Best Restaurants in St Ives (Cambridgeshire)

Is there such a thing as a bad restaurant in St Ives? I don’t think so!

The quality of restaurants in St Ives rivals Cambridge, and I’ll prove it with some of the recommendations below.

If you live in Cambridge, I’m sure you’ll be surprised how much St Ives has to offer if you’re willing to sail 20 minutes down the A14 or hop on a guided bus directly to St Ives and the wonderful restaurants on offer.

Best restaurants in St Ives categorised by the type of restaurant you’re looking for:

Best Restaurants for Fine Dining: The Whisky Cafe & Slepe Hall

The Whisky Cafe is a recent addition to St Ives, offering excellent food in what was once one of the oldest pubs in St Ives (many locals remember it as The Robin Hood, dating back to 1728, although it’s believed some parts of the roof date back to 1400). It truly is a remarkable renovation.

Right in the middle of town on Sheep Market, The Whisky Cafe is a great choice for lunch, dinner, or to have a coffee and watch the world go by.

Slepe Hall Hotel is a short walk from town on Ramsey Road, but the food and decor are worth it. It’s a great choice for a special occassion.

I advise booking either The Whisky Cafe or Slepe Hall Hotel in advance.

Related: For an excellent fine dining award winning gastro pub option, check out The Cock in nearby Hemingford Grey, mentioned on the best pubs in St Ives guide).

Best Restaurants with Kids and/or Dogs: The Ivo Lounge

I have a kid and a dog, and for these reasons I find The Ivo Lounge a great choice for a meal out (or breakfast and coffee for that matter).

The Ivo Lounge is a chain, but a good one. It’s not fine dining, but you will find so many options on the menu to cater for whatever style of food you like, and there’s great options for kids as well.

The decor is art deco which gives a cool ambience, and there are games for the kids and water bowls for dogs.

You will find all kinds of people at The Ivo Lounge because it really caters for all, and usually there’s no need to book.

Best Restaurants for Meat: Vadi Kitchen & Jerk Up

Vadi Kitchen is one of the most popular restaurants in St Ives for locals, for good reason. It’s a Turkish restaurant with a great vibe, great staff, and excellent food. It’s not surprising why Vadi Kitchen gets so busy at the weekend!

If you want something a little different, Jerk Up opposite Vadi Kitchen is a really tasty option, although not really as restaurant as such.

You’ll find both Vadi Kitchen and Jerk Up on The Broadway, but Jerk Up is hidden away inside The Ivy Leaf Club – you’ll need to walk through the arch and ring the doorbell at the entry on the left.

Best Chinese Restaurants: The Welcome & Cherry Valley

When it comes to Chinese and Indian restaurants, St Ives has a lot of great options.

The Welcome is a short walk from town on East Street has been in St Ives for many years and continues to receive praise from the locals.

On Bridge Street, near The Quay and historic St Ives Bridge you will find the Cherry Valley Chinese Restaurant. It’s smaller than The Welcome, but I would say just as good. It has a swimming pool on the ceiling, so that’s a novelty!

Best Curry Restaurants: Montaz, Zzohanna, Dhaba, and Bengal Spice

I find all Indian restaurants in St Ives to be good, so if you’re in town and want a curry then you’re spoiled for choice.

Montaz has been in St Ives for many years and is consistently good. It’s a good option for family gathering or group bookings due to being larger than other curry houses in town.

Zzohanna on Bridge Street (near the historic bridge) offers excellent food. It’s more expensive, but in my opinion offers the quality and authenticity of food I experienced working in Mumbai for a period of time.

Opposite Zzohanna you’ll find St Ives Dhaba which is cheaper, but still very good. Ignore the Italian flag green, white, and red lights above the door – the Italian restaurant Di Rita’s used to be here before they moved into the old bank building around the corner. The lights stayed!

I must add Bengal Spice to this list as I’ve had many really tasty curries there. It’s not in a prominent position being on a “back street”, but it’s easily accessible along the lane next to Dhaba or the side street to the left of The Golden Lion.

Bengal Spice can be very quiet, even on weekends, but the food is good and staff are friendly.

Best Restaurant for Relaxing & River View: Amore

Amore is a real gem on sunny days, offering traditional Italian food in a restaurant you would happily take your partner (or prospective partner) for a lovely meal and wine.

When it’s sunny it’s a great place for lunch, dinner, or even just a glass of wine to soak up the sun and river view.

Amore can be surprisingly quiet given how great the food and ambience is. If Amore was in Cambridge it would be packed, even without the river view.

Best Pizza & Pasta Restaurant: Di Rita’s at No 2 – The Old Bank

I mentioned working in Mumbai earlier. I also had the pleasure of working in Rome on more than one occasion, and it helped me appreciate how good authentic pizza and pasta can really be.

There’s no need to go to Rome to experience such authenticity, because Di Rita’s offers just that. Excellent pizza, excellent pasta, and I highly recommend experiencing that for yourself.

What’s your favourite restaurant in St Ives, and why?

Let us know in the comments below!