An Insider’s Guide to St. Ives

I’d implore you to start your journey into St Ives not by train, or car, but by foot. Friends and I have made the Tinners a typical start-point for many an adventure in either direction. You’ll begin here too early for a drink, but don’t worry – you can park your car and get a taxi back for a pint of delicious and well-deserved local ale. From here, the South West coast path takes you straight across to Porthmeor Beach across windswept clifftops. Granted it’s 3-4 hour walk, but on a sun-soaked, blue-sky and windless day, it’s pure magic.

Zennor, Saint Ives TR26 3BY

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Set behind Porthmeor Beach and the iconic Porthmeor Studios – where artists battle for space to get that perfect west coast light – sits Penwith Gallery, where Cornish sculpture and art become friendly amongst three galleries in a former pilchard packing factory. Home of the Penwith Society of Arts, which was founded by notable Cornwall-dwelling artists Barbara Hepworth and Bernard Leach in 1949, it exhibits hyper-local artists and sculptors all year round.

Back Rd E, Saint Ives TR26 1NL

penwithgallery.com

Booking a table at this beloved wine bar and restaurant in the summer months is crucial, with its wine-lined walls, Yves Klein blue accent interiors and small but impeccably formed menu. Opened by Ellie Vening (former events manager at Quo Vadis) and Mark Quick (former wine buyer at Hawksmoor), St Eia is one of the very best St Ives restaurants and serves up seasonal plates of local seafood, meat and perfectly matched wines. The Coombeshead mangalitsa sausage and brothy beans with salsa verde is a staple for good reason; as is their spider crab on soda bread toast. But my favourite thing about St Eia is the hospitality – the team truly knows how to make you feel good, whether it’s suggesting a surprising glass of chilled red, or edging you towards the soft-centered cookie, which is heaven to end a meal on.

The Digey, Saint Ives TR26 1HR

steiawines.com

Of course Tate St Ives is a massive draw and plays host to incredible Cornish artists – always worth a visit – but there's something about revisiting Barbara's home, studio and garden that really expresses the creative undercurrent of St Ives. More of a pilgrimage than a museum, there's an intimacy here that a gallery can't replicate. One of the best things to do in St Ives, here you are stepping into the life of one of Britain's greatest sculptors – the cluttered workbenches, the tools left as if she might return, the garden she designed herself, punctuated by her bronze sculptures sitting amongst the overgrown greenery as naturally as boulders.

Barnoon Hill, Saint Ives TR26 1AD

Just across the road from Barbara Hepworth is Palais Provisions, a St Ives shop filled with delicious fare like fig-leaf infused ice cream, mini martinis, Universal Works merch, as well as delightfully wonky glassware and ceramics. After you’ve polished off a scoop or two (the brown bread ice cream is essential), head upstairs to browse more hand-crafted objects and furniture.

2 Barnoon Hill, Saint Ives TR26 1AD

palaisprovisions.com

Tucked behind the picture-perfect beach of Carbis Bay – all white sand and turquoise seas – sits Romano’s, a neighbourhood trattoria serving up sandwiches, pastries, wine and for three nights a week, brilliant Italian dinners. Perhaps a day of roaming around has you hungry for an epic panino, piled high with cured meats, premium cheese and homemade pesto. Sip a spritz as the sun goes down and stay for dinner – where Roman pastas and Milanese risottos sit alongside hearty Porthilly oysters and buttery hand-dived scallops.

2 Longstone Hill, Carbis Bay, Saint Ives TR26 2SX

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Socialising in the sauna is a way of life down here, and no one does it better than Kiln. A business built by interior designer Kathryn Tyler and architect Gus Thatcher, their latest outpost continues their emphasis on designing in continuance with the landscape and not against it. Perched above the curve of St Ives’ beach, Porthmeor, its scorched black amphitheatre structures and native coastal flora create a perfect environment to sink into the heat. Their signature wide-reaching windows looking out to sea offers a certain kind of beach television – sit, sweat and watch the surfers cruise on the sun-dappled water ahead.

2 Longstone Hill, Carbis Bay, Saint Ives TR26 2SX

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Many might forget to stop off at the iconic Leach Pottery as it’s just out of town – but for me, it’s the first place I pull into. A visit always begins at the museum, a walking tour of the pottery’s storied past. Walk through the first room showing ceramics from over the decades and into the still-used workshop, where you can take a seat in front of an old television playing black-and-white videos of potters past throwing clay, pulling handles and perfecting their craft. Just beyond there’s space to get your hands dirty – that is, picking up a piece of clay and hand-building just for fun. You’ll end up at the shop, where you are bound to find at least five pieces you’ll need to take home, from Leach’s Standard Ware collection to individual makers’ own wonderfully idiosyncratic designs.

Higher Stennack, Saint Ives TR26 2HE

leachpottery.com