesting towns like St Ives and Falmouth , and the ferry to the Scilly Isles.  Polldark was filmed in Cornwall and many German tourists visit because a popular serial in German is filmed here.

Perversely, house prices are high and so is unemployment. Traditional employment has not been replaced and many houses are second homes or rented to holiday makers.

Judged one of the Best Places to Live by The Sunday Times in 2023

Love Penzance Penzance Land’s End St Michael’s Mount

28 pubs in a long trail for a lengthy visit - shorter trails for shorter visits indicated later

 Most pubs sell real ale - only The Seven sisters and The Cornish Barn do not.

     Come out of the train station, or from bus station and main car park walk towards the train station, the walk up the hill and follow the road around to the right and cross over the road. It is easy to see The Longboat and along to the right is the One And All. Walk up the road in-between these pubs and curls to the left to The Lamp and Whistle. Continue up this road and cross over and just beyond the parking spaces is The Crown. Now walk on up Bread St and when it reaches the pedestrianised area on the right corner will be The London Inn.

    Coming out of here go up to the right and find The Farmer’s Arms and then across the road and up The Fountain Tavern. Walk back down and past The London Inn and cross over the road and go right and set back from the road is The White Lion.  Continue on this road away from the town and at a cross roads there is The First and Last Inn.

    You now need to head downhill to the promenade and this is your longest walk without a pub. Continue along out of time and turn down Trewithen Road, fourth right turn along although the other three are unfortunately dead ends. Head down this road which joins Alexandra Road and keep going down until just before the Promenade is Alexandra Inn. 

    Now turn left and head back into town along the promenade. Turn left after the amusement arcade and up a few steps is The Bath Inn. Continue along promenade and The Queens appears quite soon and then after that is The Lugger Inn. Go round the corner after this and along a few steps is The Navy. Now back and along the prom where the outdoor swimming pool is on the shore side and opposite it and back a little is the art deco Yacht Inn.

    Continue along and the prom ends and round the corner to four possible pubs. The Dolphin Tavern is on the corner, opposite it is The Bridge Bar along a little is The Boatshed and just up from The Dolphin is The Dock Inn. After The Dock Inn we have to walk back up to the town via this street, Chapel St. Not long going up is Admiral Benbow and opposite it The Cornish Barn and up a bit, The Turks Head. Continuing up and on the right is Union Hotel and then on the left is The Globe.

    Turn left here to The Seven Sisters, then wander back to The Globe and continue up and turn right into main shopping road. Here on the right is The Tremenheere and down a little further is The Star Inn. Continue down this hill and back to the train station etc.

The Longboat

 The Longboat is a hotel with a large pub comfortable part ,garden and separate restaurant.  Although doing food the pub area has plenty of space between tables. This ‘traditional Cornish pub’ has four computer stations forming an internet cafe at the far end of the bar. From the entrance the restaurant is on the left and the pub part straight ahead with seating round to the right. A sign says wait to be seated but walking past the cakes on the counter gets access to bar area which is not as food dominated as suggested.  The servery zig-zags along the left hand wall and where this narrows the room are bar stools and sofas. Beyond this is the internet cafe and a small dining room to the left which has an entrance to a small outside seating area.

Meals available all day and child and dog friendly

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Dirty Rucker (Wadsworth);  Tiger (Everards);  Tribute

Lager:    Fosters;  Heiniken;  1664

Cider:                    Strongbow;  Strongbow Cloudy apple;  Symond’s         

                              Founders                           Guinness

 One and All

One and All is the first pub in Penzance from Exeter. It has outside patio seating either side of entrance. Inside there is seating to right and left with the servery on the left wall. Beyond the servery and up some steps is a pool area. The pub is family and dog friendly but offers no food. Large TVs show sport. St George’s flags and shamrocks cut out from furniture.  The opened out nature of the pub is shown by the pillar in middle of room. Green wood to dado followed by white walls. Evening meals and dog friendly.

Have a pint here.

Real ale:               Phoenix

Keg:       Tetley’s; 

Lager:    Coors;   Carling;  Grolsch;  13 Hop House;  Stella

Cider:    Thatcher’s Gold ;  Natch                Guinness

Pub Jukebox:

Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.

