Hands down when I’m looking for a restaurant on a Friday evening, Falmouth always comes high on my list.
Why?
Because of its mouthwatering list of incredible places to eat.
You can’t walk around a corner without finding a stunning restaurant, a small eatery, and everything in between.
Falmouth offers a wide variety of eating options for just about every kind of traveller, from their traditional local seafood fare to more exotic offerings.
Whether you’re a visitor looking for a taste of the area or a homesick tourist, there’s sure to be something to tickle your fancy here!
Of course, there’s a plentiful choice of local seafood, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get anything else — burgers, african, vegan, tapas, and even goat, make up some other meat dish options in along the streets.
So I’m sure you’re hungry, let’s get stuck into the best places to eat in Falmouth!
Verdant Seafood Bar
The Verdant Seafood Bar is an offshoot of the Verdant Brewing Company, who started their business in Falmouth before a move of their main brewery to Penryn in 2020.
It is one of my all-time favourite restaurants in Falmouth or Cornwall, but perhaps the world!
While you might expect this place to be all about beer, the real draw is the seafood tapas! Everyone who steps foot in here for a bite to eat falls in love instantly.
You can’t book a table, so you’ll just have to turn up and try your luck. Once you secure a table grab the small menu of treats.
There’s usually a tasty selection of scallops, lobster, crab, and monkfish, along with the daily special. Order up a few plates of whatever takes you fancy and dig in!
The menu at the bar is variable depending on what is locally available, so you’ll have to try your luck when you head in! Plus they do commit to offering vegetarian and vegan options whenever they can, so there’s space for those with dietary requirements to enjoy a meal as well.
Verdant Seafood Bar is also all about beer, with the seafood complementing their own brews as well as imported options and wine, spirits, and soft drinks.
However, if you’re expecting a traditional local beer from their offerings, you may be surprised — the brewery is inspired by the beer scene in the United States, particularly that of around New England!
And people are definitely enjoying their brews, even with their unique combination of English brewing and American taste — or perhaps because of it! If you’re unsure start with the Lightbulb for a classic.
And the food matches the beer in quality — with great reviews from a wide range of dates, it seems that the bar has been a hit for a long time!
The bar is right next to the Falmouth-St Mawes ferry terminal, which makes it perfect to relax after a day trip to see the nearby St Mawes Castle.
Indidog
Indidog places more of a focus on their food offerings than the Verdant Seafood Bar, although their meals still come with some great drink pairings!
Although they nod to traditional Cornish seafood fare in both their dinner and lunch menus, it’s definitely not the only option for the interested diner.
With a wide range of other bases for their dishes including pork, guinea fowl, lamb, and celeriac, there’s something to suit a range of tastes.
They are also very accommodating to various different dietary requirements, listing the relevant suitabilities with each dish.
With a range of gluten free and dairy free options they’re great for allergy-conscious diners, and they also offer vegetarian and vegan dishes if that’s more your thing.
Not only can you grab lunch or dinner at Indidog, they also serve breakfast – which means they can be a great way to kick off your day!
The restaurant looks out onto the harbour, providing a great view to accompany your meals (one that is recommended to new arrivals at Falmouth University).
On a sunny day, make sure to snag a table on the balcony area for sunny views!
And — as an extra bonus — Indidog stays true to the name! They’re dog-friendly, so your furry friends can come along too!
Like Verdant, Indidog is very close to the ferry terminus, and its position on the harbour affords it easy access to the views and environment you’d expect of such an area.
Pennycomequick
Pennycomequick offers another great selection of food in Falmouth, specialising in Cornish cuisine.
The name may seem a bit odd at first — what does Penny hurrying have to do with anything?
The name stems from the Old Celtish for “head of the creek”, and this is the ancient name for the town we call Falmouth today.
Pennycomequick has an ever-changing menu based on what they can source from local suppliers (including fisheries, farms, and other food sources).
As a result, you’ll have to check what they have when you head in, but their sample menus are intended to provide a reasonable indication.
Looking at these, you’ll find that they usually offer vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options on their menu, and they make an effort to be accessible to those with food allergies.
If you have stringent dietary requirements such as allergies, you’ll want to call ahead to make sure you can actually eat anything that they are serving on a particular day!
Pennycomequick is a pub, not just a restaurant, and they stay true to the category with a strong offering of drink options, including ales and their in-house cider.
The Mulberry
The Mulberry is another great choice for those looking to head to a restaurant in Falmouth.
Slightly different to the other options we’ve looked at so far, the Mulberry is a fine-dining restaurant that still utilises local cuisine and culinary ideas.
They focus on small plates and accompanying wines to serve to their customers, which means you may find it difficult to fill your stomach if you’re a big eater.
Unlike the other three options we’ve looked at so far they’re a great choice for fine dining with a local touch.
Or, if you have a slightly bigger budget, you can go for their tasting menu which offers larger portions at a higher cost.
Their wine list is extensive, with their sample menu listing no less than 31 options including white, red, rosé, and sparkling – which means it’s perfect for the wine aficionado!
You can make a reservation at the Mulberry, so it’s a good choice for larger groups and can cater for various dietary requirements given sufficient notice.
They also offer a dog-friendly area in the restaurant that you can book to bring your furry friend along.
Harbour View
Harbour View unsurprisingly capitalises on its location for some great scenery with your meal, along with an outdoor dining area for fine weather. You can even eat outdoors in the cold, as they provide fleece blankets — perfect for a cosy dinner for two!
The restaurant is family-friendly, so no need to worry about finding someone to keep an eye on the kids!
Furthermore, they serve meals for almost 12 hours, from 9am–9pm, with a few breaks in between. This makes them a great choice for a breakfast after your morning run, a lunch outing in the school holidays, or a dinner date.
