please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Sharp's Solar Wave, Atlantic, Sea Fury and Doom Bar were on sale a couple of Tuesdays ago - the ones I tried were all average but there was some live music to keep us entertained.
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I would give this place a much higher rating as the pub is cosy and it has a great selection of ales.
But the guy behind the bar was so rude and off and just didn't want us in there so really couldn't quite relax after that.
5/10
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Friendly bar staff. Always changing selection of beers and ciders, a couple straight from the barrel. Always head to The Castle whenever I am in town.
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Live music here frequently which is why we visited tonight. Single-roomed pub with plenty of pitch pine on the walls and ceiling giving it an atmospheric nautical feel. Real ales on offer tonight were Caledonian Autumn Red, Bombardier, Sharps Original, Sharps Special, Hobgoblin, Cottage's Blindside and Skinners Porthleven (which was good). A pub worth trying.
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With regard to my previous post about the pub being sold, I would like to set the record straight by saying that I got it wrong - the pub was never sold. One thing I DIDN'T get wrong, The Castle is STILL the best pub in St.Ives.
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I meant to post this earlier as the long term landlady confirmed to me last year that the pub wasn’t for sale at all & I’m pleased to say is still the best pub in St. Ives. Great choice of changing beers & ciders, some from the barrel, & v. friendly staff. Dog friendly as ever & if they’re good, might well get a biscuit.
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This is a cracking pub. Always use it when we're in St. Ives. Haven't been for down for a couple of years but went for New Year and it hasn't changed. Good range of ales that are very well kept. It's always a pleasant place to pass the time.
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Best pub in St Ives. Mostly a drinking pub, 6 real ales plus some straight from the barrel. Well kept and mostly local.
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Been coming down St. Ives for a few years now and always walked past this pub. Having decided to pop in for a pint we will not walk past again in a hurry. They had a good selection of ales, a few of which had to be sampled. Next year we will try the food. The pub it self seems unspoilt with beermats scattered about on the beams etc (if memory serves). The staff we encounted were also very friendly. Some of the ales were served straight from casks behind the bar. It is my view that this is the best pub in St. Ives so far.
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Friendly relaxed pub, cheery landlord, with some decent Cornish ales on. Low ceilinged, with lots of wood paneling (and radiators and such painted brown!) with the odd nautical touch, like fresnel lensed navigation lights, without making it feel themey. I'd make this my "local", next time I'm in town.
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Information for cmofish. The pub was sold, but then the couple who were buying it pulled out when the lady became pregnant and they thought that the pub's accomodation wasn't suitable for a family. No further news I'm afraid!
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any news on the sale of this pub?
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great local pub, quick turn over of good beers, very friendly and a good quiz on a monday night. Good real ale pub and has many local real ciders too, cant wait until i can visit again next year
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hi yes its me and vince again just got back from three days in st.ives and we had a good time, the weather was ok, chris and heather went shopping nice, i do not have tell you where me and vice are going, first port of call the castle for a real pint of ale london pride was good so was abbots, and bombadier, directors, there are so many on tap take your pick and enjoy, thank you malcome behine the bar for making us welcome, did not go to the slopp the bar girl last time did not know how to pull a pint of real ale we will not be going back there, theres only one pub in st ives that has everything going for it good ale, charm, atmosphere, and the felling of being in a place of pure enjoyment, we will be back soon, so enjoy your pint in the castle , dave, and vince.
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Visit St Ives every year and have to confess to generally frequentling The Sloop which is all rather touristy and average. Dropped in here a couple of days ago and have to agree with the other comments posted. A real pub with friendly service and the best real ale quality and variety I have had in St Ives.
No more Sloop for me in future.
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GOING TO ST IVES AS I DO WITH THE WIFE AND 2 GOOD FRIENDS VINCE AND HEATHER ABOUT 3 TIMES A YEAR THERE IS ONLY ONE PUB IN ST IVES THAT GIVES YOU THE FEELING OF BEING IN A TRADITIONAL CORNISH PUB THAT SALES REAL ALE THIS PUB HAS GOOD ATMOSPHERE GOOD BEER AND GOOD SERVICE , WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ST IVES IS THAT ME DAVE,AND MY DRINKING MATE VINCE CAN GO TO THE CASTLE AND THE GIRLS CAN GO OF SHOPPING AS GIRLS DO SO THAT ME AND VINCE CAN SAMPLE A WIDE RANGE OF ALES KNOWING THAT THE GIRLS ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME SHOPPING AND WE ARE HAPPY SAMPLING ALL THE ALES ON OFFER, WE DO VISIT THE CASTLE PUB IN FORE STREET REPEATEDLY , WE HAVE ALSO GONE TO THE SLOOP INN JUST TO SAY THAT WE BEEN IN THERE BUT WE ALWAYS FINE ARE WAY BACK TO THE CASTLE JUST FOR A FEW MORE PINTS, SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO ST IVES DO NOT WALK PASS THE CASTLE PUB GO IN THIS IS THE BEST REAL ALE PUB IN ST IVES ENJOY THE DRINKING. FROM DAVE AND VINCE.
