Food With a View - Places to Eat in Cornwall

If there's one thing better than great food, it's great food combined with a fabulous view, and the Cornish coast, with its mix of seafood restaurants and beach cafés is the perfect place for both.

Think of Cornish food and some of the first things to spring to mind will probably be clotted cream, Cornish pasties and afternoon tea - all of the ingredients of the quintessential English seaside holiday - but in fact, the Cornish menu is much more varied than that, and although seafood features strongly, as you would expect, you'll also find an eclectic mix of styles and flavours to suit all palates.

Blow the Budget: The menu at the Porthminster Beach Café, located in the pretty coastal resort of St. Ives, is as cosmopolitan as the clientele, and you'll find the finest Italian coffee, mouth-watering Mediterranean style seafood and Thai salad alongside more traditional Cornish delights such as crabmeat, oysters and clotted cream ice cream.

With main courses averaging between £16-£18, Portminster Beach Café is one of Cornwall's more expensive restaurants, but it's easy to see why. Imagine sipping a glass of chilled white wine as the sun goes down over St Ives Bay, and your waiter arrives with your grilled lobster or local sea bass...

The restaurant is Good Food Guide listed and the perfect venue for a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary meal. Details: www.porthminstercafe.co.uk

Surf Essentials: The Beach Hut meanwhile, is a surfer's paradise right on the edge of Watergate Bay. With a laid back atmosphere (feel free to come as you are, with salty skin and still-damp swimsuit de rigueur during the day) and a menu packed with British surf essentials such as hot chocolate, fresh seafood and The Beach Hut's famous natchos, it's the ideal location for a chilled out lunch or informal dinner.

Located on the ground floor of Extreme Academy, one of Cornwall's premier training centres for extreme sports, The Beach Hut is the place to escape to after a hard afternoon's surfing, waveskiing, traction kiting or mountain boarding on the two miles of sand and surf which border the centre. Details: www.extremeacademy.co.uk/beachhutbistroandbar.htm

BBQ on the Beach: A barbeque on the beach is an essential ingredient for the perfect summer experience, and the barbequed food on the menu at The Watering Hole in Perranporth, is legendary. The atmosphere at the restaurant is relaxed and friendly, and while the beachside setting is traditionally Cornish, the food comes from all over the world, with Mexican, Indian, Mediterranean and English dishes available.

While visitors come to The Watering Hole for its extensive menu, they stay for the views. With seating available right on the beach itself, The Watering Hole offers the ultimate in al fresco dining, with the sunsets over Perranporth beach providing a unique after-dinner show.

There's no road to The Watering Hole, which is, quite literally, "the bar on the beach", accessible only after a short stroll along the side of the sea. The location adds to the secluded feel of the restaurant, which is also home to some lively parties and band nights.  Details: www.the-wateringhole.co.uk