First And Last, Sennenback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
We visited the pub on11th Sept 2012. All I can say is that the food was mediocre at best and the tables were filthy. It looked like they'd had beer mats on them that had stuck to the tables and not been cleaned off. We hardly ate anything as we couldn't wait to get out of there.
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Sorry if I appearred to offend you firstandlastgirl but I can only point you to the comment posted by Pat Bateman. I have just come back from a visit to Sennen and I still can't get a good feeling from the F&L and believe me I want to. It is simply not a welcoming pub. It should be a winner, great beer, free entertainment on a Saturday night, what's not to like? But there is something about the place that makes it unwelcoming. I can't pinpoint why, nor will it stop me going back when I am in Sennen but I just feel i could be a friendlier place. My wife always references the "Slaughtered Lamb" scene in "An American Werewolf in London" it really does seem that unfriendly.
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This pub wins the unfriendliest welcome award from me.
Young girl behind the bar was the only person serving when we visited around 12:15 on Thursday 13th October 2011.
She had dark hair and was either in the early stages of pregnancy, or just a bit podgy.
No friendly welcome ... she just looked miserable. Then gave me a foul look because i was photographing a photo on the wall that just happened to look like a guy from my work.
No goodbye when we left. We guzzled our one drink as quick as we could and walked.
I also noticed that the floor was filthy and covered with salt and hairs.
Had a bad experience in this pub on our last trip to Cornwall as well. My meal came with about 5 chips. When I questioned this, I was told that was the normal amount. I had to debate with them, before I was finally given a few more chips.
Never again.
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`I can only agree with 'firstandlastgirl', though she is obviously a local girl/landlady; I am a 'tourist' ( like a some stage, we all are ), I always look forward to coming here on my 2x fortnightly breaks to west cornwall. The ales are always top notch and I have never had any problem with the food, always a good selection, and for my tastes, they actually serve 'real' pub grub, which seems to be a harder to find commodity nowadays, good value and good portions. This is a real pub, not gastro, please do not change, if it is not to the tastes of an occassional passer by, well and good, they have the option to stay away. As an avid supporter of B.I.T.E. I have no hesitation of giving the first and last my first ever top rating of 10; Cheers.
anonymous - 11 Nov 2010 21:33 |
Think there must be two First & Last Inns in Sennen because the description given by dave061258 bears no resemblance to the pub I drink in. It is a very friendly pub which is happy to share its space with tourists in the summer months. Yes it can be difficult after months of there being no one in there but a few locals, but we all accept that that's how it is. We all go on holiday ourselves you know, so we know how it feels! Locals standing at the bar will always move aside to let others in and will generally engage them in conversation whilst doing so. As for expecting to get served first, that is a load of rubbish and locals will wait patiently to get served along with everyone else. I got the impression from this persons's write up that he was expecting to be blackballed by the locals before he even walked in the place. Well, sorry you had such a bad experience dave but you truly are one in a trillion. Tourists come back to the First & Last Inn year after year and are welcomed back by us "unfriendly" locals. Don't bother coming back dave - you won't be missed with an attitude like yours.
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The observation that this pub is dominated by locals should really speak for its self ! this is the village pub and the reason the holiday makers absolutely love to come back time after time. I guess if you'd been around since 1621 you'd be a little shabby too ! however if you prefer the more up to date pub there is a wetherspoons in PZ. The locals and the visitors love the fact that the pub is ingrained with soot and history .... still ! some people obviously don't like "the real thing"
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A really disappointing place. Relying on passing trade no doubt going in and out of Lands End. Which is a shame really. It purveys top notch local ales, Skinners, but the night we went in, it was gloomy and distinctly unwelcoming. A few tourists, including my wife and I were dotted around the place but the bar was dominated by the locals who appeared to object to tourists and as is always the case in these places expect to be served before any one else.
Overall it was distinctly tatty and there has been no apparent effort to make it appealing in any way which borders on crass stupidity really when you consider the location. This place should be a gold mine and to be honest it is a dump.