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Definitely benefits from being off The Wharf (the main drag along the harbour) - more of a traditional pub, with a good atmosphere, good beer, and good service.
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Unlike the seafront "pubs", this one seems to cater for people who are legally old enough to drink. Pleasant atmosphere, knowledgeable staff, and a wider range of ale than the usual offering in these parts of Tribute or Doombar. Never had a bad pint in here.
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Attractive high street pub with some great stained glass windows along the front. A traditional interior with a beamed ceiling and what appeared on first impressions to be a flagstone floor, although may well have been more modern tiling. The walls were largely wood panelled and there was a plasma in the front bar, although fortunately this was on silent showing the football results on our visit. The barmaid was friendly and offered a sample of the farm cider (7.1%!) without being asked.
Beers on tap were Adnams Broadside and Bitter, Directors, Bombadier and London Pride. Beers from barrels racked up behind the bar were Broadside (again) and Heligan Honey. There was also keg Dark Mild from Courage. Ciders were Strongbow and Cornish Orchard Farm Cider (also straight from the barrel).
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It's a bit dull and dreary inside to be honest. But it is a proper pub with a good range of beers. Landlord and lady friendly and efficient. Had beer and cider straight from the cask when I was there which is a bit special.
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Very friendly Pub with lots of good ales at fair prices. Skinners present once again but beers from across the country available. Food was good if a little bit expensive, but from what I saw, better value than most in St Ives.
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Good pub. Beers and cider good quality. Friendly bar staff and locals. I would definitely return
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Great service, lovely atitude from the staff. The ales here very and a good for it. Lovely atmosphere with an amazing pub design, good prices also. Would reccoment.
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Easily our favourite St Ives pub. We have been using it for a numbner of years and nothing ever really changes except the beers - on a daily basis! Many of the staff have also been there for ages,and always remember us and make us very welcome. Along with The White Horse, my local in Brum,this is my joint favourite pub in the entire world.
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Fairly bustling pub on one of the main streets in town. Nice pub feel to it and the Heligan's Honey was probably the best pint I'd drank in the town.
anonymous - 7 Nov 2009 23:14 |
i must have visited on an off day, although the board outside listed various ales most were not acually available,
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Best real ale pub in St Ives. Six well kept beers with a real cider. Good atmosphere and good food. A must when down for a visit.
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We recently spent a week in St. Ives. The Castle has by far the best selection of real ales, all of which were in fantastic condition. I cannot remember the names, but some were from Cornwall. I think my father and I tried six different ones, perhaps seven, possibly eight..... forget the famous "Sloop" if it's interesting ales that you want!
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Our favourite pub in St Ives during our recent stay. All very traditional with its low ceiling and stone floor and the sort of cosiness that�s just the right side of being tatty.
The ale range seemed to change almost daily, but usually three on hand-pull and three on gravity dispense. All the beers were in good condition, as you�d expect with such rapid turnover, but I found the hand pulled beers a little cold for my taste. Those on gravity were spot on. There was some initial confusion with pump clips for the gravity beers, but when I queried this with a barman he told me it was just to raise customer awareness as they were often overlooked being on the back wall!
Staff were uniformly friendly and efficient, quite surprising in such a popular tourist resort.
Food is available, largely comprised of pub fare staples, but as we didn�t eat at here we can�t comment on quality.
Always a good atmosphere when we called, a mixture of visitors and locals, including one or two ageing bohemians.
Family friendly, but children under twelve are not admitted after 7.30.
On the basis of our visits I feel the Castle is worthy of a Good Beer Guide entry, echoing the comment below. I�m mystified as to how the Golden Lion is deemed worthy of inclusion but The Castle isn�t.
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Enjoyed 4 well kept ales in this popular pub that caters well for real ale drinkers. They didn't have the Skinners Ice Blonde on which is a shame as it is the only place we know that sells it from the special pump that keeps it cold.
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Excellent choice of beers changed on a regular basis and a decent pub generally (although I preferred the pub when it was divided into a front public bar and a rear lounge bar....about 20 years ago). The beer festival is very good with the choice of beers quite staggering.
The maritime affectations are presumably when the pub was opened out into a single bar. Previously it made do with pictures and photographs of ships and of locals playing cards.
I much prefer the Castle to the Union just up the road, which was also a traditional locals pub out of season, with a lounge and public bar. Unfortunately the Union has retained little of the character it had and tends more towards food than beer, which is the opposite of the Castle which is more of a beer pub than a foodie one.