Whiskey and Wimmen - John Lee Hooker

 The Lamp and Whistle ★

The Lamp and Whistle is a wonderfully interesting little corner pub. The servery is on the back wall with four tables and seating around the windows to right and left of door. The wood work making the servery front and walls is, on close inspection, salvaged wood from chairs and tables while the ceiling is covered in framed paintings. All around the room and ceiling are interesting items to promote discussion. Modern stools line the counter . there is outside seating by the side of the pub

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Phoenix;  Tettnanger Deutsch Ale (Harbour ales)

Keg:                       London Pale Ale (Meantime); Red Hook IPA

Lager:                    Piston Head;  Erdinger;  Estrella;  Brooklyn

Cider:                    South West Orchard

 The Crown ★

The Crown  is the brewery tap for Cornish Crown ales. It is a traditional  corner pub which has been tastefully done up with seating along front and steeply down one with and the entrance at the corner. There is seating by round black tables to left by window and against the left wall. The servery is on the wall opposite the door. Through from a door to left of servery is a small lounge with couches. You can bring your own food with Music on Mondays and Quiz on Tuesday. Dog friendly.

Regular in CAMRA Good Beer Guide until 2023, 2025

historic pub interior of some regional importance.

Have a pint here

Real ale:                               SPA;  Causeway;  Porter ;  One Hop Grain (all Cornish Crown ales)

Keg:                                       Helter Skelter

Lager:                    Dortmunder Union; Carling

Cider:                     South West Orchard                                       Guinness

 The London Inn

The London Inn can be heard before it is seen. Loud 60/70’s music floods out of the rear outside seating area and out of the front door. Entering takes you to the bar with servery on back wall further down the side on the right is a lounge room with one table and two armchairs. Continuing on is the large outside area with four large tables on sloping concreted area. The servery serves the bar in front room and through a smaller space the lounge next door. The bar has three small tables with two stools each on well worn wooden floor.  Bands and Sunday Karaoke are advertised.  The loud music drowns out customer swearing. Dog friendly.

Have a half pint

Real ale:               Doom Bar (off)

Keg:                     John Smiths

Lager:            Carling;  1664;  Fosters

Cider:           Symonds Founders; Strongbow Dark fruit; Thatcher’s Gold

Pub Facts

The pubs in Penzance, as befits a small seaside town, are a mix of ones that you might only expect locals in and those who attract tourists and locals. There are no flash expensive tourist traps as no pub could exist in the darker months if they aimed only at tourists. Some of the pubs outside the town centre do not open until late afternoon or even early evening.  Most pubs are child and dog friendly; although perhaps one or two your dog/children would not want to take advantage of. Food is available in a lot of the pubs but by no means all.

 

Beer prices are quite competitive even in food led pubs . Wine prices were cheaper than expected as Penzance not chasing the youth wine and cocktail market.

 The Farmer’s Arms

The Farmer’s Arms  is a locals’ pub  Through the door the servery is on the right with some seating before it at the window.  To the left, an up a step, is a cleared area with small bench seating at both ends and far end also has a couched area , however, the main part of the room  is empty for music performance , planned or impromptu. Low ceiling with beams and some horse brasses the main decoration is posters of past and future performances. Further on from the servery on the right is a narrow area with bench with cushion seating.  Couple of tables for sitting outside watching the shoppers.

Have a pint here

CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2024, 2025

Real ale:               Betty Stogs (Skinner’s);  Landlord

Keg:                       John Smiths

Lager:         Fosters;  Heineken;  1664;  Stella

Cider:          Somersby;  Symond’s Founders     Guinness

PUB QUIZ

A Roman mixture of vinegar, honey and salt was the first known example of what?

Answer at foor of page    

 The Fountain Tavern 

The Fountain Tavern  has outside seating to front and side. Once inside there are round tables to the left and then the servery fills the rest of the left side wall. Opposite the servery towards the back is some banquette seating and round tables. The right hand wall has a fireplace with some tall tables. Beyond the bar area there is a seating area laid out as a dining room. Family and dog friendly but just outside the tourist walk.

Have a pint here.

