Eric's Cornwall

Visited: 19/06/2026

Accessibility: The picture here is mixed. The Fort Inn has no dedicated long‑stay parking, and the immediate area is lined with double yellow lines. There are a few one‑hour bays outside, but traffic wardens closely watch them. For anything more than a quick stop, you’ll need to use a nearby pay‑and‑display car park and walk back.

The main entrance sits across a small paved area, and once inside, you follow a long corridor before reaching the bar. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor; all other toilets are upstairs. The layout and distance from the road may be challenging for some visitors.

The setting is the Fort Inn’s biggest strength. Positioned close to the cliff edge, it offers brilliant views over some of Newquay’s beaches – the kind that make you stop and stare. On a sunny day, the outside area must be absolutely buzzing, and it’s easy to see why holidaymakers gravitate here.

Inside, it has that familiar St Austell Brewery feel, similar to the Rashleigh in Charlestown or the Cornwall Arms in Truro – clean, reliable, and clearly geared towards food. It leans more towards corporate restaurant than cosy pub feel, with a few quirky touches that hint at the building’s age, but overall it’s fairly neutral.

The menu is standard brewery fare, burgers, pizzas, chips, pies, fish and chips, and lasagne with some vegan options too. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing that stands out either. It’s not somewhere we’d choose for a special meal, but it works perfectly well if you’re after straightforward, familiar pub food.

Staff were friendly enough, and the place was clean. Given the size of the venue and its popularity in peak season, it’s hard to imagine how intense it must get in mid‑summer and whether the team could realistically keep up, but on our visit, everything ran smoothly despite a queue and wait to be served.

Overall: The Fort Inn isn’t a pub we’d rush to for a cosy evening or a memorable meal. But if you’re visiting Newquay and want reliable, standard food with an absolutely cracking view, it’s a solid choice. The scenery does most of the heavy lifting, and for many people, that will be exactly what they’re after.

Visited: 08/05/2025

Accessibility: The front bar is on a level surface, and the pub is easily accessed through the front door. We managed to park immediately outside, so can’t yet comment on access from the large rear car park – that will need a follow‑up visit for a fuller review. Inside, access to the main bar is straightforward, with no awkward steps to navigate.

The Ship leans into its maritime name with nautical touches around the bar — and in Eric’s case, the highlight is that the bar itself is a boat. It’s a quirky feature, but it works, and it gives the place a distinctive charm.

This pub is always busy, with a great atmosphere. It appears to be a very popular place to eat, and the layout feels geared more towards dining than drinking, though it still functions perfectly well as a bar. The building itself is historic and fabulous, and despite the boat‑bar and the strong restaurant feel, it retains an old‑world pub character. If you like tradition, The Ship is a solid choice.

Overall: A lively, characterful pub with good access from the front, a memorable boat‑bar, and a strong reputation for food. We’ll return to check out the rear car park and complete the accessibility picture — but based on this visit, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular.

Visited: 01/05/2026

Accessibility: Access from the rear car park is level, but the doors are extremely heavy — the kind you really have to lean your weight into. Once inside, it’s a large open space, and if you have mobility issues the sheer scale of it makes everything feel further away than it should.

We’d seen plenty of positive comments about The Lanherne being a friendly, family‑run pub, so we went in expecting something warm or characterful. Instead, we found it surprisingly soulless. The building is big and open, but the atmosphere just doesn’t match the size — the few people who were there felt lost in the space, swallowed up by it rather than filling it.

The rear beer garden was a pleasant enough area to sit in, but it lacked any features of note. It was clean, tidy, and functional… but also sterile, with nothing to give it personality or charm. Inside, the same feeling carried through: a space doing everything “right” on paper, but without anything that made it feel alive.

The staff were perfectly pleasant, and the pub was clearly set up to be family‑friendly, but for us it simply didn’t have the warmth or atmosphere we look for. Sometimes a place just doesn’t click, and this was one of those times.

Overall: Despite its good reputation, The Lanherne didn’t work for us. Heavy doors, a vast and empty‑feeling interior, and a sterile beer garden all added up to a visit that felt flat. Not somewhere we’d rush back to.

Visited: 05/06/2026

Accessibility: We made a bit of a mess of the access and came in from completely the wrong direction — there are definitely better ways of doing it. It’s a big pub, and if you end up at the far end, the toilets are a long walk away. From the car park, the most direct route involves several steep steps with only one handrail, followed by more steps with no handrail at all. There is a step‑free way in via a side entrance, but you can’t park there, so you’d need to drop off and then go back to park. If you arrive on foot with mobility issues, the distance to the toilets is daunting.

We’ve driven past the sign for The Tavern countless times and always assumed it was just a modern pub tucked inside a dense housing estate. After a bit of research, though, we realised it’s actually a very old building with plenty of character, and once inside, that really shows with low ceilings, nooks and crannies, and a layout that feels genuinely historic. The furniture leans more towards lounge‑bar than traditional pub, but it suits the space well enough.

The staff were lovely, and what surprised us most was just how busy the place was. It’s clearly popular with locals and families. Unfortunately, we ended up next to a table where the adults were deep in conversation and the children were running wild, at one point, a child lay across the floor and completely blocked Eric’s path. Not the pub’s fault, but it did affect the experience. It’s something we’ll judge again on another visit.

Overall: A charming old building with friendly staff and a lively atmosphere, but the access is far from straightforward and the walk to the toilets is long if mobility is an issue. We’d like to return and try a more sensible entrance route next time, and hopefully avoid the pockets of unruly children.

Visited: 22/06/2025

Accessibility: Hard to say. We weren’t able to go inside. The step down into the pub is too steep for anyone with mobility issues, so we couldn’t assess the interior or the toilets.

We were able to park just outside the pub though – so not far to walk.

Main text: The Top House Inn sits right in the centre of The Lizard and is clearly a major stopping point for visitors and walkers passing through the village. Although we couldn’t get inside because of the steep step, we did enjoy a sunny drink at the picnic tables out front, with a lovely view across the village. The staff were friendly, and on a good‑weather day it’s a pleasant place to pause and take in the surroundings. From the outside it has the look of a traditional Cornish inn and seems to be a busy spot for people exploring the area.

Overall: A great location and a lovely outdoor stop when the weather’s on your side. But with the steep step at the entrance, it’s not accessible enough for us to visit properly. If we were passing on a fine day, we’d happily sit outside again; otherwise, we’d look for somewhere easier to get into.

Visited: 12 October 2020 and many times since.

Accessibility: Parking directly outside with good space and easy, level access into the pub.

We’ve been to the Norway Inn many times over the years, and it’s one of those places that just quietly earns its place on the favourites list. Parking is right outside with plenty of room, and access into the building is straightforward — no awkward steps or tight corners.

Inside, it has a great low ceiling, which is an automatic “like” for Eric, despite him being almost dead on 2 metres tall. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable without trying too hard. We’ve also eaten here a few times, and whilst the food isn’t anything wildly special, we’ve never had a single complaint — it’s solid, dependable pub fare that does exactly what you want it to.

It’s also dog‑friendly, which isn’t a major factor for us but is worth noting. The pub sits right on the main road between Falmouth and Truro, making it a brilliant stop‑off when you’re travelling that way and want somewhere easy, familiar, and welcoming.

Overall: A long‑standing favourite with easy parking, good access, a cosy low‑ceilinged interior, and consistently decent food. Not flashy, but always reliable — and that’s why we keep going back.