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Looking for interesting, seasonal and light, well-prepared food in a galleried setting with stunning views. The Bay, at Penzance, helped establish the now well-tried tradition of combining culture, in the form of a serious art gallery, with cuisine and rooms - and succeeds. The setting is chic, unstuffy, with superb views above the rooftops of Penzance to Mount's Bay. An excellent place to kick back, relax and enjoy their mix of a Modern European approach to serving seafood and other English dishes.

Throughout the whole year look forward to eating the best of the local produce, in an imaginative and attractive form and calling on an impressive list of local suppliers from Cornwall, where the environment is naturally fresh.

During the day an all day dining menu offers such dishes as prosciutto ham with herbed olive hummus and balsamic vinegar, steamed Fowey mussels in a shallot, garlic and Cornish cider cream sauce, or pan-fried rump steak with baby spinach leaf, straw potatoes and herb hollandaise. At The Bay it's always worth asking what the boats have brought in; fish does not come any fresher than this.

Try a roast Pollock fillet on braised saffron leeks and lemon cream sauce, or a local handpicked white crabmeat open sandwich on homemade granary bread with lemon mayonnaise. For vegetarian tastes there could be a baked aubergine and tomato gateaux.

In the evenings the menu expands and starters could include home smoked breast of guinea fowl, ox tongue and hazelnut salad and date purée, or pan-fried South Coast scallops, potato and vanilla cream with steamed spring onions.

Main courses follow the same pattern with a pan-fried West Country duck breast with smoked fennel, polenta cake and a preserved orange jus; roast fillet of Newlyn landed pollack, baby brown shrimps, cucumber and watercress, and roast Cornish double beef - for two to share - with pan fried foie gras and oxtail ravioli, black truffle and port wine jus.

As you watch the sun subside into the light mists of a velvet Cornish sea evening, you will find the desserts even more beguiling than usual, headed by the white chocolate mousse, sultana fancler and rice wine vinegar reduction, closely followed by the coconut crème brûlée with passion fruit madeleines and dark chocolate sorbet or assortment of miniature desserts.

Local wines, beers and an elite list offer further variety and choice, and, with at least eight available by the glass or 1/2 bottle, you can change wines with each course. Dessert wines are encouraged and include Pedro Ximenez- Jerez from Spain, and Nederburg from South Africa.

The Bay is quality eating amidst beautiful surroundings both in and out, at prices that will leave room for you to contemplate further indulgence amongst the many pictures tastefully displayed in the Gallery.

The past years have firmly established the Bay, in the diners Awards of the Region, they were named West Country Restaurant of the Year in 2002, and Restaurant of the Year 2006-8 in the Cornwall Tourism Awards. Consistently awarded 2 AA rosettes annually, and listed in the Michelin Guide, The Good Hotel Guide and The Good Food Guide.

For those of you wanting further information about The Bay, a visit to their Website would be a sensible idea.

The Navy Inn, just off Penzance Promenade is an AA Rosette awarded pub and restaurant that serves Modern British cuisine. The interior features bare floorboards, a traditional bar and relaxing, stylish dining areas. The atmosphere is friendly and informal where you can visit for just a beer, sit around with cups of coffee and read the papers, snack on sharing plates or have a full three course meal.

Start with smooth chicken liver parfait with shredded local game, a fresh brioche roll and wild mushrooms in a balsamic and Pedro Ximenez dressing. Consider roasted fillets of John Dory on lemon cous cous with tomato herb butter sauce and slow cooked belly of pork on a stew of tomato, hogs pudding and chick peas for main course. Desserts include Viennese biscuits with rich espresso ice cream and dips and white chocolate tear drop filled with Cornish blackberry mead syllabub.

Closed for the 2008 season and will open again at Easter.

Whilst admitting that an unexpected night in Penzance, due to the helicopter service to Tresco being grounded, would not be high on my list of priorities, it turned out to be not without its attractions, foremost amongst which was the discovery on the seafront of Sophia's. After all one has to eat.

So escaping from the seething mass of human frustration that was the heliport, we strolled along the Promenade and there it was, tastefully painted and lit, looking thoroughly welcoming - until we encountered the fact that we had no reservation. To need a booking on a gruesome autumnal Tuesday evening suggested we might be on to something good, so we persisted and finally beat the system. And wasn't it worth it.