Real ale:                Tribute;  Atlantic;  Sun Chaser

Keg:                        John Smith

Lager:                     Carling;  Fosters;  1664

Cider:              Thatcher’s Gold;  Stowford press;  Addlestone

 The White Lion

The White Lion is a pleasant one roomed pub with the servery beginning half way along the right hand side. Banquette seating is around the room with small tables and stools. Lots of standing room around right hand side of servery. Unpretentious and off of tourist radar but family and dog friendly with loud 70s music and outside seating by pavement.

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Directors ;   Young’s Special

Keg:                       John Smith

Lager:            1664;  Fosters; Carling;  Sharp’s Pilsner

Cider:            Thatcher’s Gold;  Strongbow;  Strongbow Cloudy Apple;  Strongbow Dark Fruit            Guinness

 First and Last Inn closed

First and Last Inn is a traditional separate bar and lounge pub. Left takes you to the small bar and right to the larger lounge. The servery  has a small counter in each room and the lounge has a further area with dining tables beyond the seating by the counter.  The small bar has 4 tables with seating. There is outside seating along the front of the building. Family friendly with some games available in the bar.

NEWS

Have a pint here

Does not open until 5pm on weekdays

Real ale:          Tribute;  Atlantic

Lager:                    Carling;  Grolsh

Cider:                    Stowford Press

 The Alexandra Inn closed

The Alexandra Inn is a single roomed bar with a pool room beyond it. Servery is on wall opposite the windows and has  lots of stools. Seating is along the window side with some tables in middle of room.  There is a garden to the rear and food is offered.

Have a half pint

Does not open until 3pm weekdays

Real ale:               Sharp’s Own

Lager:                    Sharp’s pilsner;  Carling;  Grolsch

Cider:                    Rattler                  Guinness 

 The Bath Inn

Bath Inn is a large and the initial impression is of a food lead pub but in fact food is only available at lunch time. However families are welcome especially in the large garden which has five large tables and canopies amid stone and flower containers with an grassy area with more tables further on. The main entrance offers a small bar to the right and a far larger room to the left. The servery covers both and curves further round in the larger room. This larger room has a TV and pool. Seating in both rooms is barrel chairs around small round tables. More cheerful locals than tourists despite being close to the prom. Dog friendly. Lunches 12-2pm.

Have a pint here

Closes between 3 and 5.30

Real ale:               Original;  Sea Fury (both Sharps);  Arthur (Tintagel);     ‘Fraid Not (Exeter)

Keg:       Wolf Rock;  Worthington;  Caffrey’s

Lager:    Coors;  Carling;  Stella;  Carlsberg

Cider:    Thatcher’s Gold;  Rattler                               Guinness

Shorter trail

For a short pub crawl just visit the pubs shown by the red Icons on the map.

 

9 to visit

The Lamp and Whistle

The Crown

The Star Inn

Union Hotel

The Turks Head

Admiral Benbow

The Lugger Inn

The Yacht Inn

The Dock

The Queens 

The Queens  is a large hotel on the promenade.  The bar is to the left after the entrance and quite a bit along. It is a typical large hotel bar for drinks before or after eating. The servery is against the wall and there are 4 small tables with sofas for sitting.

Have a half pint

Real ale:               Tribute

Keg:       Tetley’s

Lager:    Bud;  San Miguel;  Carlsberg

Cider:    Somersby;  Cornish Gold                Guinness

The Lugger Inn ★

The Lugger Inn is a hotel and restaurant with limited seating alongside the servery and on stools by the counter. However, it does have a tremendous amount of outside seating to the front of the building which is packed at weekends. A relaxing blue and white colour scheme and pleasant servery for sitting at. Lots of food available and children welcome – a bouncy castle can appear in front of hotel at weekends

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Doom Bar;  Atlantic

Keg:                       Helter Skelter;  Wolf rock

Lager:                    Sharps pilsner;  Staroperaman;  Grolsch;  Carling

Cider:                    Rattler;  Rekorderlig;  Sharp’s Orchard

 The Navy ★

The Navy  is a traditional bar wishing to be a stylish restaurant. It has seating either side of the window. Several tables in a small room to the left while the servery is in the larger room to the right coming out of the centre wall. Attractively decorated with white walls, black beams and blue around the bar.

Does not open until 5pm (web site says 12-late but ...)

