Short answer: St Ives has no pub that stands out specifically for its roast. The pubs here are good but ring ahead to confirm a roast is on at all — several serve their standard menu on Sundays instead.
Being straight about this one: St Ives is not especially well served for Sunday roasts, and the reviews for its pubs tend to praise other things. That does not mean you can't eat well on a Sunday — it means planning slightly differently.
None of St Ives's pubs stand out specifically for their roast in the way they do elsewhere in Cornwall. The pubs below are genuinely good and worth a Sunday; just ring ahead to confirm a roast is actually on, because several serve their standard menu instead.
A proper old-school harbourside pub with live music some evenings and a genuine welcome for well-behaved dogs.
A traditional harbourside inn with live music some nights, treats and water bowls for dogs, and a good range of small plates.
This is the one piece of advice that matters most. Cornish pubs are small, Sunday lunch is the busiest service of the week, and most kitchens cook a fixed number of roasts. When they're gone, they're gone — often by two o'clock.
Out of season this catches people out even more, not less. Fewer places serve roasts at all in winter, so demand concentrates on the ones that do.
The sweet spot for a Cornish Sunday roast is a 12:30 or 1pm booking. Earlier and the kitchen is still finding its rhythm; later and you risk the popular cuts having gone.
If you want a walk first, factor in that Cornish daylight is short from November onwards — a coast path walk and a 2pm roast works in June and doesn't in December.
See the full St Ives guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near St Ives →