Distances are measured from the front door. Anything under a mile and a half is a walk if the weather holds, though the coast path back from Watergate in the dark is not one to attempt. Booking is worth doing for everything from Lusty Glaze outwards in July and August.
The Mermaid is a hundred metres away and does not need booking midweek. There is a supermarket delivery slot worth reserving if you are arriving late on a Saturday — Newquay gets busy.