Good Beer Guide 2023

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Cornish Knocker; Lushingtons (both Skinner’s); Causeway (Cornish Crown)

Lager:    Becks;  Fosters

Cider:    South West Orchard                                       Guinness

Local Breweries beers on sale

include :

Sharps - Wolf Rock (4.8% red ale), Doom Bar (4% amber ale), Atlantic (4.2% pale ale), Original (4.4% English ale), Sea Fury (5% special ale) and Pilsner (5% lager)

 

Skinners- Lushington (4.2% pale ale), Betty Stogs (4% Cornish ale), Hops'n' Honey (4% honeyed ale), Cornish Knocker (4.5% golden ale), Porthlevel (4.8% pale ale)

 The Yacht Inn ★

The Yacht Inn  is a large Art deco style pub/hotel. There is a large room inside to the right with the servery along the back wall and seating in front of it and around the bay window. There is some more seating on raised area at far end. To the right of the servery a passage takes you to a large outdoor decking seating area. Family friendly and offering food. Restaurant is to left of entrance.

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Tribute;  Proper Job;  Bass

Lager:    Korev;  San Miguel;  Carlsberg

Cider:    Thatcher’s Gold;  Rattler;   Strongbow        Guinness

The Dolphin Tavern

The Dolphin Tavern  is very popular for dining and tables often have reserved notices. There is a small room to right of doorway and more  is seating at ground level to left of entrance. Then some stairs take you to the main room with the servery round to the right and again lots of tables. Further on is another room with more seating. Dark wood, low ceiling and not overdone nautical theme gives atmosphere.

There is plenty of outside seating in front of pub.

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Tribute;   Cornish Best;  HSB

Lager:    Korev;  San Miguel;  Carlsberg

Cider:    Rattler;  Thatcher’s Gold                                               Guinness

 The Dock Inn ★

The Dock Inn has four distinct areas. The servery is almost on you as you enter the pub. It is a small servery for the comfortable small room round to the right. Straight ahead are stairs leading to the terraced rear garden. Round to the left is a larger room with tables to the left and sofa with low table to right. Beyond this room and down some steps is the dining room. Family and dog friendly pub with lots of character and obviously nautical theme.

Have a pint here

Regular in Good Beer Guide …. including 2023, 2024, 2025

Real ale:               Potion No 9;  Slingo;  Doom bar

Keg:                        Wolf Rock

Lager:                    Carlsberg;  Stella;  San Miguel

Cider:                    Rattler;  Thatcher’s Gold

 Boatshed and Bridge Bar

Boatshed   looked nice, though inside perhaps more dining than bar - however, did not get in as it opened at 6.30

Bridge Bar never got the hang of when open. One weekend night saw people on what looked like a roof terrace which looked nice but other nights never coincided with opening times

 Admiral Benbow ★❤

Admiral Benbow is an outstandingly interesting pub with a really small servery and seating area to the right of door. To the left the room opens up to attempt the impression of being on a ship of the line in Nelson’s time. This theme is continued around to the right and further back to a restaurant. Before the restaurant stairs lead to an upstairs ‘deck’ complete with cannon and several figureheads. There is large function room through the glass doors. The furniture and tables are designed to look like the walls of a captain’s cabin from those days and painted red, green and yellow. The effect is added to by low ceilings and subdued lighting. Every spare space has nautical or countryside memorabilia. Wenches serve food at lunch time and after 6pm. Dog and children friendly; but they could get lost.

Has a nationally important historic interior,

This may take two pints to take in all of the venue

Real ale:               Cornish Best; Proper job (both St Austells) ;  Doom Bar

Keg:                        John Smiths

Lager:        1664;  Fosters

Cider:                     Sharp’s Orchard;  Rattler

The Cornish Barn 

The Cornish Barn  is a restaurant with a pleasant  rustic lounge to the right. The small servery  is between the hall and lounge. The hall also takes you to an extensive outdoor seating area with its own wooden shack like bar. The customers for the lounge and the outside do not seem like the same clientele.  Inside lounge and small terraced garden are quite quiet.

Have a half pint

Keg:                        Extra pale ale (Harbour Brewing)

Lager:                    Lager (Harbour Brewing)

 The Turks Head

The Turks Head is a food lead traditional pub – claimed to be the oldest in Penzance. The dining is down the stairs to the right of the servery and then further down the stairs and under the servery. There is also a large outdoor area down a  long corridor to the left of the servery. The traditional pub bit is at the entrance and in front of the servery. There is seating either side of the doorway and along the side walls.

