Lifeboat Inn, St Ives

Booked a two night break thurs-Saturday, stayed in room 5 , no view as on the side of the building but that was fine as your only a few steps from the sea wall as soon as you step out and probably slightly quieter in peak season . Bed very comfy , lovely size room and bathroom , very clean and tidy , only reason I haven’t given a 5 star the water pressure in the bathroom was low so shower a little disappointing and the front door to accommodation seemed to be unlocked all night although we all had main door key and room key . I found that a little unsettling but then maybe St Ives isn’t like my home town 🤣 . Breakfast was lovely with enough options to please all , we also ate in the bar in the evening and the meals we had were lovely . Staff were all friendly and professional. All in all would happily recommend and will more than likely return to The Lifeboat Inn .

Nice, friendly staff and most of the food was enjoyable, but for Christmas Day and at £95 per person it did not quite live up to expectations. The bread sharing board was disappointing. It was just a couple of stale, dry slices that felt like cheap supermarket bread. Some decent fresh bread and a bit of butter would have made a big difference and would be an easy improvement. We ordered drinks at the bar but were not offered any during the meal, including water, and empty water and wine glasses were left on the table throughout. The service was friendly but a little inattentive. I really enjoyed the starter and the main was tasty, but the portion of fish was very small. It is Christmas and I expected to leave feeling full. Some extra sides would have helped, or perhaps the roast would have been a better choice. The pudding was the highlight of the meal. Overall, a few small changes could have made this feel much better value for money. £190 for two before drinks is a lot, and it just missed that special occasion feeling. The biggest issue for the atmosphere was the TVs all showing BBC News on Christmas Day. Something festive like a fireplace or music would have made it much more enjoyable. On the plus side, we were grateful to be able to bring our dog, although a bowl of water or a small dog friendly touch would have been lovely, though perhaps too much to ask! We do genuinely appreciate the staff working on Christmas Day. This place could be really good, it just needs more attention to the details.

Excellent attentive service from the staff who couldn’t be more accommodating and the food was outstanding for every meal in our party of seven. We’ve been visiting The Lifeboat for decades and it’s been great to see it evolve over the years. We have to say it’s done very well in constantly improving, especially its food offering. We have to mention the staff (Ella & Sam) who were working the week we visited a number of times - they were so friendly with us all and accommodating with our dogs too. Providing water bowls and treats. The kids aren’t left out either with colouring sets brought to the table also. We can’t fault them and look forward to retuning again in the future.