St Eia
St Ives, Cornwall
Tucked away on the Digey, one of the less choked little streets in old St Ives, St Eia is a come-hither wine shop, with a café not so much attached as inveigled topologically into it. The good news is that they now take bookings – so there's no need to hang around and pounce when a seat becomes available. An all-day snack menu offers olives and salted Marcona almonds to nibble on, as well as paprika-spiced broad beans; after that, expect plates of luscious Cornish charcuterie, piquillo peppers with Graceburn soft cheese or – the pièce de résistance at our whistlestop – a row of buttered Coombeshead sourdough soldiers, each topped with a perfect Cantabrian anchovy. Isle of Wight tomatoes are a feature too (strictly seasonal, of course), while other possibilities might range from pork terrine with pickles to French onion soup topped with a Comté croûton. To finish, lemon polenta cake, made in-house that morning, is moist and moreish, soft as Madeira cake and singing with citrus. Wines by the glass reflect some of the more interesting biodynamic and organic gear with which the shelves are crowded. Only a fool would turn down a shot of Moreau-Naudet's partly barrique-aged Chablis.
Dining Information:
Wheelchair access, Family friendly, Dog friendly
The Digey, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1HR
07850 456867
