Balcony Bar & Kitchen in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Nice food BUT tiny portions! More like tapas! Lebanese spiced lamb . I was expecting some kind of hearty dish not two table spoons of mince on a big blob of yoghurt for £15! Fur coat no draws kind of place . Best thing the view!

Absolutely fantastic! It's our first time in Cornwall, so happy to have come across Silco during this weekend getaway. Such a great restaurant that's cozy with an easy menu. Every single dish was so delicious, and the staff were kind and friendly. We loved our experience, dining with a view of the harbour, watching the tides slowly come in as we savoured every tasty dish. Favourite was probably the fish curry which came with a nice piece of fish, and the curry and rice in a separate bowl. You can assemble your own bites and they sure were so so good. Highly recommend for everyone! (try to make a booking a day ahead of time) Next time we're in St Ives, we'll be back!

Amazing food would love to visit again

Thanks so much for such a beautiful experience, food and atmosphere were great but most of all the service was top. Highly recommend it.

Excellent food in a great location. Highly recommended.

Nice little bar and cafe type restaurant for drinks and food Nice views of the beach and sea didn't have food but it looked and sounds good. Very friendly and chatty staff will visit again when back in St Ives

I was recommended this place by a family member and boy was it good ! Excellent menu ,amazingly fresh and tasty food .ambience was great and family run .dont hesitate to try it for yourselves you will not be disappointed! Loved it ,well done to you !

Worse Sunday dinner I've ever tried came 3 to 4 mins after ordering and was cold so take it was standing on the side somewhere ready to be brought out beef was awful full of fat not tender at all and not much of it but couldn't eat what was on my plate staff unattentive and not friendly they could tell it was bad as staff didn't ask how your food was so they must of known it was bad they tried to put service charge on top of the bill but had it removed won't be going back. One star as the bar is quite nice inside.

Good flavours, but menu doesn't say that most of it is just chips with chips.. (starter oprtions) we had 3 starters and it was 3x chips with different topping. And pricing for chips is way too much.

Had a very great time at Silco during our stay in St Ives! The food was very lovely, I had the vegan options and my partner had the fish curry and the crab fries and we both enjoyed them very much. Would highly recommend. Also lovely sea view and cocktails!

Exceptionally good. Please go if you get the chance, the food is really thoughtful, beautifully made and presented. The cocktails are lovely. A real gem I'm sorry we didn't eat there more. Next time 🙏

Came for dinner. It's described as small plates, but they're a decent size - we had the fish curry, spiced lamb and seaweed fries between two and were satisfied but not stuffed. I can't fault any of the dishes or even pick a favourite, they were all delicious. Dessert was a little bit less exciting but not bad by any means. Will definitely be back

Wonderful fish curry! Delicious Thai style and beautiful fillet of white fish. Glad we accepted the recommendation of flatbread to mop up the curry. Tasteful, stylish tableware and a sunny outdoor position on the edge of the quay made a perfect lunch! Lovely helpful waitress rounded it off. Up there with the nicest meal experiences I’ve had.

Such a perfect spot to enjoy the harbour with delicious food & a G&T!

Very friendly courteous staff, Eating is a dream, different taste buds are stimulated, will definitely come here again Thanks

The best food we’ve had on our visit in St Ives. Singapore crab fries and the Thai sea bream (one of the specials) were standout favourites, though everything we had was absolutely delicious. 4-5 plates proved more than enough for two of us and the Love Lane cocktail was so nice we had several!

The food was incredible - delicious Persian lamb and katsu chicken. So good, would really recommend

Felt portions were a bit small for the price but we are in st Ives at the water so to be expected ! Food was absolutely incredible - elderflower margarita and lentil frittas were the best. Staff super friendly and welcoming.

Fabulous spot for breakfast…. Lovely and attentive staff, lovely atmosphere & decor, the view is incredible and the breakfast was AMAZING! Can’t wait to return to try the evening menu and cocktails… 100% recommend!!

We had a meal here last night. I would agree with previous reviews and that the food is some of the best we have had when visiting StIves. We will be back for sure to try out the rest of the menu!

