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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
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The Castle Inn, St. Ives
St. Ives
TR26 1AB
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Castle Inn
Good Beer Guide 2021 entry. I could have happily wiled away the afternoon here, but then again, I am missing pubs.
Lead Windows with coloured glass at the front, slate floor, single (huge room). Efficient, friendly and safe covid practices. Dog friendly to the point they bring unasked for biscuits and water.
Three beers on - Doom Bar, Sea Fury and Skinners Penny Come Quick Milk Stout.
No other punters on a December Thursday lunch.
On 10th December 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Castle Inn
Although located in one of the main shopping areas, being one street back from the harbour-front helps keep the local feel here (which was enhanced by the barman seemingly knowing most of the customers by name). Very traditional inside, with a dark interior and mainly nautical decor. Fine selection of mostly Cornish ales from the six handpumps, with Skinners Penny Come Quick being the pick of the bunch.
On 16th April 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Castle Inn
Enjoyed our visit here yesterday as it had the divine Rebel Mexi-Cocoa on at 7.2%. Also had Sharps Special, and both were well kept. Deserves it's 2016 Good Beer Guide entry. Interesting interior with maritime artifacts around. Food being served and it appeared popular with tourists.
On 26th May 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve Clarkson left this review about The Castle Inn
The Castle is now under new ownership and one or two of the old bar staff are no longer there, but it retains its cosy charm and ever-changing range of real ales. Still the best pub in town!
On 2nd April 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3 recommendations about 3 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
aleand hearty left this review about The Castle Inn
2011 UPDATE: The Castle was pretty much business as usual, during our recent visits, whilst taking our annual August holiday in St Ives. However, there did seem a greater reliance on larger regional and national beer brands this year. The fact that the pub is currently on the market may be purely coincidental, but part of me wondered if the two were connected. If the pub is to change hands, I sincerely hope it doesn’t undergo a soulless refurb, which alters its character, as it remains our favourite watering hole when in town.
*****************.
Our favourite pub in St Ives during our recent stay. All very traditional with its low ceiling and stone floor and the sort of cosiness that’s just the right side of being tatty.
The ale range seemed to change almost daily, but usually three on hand-pull and three on gravity dispense. All the beers were in good condition, as you’d expect with such rapid turnover, but I found the hand pulled beers a little cold for my taste. Those on gravity were spot on. There was some initial confusion with pump clips for the gravity beers, but when I queried this with a barman he told me it was just to raise customer awareness as they were often overlooked being on the back wall!
Staff were efficient and uniformly friendly, quite surprising in such a popular tourist resort.
Food is available, largely comprised of pub fare staples, but as we didn’t eat at here we can’t comment on quality.
Always a good atmosphere when we called, a mixture of visitors and locals, including one or two ageing bohemians.
Family friendly, but children under twelve are not admitted after 7.30.
On the basis of our visits I feel the Castle is probably worthy of a Good Beer Guide entry, I’m mystified as to how the Golden Lion is included but The Castle isn’t.
(Original review August 2009)
On 9th September 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 578 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Castle Inn
Must agree with some of the other reviews that this is the best pub in St Ives and we always cone in here when visiting St Ives. This time there were 4 ales on , three on tap whilst the Skinners Cornish Knocker was on gravity served behind the bar along with a cider. the third barrel was not in use this time. The other ales on were Bays Old Spooky, Ringwood Huffkin and Timothy Taylor Landlord. staff always been friendly on our visits.
On 30th October 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Allan Watkins left this review about The Castle Inn
My partner and I have been visitig St Ives for eight years always for the music festival.The Castle pub as always been our favourite.Everyone serving behind the bar are extremley friendly and welcoming.The pub stocks a excellant variety of real ales & ciders from the keg.Over the years we have come to know a few of the regulars and like the staff make you feel very welcome.If you go to St Ives at any time of the year we highly recommed you visit this pub. Well be back in 2011, thank you Castle Inn. Allan & Sue South Wales.
On 1st October 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3 recommendations about 3 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Castle Inn
Attractive high street pub with some great stained glass windows along the front. A traditional interior with a beamed ceiling and what appeared on first impressions to be a flagstone floor, although may well have been more modern tiling. The walls were largely wood panelled and there was a plasma in the front bar, although fortunately this was on silent showing the football results on our visit. The barmaid was friendly and offered a sample of the farm cider (7.1%!) without being asked.
Beers on tap were Adnams Broadside and Bitter, Directors, Bombadier and London Pride. Beers from barrels racked up behind the bar were Broadside (again) and Heligan Honey. There was also keg Dark Mild from Courage. Ciders were Strongbow and Cornish Orchard Farm Cider (also straight from the barrel).
On 24th September 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Castle Inn
In such a touristy harbour town as St Ives, the Castle seems to have a wide appealing approach that fortunately doesn't too far towards the coach party brigade. The exterior is quite bright and alluring and the spacious, open interior has all the trademark old world low ceilings, flagstoned floors, old paneling and basic furnishings that you would expect. The maritime theme is fairly underplayed with just the occasional lifebelt and foghorn among the various nick nacks, certainly nothing too pretentious or obviously overbearing. The coloured paneled glass makes for a spectular frontage and bathes the interior in a kind of green hue.There is an unobtrusive darts area to the left of the bar 3 Ales (Betty Stoggs, Abbott, Bombardier) and a Real Cider (Cornish Orchard) served direct from the cask (despite the approrpaite hand pumps located on the bar). A hefty collection of beer mats are congregated behind the bar and across the ceiling beams. Like many pubs in Cornish towns, they display a list of banned patrons so the local trawler brawlers appear to be kept at bay. Well worth seeking out.
On 19th March 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]