The 12 best restaurants and pubs in Looe

Set 20 miles west of Plymouth, in Cornwall’s south east, you’ll find the picture-postcard harbour town of Looe. With a wide, family-friendly swimming beach, a pier, its own island and oceans of charm, Looe is divided in two by the River Looe and in days gone by, East and West Looe were treated as separate towns. In the 1600s, a notorious band of pirates attacked the port, burning most of the town to the ground. Later the town became a favourite haunt for smugglers and later still, a harbour town for fishing and mining exports.

There are plenty of things to do in Looe, including perusing the independent shops, sea-swimming, sailing away on a boat trip, or taking in the scenery at leisure on a coastal walk. And naturally, there are plenty of wonderful places to eat in Looe. Here we’ve summarised some of our favourites, including food, typical pricing and ambience.

We have lots of holiday cottages for couples, families and large groups in Looe, so you won’t have far to walk if you fancy a tipple or two with your meal. You can see the collection by clicking on the button below.

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• Restaurants in Looe
• Pubs in Looe
• Fish and chips in Looe

Restaurants in Looe

There are lots of lovely Cornish beach cafés and eateries in the town and of course, a good range of restaurants in Looe. Please note that opening times often vary throughout the year, so do check online for the most up-to-date information.

Relaxed and open dining – The Sardine Factory

One of the top places to eat in Looe is The Sardine Factory. With harbour views, relaxed dining and Cornish seafood plates, this Looe restaurant has a Michelin Bib Gourmand to its name and is owned by award-winning chef Ben Palmer (yes, from BBC Two’s Great British Menu). Sample menu highlights include their Sardine Factory chowder, crisp fried whitebait and Looe lobster. Sunday brunch starts up in August with the full Cornish and veggie breakfast, Shakshuka and Looe crab crumpets. Yes please.

History and mystery – Smugglers Cott Restaurant

Harking back to 1420 no less, tucked away in the backstreets, this East Looe restaurant is overflowing with old-world atmosphere. As the name suggests, Smugglers Cott Restaurant, the location was once frequented by smugglers and there’s an actual secret tunnel leading down to the quay. In 1590, the Main Merchant’s House was built using the oak from ships wrecked during the Spanish Armada. The venue has been a restaurant for 50 years and nowadays specialises in seafood, steaks and popular Sunday carvery. They have a children’s menu too.

New in Looe – Yamas

Looking for new places to eat in Looe? Look no further! Offering tasty Greek cuisine in a light, modern setting and river views, Yamas opened its doors late last year and is the sister restaurant to The Sardine Factory – both owned by celebrated chef Ben Palmer. Cheese pies, souvlaki, gigantes and other authentic Greek plates fused with Cornish magic are served downstairs, but if you’re looking for a pre-dinner tipple, head upstairs to the bar. Booking is advised and dogs are welcome on the decking area outside.

Holiday lunch with a view – The Sea Kitchen

Photo credit: The Sea Kitchen

With views of the bay, The Sea Kitchen in Hannafore Point presents a lovely lunch menu consisting of mussels, catch of the day goujon and crab sandwiches. The dinner menu offers scallops and stuffed clam small plates, and large plates such as clam linguine and surf and turf. The décor inside is all sunshine vibes – white chairs and neutral woods. Dogs welcome. Book online or give them a call!

For tapas-style seafood – The Fish Market

 Photo credit: The Fish Market

Located on East Looe’s quayside with stunning water views, Chef and owner Fred Alsop offers an elegant tapas-style menu which changes daily (sometimes twice!) to ensure the very freshest seafood offerings, which may include wild bass ceviche, blood orange and pickled ginger, or whole John Dory on the bone to share. The inside décor at The Fish Market is a mix of local art and family photos, with an open kitchen to watch the chefs at work.