We had a great lunch and was served by a young guy with a great knowledge and great manners and the food was incredible. Had the beef tacos and loaded fries and my partner had the buttermilk chicken. The cocktails were also incredible. Definitely a must visit at any time of the year!

It’s not often you can eat a number of completely different dishes in a sitting and not want to change anything about any of them. Love what these guys are doing.

This was the biggest thing that happened to us in terms of culinary experience during a week-long holiday in Cornwall. The food is out of this world good, and so is the music and the atmosphere and it’s reasonably priced. Crazy good!!

Best place ever. Food is crazy good. Nice music. Beautifull interior. Super relaxing atmosphere. I'd like to keep going to this place over and over.

Absolutely amazing food, portions good and the cocktails were just as good. Excellent service staff really friendly . Would recommend.

The food was outstanding. The cocktails too. The view over the harbour really made it perfect. The staff were also amazing. We look forward to coming back next year. Favourite dishes were the Mackerel, Sri Lankan fritters and you simply must have the crispy cavolo Nero... All washed down with a tasty dark and stormy. It's worth the money and I'm still thinking about the food a week on from our visit.

We looked around for a place to have had Sunday lunch with friends. Decided to opt for The Balcony. There was a choice of full size at £15.95 and also a small size at £9.95. Great choice for people who don’t want a huge lunch. The quality of the lunch was fantastic. The staff were very polite and helpful. Great view over the harbour. Looking at other options and found that The Sloop, at £19.95, The Balcony is a no brainer!! We would definitely recommend it to anyone.

A very contemporary and modern sleek design inside the absolutley stunningly located bar and kitchen. We came down with a toddler and this place was very welcoming and accommodating for a Saturday night drink before we had our meal at another restaurant booked, the drinks were of high quality and variety from tap, bottled and cocktails Including many non alcoholic beverages from cold to hot made would highly reccomend a visit especially at night overlooking the harbour and ocean waves !

Food and cocktails are off the scale. Easily some of the best, on-trend food and drink you can currently get in St Ives. Highly recommend to any one regardless of food interest.

The new Sunday roast at the Balcony was superb. I always think my wife’s Sunday roast is the best. So I generally been disappointed. But it was really good.

Spent a glorious early afternoon in the sunshine here. The cocktails are well made as is the gin. The whitebait was a good snack. Lovely views of the harbour.

We visited the Balcony Bar one evening. We ordered a variety of Tacos. We were expecting the tacos to be the hard shell ones but they were the soft tortillas. This didn't detract from them at all as they were absolutely amazing. We only ordered two each and I wished i'd ordered 3! The restaurant is light, airy and very modern. Definately seek this place out and order tacos!!

Food was middle of the range. Service was so bad it’s actually embarrassing for who ever the manager is! Staff not at all attentive and seemingly unaware of how oblivious they are to the need of the customer! I got the impression they just don’t care. Shame as it’s in such a nice spot and could be much more pleasant.

Superb tacos on the quay side in lovely Autumn sunshine Excellent and knowledgeable bar staff and the deep fried olives with chimchurra taco was to die for

Lovely to sit outside near the harbour and watch the world go by. Drinks were very nice. The food looked lovely but we didn't get chance to try so will give it a try next time we go. Staff very friendly and dog friendly too.

Dishes were delicious, small plates concept means you get to try more! Highlight were Sri Lankan lentil fritters and the prawn toast with bone marrow special. Dog friendly and a great view!

At least provide your customers with toilet paper if you're adding a ten percent surcharge.

Fabulous food! Very interesting small (not that small tbf - 3 plates between 2 works plus something from the snacks) menu very well executed- so full of flavour! Finished off with an absolutely fabulous Pain Perdu. Lovely cocktails & a thoughtful wine list available by the glass, carafe and bottle. Will be back!

Absolutely the best food I've had in ages.

Amazing food, the kale and chicken katsu were so gorgeous. As was the humous, chips, lentil fritters!!! Lovely staff and great location. It’s a must when you visit st ives, defo the best place to eat.

