Getting it right

The Harbour Inn makes the journey worthwhile for visitors and locals alike.

Whoever’s dictating the pace from St Austell Brewery HQ clearly has a perfect sense of what is required to make a great inn – a genuine welcome as you step over the threshold, good beer and the sort of comfort that you’d normally associate with home, mixed with a bit of local history and sense of place. This is certainly the case at the Harbour Inn in Porthleven. Recently refurbished, the new ambience is inviting, having lifted it from an acceptable watering hole to a place that you talk about with friends and wish to return to.

It is no mere drinking establishment masquerading as accommodation, nor lodgings pretending to understand hospitality. The fifteen individual rooms upstairs represent a genuine retreat from the modern world’s relentless pace. Downstairs, the bar and dining area provide space and cosiness in equal measure, aided by some thoughtful touches, without feeling contrived. The open fireplace crackles with the same warmth that has drawn locals and visitors alike for generations, inducing conversations and cementing friendships over pints of award-winning ale.

The kitchen demonstrates understanding of its location’s gifts. Seasonal menus celebrate Cornwall’s maritime bounty without falling into the trap of overcomplicated presentation and overzealous pandering to culinary trends. Whether seeking a simple bite between coastal walks or an intimate dinner for two, the food respects both tradition and contemporary palates. Vegetarian and vegan options sit naturally alongside pub classics.
Families arrive complete with four-legged members, welcomed throughout the establishment with genuine enthusiasm rather than grudging tolerance. The specially named Proper Dog ale acknowledges these furry guests with typical Cornish humour, whilst dog-friendly accommodation ensures nobody gets left behind. Discretely placed sports screens satisfy those requiring a connection to the wider world, yet never dominate the atmosphere.

During the summer months, or if you don’t mind the cold in spring and autumn, you can take your drinks outside to the seating area overlooking the harbour. Here you can watch the beguiling movement of the boats as they obey the rhythm of the tide, or the harbour wall jumpers as they plunge into
the water below.

It may be at the tip of Cornwall’s toe, but the Harbour Inn is well worth peeling off the A394 for, be it on your journey between Helston and Penzance or as a final destination. It’s a place that exhibits all of the traits that make a
St Austell Brewery pub something special,
a place that provides what the contemporary punter is after rather than what we’re
encouraged to want.

HARBOUR INN
Commercial Road, Porthleven TR13 9JB
01326 573876
www.harbourinnporthleven.co.uk