Calling all Devon / Cornwall experts!

[marmiteandcheeseoncrumpetspls]

Please recommend an area that combines a fab beach with a little town that has great restaurants, bistros, coffee shops.
A hybrid of Dartmouth and Woolacombe would be perfect!
Thank you.

St Ives!

Fowey (pronounced Foy).

Falmouth

Padstow, and ferry across to Rock. Great beaches and cafes

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

Have been put off St Ives in the past due to being told it's crazy busy! Going to have a look at all the places mentioned and hopefully get our May half—term holiday booked.

Thanks.

Move across to Dorset and visit Lyme Regis.

I'm local & I don't go anywhere near St Ives or Fowey during school holidays! Although they are both lovely places to visit.

Perranporth is nice as is Hayle is with Gwithian & Godrevy beach nearby.

St Agnes is very small but lovely. Mostly stony beach.

Kynance Cove is amazing & if you stayed in Helston you could visit a few other beaches like Church Cove (featured in Poldark). The town is quite nice but might not be what you're after if you like St Ives etc

The town is quite nice but might not be what you're after

Aye there's the rub. OP specifically asked for a town/beach combination, which means there are relatively few options and those will be busy.

Oh, I meant to suggest Sidmouth on the East Devon coast too (not that far from Lyme).

Marazion? Porthleven also good.

Just been to brixham for a week and thanks to lovely suggestions from mn posters found lots of things to do to fill the week !

Portscatho/St Mawes and ferry across to Falmouth (or the other way around)

St Ives is bloody awful in school holidays IMO, just so ridiculously busy. Fowey very fractionally better.

If the weather isn't a deal breaker, we've just had a brilliant week on the Gower peninsula in Wales - huge sweeping beaches and nice little towns, and very very quiet. Weather not quite as good as Cornwall, but not bad at all, we were on the beach or walking most days this week.

Dawlish is sweet if you don't mind forgoeing fancy restaurants! And another vote for Brixham.

We just stayed in Carbis Bay which is a village a few minutes from St Ives with a stunning beach. It was great.

Can also recommend Lyme Regis.

Agree with @Hopefully - huge fan of Tenby and Saundersfoot though they are in Wales too so maybe missing the remit completely. All the charm of Devon and Cornwall but not so crazy busy.......... that said, what about Shaldon, just gorgeous!

Another vote for Lyme Regis. Less of a hassle to get to as well.

how about Bude? Not as fancy as Padstow, Salcombe, Dartmouth

Just read through. Lyme Regis is nice

Looe

Salcombe - beautiful area.

Exmouth might be a bit downmarket for what you're after, but it does have a fabulous and very big beach and you can always go into Exeter or Totnes for a bit of a day out if it's raining...

Looe in Cornwall or Shaldon in Devon. You can get the little ferry across to teignmouth from shaldon too

A vote for St Ives - lucky you if you go there.
Fore Street and the Harbour do get busy, and in August if you want to eat in one of the proper restaurants it is probably a better to book because they get full. But the great thing about St Ives is that there are loads of places where you can get away from the crowds if you want - the Island, Mans Head, Clodgy, coastal path towards Carbis Bay etc. and the beaches like Porthmeor and Porthminster are huge - I've never had a problem finding space (some people do choose to sit smack in the middle of the beach or near the steps so of course those sections of the beach are crowded, but more fool them I say). Early morning is always quiet - serene even. There are stacks of bistros, cafes, restaurants and pubs (no need to book to eat in these).
Be aware that parking is not easy, St Ives was not built for cars. the council run pay and display car parks get full. A good bet is the car park run by the rugby club - it's signposted. You can get daily or weekly tickets there, and can come and go as you please - plenty of space so no worry about not being able to get your car back in.

Hayle/gwithian.
Or carbis bay
Just across the bay from at Ives. The park n ride train makes at Ives alot more do-able.