Rum & Crab Shack, St Ives

Tucked away up a flight of granite steps above the waterfront, the Rum & Crab Shack may seem at first an unlikely place to find a real ale bar, the clue to its main activities lying in the name. However, the small, L-shaped bar inside the door does (occasionally) offer real ale. The beers vary, with an emphasis on Cornish microbreweries. The room itself is U-shaped and spacious, with the bar at one end and the remainder mainly for seating and eating, with impressive views straight over the harbour and bay as a bonus. Furniture consists predominantly of old wooden benches and settles, the décor reflecting the theme and including rum barrels and a sea chest. The bar end, where dogs are also welcome, also offers a huge range of rum as well as bottled beers from Belgium and the US. Food is somewhat but not exclusively crab-orientated, and is available daily. The bar may close during the month of January.