Good vibes family pizza night – La Bocca Looe

If you’re looking for good-value Looe restaurants, head on over to La Bocca. Dark walls, accents of red and a young vibe – freshly-made, wood-fired pizza, calzone and pasta are up for grabs in this Italian eatery. Margherita or their spicy ‘Inferno’ are two of their delicious offerings, while dishes including linguine alla puttanesca are on the pasta menu. They have options for little ones too, sure to keep the family happy. If you’ve room for dessert – consider their indulgent tiramisu, or the chocolate gelato indulgence sundae for the kids (or yourself!). Dine in or takeaway.

BYO drinks – Chennai Indian Fusion

Looking for Indian restaurants in Looe? Don’t be fooled by this eatery’s simple exterior. Chennai Indian Fusion is a popular restaurant that receives consistently good reviews for its food and warm, attentive service from owner Mansell and team. They don’t sell alcoholic drinks but you’re free to take along your own favourite tipple and corkage is free. They offer popular dishes such as saffron chicken biriyani, and vegetarian sobzi korma, infused with different regional flavours. Takeaway available.    

Pubs in Looe 

Looe is not without its fair share of pubs. Here we’ve detailed a few of our finds...

Atmosphere and shanties – The Jolly Sailor

If you’re looking for atmospheric pubs in Looe, ‘The Jolly’ in West Looe dates back to 1516. As well as being the oldest pub in Looe, this family-run pub is also one of the oldest in the UK. The main beam inside the pub came from HMS Indefatigable, a ship from the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and in days of old, before the cottages were built, boats would moor right up to the pub. Nowadays, you can expect a traditional interior, hearty pub meals and drinks and a friendly welcome (for pets too). They host live music, including Thursday’s Shanty Night. Table booking advised (but essential on Thursdays!).

Ales and charm – Ye Olde Salutation Inn

Across the water on Fore Street in East Looe, as the name suggests, you’ll find this historic and traditional pub complete with an interior of wooden beams and olden-day charm. With a warm welcome and a warm fire for the chillier months, Ye Olde Salutation Inn serves up real ales and home-cooked food such as cottage pie, fish pie and scampi and chips. Dogs welcome.

Hidden oasis cocktail bar – The Golden Guinea

This Grade II-listed pub in East Looe blends original features with rustic, stylish touches. Three bean chilli, steak and burgers are on the menu and a few years ago, they opened up their pretty, al fresco oasis – The Golden Guinea's garden bar for all your cocktail requirements – where you can sample the likes of the ‘Lucylooe’ and ‘Sophito’ as the sun goes down. They don’t take general bookings, so pop in when you fancy. They have a children’s menu and dogs are welcome!

Fish and chips in Looe

And of course, like any Cornish beach town worth its salt and vinegar, there are lots of ways to enjoy fish and chips in Looe. Here are a couple of our recommended spots.

Cool and quirky – The Coddy Shack

Based just outside of town, The Coddy Shack is a quirky and cool venue that evolved over the years from originally serving takeaway fish and chips from an old pig sty, to the current 60-seater restaurant serving up fish and chips in Looe today. Now homed in a rustic, shed-like premises, it’s owned and run by Colin and the team. They dish up the local catch and seafood plates for lunch and dinner, with drinks and live music nights. Traditional breakfasts, smoked salmon and scrambled egg on sourdough and such are also available on a Friday and Saturday morning. As a heads-up, the venue is pet-friendly up until 5pm. There’s a large car park on site and they provide children’s and takeaway options.

Easy family dinner – Ben’s Plaice

Fish and chips Looe locals know, are seriously good at award-winning Ben’s Plaice. As well as traditional cod and chips, this fish and chip shop offers pies, burgers and dirty fries, they have different weekly specials, a menu for little ones and even a self-serve gelato machine (bound to be a hit with the kids). They sell soft drinks and Cornish tipples and customers can choose to eat in or take their fish and chips away to enjoy Looe’s stunning water views. They don’t take reservations.

Map of places to eat in Looe

Please find all of the above Looe restaurants and pubs with the help of our handy map.

Stay with us in Looe

We offer a fantastic range of accommodation options for couples, solo travellers, families and groups, including pet-friendly holiday lets. If you’re looking to book your next getaway to Looe or surrounds, you can browse our listings right here.