Mr & Mrs Smith

We really enjoyed our stay at Driftwood Hotel, and the food in the hotel restaurant was great. Prior to going, we were advised that the hotel restaurant did not serve lunch, but they have an excellent snack menu available from 12-5pm. We had chicken Caesar salad both days for lunch, and one day we also had scones and tea in the lounge area.

Went here five years ago and am pleased to say the hotel is as lovely as I remembered. Fantastic location and we were blessed with the weather. The food was great and the staff and owners are truly fantastic – very welcoming and attentive.

If you want to experience Cornwall like the locals, visit the New Inn (+44 (0)1872 501362) in Veryan (famous for having five Cornish round houses). Food and decor are nothing special – all standard pub stuff – but it is a local pub filled with locals. When we were there, the landlord and customers were discussing football results for Mousehole v Truro. We enjoyed getting away from the tourist trappings of St Mawes and enjoyed some true Cornish hospitality and chatter!

Hi, Driftwood Hotel was really great. Would highly recommend it! Service very good. Food great. Would definitely stay there again.

Driftwood's dinner menu is superb-scallops, local fish and meat, good wine list but at £42 each it is not a snip if on an extended stay (4 nights in our case). So try the King's Head at Ruan Lanihorne-15 minutes by car; excellent bar food including locally-caught crab and fish from the Fal River; for the non-drivers in the party try Skinner's "Betty Stogs" draught bitter, on hand pump.

For an atmospheric riverside early evening drink go to the Smugglers, a bar cum cafe at Tolverne. From an ancient cottage you can take motor boat trips to Falmouth along the wooded River Fal, sip a G'n'T watching herons, the occasional seal and people messing about in boats. For maritime history enthusiasts, this reach of the river is where ships rest-"laid-up"-before they head for the breaker's yard; indeed there were 3 stonking Italian tanker/freighters sitting amidst stunning riverside scenery when we visited. The walls of the cottage are festooned with prints and photos of old ships and D Day paraphenalia. Indeed, the road to this riverside oasis was built in 1943 by the Yanks-it is little changed since!

There is a lot of breathtaking scenery along this part of the Cornish coast, but there can't be too many Mediterranean-influenced botanical gardens! Lamorran House Gardens, at Upper Castle Road (+44 (0)1326 270800), are easily accessed with a short walk up the main road (A3078) out of picture-perfect St Mawes, and they make an excellent shady retreat if the elusive British sunshine happens to be beating down. The views across the bay from leaf-lined pagodas and secluded romantic benches take some beating; and the gardens are littered with statues and features taken from Japan to ancient Egypt. If you find yourself in need of refreshment, there is a lovely outdoor cafe near the entrance. A must for budding horticulturalists, and a wonderful find for anyone who enjoys a shady wander through a leafy paradise.