AA 4 Star Inn

Awarded September 2026. An AA inspector stayed with us unannounced on 22 September 2026, took a room, had dinner and breakfast, and assessed the inn against 46 separate standards across hospitality, service, cleanliness, food, bedrooms, bathrooms, public areas and the exterior.

We were rated Four Stars with the Inn designator — four out of four on overall quality, four on the five critical areas, and four on services and facilities. Every minimum requirement was met.

A genuine pleasure to visit The Olde Malthouse Inn, such an engaging establishment with so much period charm, all of which contributes to such a rewarding guest experience. A very personable young team, a credit to the establishment and all making a unified input.

AA inspector, September 2026

What the stars mean: the AA rates guest accommodation from one to five stars, with a designator describing the kind of place it is — Inn, B&B, Guest House, Restaurant with Rooms or Farmhouse. Four stars at Inn level means a high standard of quality and guest care in a pub with rooms. We are not a hotel and have never pretended to be one; we are a 14th-century inn, and that is exactly what the rating recognises.

AA Dinner Award 2026

Awarded at the same inspection, the AA Dinner Award recognises the quality of the evening meal. Our inspector ate three courses from the standard menu and wrote up every one of them.

In terms of cuisine, the meal sampled was enjoyable, simple dishes prepared with care and underpinned by good quality, locally sourced produce, a Dinner Award well deserved.

AA inspector, September 2026

A good example of the ethos here, hence keeping things simple and allowing the produce to shine. Fish of good quality and accurately cooked.

On the whole roasted flatfish with lemon and caper butter

Simple food, good Cornish ingredients, cooked properly. You can see what’s on at the moment on our food page, and the kitchen is open seven days a week.

CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2027

We’re in the 54th edition of the Campaign for Real Ale’s Good Beer Guide, published on 24 September 2026. It lists around 4,500 of Britain’s 45,000-odd pubs, chosen for the quality of their cask beer.

This one’s different from the AA. You can’t apply for it and you can’t pay for it. CAMRA members score the beer they drink, all year round, and the local branch picks its pubs from those scores. It’s a verdict from people who drink here, and we’re grateful to Cornwall CAMRA and to everyone who has ever scored a pint at our bar.

Three Tintagel Brewery ales on, as always. Come and see the sticker in the window.

And the thing we’re proudest of

The inspector’s report runs to eleven pages. This is the paragraph we’ve put on the wall in the office:

Standards of cleanliness are strong throughout, with bedrooms, bathrooms and public areas all benefiting from a thorough and attentive preparation. Particular care noted in the critical contact areas with bathroom surfaces showing a depth of shine. Given the age of the building, standards particularly commendable, where maintaining exacting standards can present additional challenges.

AA inspector, on our housekeeping team

Keeping a 14th-century building to that standard is not easy and it is not glamorous. It is done by people who care. All of this is theirs.