Aviary Tea Room, Trago in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

We came here after a wander around Trago Mills. Usually we use the Keg and Kettle Cafe downstairs, but the tea rooms were open so we came upstairs. We ordered two ham salads and sat down with a cup of tea whilst they were freshly prepared. How impressed were we when they arrived! Very few places serve salad as a meal and even fewer on a Sunday. Mixed salad leaves, cucumber, onion, peppers, celery, coleslaw and a large portion of ham with some pickle as well as a warm panini. Excellent! One of the best we've had.

It was very quite when we ate here, just after midday on a Saturday. We had sandwiches and a panini and sat outside as the weather was nice. We had flapjacks to finish. Everything was fine and not too expensive. The staff were friendly.

Very Disappointed are the words I would use and What an experience. 2 staff members were working their socks off but respectfully, with very little result. Was told that they had lots of staff on their holidays and as such were under staffed. (Maybe leadership should have come up with a plan.... e.g. grab and go only and no hot food?) Decor was interesting to say the least e.g Christmas trees on balconies which were obviously trying to be hidden away. Not enough sandwiches available in the fridge and no signs to say there would be a long wait. All in all, a bit of strategic thinking by managers would have gone a long way to deal with the short staffed nature of today's visit.

Lovely spot for lunch after a 2 hour stroll around Trago. Had the most delicious ploughman's, followed by a large slice of drizzled fruit cake with a coffee and a Pepsi all for £10. Amazing value! We were served by the very friendly Tracey. The service was excellent.

Went in and chose our sandwiches. Stood behind a lady who was waiting for her drink to be made. One coffee seemed to take ages to be made. The lady who made it then wiped the milk frother with a green cloth and put the cloth on the side. She then served the lady and took her money. Then it was our turn. There was no hello to us she just rang our sandwiches into the till and I asked for 2 flap Jack's and a tea and hot chocolate. She replied that it would take time as she hadn't been trained to make drinks. We waited while she made both drinks and then once again out came the green cloth with which she then wiped the drip tray and then the frother. Surely the cloth should have been rinsed before wiping the frother again. Then she took our money and we sat down only to realise I had been given a latte. I took it back and she said it was what I had asked for. I said I wouldn't have asked for latte as I don't drink coffee. Eventually the other lady brought my hot chocolate. The sandwiches were lovely but the tortilla crisps were stale. The flap jacks were really dry too. We are locals and will not be returning there. Its such a shame as with the right people running it it could be a fantastic place.

The staff were unatentive and rude to each other. I asked if they had any sandwiches without meat on and was told "no, and we won't be making anymore". It was 12.15pm, lunch had barely started. I waited 20 minutes for a cheese toasty that came with a handful of stale tortilla chips.

Not a pleasant experience at all. After shopping in the store we decided to grab some lunch here before the hour journey home. After standing at the counter for over 5 minutes being completely ignored by an employee making coffees right in front of us and another employee making sandwiches who made eye contact and looked away, I asked if they were closed. I thought this was a reasonable question, we could have missed a sign. The woman making the sandwiches snapped “ no we’re not but we’re busy and we will get to you when we’re ready!” I completely understand being busy and stated a little acknowledgement of our waiting would have helped, but being left and ignored was confusing. So we continued to wait……several more minutes went by and still nothing. I need to point out there were 5 tables maximum with people sat drinking hot drinks and eating lunch and we were the only people waiting to be served. I’m the end we decided to go to the Halfway House pub a mile for lunch, it was lovely. The Aviary? Rude and ignorant staff, I can’t comment on the food as I only saw pre wrapped sandwiches in the chiller!

£6.50+ for a small portion of fish, chips and peas. Had to wait 20 minutes and only three out of four arrived. Food quality was average at best. No vinegar or gravy (this was lunchtime) and 15p for a small sachet of sauce. The staff were defensive and appeared unhappy and sullen (apart from the lovely lady on the till). They were quite unhelpful to us but seriously upset another customer after us who dared to ask for clarity on menu availability, he ended up so upset he stormed out! Honestly this was a poor experience, the staff need guidance or customer service training.

I like this place and have visited a couple of times. The staff are very knowledgeable when it comes to allergen awareness. There was a better than average selection of Gluten Free cakes available for my Wife who is Coeliac to choose from. Service was polite and friendly and our food was delivered to our table in the dining area which was well decorated with Christmas decorations and scenes at this time of year. Prices were extremely competitive and the cake and coffee combo deals were great value.

Came in mid-week on spec for hot drinks and a quick snack lunch on our way to the crematorium. 1pm very quiet save for one extended table with a dozen young females undergoing what seemed to be a very audible lesson, maybe oral examination in basic health and safety, and another table with suited men earnestly discussing loudly some form of laptop presentation. The walls are painted with a large selection of anthropomorphic cartoon tropical birds. Half the walls are temporarily hung with her white covering setting off a modest selection of crib attendants, polar bears etc. The coffee was not bad and in large cups, the everyday or similar tea was also OK and enough for two cups. The main food choice was three or four fillings for panini or toasted with unbidden leaves and nachos. Service was polite and no delay but I’m not sure we would give it another try.

