Short answer: The Blue Anchor on Coinagehall Street is Helston's standout pub: thatched, old and home to Spingo ales (4.8 from 274 Google reviews). The Bell, Rodney and Red Lion suit sport and groups, Inn & Still is the gin bar, and the Ship in Porthleven and Black Swan in Gweek are the best pubs worth driving to.
The best pub in Helston is not hard to find, but it is easy to walk past. The thatched roof of the Blue Anchor sits low on Coinagehall Street, and the front door opens straight into a granite passage with small rooms either side. It is the reason many people come to the town. The rest of Helston's pubs are a mixed, friendly bunch, and the best pubs near Helston are a short drive away on the coast.
Blue Anchor is rated 4.8 from 274 Google reviews, the highest of any pub in town. It is an old granite building with a thatched roof and slate floors, on Coinagehall Street, and the beer is brewed in a tiny brewhouse at the back. CAMRA's listing describes two small bars, a garden with its own bar and an indoor skittle alley that can be booked for groups. The beer is the draw. The regulars are Spingo Middle (5%), Spingo Special (6.6%) and Flora Daze (4%), with changing seasonal beers too. The Spingos are stronger than a typical session beer, so pace yourself.
It is a quiet pub with no jukebox or fruit machines, and conversation is the entertainment. CAMRA says the pub has brewed continuously since before CAMRA was founded in 1971, and that the brewhouse can be viewed on request. Dogs on leads are welcome in all areas, according to the same listing. CAMRA's opening times are noon to midnight Monday to Thursday, with later closing at the weekend, but check before a special trip.
The Bell Inn and the Rodney Inn are next door neighbours on Meneage Street, and the Red Lion is a short walk away on Church Street, so you can try more than one on foot.
4.7 from 91 Google reviews. A spacious pub on Meneage Street that shows live sport on several TVs and has a pool table. CAMRA's listing mentions a fenced beer garden with children's play equipment, and says food is served from the Bookoo's restaurant opposite. Reviewers say the bar staff are friendly and quick. It is a practical choice for a group with mixed tastes, but ask at the bar how the food works on the day.
4.5 from 223 Google reviews. A town-centre pub at 31 Meneage Street with stone walls, a long bar, a raised seating area with a pool table and an enclosed rear patio. CAMRA lists St Austell Tribute and Hicks among the regulars, with a Cornish guest ale, and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Reviewers describe friendly staff and good music, so expect a lively bar rather than a quiet corner. A fair stop for one or two pints at lunch.
4.5 from 159 Google reviews. The pub was refurbished and reopened in 2016. CAMRA's listing describes a large beer garden with views over the Cober Valley, extra seating and a big TV for sport upstairs, and says it is family and dog friendly. Reviewers also like the pool table in a loft-style room. It suits a casual afternoon with a group more than a quiet date.
Inn & Still on Coinagehall Street is a restored early 18th-century coaching inn with its own distillery. According to its Cornish Secrets listing, it makes small-batch spirits such as Bal Maiden Gin on site, and runs live music and themed food nights. It is rated 4.2 from 125 Google reviews. Reviewers praise the cocktails, the welcome, the sofas and booths, and the covered outdoor space. It is more bar than boozer, and a good second stop after the Blue Anchor. If you want a roast, see our guide to the best Sunday roast in Helston.
The Ship Inn is rated 4.7 from 1,741 Google reviews. It sits on Mount Pleasant Road above the harbour, with outside tables on several levels, and CAMRA lists it as dog friendly with real fires at each end of the bar. Some reviewers say you cannot reserve a table and it fills quickly, so ask at the bar and arrive early. The Atlantic Inn is a short, hilly climb above the harbour (4.6 from 675 Google reviews). CAMRA says its terrace overlooks the harbour and bay, that it serves cask ale and lunchtime and evening meals, and that dogs on leads and families are welcome.
4.5 from 691 Google reviews. A village pub in Gweek, the village that is home to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, with a car park on a higher level behind the pub. CAMRA lists it as dog friendly, with lunchtime and evening meals and a slate-floored dining room. Reviewers praise the value. Expect it to be busy after a seal sanctuary visit.
The The Halzephron Inn (4.6 from 1,274 Google reviews) has a front terrace that looks out to sea, and dogs are welcome in the bar and garden according to a dog-friendly pub directory. Cadgwith Cove Inn (4.7 from 1,123 Google reviews) sits above the cove and hosts traditional Cornish singing on Friday evenings, according to local listings. Book ahead for evening meals at both.
CAMRA says dogs on leads are welcome in all areas of the Blue Anchor, and lists the Red Lion, the Bell and the Rodney as dog friendly too. Out of town, CAMRA lists the Ship Inn, the Atlantic Inn and the Black Swan as dog friendly, and the Halzephron is listed in the same way by dogfriendly.co.uk. Policies can vary by room and time of day, so ask at the bar. Take a bowl and a towel, since many of these are muddy-boot pubs. For more ideas, see our guide to dog-friendly coffee and coastal spots near Helston.
The Blue Anchor is a drinking pub first, and so is the Red Lion. For a full pub meal you will have more choice at Porthleven or on the Lizard, where the Ship, the Atlantic and the Halzephron all serve food. Helston's Flora Day dances bring a crowd to the town, and our Flora Day 2027 guide has the timings and parking advice. Expect the pubs to be packed on the day. For more about the area, visit our Helston town guide and Porthleven page.
The Blue Anchor on Coinagehall Street is rated 4.8 from 274 Google reviews. It is a thatched pub that brews Spingo ales in a small brewhouse at the back.
Spingo is the beer brewed at the Blue Anchor in Helston. CAMRA lists Spingo Middle at 5% and Spingo Special at 6.6%, so they are stronger than typical session ales.
CAMRA says dogs on leads are welcome in all areas of the Blue Anchor. It lists the Red Lion, Bell Inn and Rodney Inn as dog friendly too.
CAMRA says the Bell Inn shows live sport on several TVs, and the Red Lion has a big TV for sport upstairs. The Rodney and the Red Lion also have pool tables, according to CAMRA and reviewers.
Yes. The Ship Inn and Atlantic Inn in Porthleven look over the harbour, and the Halzephron Inn at Gunwalloe has a front terrace facing the sea.
Some reviewers say the Bell Inn and the Red Lion allow outside food. Policies can change, so ask at the bar.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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