The first port of call on our whistle stop tour of Cornwall was Mounthaven, a contemporary hotel, perched on a cliff in Marazion with uninterrupted views of beautiful St Michael’s Mount.
As we pulled up we were struck by the uber-cool pink exterior, and the sleek balcony lines jutting out towards the sea. The gardens below induced instant envy. Immaculately manicured with the prettiest of succulents, we took many a picture with the hope of recreating it at home in our small patch of east London.
Mounthaven is perfectly accessible but being situated a good 10-15 minute walk from the main town made it feel romantically remote. Inside, rooms are decked out in calming shades of blues, creams and natural woods – all very tasteful. Silver embossed wallpaper and a big gold mirror made out of metal feathers added the finishing touches, with bathrobes and a Nespresso machine making us feel at home. We were told our room used to be two separate dwellings, but when it was converted they kept the balconies, which meant we had huge sliding glass doors, from both the bedroom and the bathroom. It was practically like having an outdoor bath. Almost.
We rather fell in love with the blue and white floral armchair, perfectly positioned to take in the various shades of blue outside, from the sea up into the sky. Even when it was moody, with waves crashing around making a fuss, we felt perfectly cocooned from this little spot. Full sized toiletries come courtesy of all natural, Cornish brand Bloom, and gave the whole place a spa-like scent of sweet orange and geranium.
Before heading out to explore (more of which later), we headed to the Terrace Bar where the gorgeous views continue. This was probably our favourite spot in the whole hotel, just as inviting at lunch (where we ate the deepest filled smoked salmon sandwich we ever did meet) as it is for watching the sun set with a pre-dinner drink or a cosy nightcap later in the evening. When the weather is a little warmer there’s plenty of outside seating too.
The real draw here though is the food. Head Chef Ross Sloan has put together a totally joyous menu. Forget any preconceived ideas you have about hotel restaurants, this is one we would seriously go out of our way to eat at again. Celebrating local produce, meat comes from a local butchers in Penzance, fish is fresh from the daily catch and even the veggies are grown at a local organic farm down the road. There’s a five course tasting menu option, as well as changing daily specials, created to use the best seasonal produce available. We started with a stunningly presented plate of Cornish camembert mousse with pickled vegetables and sourdough crisps before moving on to monkfish gnocchi with courgette, beetroot and sea vegetables. The wine list is impressive too – with some really top notch wines available by the purse-friendly half bottle – the gewürztraminer was an absolute belter.
Breakfast was every bit as delicious, with the incredible Cornish coffee (honestly, we could taste notes of berries in every mouthful) wakening our senses and some of the best bacon we’ve ever tasted arriving alongside avocado and poached eggs on sourdough.
In terms of things to do, visiting St Michael’s Mount really is a must. Time it right and wait for the tide to go out before walking right along the causeway (we think we know how Jesus must have felt when he walked on water). Explore the castle up close but just make sure you return before the sea takes it back again otherwise you’ll be stuck for the night. Back on stable ground, pop into the various contemporary art galleries and jewellery shops before stopping for a quick glass of wine at the Godolphin Arms (their water-front sister hotel).
For more information, visit: https://www.mounthaven.co.uk/