We went pretty much as they were closing, which we didn't know and probably didn't help. We just stopped to feed the baby and have a cup of tea. There are lovely murals on the walls, it just looks a bit tired.

Have been here many times as I live locally. Staff have always been friendly and welcoming. I had the homemade leek and potato soup it was delicious. I did notice it had had a refurb the comfy sofas have gone. As you wallk into the tea room the table and chairs are fine but the larger dining area I feel there are two many chairs and tables too close together. As I walked out my handbag brushed against a lady who was sat having a drink as there wasn’t enough room to walk between the tables. I feel when the tea room is full of customers this is an accident waiting to happen when the staff have trays of food and drink in their hand if a toddler /child puts an arm out it could be quite dangerous. For this I have marked a star down.

Very clean and tidy place to eat, food as expected tasty and cheap. Only negative was staff attitude needs inproving.( smiling when serving and greeting customers). Also how come couldnt get a cheese ploughmans as no cheddar but could order 3 cheese panini’s.

The restaurant was in need of a refurbishment. The actual eating area is large but has no real personality. There are birds and animals painted around and the image is supposedly of a jungle/exotic garden somewhere. The green carpet looks tired as does the rest of the decor. it's like a 1980's theme park room. The serving area is small and right at the entrance which causes a back up to outside when it is busy. The actual food is fine and not over priced. But the eating area certainly put me off going back unless I was really hungry and there was nowhere else. Shame; it has potential.

First time to Trago mills so popped into the Aviary tea room for a snack and a coffee on route. So firstly I’m really not sure if the decor, although it says what it is on the tin as it were lol, I’m sure kids love it in the busy periods. But that aside it doesn’t have any atmosphere? Which is shame as the food was nice enough, I had a toastie and the coffee was great. Staff seem pleasant enough but the fact I had to ask when I walked in if they were open as there seem to be no engagement when I walked in, a smile and a greeting wouldn’t go amiss. Would I return? I’m not sure, if anything only for the coffee. Which is a shame.

Aviary Tea Room is above the normal Trago cafe and is well worth the climb up the stairs. They had made a big effort to make it look so Christmassy. The staff were so friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The food was freshly prepared and delicious, piping hot and nicely presented. The coffee was good too Lavazza. It was 27th December so you might have thought the staff would be a bit grumpy having to work but not these people. A great examplke of customer service, Thank you.

The decor here is probably the most memorable thing here, there is definitely an avian theme. That aside, the food was good and reasonably priced. Service was acceptable though not overly friendly.

No frills cafe, better quality coffee than the undrinkable ones downstairs and a nice piece of cake. Decorated nicely for Christmas but oh my it's like walking into a church or something so deadly quiet no atmosphere whatsoever. No one wants blaring music but it needs a bit of background music to lift the feel of the place. It was quiet in customer terms so I couldn't comment on waiting times as I was served quickly. I wonder if I am the only one to comment on the deadly silence 🤔 apart from that, no complaints.

Ordered 2 coffees and 2 light meals at 1.03pm After chasing up at 1.20 they eventually arrived at 1 .30 and they were not that busy!!!! Food which was ok arrived 2 minutes later

After shopping in the store came here for coffee & cakes What a disappointment Notice saying reduced service today Poor selection of food on offer Coffee just about palatable Would not recommend this "out-of-date" place to anyone!

After our last visit which was very dissappoiting we returned today and the standard has returned to its excellent food and service. Will be back again soon

I would say the the choice of food is limited and the price is quite high. Slightly more up market than the Keg and Kettle.

Visitamos aquí ya que sólo quería una bebida y nos sorprendió gratamente el buen café, mucho mejor que el café de la planta baja. También el servicio y la amabilidad de los dos miembros más jóvenes del personal femenino también fue mucho mejor. Sé Barca se llena, pero una sonrisa o una palabra alegre no cuesta! !

El ambiente era bueno y el personal era muy servicial. La comida estaba bien presentada y de buena calidad.

This was one of many return visits and we were very disappointed , there was a shortage of staff and this resulted in long waits, the jacket potatoes were not very hot and the crab filling was very poor standard and probably came from a tin rather than the fresh crab received on previous visits

We visited Trago Mills whilst on holiday nearby, at a friend's recommendation. The Aviary was a handy place for a coffee break. Service was efficient and friendly, the coffee and toasted teacakes were good value.

I love Trago but the Avery restaurant has really fallen by the wayside since my last visit in March. the pasty at £2.86 was dried out, must have been knocking around for ages. Service was slow with a lengthy wait. There seemed plenty of staff about but not much happening.Finally the coffee machine broke, so they sent for a manager, what he was going to do I do not know. They would have been better going into the store and getting a coffee percolator to make some decent coffee.Think I will stick to downstairs in future..

