Confirmed · Port Isaac · Pub

The Golden Lion

The Crab & Lobster, Portwenn's pub in Doc Martin. Customers welcome; allow a drink or a meal.

On screen as: The Crab & Lobster, Portwenn's pub
Series and episodes: Series 1–10
Access: Customers welcome
Time needed: A drink or a meal
Where: Fore Street, Port Isaac, Cornwall

On screen

How The Golden Lion appears

The Golden Lion is the Crab & Lobster on screen, the pub at the centre of Portwenn's social life. Visit Cornwall confirms that filming took place there. The building's harbour-front position means it often appears as part of the wider village scene, and it is the natural meeting point for the villagers whose problems end up on Martin's desk. Its fictional name was added with temporary signs, so the pub you visit carries its real name.

The real place

What you can visit

The Golden Lion is an ordinary working pub overlooking the harbour, with food and drink through the day. Visiting as a customer is the best way to see it: sit by a window or on the terrace and you get one of the best views of the Platt and Roscarrock Hill. It is busy in summer and at weekends, so book ahead if you want to eat. Opening hours and menus change through the year; the pub's own website has current details.

Treat it as a pub first and a filming location second: buy something if you go in, and ask before photographing staff or other customers.

Visit Cornwall: Doc Martin locations ↗

Getting there.

Park in Cornwall Council's New Road car park (PL29 3SB) at the top of the village and walk down; the lower streets are steep, narrow and not suitable for visitors' cars. The walk to the harbour takes about ten minutes downhill and longer on the way back up. There are steps and steep gradients throughout, so a step-free route to every frontage cannot be promised. Bodmin Parkway is the nearest main-line station, with an onward bus or taxi. The pub is on Fore Street, a minute's walk from the Platt.

Official visitor information ↗Open in Google Maps ↗Read the visiting guide →

Common questions

Planning a responsible visit

Is the Crab & Lobster real?

The name is fictional. The Golden Lion in Port Isaac supplied the pub, and it keeps its own name and signs today.

Can you eat there?

Yes, as a normal customer during opening hours. It is popular, so book a table in busy months and check current hours on the pub's website.

Were the pub interiors filmed there?

Visit Cornwall says filming took place at the Golden Lion. The series also built many interiors elsewhere, so not every bar scene was necessarily filmed inside.

Does it have a view of the harbour?

Yes. It looks over the Platt and the harbour, and across to Roscarrock Hill where Fern Cottage stands.

Plan your visit