Short answer: On the Wharf, the Sloop Inn (4.4) and the Lifeboat Inn (4.3) are the harbourside pubs, both dog-friendly. On Fore Street the Castle Inn and the Union Inn are small real-ale locals with live music, and the Golden Lion in the centre has a rear courtyard and live music.
St Ives crowds its best-known pubs into two short streets: the Wharf by the harbour, and Fore Street behind it. They're all walkable, so the choice is about the kind of evening you want. Pub details below come from our own listings plus the pubs' CAMRA pages, which can lag the current menus, so check food times before you go.
Sloop Inn (4.4 from 2,472 Google reviews) is a proper old-school harbourside pub on the Wharf, with live music some evenings and a welcome for well-behaved dogs. Its outdoor seating fills quickly on clear evenings, which is why it features in our sunset spots with a drink guide; arrive early.
The Lifeboat Inn (4.3 from 1,681 Google reviews) is a traditional harbourside inn in a listed building overlooking the lifeboat station. CAMRA lists three regular St Austell beers (Proper Job, Anthem and Tribute), food from noon, a Sunday lunchtime carvery, a real fire and rooms. It has live music at weekends and an open mic on Tuesdays, bingo on Wednesdays and a quiz on Thursdays. Both are dog-friendly, and the Lifeboat gives dogs treats and water bowls, as we note in our dog-friendly St Ives guide.
The Castle Inn (16 Fore Street) is a friendly town-centre pub that CAMRA says has operated since at least 1841, with open beams, slate floors and stained glass. It serves cask ale (up to six beers in summer), has a large gin selection, a Monday quiz, live music, and welcomes dogs and well-behaved children.
The Union Inn (20 Fore Street) is a small, two-level local with old harbour photographs on the walls. CAMRA lists one changing cask beer, live music on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and says it's dog and family friendly but can get crowded in summer. Its food times are inconsistent on CAMRA's page, so check with the pub.
The Golden Lion on the High Street is a former coaching inn near the harbour. CAMRA says the rear bar hosts games and live music and draws a younger crowd, while the front bar is quieter. It has a rear courtyard garden, serves lunch and evening food, and is dog and family friendly (CAMRA's description was last surveyed in 2019).
Eat first? Read fish and chips in St Ives and Sunday roast in St Ives, then the St Ives guide.
Sources: CAMRA pub pages for the Lifeboat Inn, Golden Lion, Castle Inn and Union Inn, and Cornish Secrets' guide to St Ives pubs, read on 28 October 2026. No pub pays to be listed here.
Ratings and review counts are Google's when we last checked (July 2026) and move over time. Opening hours, menus and dog policies change, so phone before a special trip. No pub pays to be listed here. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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