A plate of olives appeared, napkins were spread and a reassuringly brief but punchy menu laid before us. Sophia's lays claim to excellent Cornish cooking, with Newlyn fish and local farm meat well to the fore. Small plates included plaice goujons with a chunky tartare sauce, their own smooth pate with organic tomato chutney, and local crab salad with smoked paprika mayo.

Main courses of local smoked haddock on mash with poached egg and a creamy wholegrain mustard sauce was confident, well presented, just perfect. The St Buryan pork filet was served with Lyonnaise potatoes, local cider and apple sauce and an ample helping of convincingly fresh vegetables.

Had we been up for puddings we could have had raspberries soaked in Cornish mead trifle, Eton mess, or an orange and Grand Marnier crème brûlée. Coffee was superb.

The value for money stretched to the wine list, with decent Muscadet at £15.50 a bottle, house wine at £11.50, and Cornish white from the Carmel Valley.

I would say that Penzance is possibly over blessed with restaurants, but I would hazard a guess that few of them are in Sophia's class.

I assume I am correct in saying that this is about as close as you can get to the Mediterranean whilst in England without falling off the edge. Be that as it may, taste the cuisine at the Summer House and you are in no doubt at all. A delightful converted Regency house, fifty metres from the sea, with a tropical walled garden, the whole ambience speaks of warm leisure.

The restaurant is encircled with the sort of awards that pursue Chef/Patron Ciro Zaino wherever he goes as he practises his dedication towards simple foods and fresh ingredients. A short menu changes frequently dependent upon what the markets have to offer.

A medallion of honey duck with marinated peppers, or a mousseline of sole and crab with basil sets the pace, followed by a fillet of brill with a twist of ginger and a hint of Pernod. The rack of lamb, served pink with a mustard and herbs crust is a speciality of the house, though it does seem a wasted opportunity not to indulge in the fish dishes such as the typical lightly cooked scallops served with samphire. For pudding many will head straight for the Normandy-style thin apple tart, glazed and served with crème chantilly and a frisson of calvados.

A three-course meal will cost a very sensible £31.50, including cover charge and VAT, plus a 10% tip. The 40-strong wine list contains some very interesting new-wave Italian grown numbers, including the house wines at £14.

Set in the heart of historic Penzance amongst the antique shops, art galleries and bookshops, the Chapel Street Brasserie offers a fixed price menu which represents excellent value and the freedom to explore the wide range of dishes; all made with a hint of French style and the best Cornish ingredients. You can start your day with fresh Illy coffee, warm croissant or pain au chocolat and newspapers or meet your friends for lunch to enjoy the traditional 'Plats du Jour', or a gourmet sandwich or salad. Evenings are the right time to enjoy the wines and champagnes by candle light while weekends usher in smooth live jazz music.

Cornish pork and caramelised apple terrine served with celeriac remoulade might appeal to a few while others may prefer quenellas of prawn mousse served on toasted brioche. Main course options include dishes such as beer braised pheasant breast with leeks, potatoes, agen prunes and bacon.

Amongst the coastal restaurants springing up round the eleven thousand mile coastline of Britain, The Beach at Sennen Cove has to be one of the best. With stunning views, romantic sunsets and fresh seafood there can be few better places to relax and let the magic of the sea do its work.

A large terrace can be exchanged for the comfort of a spacious interior with armchairs and the same views, minus the weather, when required. There are two menus, day and evening, each reflecting the different character traits of this fine building, as it picks up the mood.

Daytime is a jolly café atmosphere, bare feet, plenty of chatter and no formal menu. Expect to find crab soup, homemade burgers, club sandwiches, baguettes, pizzas and salads. Cornish cream teas are, of course, inescapable no matter how much you retreat into protestations about your figure, and the homemade cakes are off a different planet.

As yet another vivid Cornish sunset rounds off the day, a more conventional menu offers perhaps hot and sour smoked duck, roasted asparagus served with Prosciutto ham and Parmesan shavings, or crayfish tails with Thai butter. Fillet or sirloin of Cornish reared beef comes with your choice of toppings and poached salmon, marinated in olive oil, basil and dill, is topped with a layer of cream cheese, fresh chilli, red onion, basil and crayfish tails, served on a bed of asparagus.

The wine list has plenty of sound material for sturdy beachside drinking whilst contemplating some of the finest coastal scenery in Cornwall - which is saying a good deal.