Godolphin Arms, Marazion

Upmarket bar / restaurant / hotel in the most prime position overlooking St Michael's Mount. Fantastic views from the main bar windows (several of which are fully opening onto the glass-fronted balcony. There is also another room below, with a substantial split-level terraced beer garden with a similar vista. All furnished in a very light modern style which seems to work rather well (unless, perhaps, you are an unreformed traditionalist...). Three real ales on handpump: the wholly expected Doom Bar and Tribute, plus the welcome Padstow Windjammer (£4.50). Also had a couple of new-fangled keg taps for Sharp's Wolf Rock and Pilsner plus several other draught beers and ciders.

A massive detached pub and eatery, overlooking the sea and St Michael's Mount, with rear terrace area. The frontage is in Georgian style and now looks slightly tired. It is in cream and has a nice porch with finials as its best feature, along with the usual sash windows, with stone surround, a few ashlar blocks and string courses. The interior has lots of separate areas, all of which are foody really, excepting the few sofas in front of the serving bar. A few steps to the side and you are in the gig bar - where people also seemed to be eating. The decor seemed to be generally red and cream, with a lot of bistro style art on the walls (some landscapes). It is aimed at a mixed clientele and it suceeded. There wasnt a tv that i saw, and the music was general. We didn't eat and the service was OK. Beer; usual tap stuff with St Austell HSD, Proper Job and a decent Skinner's Hunny Bunny. The beer is ok here, slightly amazingly, as it is a foody tourist trap with little soul.

We learned there was a beer festival here from Penzance Tourist Information, and caught a bus that stops across the road from it. No 2 runs past between Penzance and Helston, and we were on 302 that is running to Praa Sands for the summer season. Large hotel on the front overlooking St Michael's Mpount, so stunning views, but we did not go to the main bar. Chap from reception took us to a room down a few stairs where an impressive stillage was set up for the 30 ales on offer. Each table had a beer menu complete with photo of the pumpclip and description. Very well done. Prices were all set as £3.50 a pint. Chap serving was friendly and knowledgable about the beers. We enjoyed beers from Glastonbury, St Austell and Penzance breweries. Food menu looked good, but as so often happens round here we had time constraints due to our plans for the day and bus timetables. Well worth a visit.

The Godolphin has the major advantage of sitting in one of the counties most scenic spots with stunning views across the causeway to St Michaels Mount and Mounts Bay. The huge hotel dominates the foreshaw and consists of various bars, lounges and dining sections all geared up to cope with the huge crowds that arrive in the tourist season. The main entrance is through a reception area that leads to the large main bar and dining room. This section is rather dull and formulaic with little character although the local revolving artwork may be of interest to some. But there are several window seats where you can admire the sensational views. There are 2 separate drink and food bars – on the drink side there were 2 Ales (Doom Bar & Tribute) with 2 further pumps unused. I would expect there to be more available in peak periods. For such a tourist hot spot, prices were very reasonable. There are daily food specials (Thursday Curry, Friday Fish and Saturday Steak) but as my budget only stretches to the pastie shop down the road, I didn't eat here. Service was friendlyand efficient but I can imagine that in the heat of summer they would need to manage the place like a military operation. Down stairs to the left of the main bar leads to a lower level with a large modern lounge and a more pubby Gig bar with pool table and large plasma screen primarily for sport. There is also a disappointly limited amount of outside seating given the views to be had. After a few hours enduring the cobbles of the mount and the casle, this is a decent enough place to unwind and as long as you keep looking out to sea, what the pub is like won't matter.