Sea Food Cafe

Reviews

• Grahame G.

  star star star star star 9 October 2026

  I wasn't quite sure what to make of this place, its brash exterior seems a little out of place in St. Ives' historical street frontages; but we were assured by our local chums who had made the reservation that it was THE place for seafood, and they were right.
  
  Having got ourselves settled in and drinks ordered, we were told to go and peruse the day's catch in the counter and pick our choice of main course. There is a 'standard' menu on the tables to help you decide, and it would be much easier if they just let you choose from that instead of having to huddle round the counter; still, it's a nice option to offer.
  
  We picked the seafood medley for two, which offers a good cross-section of what's on offer, and it was just the right size to satisfy the appetite without resorting to gluttony. Everything was very tasty and well-cooked - it doesn't get much fresher than this!
  
  For dessert, I couldn't resist the chocolate, hazelnut and tia maria torte, although in deference to my dairy intolerance I had it without the clotted cream. To give them their due, the server did come and ask if I was OK with that as there was some dairy involved in the torte itself; I responded that sometimes I'm prepared to suffer a little where chocolate is involved! I'm glad I did too, it was absolutely yummy, and I love the little crunchy sugar-caramel decorations that accompany several of the desserts.
  
  I'm definitely bookmarking this place for the next time we're in
  St. Ives.

• Jeanne-Marie B.

  star star star star_border star_border 8 October 2026

  When we arrived our table has been given to 2 people, the team advised us we had to wait. We thought it was  terrible service as there was a few empty tables of two seats and the two people were holding our table. The team didn't even offer us an aperitif while waiting so we left and went to a pub next door to spend our money.
  
  40 minutes later... our table was finally available.
  
  As a starter, a few of us had the scallops. The dish was well presented but the scallops were pretty smalls and tasteless. Two of us had the whitebait fritters, the battered was light and crispy around the whitebait, a fine starter but nothing exceptional.
  
  For main some opted for monkfish, Cornish megrim sole and sea bass. Some others had duck or chicken breast. I didn't think the main were nicely presented, they were quite simple. I had my monkfish as recommended with hollandaise sauce. It was two tiny pieces of monkfish, it was good but again I wasn't impressed by the dish and by its taste.
  
  For dessert, few friends shared a chocolate and orange creme brûlée. I didn't like it and I just thought this dessert shouldn't be called creme brûlée but chocolate mousse !
  
  Overall I didn't think this restaurant was amazing. Maybe on this day we were not very lucky and the team was not at its best. The person who booked this place goes very often to the Sea food cafe and she was very disappointed by the night too and the lack of great service.

• Andrew M.

  star star star star star_border 2 October 2026

  Great fresh seafood in warm friendly atmosphere,
  We were in st Ives over Easter and didn't have a booking , but lucky enough they had a cancellation and were offered a table ...my wife and shared a seafood medley ,where we choose the make up of it ,it was fantastic fresh and tasty ..

• rachel d.

  star star star star star 23 September 2026

  We went on a suggestion of a local and hit the jackpot. We had the crab cakes, salt and pepper squid and bread with balsamic oil for starters. We picked out our specific meats at the counter. I got the John Dory fish with hollandaise sauce and Parmesan mashed potatoes and my husband got a filet with peppercorn sauce and chips. We both loved our meals so much, we had to try dessert. Sticky toffee with ice cream and cream was a perfect ending. My only issue was there were no high chairs for our 9 month daughter and no changing table in the bathroom. But the staff was super accommodating and let me change her diaper on the floor. The bill was very affordable for all the food and bottle of wine we got (£75). If you are in the area and want fresh great seafood, you have to come here. Arrive early if you don't have a reservation.

• Angela K.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 16 September 2026

  The food was decent but it took over an hour between ordering and eating, which is difficult with a baby. It was also somewhat expensive, and we couldn't find anyone to order a second drink from. I took our son outside to have him walk around because he got antsy, and saw the chef outside smoking for quite awhile, which is potentially why being served dinner takes such a ridiculous amount of time.