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Doom Bar;  Turks Head Ale (both Sharps);  Lance (Keltec);  Betty  Stoggs (Skinners)

Lager:                    Stella;  Sharp’s Pilsner;  carling;  Stella

Cider:                    real – Old Rosie ;    Stowford Press                                                 Guinness

PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS

 The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them.  All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.

There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.

HOME MAP of places visited

Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock                   Helensburgh   Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresborough Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York

 Union Hotel

Union Hotel bar is in the left door at the entrance where a life-size statue of Nelson greets you to Nelson’s bar.  There is seating around to the right and along the window wall with the servery straight ahead on the far wall. In the centre of the room the servery is split by an old fireplace wall. Around the other side of this is an armchair seating area and down a few steps the Hamiltons dining room. There are some stools at the main servery which has brickwork beneath it while the walls are stripped back to the old stone.

The hotel was set on fire by Spanish tourists in 1595 and it is claimed it was here that the first news of Nelson’s death was announced hence the bar name.

Have a pint here

Real ale:                               Bass;  Doom Bar

Lager:                    San Miguel;  Amstel;  Carlsberg

Cider:                    Rattler;  Thatcher’s Gold

 The Globe

The Globe is a one roomed pub which has a long servery on the right hand side which curves round further to the right as the room widens out. Narrow at the start with some tables and seating more seating is available as it widens. Discos some evenings and sports on TV. Family friendly but food only on Sunday

Have a half pint

Real ale:               Pirates Premium Gold

Keg:       John Smith

Lager:    Fosters;  1664

Cider:     Strongbow;  Strongbow Dark fruit; Symonds Founders    Guinness

Cider:                    Rattler;  Thatcher’s Gold

 The Seven Stars

The Seven Stars is two large rooms connected. The servery is on the back wall of the right hand room.  All conversation is shouted over the music.  Darts, Bingo, music, party.

Have a half pint

Keg:                       Tetley’s

Lager:                  1664;  Stella;  Carlsberg;  Carlsberg Export

                                                                                                Guinness

 The Tremenheere

The Tremenheere is the local Wetherspoon bar. It is pretty basic. The entrance is into the middle of the room. The servery is on the left hand wall with tall tables between it and the entrance. To the right, up a step is the main seating area with tables pretty crushed together. Beyond the servery is a small outside courtyard dominated by smokers

Have a half pint

Real ale:               Gone Fishing;  Doom Bar;  Abbot;  Ruddles

Keg:                       Shipyard;  John Smith;  Red IPA

Lager:    Carlsberg;  1664;  Bud;  San Miguel;  Coors;    Fosters;  Heineken;   Stella

Cider:                    Thatcher’s Haze                                Guinness

 The Star Inn 

The Star Inn  entrance at street level takes you to a large landing area with some seating. You have to go down a few steps to the main seating area in a low ceiling room. This takes you to some tables and chairs then onto the servery along the right hand wall. Opposite the counter are three longer tables.  Round to the right from these and through a curtain is a large room with ten rectangular four seating tables and a TV. Beyond the servery and down a step is more seating and two semi-circular banquette seating booths. Beyond this, and again down a step, is a games area with pool, darts and table football.  Decor is brown wood then green painted walls. The pub aims to supply food and has deals most days and entertainment (bingo Tuesday; Quiz Wednesday; open mic Thursday) and discount days. Children catered for.

Have a pint here

Real ale:               Helter Skelter (Cornish Crown) ;  Dartmoor Best (Dartmoor );  Star Inn Ale;  Cornish Ruby (Penpoint)

Keg:                       Coast To Coast

Lager:                    Amstel;   Heineken,  Fosters

Cider:                    Symonds Founders; Stowford press; Strongbow Dark fruit

pages to visit

  • Corwall CAMRA

    Web site of the Corwall branch of CAMRA

  • Books on Beer

    A selection of titles that are interesting reading on beers and brewing.

  • BOOKS ON PUBS

    A selection of books that trace the history of pubs.

  • CAMRA

    Connect to the web site of CAMRA

“They say that it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but couldn’t some compromise be reached, like being moderately wealthy and a bit moody?”

ANSWER: Toothpaste