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I was disappointed with this pub. It seems friendly enough, but there was none of the promised fresh fish or fresh crab, as advertised on the board outside, available on the lunch menu. Our lunch was distinctly mediocre and lacked much of the fresh local ingredients I would expect for a pub in this locale. Ham, egg and chips consisted of two small bits of ham and rather overdone eggs, with a handful of indifferent chips. Jacket potato & tuna was a very shrivelled potato and mushy, unappealing tuna. It doesn't take much to perk up simple dishes like these, and it seemed that little effort had been made. The staff seemed nice, though - maybe visit for the beers if that's your thing, but don't bother about the food.
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So called because of its proximity to Lands End - a mile or so away - The First and Last Inn is a roadside inn dating back to 1620.
As you drive towards Lands End, the pub sign proclaims " The Last Inn in England" and, on the other side as you drive inland from Lands End, it says �.( well, work it out for yourselves ). The Cornish flag flies proudly from the roof top.
The main bar room has the de rigeur ( for Cornwall anyway ) interior of dark low beams, much exposed stonework, subdued lighting and marine and nautical memorabilia.
Various commemorative T shirts pinned to the ceiling reflect the fact that, over the years, groups of cyclists and walkers who have completed the John O' Groats to Lands End journey have obviously been in here to celebrate their achievement and, no doubt, to rest their weary limbs.
The principal item of note is "Annie's Well" - a glazed over entrance to a smugglers tunnel running to the cliffs. An information board tells us that this relates to Ann Treeve, a former landlady of the pub, who presided over local smuggling and wrecking operations. Eventually, she turned Queens Evidence and, as a reward (?), was staked out of Sennon beach and drowned by the incoming tide. Her body was laid out in the large upstairs room of the pub, prior to burial in an unmarked grave, for fear of retribution by grave robbers. At the front of the building, a large rusty anchor leans against the wall, but I didn't see anything to indicate from where it had originated.
As well as the main bar area, there's a separate dining / restaurant area and, beyond that, a pool room. Most people however, seemed to be eating in the main bar area and, whilst still retaining something of a community feel, it is clear that passing trade from visitors to Lands End is a major earner.On my recent visit, a lunchtime special ( available between 12 and 2 ) was proving to be popular and good value.
Reflecting the fact that the pub needs to pay its way long after the tourists have left for the day, the pub offers live music on Friday and Saturday nights, including on Friday 24th a band called Quijada - who, according to the flyer, are a " 5 piece Cuban inspired local sensation".
On my recent visit, on the 6 pumps, beers were Sharps Doom Bar, Skinners Ginger Tosser and Skinners Annie's Revenge. The latter is described as "our very own ghostly brew" and, if you've been paying attention whilst reading, you'll understand the reference. All beers were priced at � 2.60p which, given the location, seems very reasonable to me.
If you're going to or coming back from Lands End, this strikes me as a very reasonable place to call in on for sustenance, of either the liquid or the food variety
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this is a great pub its got to be the best pub the food great and the staff are friendley there its like going back in time i would go again
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Visiting this pub was one of the main points of our 'mission' down to Cornwall recently. Having visions of some 'Disney' meets 'Poldark' type theme affair like the debacle 'Lands End' has become up the road, I was pleased to enter a traditional venue with character. Alot larger than I expected with plenty of space. A couple of Skinners were available - we settled for several pints of 'Ginger Tosser'!! Very nice. We sat by the fire place which made the place more cosy on a windy, November day. Service was good and the bargirl was very welcoming and friendly. I liked it and look forward to returning next year.
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Called in to this Good Beer Guide pub yesterday and enjoyed a meal there, along with Skinners Keel Over. There were 3 Skinners beers plus Sharps Doom Bar available. Lovely pie but they fell down on the classic problem of the dish it is served in burning fingers when trying to get the food on my plate. I cannot eat out of a little dish. Food was superb though.
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Popped in here for some food and drink before going to the Minack Theatre.
Reasonably basic bar food avaialbe but it was good value for money. Three Cornish ales on and the ones we tried were spot on.
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We came down to this place last Friday and were pretty impressed by the atmosphere as well as the friendly staff. Keltek Magik was the order of the day for Ale drinkers & Rattler for Cider fans. To sit 25 of us down and serve very good food at the same time was a wonderful effort. I'd like to thank the Landlady & her staff for making it an enjoyable visit.
