Vegan Food in St Ives: The Best Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants
Last updated: June 2026
Looking for vegan food in St Ives? The best options are The Bean Inn in nearby Carbis Bay (the area's only fully vegetarian/vegan restaurant), Blas Burgerworks for plant-based burgers, and Talay Thai Kitchen for a dedicated vegan Thai menu with harbour views. Beyond those three, most St Ives restaurants and bakeries — including Warrens Bakery and Yellow Canary Café — now offer at least one or two clearly labelled vegan dishes.
St Ives has never marketed itself as a vegan destination the way Bristol or Brighton might, but it's quietly become a genuinely good place to eat plant-based. Having worked through a fair few menus across the harbour and up the hill into Carbis Bay over several visits, this guide sticks to places with real vegan substance — not just a side salad with the meat taken off.
| Restaurant | Type | Vegan options | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bean Inn | Vegetarian (all adaptable to vegan) | Full menu | ££ (mains £16–19) | Recommended, especially weekends |
| Blas Burgerworks | Burgers | 2–3 dedicated vegan burgers + sides | ££ | Strongly recommended |
| Talay Thai Kitchen | Thai | Separate vegan/veggie menu | ££ | Walk-in only, expect a wait |
| Warrens Bakery | Bakery/pasties | 3 vegan pasty flavours | £ | Not needed |
| Yellow Canary Café | Café/brunch | Vegan pasties, loaded toast | £ | Not usually needed |
| The Hub | Harbour-front bar/grill | 5 of 9 burgers vegan, most sides | ££ | Useful in peak season |
At a Glance: Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants in St Ives
RestaurantTypeVegan optionsPriceBookingThe Bean InnVegetarian (all adaptable to vegan)Full menu££ (mains £16–19)Recommended, especially weekendsBlas BurgerworksBurgers2–3 dedicated vegan burgers + sides££Strongly recommendedTalay Thai KitchenThaiSeparate vegan/veggie menu££Walk-in only, expect a waitWarrens BakeryBakery/pasties3 vegan pasty flavours£Not neededYellow Canary CaféCafé/brunchVegan pasties, loaded toast£Not usually neededThe HubHarbour-front bar/grill5 of 9 burgers vegan, most sides££Useful in peak season
Prices and menus checked against restaurant websites and recent diner reports as of June 2026 — always worth a quick call ahead in high season, since Cornish menus shift with the seasons.
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in St Ives
The Bean Inn — the area's dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurant
If you only eat at one place for proper plant-based cooking near St Ives, make it this one. The Bean Inn isn't actually in St Ives itself — it's a mile up the road in Carbis Bay, on the ground floor of Coast Accommodation — but it's been serving globally-inspired vegetarian and vegan food for over 20 years, and it shows. Every single dish on the menu is either already vegan or can be adapted to be.
The stuffed potato cakes with pea curry, spiced vegetables and tarka dahl are the standout main (£19), and the vegetable and mushroom bourguignon is a genuinely rich, proper plant-based stew rather than a token "vegetable medley." Starters like the blue, beet, walnut and lentil salad come with a vegan cheddar-style cheese option, and even the desserts — chocolate and orange mud pie, fruit crumble — are served with a choice of dairy or vegan cream, ice cream, or custard.
Worth knowing: it's a small, candlelit restaurant with limited covers, open Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm only (last food orders 8.30pm), so it's not a lunch option and bookings are genuinely advisable — large tables may need a £10-per-head deposit. There's also no dedicated car park (it's reserved for accommodation guests), though free roadside parking is usually findable nearby. Dogs aren't allowed inside.
Address: St Ives Road, Carbis Bay, Cornwall, TR26 2RT
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 5pm–10.30pm
Booking: 01736 791706
Price: Mains £16–19, small plates £8–9
Blas Burgerworks — the best vegan burger in St Ives
Tucked down a narrow lane near the harbour station end, Blas has been doing this for almost two decades and it's earned its reputation — it's been name-checked by the Wall Street Journal as one of the better burger spots in Europe, which is a strange thing to say about a tiny burger shack in Cornwall, but there it is.
Their vegan options rotate but typically include a ginger, coriander and chilli tofu burger with tahini sauce, and a black bean burger, both built on the same fresh, hand-cut chip and quality-bun standard as their beef burgers. Vegan desserts include a banana split that regulars specifically travel back for.
Worth knowing: this place is genuinely tiny — bench seating, long communal tables, and a wait of 30–60 minutes most evenings is normal, even with a booking. If you're set on eating here, call ahead (01736 797272) or order takeaway in advance; they won't take takeaway pre-orders by email after 2pm on the day you want to eat.