Lovely food at a reasonable price, Only open during summer season, but well worth a visit. I went there with my friend and we enjoyed a very pleasant lunch.

Always great cakes and coffee available, good value and though place could do with some TIC it is very good for a nice cuppa when visiting Trago

Really friendly staff and lovely place to sit for a coffee!Food was OK but with the reasonable prices, you get what you pay for. Scones were very crumbly and look like they are bought in (but can't be certain!) Baguettes are long thin granary rolls and the filling was all right but nothing outstanding.Would recommend if you want a quick bite to eat if you're in the area.

A 40 minute wait for dreadful scones with crap jam and covered in clingfilm. To be fair they did knock it off the bill but place was a horror

They a score of three for the food quality and friendliness of the staff. However, the service was terrible 20 minute wait and then I had to ask for the food. Now it my have been because we arrived at 2:45 and the placed stopped serving after 3:30.Well in that case stop serving at 2:30.Not pleasant even the quality of the food once it arrived couldn't take away the thought that we where a hinderance.

We called in for a midday snack whilst shopping at Trago Mills.. The food and service was yet again very good and the prices were very reasonable and the portions were not at all small

There is no doubt that Trago Mills provides the South West of England with some vital employment and many vital supplies at very reasonable prices.What is in doubt is whether there is any real organisation in the Aviary Tea Room which is part of the rambling complex.With a small clientele on the occasion of our visit and a staff to customer ratio of 1:3 the wait that we and others experienced was intolerable.For two cream teas we waited 15 minutes, others had a similar wait for similarly simple fare. In fairness when scones, jam, cream and coffee arrives they were all of an acceptable standard and all at a good price.

The service we got was good,this is not a 5 star cafe so do not expect 5 star food,but the food is good and the service was good,the cafe was busy as you expect during school holidays,Some reviewers are expecting 5 star service which is annoying.

Popped into the Avery Tea room, the upstairs section where you get waitress service. and had a couple of jacket potatoes, one with Tuna the other with Crab and two coffee's, all worth the money, bill came to £11.16Prompt and pleasant service.Restaurant only had a few customers at 2pm on a Friday.We often use Trago because as they say you cannot get it cheaper. They have the right idea keep the prices down and plenty of customers unlike the town centre DIY shops where you pay through the nose.

The cafe was almost empty and we were the only people ordering yet it took 15 mins for 2 coffees and a cream tea to get to us at which point we were told that one of the items we had ordered they couldn't produce, we ordered a replacement of chocolate sundae which took another 15mins to arrive. What appeared to be the manager arrived with a guest and surprisingly their order was completed within minutes surprise surprise! We wouldn't of minded but 30 mins for a simple order when there were approx 5 staff and no other customers around was not satisfactory, to top it off the scones were dry and stale. Dread to think how they cope when it's busy!

Popped in for a bite to eat as it was a dour horrid day outside and we took the decision to fight through Trago Mills. First impression is the decoration. As the name would suggest the walls are painted with rather nice bird characters. We had a cream tea which was bought to us promptly and we were rather surprised with the amount given to us. Well worth a visit!

I've been to Trago a number of times, but not this cafe. We were going to grab a quick bite to eat, and at Trago it's usually something with chips or a pasty. But we saw this place and decided to give it a go. We both fancied something that wasn't fried so we both went for the cheese ploughmans. My husband added some ham and I added some smoked mackerel for around £1 (his was 89p and mine was 1.09). It was a simple lunch, but enjoyable. The staff were pleasant.

If the Cafe at Trago Mills is the one, take your car and have a bite somewhere else, maybe at Liskeard Tavern. or any pub. Trago is cheap but it is nothing to write home about.

We came to the cafe after visiting the let-down tat shop that is Trago Mills, and the food was average. The salad is definitely worth the money, and there was only one thing wrong with the cafe. The glass I drunk from was really dirty, as was the whole family's cutlery. Probably won't visit again.

i went to Aviary tea rooms with my son and his partner for lunch very quiet and very clean and had a lovely meal

Love this place, light lunches are always tasty and excellent value. No loud music playing in the background and staff are always friendly and very helpful. Whenever I pop to Trago I always stop to have lunch here. And in the summer you can sit on the sun patio which is a right little sun trap.

have to say we found the Aviary has become very disappointing we are locals and always eat there but not again had a toasted gammon sandwhich , supposedly , the ham was wafer thin there was no spread inside , the salad garnish was a small lettuce leaf bit of tomatoe and cucumber for £6 PLUS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING, told the waitress all she said was fill out the feed back form on our table I did and read it to her , still no offer to sort out the sand which , shame as have always recommended it , definitely not value for money .....

We often visit this café whilst shopping at Trago. The food is always good and at a reasonable price. There is a sun terrace for when the weather is good.