Lovely decor, intimate and cosy. Stunning small plates we shared, perfect for a foodie like us!

Excellent place - and was last year, too. Small but perfectly formed. Interesting menu. Difficult to understand why not more talked about/suggested on searches. Go once, at least.

It was the first servings of the morning. The breakfast was cooked but served tepid. There was a lot of standing around by the young lads to the detriment of serving. Top tip lads, if you give a customer a brand new sauce make sure you have taken the seal off from under the top! It's not rocket science? At least they took the service charge off as there was little in the way of service.

What can possibly be the reason for not providing a changing table for mothers upon which to change their baby? Even the smallest cubicles can accommodate this. Appauling. Had to change the baby at the table in the cafe which isn't exactly hygienic or comfortable for the baby nor pleasant for other customers! Plus a wasted effort going down 2 flights of stairs to the toilets to learn there is no fold out changing table. Literally the only establishment I have ever been to without one. Rubbish!

Yummmm delicious food and drinks with a view of the harbour. A must visit! Look out for the seasonal specials and the crab fries!

OMG why was this place not absolutely heaving?! A hidden gem! The food was some of the best I have ever eaten, easily on a par with the Michelin star meals I have been lucky enough to experience. The atmosphere is relaxed, the staff are attentive and friendly and the view is great. I will most definitely be coming back when I am next in Cornwall.

Popped in for a spot of lunch and WOW it was a taste explosion. Lovely , fresh food, we haven't tasted Malaysian food this good since being in Malaysia! Loved it!

Outstanding food, friendly service, fabulous situation. My daughters and I went for lunch. We are all vegetarian and had some wonderful options. Tasty, beautifully presented food. I also had a gin sangria, which was divine. Honestly I can't fault it. It was fantastic to sit and watch the world go by and the dogs playing on the beach in front of us while we ate. There were some very well behaved dogs in the restaurant too.

Great service and drinks! Also a very nice modern interior,with fantastic views over the harbor. Highly recommended.

Outstandingly good food in tapas - kind of unusually good quality. An absolute recommendation.

Unfortunately The Balcony has gone downhill, compared to previous visits. Since Covid, it has been table service only, which isn't an issue, as long as the staff are competent and trained for table service. During my last visit, which will be the last for the foreseeable future, we were greeted as usual, told to sit anywhere and someone would take our order. We arrived before lunch, so it was quite quiet. The staff were more interested in talking among each other at the bar, or clearing the odd table, than taking our drinks order. Eventually, we managed to place an order for drinks. They took several minutes to bring the drinks, but this is normal compared to previous visits. Shortly, after receiving our drinks, we placed a food order (fish tacos and a brownie). The food was good as usual, however, a drink was ordered just after the food arrived, but the order wasn't passed to the bar staff. After a laborious task of gaining the staff's attention, another member of staff checked and said it would be brought out in a couple of minutes. So far, we'd struggled to order drinks initially, been served by different staff members and then a confirmed order wasn't even passed along. When the bill came, they had the audacity to add a service charge, which added over £5 to the bill. Tipping in this country is not mandatory, although staff fully deserve tipping when they do their job well. Adding a mandatory charge to a bill, when you've been served by multiple people, inattentively, is not on. Sadly, I will not be returning, after coming for over 10 years.

Both of us had the cheese toastie. We ate one of them but the bread was cut very thick with very little cheese in the middle. Not good for £9.50. I returned the other one and explained that it was all bread with little cheese. No offer of a refund

Great view, greater cocktails and even greater food! It’s picky bits (or bar snacks if you don’t wanna be fun) with a Lebanese focus, giving you all the hummus and baba ganoush that you could desire, warm flatbreads and crackers and spices used exactly how they should be, in the katsu bites apparently! If you want to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the harbour with something a little different to drink or eat, then Silco is the perfect place. Good ambience, happy and helpful service, and you can’t pass up on the people watching potential! I would very much recommend this place, especially the mackerel which was gorgeous, as well as the homemade lemonade which always hits the spot, lust for tang! It’s a little pricey with everything included, but can be contained to your budget really, it’s just hard when the menu looks so good!