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Situated a mile or so inland next to an acient church in a small hamlet near Lands End, only a purist would begrudge the pubs claim to being the first and last pub in England (there is a large hotel with a bar at Lands End itself but that is hardly in the spirit of things). Dating from 1620, the pub has been altered and expanded somewhat but has certainly not lost any of its old world charm or character. It certainly appears to be a popular watering hole for the Land End to John O Groaters judging by the commemorative t-shirts pinned to the pubs ceiling where the teams obviously gather to celenbrate their often commendable achievements.
The large dimly lit main bar is characteristically gloomy and basic with low ceilings, flagstoned floors, soot encrusted walls by the open fires, lanterns, pew seats, farming instruments and plenty of old photos of local maritime and village life. The basic widescreen TV has a rather murky picture but to be honest, a TV is out of character for the bar. 6 hand pumps but only 2 operational on my visit � Doom Bar (�2.60) and Skinnners Best (at �2 a pint, great value). I dare say the selection is expanded during the summer months. Moving away from the bar is a pleasant and brighter dining area which doesn�t intrude on the pub and beyond this, a separate pool room with darts and a TV.
The most interesting feature is in the floor between the main bar and the dining room. �Annie�s Well� is now illuminated and glazed over and hides a smugglers tunnel that runs to the nearby cliffs. Outside to the rear is a large smoker�s shelter, a few benches and a sizeable car park.
All in all, a pleasant surprise to find a place that could so easily have taken the tacky and cheap tourist approach that seems to typify much of the Lands End area but instead has retained much of its own intrinsic character.
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excellent pint of skinners,good sandwiches,pleasant atmos,friendly staff-only gripe is the company who own the property are the same company who own the hideous tourist trap that lands end now is.
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The owners of our accommodation recommended that we use the Old Success whilst in Sennen as the other pub was rubbish. How wrong they were. Reading previous comments about the First & Last I can only say that we found the Old Success absolutely soul-less by comparison. The First & Last was visited both daytime and evening and proved to be the pub with ambience, great beers and quality food. Great house cat, Socks. If anyone is aware who brews their house beer I would like to know [yes I know I should have asked at the time].
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As a local of this pub I would like to comment, particularly with regard to Henny�s comments. The First & Last Inn has definitely had its fair share of managers, due in the main to the owners� lack of interest in its well-being. It now has excellent management who are always cheerful, welcoming and caring. The pub is warm again, its log fires lit and the atmosphere has returned to what was becoming a rather cold unfriendly place. You will not be on your own in winter in this pub as we locals frequent it right through the year, and contrary to Henny�s comments, all the locals do not congregate down The Old Success, an old Inn that in my opinion is soul-less (not to mention the fact that it is situated right at the bottom of a very steep hill � very nice on a winter�s evening when its chucking it down with rain). Certain locals drink down the Old Success, but it has come to my notice that of late, they too are moving back up to the First & Last Inn. So all in all, come and pay us a visit. You won�t be disappointed. Our new management will do their best to make your visit a pleasant one and believe me � they are here to stay!
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The local population of Sennen is a lot larger than the above review would indicate. The reason you may be alone in this pub in winter is because all the locls congregate in Sennen Cove at the superior Old Success Inn.
The Old Success is a delightful 17th century Fisherman's Inn, which has been sympathetically modernised to improve the appearance and facilities. The First and Last is a sad old pub that has seen approximately 17 landlords come and go in the past ten years. Not even the page three girl with the huge tits could make a go of this pub despite making sure they were always on display and in your face for the lads.
Landlords have renovated the life out of the First and Last and dispelled any ambiance it had and replaced it with a dying light.
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Claims to be the "First and Last Inn in England", but it's not the first / last pint you can find. Has a sign which reads differently depending on your direction of travel. 1 mile up the A30 from Lands End. Real ales, a warming atmosphere, sometimes live music and definitely a great place to escape a storm or the usual cold foggy weather of the area. Food available most sessions. The local population is very small so in winter you might be alone here, but busier with tourists from Easter to September. Frequent bus to surrounding towns stops outside although there's no evening service.
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