The Rising Sun, St Mawes

The Rising Sun is a small boutique inn right on the square in St Mawes, on Cornwall's Roseland peninsula, and it makes a dog feel like part of the booking. The harbour is on the doorstep, several rooms look out to sea, and dogs are welcome at the table in the bar, the conservatory-restaurant and on the terrace, so they can settle beside you at dinner and breakfast rather than waiting upstairs. Only the main restaurant is off-limits.

Dogs stay in designated dog-friendly rooms, which need booking ahead, at £20 per dog per stay rather than per night, and the inn asks that they are not left alone in the rooms. Waiting in the room is a 'Proper Dog' hamper with a tennis ball, treats, poo bags, a feeding mat and a water bowl, and it is the detail guests with dogs mention more than almost anything else.

Most dog owners have warm words for the staff, the food and the generous breakfast, along with the thoughtful extras in the rooms, from a coffee machine and a fan to an OS map and good toiletries. St Mawes is a pretty, walkable village with the coast path close by, so a morning and evening walk fit in easily.

There are a few things to weigh up. Parking is awkward: there is no dedicated car park, roadside spaces come with restrictions from April, and the public car park is costly. Rooms at the back can be noisy with the windows open on warm nights, and returning guests have noticed more wear on the paintwork and that the dry robes are no longer in the rooms. Service is not always as warm as its reputation, and the dog fee has come as a surprise at check-in where a booking had not recorded the dog, so confirm the dog room directly after you book.

The Rising Sun earns a 4.5/5 paw rating and is best for owners who want a characterful harbourside stay where the dog comes to dinner, and who do not mind sorting out parking and booking a dog room ahead.