Enjoy a virtual tour of the The Watering Hole the only bar actually on the beach in the UK.
A very popular and therefore often busy beach bar that is – quite literally – on the beach. The sand gets carried into the bar areas to the extent you could still be on the beach. The atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. Usually there is live live music in the evenings, but the last time I was there strangely their wasn’t for a Saturday night. It’s also a great place to sit and watch the sunset. We usually buy ourselves a takeaway and then enjoy it while sat on the dunes watching the sun go down. There are plenty of bins around to discard of your rubbish. We didn’t think to check the tides before arriving as we came from town using the shortcut and the tide was ankle deep over the bridge, so we had to wade through to get to the beach. Thankfully the water wasn’t cold.
When we’d had enough or were cold we all head into the pub, even without music it still had a good atmosphere. Saturday nights The Watering Hole closes at midnight. As we left walking back toward the road using our phones for a torch as there are no lights, to our surprise there were quite a few fireflies amongst the grass along the path, something I had never seen before in the UK.
We had arranged a taxi minibus to drop us off and pick us up as there were 13 of us. This turned out to be a mistake as taxis in Newquay (maybe even Cornwall) are some of the most expensive I have ever experienced and I’d go as far as saying the most expensive taxi in the world!! We were picked up at Trethiggey Holiday Park and driven to Perranporth beach next to Percy Davy Close which is 9 miles and should take 16 minutes, but it was more 25. We rang A2B Taxis and on the phone we were quoted £3 or £4 per person with return for 13 people. However it was Pat’s Cabs that turned up, the driver asked again where we were going as we got in. Once we were in the minibus and travelling he then asked how many of us, we said 13 and he responded with that’ll be £130!!!!!! £10 each, £5 per person for each way. WTF we aren’t doing an airport run to Heathrow ffs!! He said they got the destination mixed up on the phone, which is a likely story. To make things worse he wanted the whole bill up front. We argued this as we said we had no guarantee that he would even come back as he would already have all our money and therefore could do a runner, so he wrote a receipt and signed it and still insisted on the full fare. To his due, he did pick us up again at midnight on the dot, but none of us were happy with the service and all felt that we had been totally ripped off. I expected the bill to be more around £70 and even then I thought that would’ve been on the expensive side.
If you don’t want to be completely ripped off DO NOT use A2B Taxis or perhaps any taxis at all, it’s probably best to drive yourself.
Over 80 wooden benches and tables at the front afford fantastic views across the golden sands of Perranporth beach. Large TV screens show all sports, and it is a live music venue every weekend when sometimes there may be an entrance charge.
- Disabled Facilities
- Wheelchair Access – if you can get across the beach…
- Child Friendly – Children’s menu and high chairs available
- Vegetarian Options – Various options available
- Restaurant Capacity – 100 Plus inside and 100 plus al-fresco.
- Price – From £4 to £14
- Payment Options – All major credit cards accepted
- Best Seats – Outside on our beach garden, watching the sun go down
- Wine List – A good selection from around the world
Just over 30 years ago (1978) a man called Bob Job started up a shack on the beach, roaming the Perranporth coast with deck-chairs, surf hire and ice cream vans. Bill was in charge of this establishment before Bob but he then moved down under to Byron bay, which is where he still remains, passing his business onto Bob, who revolutionized this shack into what is now The Watering Hole.
Monday | 9.00 am – 11.00 pm |
Tuesday | 9.00 am – 11.00 pm |
Wednesday | 9.00 am – 11.00 pm |
Thursday | 9.00 am – 11.00 pm |
Friday | 9.00 am – 11.00 pm |
Saturday | 9.00 am – Midnight |
Sunday | Midday – 11.00 pm |
Regular Beers
This pub serves 3 regular beers.
- Sharp’s Doom Bar
- St Austell Tribute
- St Austell Proper Job
Changing Beers
This pub serves 1 changing beer.
Changing beers typically include:
- Usually a Skinner’s
Summer Hours (Easter Holidays, until After October half term):
Through the summer, we are open from 9am – midnight Every day of the week. Food served 9am – 9pm.
Winter Hours (After October half term, until Easter Holidays):
Through the winter, we are open Monday to Thursday from 9am – 6pm. Food served 9am – 3pm. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we are open from 9am – midnight. Food served 9am – 9pm.
Holiday Hours:
Christmas Holidays: Open 9am – midnight. Food served 9am – 9pm.
February Half Term: Open 9am – midnight. Food served 9am – 9pm.
Perranporth Beach, 19 St. Pirans Road, Perranporth, TR6 0BH. There is a large car park about as close to the sand as you can get. This makes it pretty convenient for just parking up the car and spilling out onto the beach and the pub is just a short walk away.
- Bus, there are bus stops right next to the beach, but unless your coming from Newquay or Truro it will likely take a long time to get here.
- Car, There is a large car park right next to the beach.
- Taxi, If you want to get somewhere extra quickly or have a journey to make that isn’t served by public transport and you don’t want to drive then consider it, but be prepared for it to be expensive. From my past experience I would make sure you settle on a price before leaving and that it’s for the trip and not for each person. A 9 mile return journey from A2B (Pats Cab turned up) minibus of 13, cost us £65 each way £130. The same in Devon would be £20 or less each way on the highest tariff and split between all in the vehicle.
- Walking, Easy flat pavements from the road or from the cliff paths with the South West Coastal Path running past the beach.
- Free WiFi.
- Live Music.
- Family Friendly.
- Dog friendly.
- Real Fire.
- Find out more at www.thewateringhole.co.uk or on Facebook.
- www.drinkaware.co.uk
If you found this helpful, please like and follow my social pages