Situated beneath the busy Fore Street in St Ives, Reef & Beef is a cosy restaurant serving hearty dishes which take their inspiration from the classics. The restaurant's aim is to serve unpretentious food that people actually want to eat, rather than creating experimental fine dining dishes that will split the crowd. Reef & Beef's underground location means that it's incredibly atmospheric and is well suited to all occasions, from romantic dinners for two to large family gatherings. The friendly front of house team are always on hand to ask any questions you might have about the menu, while the chefs will happily adapt dishes to accommodate any dietary requirements wherever possible.
Accessed via stairs which come down from the street, Reef & Beef is easily missed from the outside, but once you're inside, the restaurant is bursting with character. Candles on the tables and fairy lights on the walls cast a dim glow over the dining room, while the small bar area is just the spot for a pre-dinner drink. The mismatching, upcycled furniture provides an added charm to the place, and a vast array of mirrors hang on the walls to open up the space further.
Menus at Reef & Beef change regularly depending on availability and time of year but you can expect classic starters such as chicken liver pate with red onion marmalade and toast, and smoked salmon served with lemon mascarpone and a dill oil. When it comes to main courses, you can choose from dishes like baked smoked haddock mornay wuth homemade chunky chips, and a vegan-friendly roasted root vegetable & butter bean cassoulet. Tempting puddings might include sticky toffee pudding with Cornish clotted cream, and a dark and white chocolate brownie.
The food offering is complemented by a short wine list, as well as a variety of cocktails, mocktails, ports, spirits and more.