Delicious food. The best we had during our stay. Great service and an idyllic spot.

Absolutely 5* Staff are lovely, food is so good, great drinks too. So good we went twice during a short holiday. Loved it.

Absolutely THE BEST coffee going ❤️ Lovely views across the harbour, Great friendly service. BRILLIANT

Exceptional fine food and service here and rather different from what you could stumble in just before along the way. The fish curry was delicious and so were the mackerel and the seaweed inspired fries. Very highly recommend.

Welcome wasn’t friendly, came in for breakfast but no one took our order, staff too busy talking amongst themselves. We noticed that they add 10% to your bill, tips should be voluntary.

We used to eat here all the time whilst on holiday but the last couple of years it's lost its appeal a little. The menu although good has become a bit limited and a bit pricey. The staff are all still very friendly and accommodating

This place lacks customer service! It is not very welcoming. You arrive and there is a sign that says please wait to be seated. The “manager” (if that’s what you want to call him) in shorts, shouts across at you from the bar area to...

Only place at this end of the harbour that does take away drinks. Crazy that no one else does, it’s like throwing money away.

Absolutely loved this restaurant. The staff were so friendly and accomadating we never made a booking but they still found us a table by the window with a stunning view of St. Ives. The food was outstanding and the restaurant has a really nice atmosphere too. I cannot wait to come and try some of the other dishes on the menu. Highly recommended.

Great little place. When the sun is out you sit on the quay under parasols. There is space inside but on busy days you will wait. I recommend the frozen cocktails particularly the Froze. The flatbread is also a great small portion choice with a view

We’ve always loved the balcony. Menu is now quite limited, but service is good and food tasty. Our go to for a quick bite, breakfast and beer and cocktails

We went last night 20/08, got showed to a dirty table with food crumbs and sauce stains, waitress showed zero intention on cleaning it for us so we had to use our own wipes to clean our table before the food came. The food was ok, very small plates for how much they charge. We received zero service, felt really unwelcomed, yet still had to pay the service charge.

Lovely venue with great views over St Ives bay. Small menu for dinner but tasty all the while. Service was efficient and friendly. We had burger, tacos and calamari and King prawns. And we could take our puppy in too.

Don’t bother! One of the worst experiences I have ever had in a restaurant…waitress extremely rude and unhelpful…my daughters food was first forgotten…when this was raise with waitress she just shrugged and said she would reorder…no apology!! The reordered dish came up burnt so had...

Brilliant little bar / restaurant. Excellent beer, milkshake was delicious. Food came quickly and reasonably priced for a prime location. Stunning views. Well worth a visit.

Walked in and was welcomed to a table. Great menu. Good local cider. Magical view. The Whitebait bowl, the mackerel dish and a Katsu Chicken dish was more than enough for 2. Definitely a place to visit again.

Our guide told us to watch out for the seagulls in St Ives. So we dined inside. This restaurant has stunning views of the beach. We watched happily and our food came quickly. I had a fish finger sandwich and loaded chips. The sandwich was...

Absolutely beautiful food and super quick (almost too speedy if I was being picky!). Great wine (we had the French Pinot Noir) and cocktails (my husband had a margartia). There was a great couple of serving staff, but there were 1 or 2 (1 of whom was just finishing her shift and 1 of whom I think was the manager or owner) who could have been a bit more smiley! There was quite a vocal conversation about how many people had not turned up for their table-incredibly frustrating and something I can not stand! But other diners don't want to hear about it. Especially when they have turned up and want to have a lovely meal. But I would 100% recommend this lovely little restaurant. The food really is amazing!

At least 50% more expensive than last time we came, used to be great value. Now it’s a very slimmed down menu and expensive. Tacos and burgers not a lot else. Fries not included in mains so chicken burger with fries bacon and cheese was...

I ordered Tamarind and coconut fish curry. I thought there would be fish in the curry, but it was nice that it was grilled separately. It was really delicious. I want to visit again!

