The Mounts Bay Inn, Helston

Large family holiday pub - that has been subject to modernisation. Quite smart inside, but soulless. Large open plan room leads on to a lot of dining tables. Sunday Carvery seems to be heavily promoted but catching it at the end of season, that wasnt running. Locals - few that there are - were friendly, as was the barman. Proper Job and Tribute (I think) on, but when the barman asked the one bar propping old boy if anyone had had a PJ today, I quickly changed my order to a safer Keg Korev. May have been the time of year, but I cannot see how this has the punters to support the size. Sadly, I would be surprised if it survives.

This is a detached pub and restaurant, which also does accommodation and has a front patio and rear beer garden. The building is in cream with a bit of black paintwork. It looks Victorian, with its finialed dormer windows on a hipped roof, decorative coping and dominating lancet window. The interior has an opne plan room with two different areas; a restaurant and a bar. You enter the restaurant, which like the bar is green and white, but has a red carpet. Bistro syled art decorates the walls and foody tables and chairs populate the room. The bar is further on and has a wood floor. It has a pool table, but this was moved out of the way as a band set-up to play. There are sofas here. There was no TV that i saw and there was no music playing. The service was fine and there was a good mixed clientele. Beer; usual tap stuff with the following on handpull; Doombar, Bray's Dedvon Dumpling, Penzance Brison's Bitter, Tintagel's Cornwall's Pride (very good). Whilst it felt a bit sterile to a traditionalist, i was both surprised at the number of real ales on and their quality - definitely a place to visit when in the area.