It is partly that the extraordinary blast of ochre rising from the greens and browns of the rugged Cornish landscape has been calling from afar for years – and this despite the fact that owner and bon viveur Charles Inkin tells us that the shade wasn't quite the colour he had originally wanted. The artists of St Ives, however, with whom he has long been closely entwined, were adamant. The artists were right.
We finally arrive by bus on an August day on this coastline that feels as though it has been lifted wholesale from the pages of a Famous Five book. The skies are blue, the coves are glistening, the Atlantic is glittering somewhere beyond the fields. Spoiler: despite years of building anticipation, The Gurnard's Head doesn't disappoint.
The Vibe
Housed in an old coaching inn, The Gurnard's Head has been run by brothers Charles and Edmund Inkin since 2006, the pair behind the much-loved The Felin Fach Griffin in Wales and The Old Coastguard in Mousehole, and there is a similar philosophy running through all three: good food, good wine and the radical proposition that everyone should relax and enjoy themselves – an art that, some might argue, we’re losing. Not, happily, the Inkin brothers, who prove that the long lunch is alive and blessedly well.
On the day we visit, the place is abuzz with both regulars and destination diners. There are those, like us, who have obsessed over finally getting here; walkers who have wandered in from the surrounding countryside; locals; families; and people who appear simply to have followed their noses.
Inside, it is rustic in precisely the way a Cornish pub should be. There are wooden floors, hefty terracotta-painted stone walls, wildflowers on tables, good pictures on the walls (we are just a bus ride from St Ives, after all), and there is the happy sense that nothing has been overly fiddled with. Through the windows, meanwhile, the landscape rolls away magnificently towards the sea. And – points scored here – The Gurnard's Head is not a restaurant masquerading as a pub building. There is a separate bar, so you can stop in for a pint too, which matters more and more as country pubs continue to disappear alarmingly fast. Happily, there is no danger of that here.
We are shown to a cocooning corner table with a cinematic view across the rolling countryside and settle in for the afternoon, which will, we can already tell, be given over wholly and willingly to the warm embrace of The Gurnard’s Head.
The Welcome
Service is busy but unfailingly friendly, and we begin with a light, refreshing Paloma and a cider brandy sour that somehow seems to taste of the sea we're looking at. Our ten-year-old orders elderflower, which is sweet, sharp and considerably more sophisticated than the de rigueur apple juice. It is the first indication that children are taken seriously here.
Even cleverer is the teen menu. It bridges that awkward culinary hinterland between the ubiquitous bowl of children's tomato pasta and an adult menu that may prove a step too far. Our daughter feels suitably grown-up and whoever came up with it deserves a medal.
When Charlie appears, full of bonhomie, he chats as though he has all the time in the world. Stories tumble forth, from the nascent days at The Felin Fach Griffin to a particularly mad weekend that somehow culminated in his ending up on David Bowie's tour bus in Paris. He is a natural raconteur, which, we’d argue, also makes him a natural restaurateur – and, most importantly, a quick-to-laugh man who clearly loves to get stuck into a good bottle and a meaty back-and-forth with his clientele. The fact that he recently threw a private launch party here for Claire Thomson – his very first chef at The Gurnard’s Head, and now of 5 O’Clock Apron fame – and her latest cookbook is testament to the easy conviviality and friendship that runs through the bones of this place. Charles wants everyone to have a good time – and duly they do.
The Food
The cooking at The Gurnard's Head is confident without straying into tricksy territory. The menu is short, seasonal and rooted in what is available locally, but its influences wander happily beyond Cornwall. Our daughter chooses monkfish scampi from the teen menu and solemnly pronounces it the best fish and chips she has ever eaten.
My husband's moules arrive in a Thai bisque: aromatic, intensely savoury and extraordinarily good. But it is my octopus stew that delivers the first truly show-stopping moment. Tender octopus comes in a rich, lightly spiced tomato sauce, full of deep, concentrated flavour. It is exactly what one wants to devour while looking at the sea. Our daughter tries some and is instantly converted to octopus, proving that a good lunch can be educational too.
Simplicity in cooking is often mistaken for ease. In fact, it requires considerable confidence and my main course is a masterclass in this, demonstrating the genius of this place better than anything else we eat. A whole sea bass comes without pyrotechnics and minus any architectural arrangement of ingredients around the plate. It is a much more beautiful thing that that – a simply cooked fish, buttery and yielding and completely delicious. When the raw ingredients are this good, the clever thing is knowing when to leave them alone.
Across the table, the mood is altogether more robust: ribeye beef with beans and blue cheese. Big, savoury flavours that are generously deployed and deeply satisfying, and all of it is washed down with a very good bottle of Vinho Verde. Grassy and fresh, it’s exactly what this hot Cornish afternoon calls for.
The Pudding
A caramelised banana split delights the smallest bon vivant in our party beyond measure. I choose the tapioca, partly through intrigue, and am very glad I do. Our daughter peers across at it and announces that it is essentially bubble tea. The heathen. (She has a point, but it’s so much better than that.) A couple of espresso martinis somehow slip down remarkably easily before we finally accept that even the longest lunch must, alas, eventually draw to an end.
The Verdict
The Gurnard's Head has pedigree. The aforementioned first chef under the Inkins was Claire Thomson, now known to many as the brilliant cook and writer behind 5 O'Clock Apron, and ever since those nascent days, this beautiful old coaching inn has become a crucible for good things. But pedigree isn't really why we fall for it.
It is because The Gurnard's Head understands something that many grander restaurants don't: that eating well is about more than what arrives on the plate. It is the yellow building appearing improbably against the moor. The proper pub at the front. The walkers wandering in. A child being treated as though her lunch matters just as much as everybody else's. A perfectly cooked fish. Cold wine on a hot afternoon. A proprietor who stops at your table and leaves half an hour later because another story has occurred to him. It is the sense that nobody is trying to turn the tables.
We had wanted to come here forever. The danger of waiting that long is that reality rarely survives the weight of expectation. If anything, that yellow beacon will call rather louder next time.
FAQs
Where is The Gurnard's Head?
The Gurnard's Head is near Zennor in West Penwith, Cornwall, between St Ives and St Just. It sits amid spectacular countryside close to the South West Coast Path and the Atlantic coast.
Is The Gurnard's Head a pub or a restaurant?
Both – and genuinely so. It is known for its excellent seasonal cooking, but retains a proper pub and bar rather than feeling like a restaurant masquerading as one.
Is The Gurnard's Head good for children?
Yes. Families are made to feel extremely welcome, and the particularly clever teen menu offers a bridge between conventional children's food and the full adult menu.
Can you get to The Gurnard's Head without a car?
Yes. We arrived by bus from St Ives, making it entirely possible to visit without driving – particularly useful if you intend to make the most of the excellent drinks list.
Can you stay at The Gurnard's Head?
Yes. The former coaching inn has a small collection of bedrooms, making it a particularly appealing base for exploring West Penwith and the surrounding coast.
What kind of food does The Gurnard's Head serve?
Expect short, seasonal menus built around excellent local produce, particularly Cornish fish and meat, with wider influences woven through the cooking. The approach is confident rather than fussy: very good ingredients, treated intelligently.
Is The Gurnard's Head worth visiting?
Emphatically. Come for lunch after a coastal walk, make it a destination in its own right or stay the night. Just don't plan to rush off afterwards.