In terms of their specific food offerings, Harbour View offers a variety of food.
Their breakfast menu ranges from Cornish breakfasts to American-style pancakes, while lunch has the classic seafood options Falmouth is known for, along with a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Dinner continues this trend, and both lunch and dinner menus come with a selection of desserts, some of which are also vegan and vegetarian!
Meat Counter
The Meat Counter is the first burger joint on the list, and it absolutely BANGS!
While you might expect the Meat Counter to deal in only one thing (and deal in it well), their name is deceptive!
Although they trade a lot in meat, they also have a considerable vegan and vegetarian range.
Don’t be tricked into thinking this is just another upmarket McDonald’s, though — with a five-year streak of holding Tripadvisor’s Certificate of Excellence, there’s a special something about this place.
Their ingredients are locally sourced, meaning that the food you’re eating is directly supporting local Cornish companies.
They also offer take away, meaning that this can be a great choice if you want to be eating on the go, or have something to get to quickly!
The interior of the restaurant is great too, with an arcade machine rounding out the decor.
Their burgers come in chicken, beef, and vegetarian/vegan options, and they also serve the classically related dishes such as hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks.
If you’re looking for something specifically for kids, they’ve got a menu for them too!
Cribbs Restaurant
Cribbs is my place to if you’re looking for a taste of something different… It brings the the Caribbean to Cornwall. Perfect for locals or almost-locals to try something new without stepping too far from home and for homesick visitors alike!
The restaurant is a feast for the eyes too with a colourful palette, with orange chairs and cyan walls creating a fun and inviting environment to try out something new.
It’s designed for those looking to take a playful step out of their comfort zone, without the rules and etiquette associated with — for example — fine dining restaurants.
Cribbs offers a wide range of food that differs from the typical Falmouth restaurant (as you’d expect!). Jerk chicken, duck rolls, and beef tacos make up some strong points of difference on their dinner menu. Big shout out for the Jerk Chicken from me FYI!
But if you’re a seafood lover like me, then you won’t miss out!
Cribbs puts a Caribbean spin on a variety of seafood options, including salmon, snapper, and scallops. Yum, yum, yum.
They also offer a vegan option for lunch, although there’s no meat-free main for dinner. As a result, the meat-averse are probably best served by looking somewhere else.
Amanzi
Amanzi similarly departs from traditional Cornish meals, instead focusing on the cuisine of South Africa!
This is another great option for those looking for something a bit different to round out an expedition.
A family-run restaurant, the owners of Amanzi spent most of their lives in South Africa before moving to Falmouth – and I absolutely love enjoying the authentic cooking.
Their menu includes a variety of dishes, from a South African breakfast including boerewors, to a serving of espetada for dinner.
The menu also has a fair selection of gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options on it, meaning it’s a great choice for those who need to switch around various foods.
One of my naughty treats is readily available at Amanzi as they sell their house-made biltong. A (delicious) dried meat popular in South Africa. For biltong fans, they can even customise their offering a little to better suit your tastes. Bespoke biltong, love it.
Boo Koos
Boo Koos is a restaurant bringing a taste of Texas to Falmouth!
If I’m in the mood for a real big feed, then this is a go-to option.
The owners travelled from America to England to start up their business, so once again you can be sure you’re getting a proper menu.
Serving “burgers, shakes, and Tex Mex”, the restaurant provides the full American experience, and you can also grab dishes if you’re vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free or gluten-free.
This makes Boo Koos one of the more wide ranging options to try out. It’s pretty laid back so a good choice for the whole family after a big day exploring Cornwall and its beaches.
They offer dine-in and takeaway, with a range of food including various burgers, fajitas, nacho options, and a small selection of dessert options as well.
In my experience, the menu does differ a touch from Boo Koos’ other branch in Helston, so you might find some different options if you’re used to going there instead.
Hub Box
Falmouth Hub Box is a member of the Hub Box chain, which has stores across the South West and is starting to take hold further into the UK.
Anywhere I see a Hub Box in town, I know there’s a banging burger waiting for me. It’s so popular that they have locations nearby in Truro and St Ives too.
They offer a HUGE burger menu with beef, chicken, fish, and veggie all cooked to perfection and layers with topping.
And and and, the chips are next level too. Even a bowl of simple skin-on fries is like biting into a crispy, yet salty, yet fluffy cloud. My mouth is watering thinking about it.
One nice touch is their range of gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options for their menu. And it’s not just ticking a box, I have it on good authority that it’s good grub – as mentioned in our Gluten-Free Guide to Truro. This means once again you’re sure to find something you can dig into, no matter what your dietary restrictions are.
Located right next to the National Maritime Museum and just by the harbour, it can make a great conclusion to a day exploring Falmouth‘s maritime history and environment. You can grab a burger or hot dog and look out over the harbour.
Restaurant Four
Restaurant Four rounds out our Falmouth restaurant picks with a return to the classic restaurant experience.
Although their menu changes regularly to align with what’s currently available locally, their à la carte offerings include various kinds of fish, dishes such as pork belly, and generally one or more vegan or vegetarian options.
On top of the general restaurant experience, Restaurant Four offers a variety of experiences and workshops for you to try out if you’re interested.
Whether you’re looking for cocktail tips or a Cornwall wine tasting, this can really help make your evening pop!
Introducing Eliot, the Editor here and Cornwall local with a wanderlust spirit and an insatiable appetite for adventure. With a passion for the great outdoors, he can often be found catching waves on his surfboard, scaling peaks on a hiking trail, or discovering hidden gems in his exploration of Cornwall.