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Dining with a sea view  - Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling, St Ives, Cornwall

Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling

4.9
4.9
1256 Reviews
£41 and over
British

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2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for scenic views
  • Innovative
In a stunning Cornish Atlantic setting, just a mile from St Ives, Ugly Butterfly restaurant and bar offers spectacular views across one of the worlds most beautiful coasts, Carbis Bay. Ugly Butterfly showcases chef Adam Handling’s passion for converting locally-sourced, quality ingredients into beautifully-presented dishes, packed full of flavour. Offering an all-day dining experience, the Ugly Butterfly bar uses trims and offcuts from the ingredients used in the restaurant to create delicious drinks and bar snacks. This bar menu will illustrate that there is no such thing as food waste, much in the same way that there is no such thing as an Ugly Butterfly.
Private dining

Private dining

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Wed–Sat 12:00–13:30 Afternoon Tea Wed–Sat 12:00–17:00 Dinner Tue–Sat 17:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    01736 805800
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Adam Handling
  • Private party facilities
    Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling lucky to have one of the most beautiful views of the Cornish coast. Our open plan restaurant lends itself to semi-private dining, as well as large private hire events and weddings. No matter the celebration, Ugly Butterfly is the perfect location.
  • Private party contact
    Nick: 01736 805800
  • Area
    St Ives
  • Parking details
    Parking is available within and next to the Carbis Bay Estate
  • Public transit
    BY RAIL The nearest station is Carbis Bay on the St Ives branch line. There are frequent regular connecting services to St Erth station (on the London to Penzance main line). From the train station it is only a short walk down the hill to the Estate.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,256 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Cornwall

    Best Overall

  • Cornwall

    Best Food

  • Cornwall

    Best Service

  • Cornwall

    Best Ambience

  • Cornwall

    Innovative

  • Cornwall

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Cornwall

    Great for fine wines

  • Cornwall

    Romantic

  • Cornwall

    Great for scenic views

  • Cornwall

    Good for special occasions

  • Cornwall

    Lively

  • West Cornwall

    Best Overall

  • West Cornwall

    Best Food

  • West Cornwall

    Best Service

  • West Cornwall

    Best Ambience

  • West Cornwall

    Best Value

  • West Cornwall

    Great for fine wines

  • West Cornwall

    Good for special occasions

  • West Cornwall

    Lively

  • West Cornwall

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling offers an extraordinary dining experience with breathtaking sea views. Guests rave about "incredible food," "exceptional service," and a "stunning setting." The tasting menu is described as "artwork" with "mind-bending combinations." The team is praised for their "knowledgeable and friendly" approach, making it perfect for special occasions.

1,256 Reviews
  1. Tanith

    London

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, fantastic time at The Ugly Butterfly and the staff could not be more accommodating for my 10 month old daughter.

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  2. Lisa

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding meal, we came to the ugly butterfly last year to celebrate our anniversary and it was amazing, so we decided to go again this year and it did not disappoint, it was just as good if not better!! Highly recommend

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  3. Jenny

    Cornwall

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was the best afternoon tea we have ever had. Beautiful setting over looking Carbis Bay ,where we were entertained by seals playing in the surf. Tastefully decorated for Christmas as as the sun went down lovely atmospheric lighting. All of the waiting staff were friendly and knowledgeable with the right amount of attentiveness. And the food, well, what can we say, just delicious, the highlight was the red bauble of white chocolate, vanilla and cranberry, but it was all divine. We will definitely be back and would recommend to anyone for a special occasion.

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  4. Harriet

    Cornwall

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the greeting to the farewell, the service was genuine, knowledgeable, friendly, suggestive but not pushy and very professional. The Afternoon Tea was an absolute delight, all of the teas, tasters, canapés, wonderful sandwiches/fillings, extremely adaptable to dietary requirements and the desserts and scones were divine, light & warm. We opted to share a supplemental Caviar Canapé, new to Caviar we were unsure, but when you have a team of chefs like they have, trust in your server and their suggestion. We were blown away, excellent. I would recommend a visit to this restaurant without question or hesitation. We will be back for more for sure!

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  5. Martin

    Devon

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was exceptional. The staff were amazing. Very knowledgeable.

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  6. Shelley

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 10 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband and I went for a festive afternoon tea to celebrate my birthday. The staff were welcoming and attentive. The whole place had a relaxed atmosphere and we were made to feel comfortable. The food was phenomenal! Not only was it delicious, it was beautiful. I loved how knowledgable the staff were about the food and the effort that the team went through to reduce waste and use local products. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and wouldn’t hesitate to come back!

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  7. Rebecca

    London

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Divine, incredibly detailed and intricately thought out dishes beautifully presented by knowledgeable and attentive staff- this is a truly special and memorable place which has never disappointed…

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  8. mitch

    West Sussex

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 6 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely ambience and staff are such fun and so so helpful. Getting the chefs and sommelier helping serve the stories of each course was a brilliant touch. Food is amazing and so “evocative of memories (venison soup and football matches!)” and “tasty”. Cocktails before are expertly done and adapted to your taste (a spicy Bloody Mary was truly spicy!). Tiny observation - dinner in an amazing restaurant with amazing food will always be a pricey treat but the wine list felt too pricey…..a few more £30-50 bottles and so £10 a glass - would give a slightly more affordable feel….

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  9. Maria

    Cornwall

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 6 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food! Excellent service! Stunning view! 100% recommend

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  10. Maxine

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 4 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wow loved it. We went on a Wednesday evening in December. We were contacted to say we were the only diners and could bring our beloved dog with us as our dog sitter had let us down. We were treated to amazing service and food and even our dog was given treats and lots of fuss. We cannot recommend enough and we will return again. Amazing !!

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FAQs

Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling is rated 4.9 stars by 1256 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
Google Map for Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling

Carbis Bay HotelCarbis Bay, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 2NP

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Area
    St Ives
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Wed–Sat 12:00–13:30 Afternoon Tea Wed–Sat 12:00–17:00 Dinner Tue–Sat 17:00–22:00
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking is available within and next to the Carbis Bay Estate
  • Public transit
    BY RAIL The nearest station is Carbis Bay on the St Ives branch line. There are frequent regular connecting services to St Erth station (on the London to Penzance main line). From the train station it is only a short walk down the hill to the Estate.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Adam Handling
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    01736 805800
  • Private party facilities
    Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling lucky to have one of the most beautiful views of the Cornish coast. Our open plan restaurant lends itself to semi-private dining, as well as large private hire events and weddings. No matter the celebration, Ugly Butterfly is the perfect location.
  • Private party contact
    Nick: 01736 805800
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