Travel / 3 years ago

A Guide to St Ives, Cornwall

As the Tate St Ives reopens, we help you plan your next visit

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more

Using the reopening of the Tate St Ives as an excuse to plan your next visit to Cornwall? Us too. Here, we outline what to expect at the reopened gallery, plus highlight some of the best places to eat, stay and visit during your West Cornwall trip.

Picture courtesy of: Matthew Jessop and Visit Cornwall

Tate St Ives is back again

While we’ll have to wait until autumn this year to see the new Tate building in St Ives, the gallery reopens on Friday 31 March after a long closure with The Studio and The Sea, a season of two exhibitions about the ceramics studio, the ocean and the landscape.

That Continuous Thing: Artists and the Ceramics Studio, 1920 – Today

Spanning 100 years, this exhibition explores the rise of studio pottery in the 1910s up to the present day and details how a new generation of UK-based artists are looking again at ideas of art and craft. With around 80 works by more than 50 artists, see important works from Europe, Japan and North America.

Jessica Warboys

British artist Jessica Warboys (1974) works across a range of media, including sculpture, painting, film, stained glass, performance and the large-format canvases she titles Sea Paintings 2009 – ongoing. This is her first solo show in a national gallery in the UK, featuring two specially commissioned works, highlighting her interest in personal and collective memories related to art history, mythology and landscape. Sea Painting 2015 was made on the Zennor coast, near St Ives.

The Studio and The Sea 31 March – 3 September 2017, Tate St Ives, Open daily 10.00 – 17.20
For public information call +44 (0)1736 796226, visit tate.org.uk/stives

Jessica Warboys Sea Painting, Dunwich 2015, Mineral pigment on canvas 320cm x 500 cm (x 3 parts), courtesy the artist and Gaudel de Stampa, Paris.

Where to Stay in St Ives

Carbis Bay Hotel

Ask for a sea view (naturally) and enjoy a glass of champagne (or two) on your private balcony. With comfortable rooms and bright, jaunty décor, there’s nothing drab about this seaside hotel.

Boskerris Hotel

This cute little bolthole has 15 beautiful rooms all with clean, Mediterranean styling. The views are as beautiful as the interiors. An Instagrammer’s dream.

Una St Ives

For a rustic Cornish family holiday check into one of these quite holiday homes, book a couple of treatments in the spa, plan picnics and plenty and just generally enjoy the great outdoors.

Find more Cornish hotels in our Great British Hotels Guide.

Picture courtesy of: Matthew Jessop and Visit Cornwall

Where to Eat in St Ives

Wherever you go… Order the crab.

The Black Rock

With daily specials and the freshest local produce, this (relatively) hidden Cornish gem is a must-visit during your stay. Early diners can make the most of their reasonably priced set menu, so why not eat early then enjoy a sun-downer on your balcony?

Alba

With Grant Nethercott at the helm, this classic British menu has just a touch of French flair. For a casual bite try the A Bar downstairs.

St Ives Seafood Café

Does what it says on the tin. Super fresh fish, no frills. It’s all about the very best of the local ingredients.

More places to eat in West Cornwall

Places to visit in St Ives

Aside from checking out the reopened Tate St Ives, the following attractions have the local seal of approval…