Star Inn, Penzance

Star Inn site - starcrowlas.blogspot.co.uk

A super ale drinkers pub within an easy bus trip of Penzance - the bus stop is pretty much outside. Five good ales on during my visit including a mild and all of them weren't the usual Cornish suspects, which made for a nice change. Home to the Penzance Brewery and there were a couple of theirs on. Beers were well-kept and the barman was knowledgeable, if in a gruff way. It's a fair size inside with a decent atmosphere too in the evening. The interior décor has little to note beyond some old pump clips, I suspect that it's a knocked-through pub. Pool and darts available. Wished I had stayed for longer, would recommend to anyone staying in Penzance or St Ives.

Situated on the A30, a couple of miles out of Penzance, The Star is a large, stone-built, roadside pub, with a semi open-plan interior. Featuring a centrally located bar, it has a large collection of beer mats and pump clips and is surrounded by slate flooring. To the right there’s an area that houses a pool table and dartboard and a small raised carpeted section that is enclosed by a slightly imposing arrangement of wooden beams and pillars, as Roger rightly comments. To the left of the bar, there are two rooms. One looks to be for the use of diners only and the other appears to be a function room (cordoned off during our visit.) Décor is largely based on contrasting green and white artex, lit by Tiffany / stained- glass lamps and softened by wall-mounted agricultural implements, plus the odd bit of horse tack. Six pumps were on the go during our visit, a mix of the pub’s own Penzance beers and guests from further afield. We tried Penzance Potion No.9 and Pardoe’s Dark Swan and both were very good. Unfortunately, the Liverpool Organic Brewery’s IPA seemed to be on the turn, possibly not getting a decent turnover due to its high strength? I found the landlord / barman to be friendly and welcoming and the locals willing to engage in a bit of banter at the bar. Although fairly quiet when we called late afternoon, it still felt relaxed rather than oppressive. I rather liked The Star; probably because it was the first Cornish pub I’d been into that felt like a proper, beer-led, community local and not merely a tourist honey pot. Would definitely call in again, if staying in the area. Recommended.

A proper Pub with Its own Brewery, Good qty beer.

Crowlas is but a short drive or bus ride from Penzance and the award winning Star Inn is the place to be for the beer enthusiast. The pub itself doesn't court any great aesthetic merits, certainly more appealing from the outside than within. A traditional style local's pub with a central bar, pool and darts areas and a sectioned off corner type snug, it is quite spacious but it wasn't particularly busy at the time of my visit so the atmosphere was a bit dead. The décor is neat and tidy without being noticeable apart from a strange arrangement of beams and pillars and the mass of beer mats and pump clips that give away the main reason for making the effort. Home to the Penzance Brewery, the beer selection is far superior to any pub for miles with the added attraction of their own brews. I tried their own Crowlas Ale and Gopher Gold, both excellent, and there was a good range of others (Coastal beers seem to feature heavily - Erosion and Hop Monster available on my visit as well as Tring Devils Dyke and a couple of others I failed to note – well you would forget after a pint of Erosion). All the beers are listed on a blackboard to one side of the bar and you can virtually guarantee something interesting from the 7 pumps. If you can't then you really shouldn't be here. Prices were below average and if you are a beer enthusiast and happen to be in the area, the Star should be one of the the first places on your list to visit.

My fave boozer in Cornwall. An ever changing array of beers always in tip top condition and a top couple who run the place. A mecca I hope to be visiting for many a year!