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Detail Pages
The Pandora Inn, Restronguet, Falmouth
Falmouth
TR11 5ST
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Pandora Inn
Archetypal and ancient 'smugglers' inn tucked away on a creek down a dead-end single track road, which has naturally become something of a tourist trap and food destination but retains a good old-fashioned feel. As described by the previous review, the interior is a maze of rooms and corners, all with stone floors, beams and lots of black painted wood. Upstairs there is a restaurant but the downstairs is equally used for dining throughout, although no problem if just drinking. Outside there are some benches on the old quay, but most notably a large jetty/pontoon covered in tables so you can eat and drink over the water or, at low tide, mud.
Beers are from St Austell, with most of their range on offer and very well kept (Cask Marque). The food is also really good, although not cheap, being a bit more 'gastro' than before with an emphasis on fresh fish. Despite the large number of tables, the whole place had an air of efficiency, with a constant procession of staff bearing food and drink. One caution - there is no parking apart from the pub car park which is not huge, although it is worth checking the spaces tucked away round the back of the pub which are not immediately obvious. Well worth a visit, but perhaps avoid peak times like summer Sundays.
On 8th September 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Pandora Inn
An very attractive pub with a thatched roof and great views across the estuary, it even has a small beer garden at the end of a jetty as well as on the quayside which is not something I’ve ever come across before. There does seem to be quite an emphasis on food here, but not exclusively so, and there was a choice of real ales available, even if they were all from St Austell.
It’s something of a rabbit warren inside with numerous different rooms split across two levels. It has quite a cosy ambience with a low beamed ceiling and flag stones on the floor. Small windows set in to the thick stone walls give views across the water whilst the plasterwork has been finished in various pastel colours such as mustard and salmon as well as white and black wood panelling on the walls in other places. A large model of the HMS Pandora from which the pub takes it’s name was in a room at the rear, although the precise connection to the pub was not made clear. Various other nautical artefacts abound such as a ship’s wheel, old maps, photographs of old ships, etc., as well as the obligatory display of knots in a glass case. A small fire-place with burnt logs was off to one side, with a stone built store for fresh logs in one corner. This strikes me as a pub that would be equally good on a warm summer’s day due to it’s great location, or cozied up by the fire on a cold winter’s evening.
The menu consisted of a decent selection of pub grub dishes such as fish pie, fish & chips, sausage and mash, scampi and chips, burger, etc., although these were perhaps slightly above your usual pub prices at around £12 or so. That said, the fish & chips that we saw coming out was certainly a very generous portion. We just opted for a couple of sandwiches, prawns with sweet chilli mayo and a quarter pound of white Cornish crab with dill and lemon crème fraiche. These weren’t cheap either coming it at around £22 for the two sandwiches and a bowl of chips, but they were very generous portions with massive hunks of bread and of course, crab is by no means a cheap ingredient. We enjoyed them and would happily return to try something else.
Beers on tap were all from St Austell as noted previously with their Proper Job, Trelawney, HSD and Tribute. Ciders meanwhile were Cornish Rattler of both the regular and pear varieties, along with Strongbow Cloudy Apple.
On 10th May 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gary Seymour left this review about Pandora Inn
Excellent location & very interesting cosy old pub. Shame that very much into food. An area of the many rooms could be dedicated to drinkers only. Three Real Ales however & dogs welcome.
On 5th January 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 38 recommendations about 38 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tony Butler left this review about Pandora Inn
One of the great pubs of the West. A great situation to arrive by boat. In winter, wood fires keep it warm and cosy, and in summer sit outside and watch the yachtsmen come alongside.
The food is very good but not cheap, try the crab sandwiches.
On 23rd January 2007
- rating: 8
[User has posted 27 recommendations about 26 pubs]