Address: The Warren, St Ives, TR26 1EE
Hours: Daily from 5pm (check seasonal variations)
Booking: 01736 797272
Price: Burgers roughly £10–15
Talay Thai Kitchen — a full separate vegan menu with harbour views
Perched on the first floor on Wharf Road with windows right over St Ives harbour, Talay stands out for actually printing a separate vegan and vegetarian menu rather than just flagging a few dishes with a "V" symbol. Expect tapas-style starters, noodle soups, pad see ew, and stir-fries built specifically without fish sauce or oyster sauce substitutions needed.
Worth knowing: Talay is walk-in only — no bookings — so arrive early or be prepared to leave your name at the bar and wait, especially on summer evenings. The wait is genuinely worth it for a window table at sunset. It's also one of the better dog-friendly options on this list to double check, since policies vary by season; call ahead if travelling with a dog.
Address: Wharf Road, St Ives, TR26 1LF
Hours: Daily, midday until late
Booking: Walk-ins only — 01736 795157 for queries
Price: Tapas-style dishes £6–10, mains/stir-fries £14–20
Vegan Cafés & Quick Bites in St Ives
Not every vegan meal in St Ives needs to be a sit-down occasion — the town's bakeries and beach cafés have caught up fast.
Warrens Bakery (two branches: Tregenna Place and Wharf Road) is the world's oldest Cornish pasty maker, and somewhat surprisingly now does three vegan pasty fillings — traditional, Thai green, and Mexican spicy. Genuinely useful if you want proper Cornish pasty-on-the-harbour-wall experience without the meat.
Yellow Canary Café on Fore Street does a couple of vegan pasty options alongside its breakfast and brunch menu, plus loaded toast dishes that work well as a quick vegan lunch.
The Allotment Deli on Fore Street stocks vegan grocery items, vegan pies and pasties from small Cornish suppliers, and homemade soups and salads — useful if you're self-catering or want a picnic-style lunch for the beach.
Best Vegetarian-Friendly Spots Beyond Dedicated Vegan Menus
The Hub, right on the harbour front, deserves a mention even though it's not vegetarian-led: out of nine burger options, five can be made vegan, and of eight side dishes, five are vegan with the rest vegetarian. It's a solid backup if your group includes meat-eaters and you don't want a fight over where to eat.
La Casita in nearby Carbis Bay is a Spanish tapas spot with vegetarian and vegan dishes built into its regular menu rather than bolted on — useful if paella and small plates are more your evening than burgers or Thai food.
Hidden Gems & Local Tips for Vegan Travellers in St Ives
A few things that aren't obvious until you've actually tried to eat vegan here for a few days:
"Vegetarian" on a Cornish menu often means dairy-heavy, particularly cheese-and-pastry-based dishes (think Cornish pasties, cream teas). Always ask specifically about vegan adaptations rather than assuming "vegetarian-friendly" covers you.
Booking ahead matters more in St Ives than it might elsewhere — the town is genuinely small, restaurant capacity is limited, and in peak summer season getting a table anywhere (vegan-friendly or not) can be difficult without a reservation.
The Bean Inn is in Carbis Bay, not St Ives itself — it's an easy 20-minute coastal walk or a couple of minutes by branch-line train, but worth knowing if you're planning an evening without a car.
Many smaller cafés will adapt on request even without a printed vegan menu — Porthmeor Beach Café and several others will swap dairy milk for soya on request, so it's always worth asking rather than assuming nothing's available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St Ives good for vegans?
St Ives is reasonably good for vegans, with one fully vegetarian/vegan restaurant (The Bean Inn, in nearby Carbis Bay), several restaurants with dedicated vegan menus or multiple vegan dishes, and most cafés and bakeries now offering at least one or two vegan options.
What is the best vegan restaurant in St Ives?
The Bean Inn in Carbis Bay is the strongest dedicated option, since every dish on its menu is vegan or can be made vegan. For something more casual, Blas Burgerworks and Talay Thai Kitchen both have committed, well-reviewed vegan menus within St Ives itself.
Are there vegan options at non-vegan restaurants in St Ives?
Yes — most mainstream restaurants in St Ives now flag vegan dishes on their menus, and many, like The Hub and La Casita, will adapt existing dishes on request. It's still worth calling ahead if you have specific dietary requirements, particularly in peak season.
Do St Ives restaurants need booking in summer?
Yes, generally. St Ives gets very busy between June and September, and popular spots — including The Bean Inn and Blas Burgerworks — can be fully booked or have long waits without a reservation. Talay Thai Kitchen is a walk-in-only exception, so arrive early or expect to queue.