The only downside is for smokers as there is nowhere to go with a pint. You can go outside but beerless.
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Fantastic selection of beer regularly changed. After the Golden Lion, this has to be the 2nd best pub in St Ives. Forget those on the harbour front - head to these two!
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Visited this place Saturday teatime and. Enjoyed the quiet atmosphere and unobtrusive locals as we sat and relaxed after a pleasant walk around town. Very reasonable and the Heligan Honey out of the barrel was top notch.3 Gravities and 3 on pump well kept makes me wonder why it isn't in the GBG?? Returned after an evening meal at our Hotel to find a 50th Birthday & standing room only. Seems popular & would recommend a visit to anyone.
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In such a touristy harbour town as St Ives, the Castle seems to have a wide appealing approach that fortunately doesn�t too far towards the coach party brigade. The exterior is quite bright and alluring and the spacious, open interior has all the trademark old world low ceilings, flagstoned floors, old paneling and basic furnishings that you would expect. The maritime theme is fairly underplayed with just the occasional lifebelt and foghorn among the various nick nacks, certainly nothing too pretentious or obviously overbearing. The coloured paneled glass makes for a spectular frontage and bathes the interior in a kind of green hue.There is an unobtrusive darts area to the left of the bar 3 Ales (Betty Stoggs, Abbott, Bombardier) and a Real Cider (Cornish Orchard) served direct from the cask (despite the approrpaite hand pumps located on the bar). A hefty collection of beer mats are congregated behind the bar and across the ceiling beams. Like many pubs in Cornish towns, they display a list of banned patrons so the local trawler brawlers appear to be kept at bay. Well worth seeking out.
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My favourite St Ives pub. Turned up this year on the first day of a 2 week long beer festival. Beer always well kept, and there is always a good selection on offer. When I drive down to St Ives (390 miles from home) the first thing I do when I get there is to have a pint or three at the Castle. It's what my holiday is all about!
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My favourite pub in St Ives - manages to avoid being an overpriced tourist trap or a 'locals-only' venue. Probably the best beer range in town as well.
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FOOD POOR, BOOZE EXCELLENT - NICE PUB.
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Always call here to check out the real ale on offer, but agree that the board does not always reflect what is available. No problem with the beer though.
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i didn't like this place,it might have been me but i just din't like the vibe in there,and of the several ales on the board outside there were only actually about two
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Traditional Cornish pub I selected for our group from the GBG. According to the blackboard outside six ales and one real cider were available. G/K Abbott, Adnams Regatta, Sharps Own, Wadworths Bishops Tipple, Skinners Heligan Honey and Flowers Original. The Real Cider was Cornish Orchards Farm Cider which my mate seemed to enjoy. I did not think all six were available when inside as one or two may have finished on a busy lunch time. All the beer we tasted was good but we were not at all impressed with the food prices. In the end all we opted for was a basket of chips for our table. When it arrived it only seemed about enough for a few chips each amongst the four of us for just under �3.00. We decided to go for a Cornish Pasty from a bakery up the road.
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I had a very respectable Skinners blonde here (ooer) and supped 2 pints of this before the place seemed to fill with those annoying tiny flies that float above peoples glasses on demand (bastards)...but (armed with a can of RAID) I survived ...Good boozer..
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Nice pub good beer
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not very impressed by staff and smelt old to many young people to the back of the pub making noise.
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We stayed in St Ives recently and we spent a lot of time here, the staff are very friendly, as are the locals. The beer was kept well, the whole place was spotless. Try to bag the table ny the window and just watch the world go by. Bliss!
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one of many great pubs in st ives
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Attractive pub inside with an interesting variety of beer, some in barrels behind the bar, all in good order. Friendly service throughout our 3 visits. Along with the Sloop & the Lifeboat, one of three excellent St Ives pubs that we found.
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Supposedly haunted this place. Had a nice pint of Sharp's Atlantic IPA here as part of the Penzance - St . Ives Rail Ale Trail. 7/10
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Fantastic pub, very friendly staff. Beer kept really well. Gotta drink the Skinners! Also they used to have bottled Belgium beers on sale(Judas and Grimbergen).
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Charming St Ives Pub not far from the front and arguably the best selection of Real ales and Cider in St Ives inclusing Skinners and several guest beers.
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Small friendly pub with a good selection of real ales and ciders (which are changed daily) along with all the usual draft beer. Has a regular beer festival each easter with guest beers from all over the uk. Some old favourites plus some more unusual brews. Good fun to try! They also have a Fun quiz night every monday throughout the winter to help cheer up those dull winter evenings!
Valerie Aspinall - 26 Feb 2005 15:26 |
