I tried hearty Sunday roast at St Ives hotel that feels more like an upmarket pub
The view from our window table was quite simply one of the best in the UK. On one side, there was the iconic Smeaton’s Pier (familiar to all from countless St Ives postcards and paintings) and on the other, surfers and paddle boarders in the azure blue sea lapping at the golden sands of Porthminster Beach.
As far as settings for a Sunday lunch go, there can’t be many that beat it in this country. It really doesn’t get much better. And then, to top it off, we saw a huge seal bobbing about in the water below our window.
It was a sight that caused much commotion as fellow diners hurried over to the window, phone cameras aloft. Perched on rocks between Porthminster Beach and the town centre, Pedn Olva is a short walk from St Ives railway station and the first pitstop for many holidaymakers in search of a holiday pint.
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As well as bedrooms, there’s a relaxed bar with panoramic views across the bay and a separate restaurant area. For the past eight years, the hotel has been run by Kellie McKeown, who has worked for St Austell brewery for 21 years, the last eight of them as GM of the Pedn Olva. There are framed ‘long service’ awards in the reception area, alongside certificates for ‘pub food of the year’.
This has long been one of the jewels in the crown for St Austell brewery and there are some exciting developments on the way. The hotel will close for a time over the winter for a long-overdue £3m refurbishment that’s sure to further enhance the venue’s long-held reputation as one of the best spots in St Ives.
Although I’d eaten at Pedn Olva on several occasions (the fish and chips using Newlyn-landed Coley in Gem Ale batter is worth a trip in itself) and often pop in for a pint of St Austell Tribute when in town, this was the first time I’d booked a Sunday lunch.
The Sunday menu offers those fish and chips (including a ‘chip shop upgrade’ of curry sauce, pickled egg, pickled onion and bread and butter) as well as Aberdeen Angus steak burgers, and dressed crab.
The roasts include vegan and vegetarian options as well as roast chicken (slow-braised dark meat served with sliced chicken breast and sage and onion pork stuffing). The meat-free dishes are £17.75 and the chicken and beef are £20.50.
I ordered the ‘low and slow’ braised West Country beef brisket. The two thick and ridiculously tender slices of meat arrived on the plate crowned with a huge Yorkshire pudding and lashings of dark, rich gravy the colour and consistency of varnish.
There were large wedges of soft, roasted parsnip, really good cauliflower cheese and carrots, broccoli, green beans and mange tout that had all retained a bite and squeak, rather than the overcooked mush many places serve up. It was a generous and hearty roast, each individual component cooked with real care.
To finish, a light and springy sticky toffee pudding (£9.25) with crunchy gingernut crumb, thick toffee sauce and really good vanilla ice cream - and how nice to enjoy a scoop in the safety of a dining room away from those notorious ice cream-loving St Ives seagulls.
Although it’s a hotel, Pedn Olva has the relaxed and friendly feel of an upmarket pub. After such a cracking roast, there was nothing more to do than order another pint of Tribute and soak in that view for just a little bit longer. It's what Sundays are all about.
Pedn Olva, West Porthminster Beach, 27 Warren, St Ives, TR26 2EA.