We love this place, year after year! The food, the atmosphere and the staff. We generally eat here most days, with a mixture of breakfast, lunch and dinner.... Plus cocktails!

Great food and service with a beach side view.

Super delicious food: brilliant curry with indescribable aromas, crispy mackerel, great fries with seaweed and sweet and salty sauce - great!

What a view! Great spot for people-watching and we throughly enjoyed the tacos. Lots of unusual flavours. Wish we’d found this place earlier in our holiday.

The best breakfast we have had in Cornwall including my own cooking, quality ingredients and cooked to perfection, will certainly return. The service from the staff was without question, professional and polite.

Excellent and unique food right next to the harbour. Surprising to find such a brilliant restaurant among all the other bland offerings nearby. Even the beer (St Ives Slipway IPA) was excellent.

Had a lovely afternoon here, celebrating my Birthday. Staff were so helpful, despite being very busy, bringing drinks and really tasty food.. Highly recommend The Balcony Bar

Food was nice but you know what really lets places down… when they hand u menus as you sit down and they have food all over them.. disgusting. Real shame, but like I say very nice food they just need to understand people don’t want to touch dirty menus before having there food.

Super position overlooking the harbour. We’ve had lunch here on two occasions this July and both were delicious. And the service great. Today we had fantastic service as I had mentioned to the waiter that we were close to exceeding our parking limit and he...

Great food and ambience. Definitely worth coming back here.

went to the balcony twice in less than a week it was amazing! the drinks and food were incredible as well as the staff going above and beyond.

Absolutely appalling customer service from one of the ‘managers’ called Billy. He refused to serve me and 3 other friends just simply from knowing one of their staff members. This Billy has never seen me or my boyfriend in his life but believes he can...

Phenomenal dining experience. Relaxed atmosphere and the best food we have had in years. Highly recommended!

Very pleasant evening sharing some delicious food. Nice corner table so we could chat. Really nice white wine but I can't remember what it was called . They accommodated gluten and dairy free. Delicious coconut yoghurt

A truly lovely meal, enjoyed the ‘Small plates’ which must be the way to go, Fish curry, Lentil fritters, the lamb, the cabano nero, taste bud extravaganza was inspiring and great. So far the best meal in St Ives. Well done team👍

Food, service & location all make this a place to visit

How can the policy change overnight? Went in on Sunday night and paid £56.00 for drinks that they were more than happy to take from us. Went in again tonight and refused entry stating they were serving food only. Please explaine.

Shouldn't charge for service if you go to the bar

Magnificent food. Absolutely loved it. Recommend the fritters and the halloumi especially. Giving Ottolenghi vibes. 10/10

We're never disappointed at the Balcony Bar. Fabulous location looking out over the harbour. They only offer a limited menu but what they do serve is very generous & tasty! We recently had the toasted brisket sandwiches & loaded chips.

Friendly and helpful staff, food was great, views were amazing to sit and eat your lunch looking out over the harbour brill.

A particular staff member was very rude to my friends at the end of the evening claiming they had told us they were closing up and that we shouldn’t have ordered more drinks. 1 they didn’t tell us, 2 why serve drinks if your closing...

We visited on a Sunday lunchtime without a reservation and was lucky enough to be seated close to the windows overlooking the harbour after only a short wait. The staff were polite, attentive and welcoming. We ordered from the menu and the food arrived promptly...

Fabulous food, some of the best we ever had in St.Ives and we’ve been holidaying here for years. Delicious small plates, everything we had was top notch in terms of flavour, presentation, quality and value. So good to have lots of vegetarian choices too. Very friendly service too. Well worth a visit!

The location was good and the views were really enjoyable but unfortunately not a family place, the staff were unhelpful, all members of staff watched myself and my partner carry a pram up the stairs to the restaurant whilst my partner had our other baby...

As usual the food was amazing, I think we tried everything on the menu. Stunning views and restaurant, staff were perfect and made our meal the best of our holiday so far…… thank you, will be back again soon x

Crab fries, fish curry and special of the day were absolutely insane. All the other appetizers were really good too. Definitely bib gourmand level