Short answer: For a date night in Looe, park at Millpool (free from 4pm in winter), walk to the Banjo Pier, have one drink at Ye Old Grog or Choklet, then book a small restaurant such as the Sardine Factory (a Michelin Bib Gourmand), the Fish Market or JuJu's. Several close on some days, so check before you set off.
A date night in Looe works best if you treat it as a short evening rather than a long one. The town is small, the best restaurants have only a few tables, and several of them close on certain days, so the plan is: park cheaply, walk the quay while there is still light, have one drink, then be at your table on time. Here is how to do it, and where to book.
Cornwall Council's Millpool car park in West Looe has 964 spaces and is open 24 hours. From 1 November to 31 March the winter tariff applies from 9am to 4pm only, and it is free from 4pm to 9am, so an evening arrival after 4pm costs nothing in winter. In summer (1 April to 31 October) there is a charge of £2.30 for the evening session from 6pm to midnight, and the daytime tariff runs until 6pm. The pay station takes cards and phones, and the council says several car parks go cashless from 1 August 2026. Millpool is on the West Looe side, so plan to walk over the bridge to the East Looe quay. For overflow and summer rules, see the Looe parking guide.
Start on the water. The Banjo Pier is at the river mouth, with views of the boats coming in. Cornwall Council says wave over-wash has forced safety closures, so take care in wind and after dark.
For the drink itself, Ye Old Grog and Ale House on Buller Street is the cosy option, a quiet real ale and cider pub according to CAMRA (4.8 from 47 Google reviews). The Sail Loft on Quay Street has a decked area beside the river and food upstairs, though with only 15 reviews its 4.9 rating is a small sample. For something less ordinary, Choklet on Higher Market Street pairs chocolate with cocktails (5.0 from 35 Google reviews). One visitor described a Thursday date night there, with a cheese and charcuterie board, a chocolate dessert board and bottomless prosecco, but that offer and its price may have changed, so ask. Our best pubs in Looe guide has the full list.
4.6 from 911 Google reviews. The Michelin Guide lists it with a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 UK edition, describing a converted sardine factory on the quayside with harbour views across to East Looe, and cooking built around day-boat fish and sardines. Michelin gives its hours as Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday from 10am to 3pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. Reviewers praise the oysters, sardines, cod roe and a crab macaroni cheese, and one couple chose it for a second date night on holiday. One visitor found the cocktails and alcohol-free drinks unremarkable, so the food is the draw. Book ahead.
4.6 from 280 Google reviews. A small restaurant with an open kitchen and a seafood menu that changes with the catch. Reviewers praise the buttermilk monkfish and the crab rosti, and the menu suggests two small plates each with sides. It is tiny, one reviewer notes you cannot take prams inside, and a walk-in was seated at the counter in front of the kitchen. Book anyway.
JuJu's Tapas and Small Plates on Higher Market Street (4.9 from 149 Google reviews) is a small restaurant, and its Tripadvisor listing gives hours of Monday to Saturday evenings. Recommended dishes include chorizo in red wine and crab cakes. A May 2026 reviewer reported a £10 a head reservation charge, so confirm the booking terms when you reserve.
The building dates to 1420, according to Visit Looe, which describes a 65-seat restaurant serving local seafood, prime steaks and a carvery. It is rated 4.6 from 1,080 Google reviews. Reviewers mention beef and reef (steak with scallops) and whole plaice. One diner reported an hour-long wait on a Tuesday, so give it time, and ask about dogs before you bring one, as a reviewer said they are not allowed in the restaurant.
4.5 from 213 Google reviews. The menu changes with the catch, with crab linguine and mussels singled out by reviewers, and you can book online or by phone. If you have a food allergy, repeat it at the table: one reviewer reported an ingredient mix-up despite telling staff. It is out on Marine Drive, so factor in the walk or a taxi from the quay.
La Bocca on Higher Market Street (4.5 from 430 Google reviews) does wood-fired pizza, and a reviewer mentions two cocktails for £18 and a highchair for their toddler, so it suits a relaxed evening or a family. Yamas on the Quay (4.2 from 208) serves Greek dishes by the water, and a reviewer received a 50% reduction when the calamari lacked flavour. Yamas is a sister restaurant of the Sardine Factory according to Cornish Horizons, which also says dogs are welcome on its outside decking.
Outside the holidays Looe is quiet, which is the appeal, but it also means shorter hours. Several restaurants here close on a Monday or Tuesday, and hours can shrink in winter, so check each one before you set off. Plan around what's open in Looe in winter. On New Year's Eve the town is full of fancy dress, so book early: see New Year's Eve in Looe.
Millpool is a flat walk back across the bridge, which has pavements on both sides. If you came by train on the Looe Valley Line, check the last departure on the GWR journey planner before booking a late table, and remember that on the current timetable (7 September to 12 December 2026) there are no Sunday trains after 8 November. See the Looe town guide for more, and for a different evening, our Polperro pub guide covers dinner along the coast.
The Sardine Factory holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2026 UK guide, and reviewers rate the Fish Market and JuJu's Tapas highly for small, relaxed evenings. All are small, so book ahead.
At Cornwall Council's Millpool car park in West Looe it is free from 4pm to 9am in winter (1 November to 31 March). In summer there is a £2.30 evening session from 6pm to midnight.
Yes for the smaller ones. The Fish Market, JuJu's Tapas, Sea Kitchen and Smugglers Cott all have reviewers advising booking, and a May 2026 reviewer reported a reservation charge at JuJu's.
It varies. A reviewer said Smugglers Cott does not allow dogs, Cornish Horizons lists Sea Kitchen and the Yamas decking as dog friendly. Ask when booking.
Walk to the Banjo Pier at the river mouth, try a pub such as the Jolly Sailor, or visit Choklet for chocolate and cocktails.
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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