Heligan Tearoom in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Very disappointing food and service - the child's menu is not a suitable child's menu at all - the "fish finger bap" came with a plate of dressed salad and had tartar sauce drizzled all over the fish - NOT suitable for a 5 year old! - other options were beef ragu or a bowl of soup, the only vaguely appropriate option was pizza. Kids want and need simple, familiar food, not just smaller portions of adult food. Chips, simple sandwiches, pasta, normal fish fingers etc. The menu was completely inappropriate for young children, and renders the service pretty useless for families which was disappointing - and problematic given that we'd expected to be able to eat upon arrival. The service was also poor, with the children's meal coming last,amongst other things. Such a shame as it has so much potential to be so much better.

we'd been looking forward to Sunday breakfast at Heligan. unfortunately it was a huge disappointment. i had the kitchen breakfast within which; the toast was sliced bread not sourdough; the veggie sausages were inedible; the mushrooms had been grilled i think with no fat involved; the tomatoes were from a tin! the scrambled egg was ok other than being luke warm. the baked beans the same. the hash browns were fine. we love coming to Heligan and will continue to do so, but for coffee only which is very good.

Not a great deal of choice on the menu, especially if you don’t eat meat. We have been visiting Heligan for some years now and remember the time when there was more variety on the menu.

The food was very nice when it arrived but the service was awful! Half our tables food arrived in about 10 minutes which is fine but after a few minutes waiting it became clear the other half of the table weren't getting their order. I asked about it and the waitress told me ours was the next order out. There were still tables coming out so this was annoying. She didn't admit the error or apologise. When the food arrived it was good but the first half of the table had finished when the second half arrived. I would also point out, the children's plowmans lunch perhaps needs to have milder cheese on it. It's nice for adults but it's smoked and very strong. Children tend not to like that.

I don't often leave reviews but felt compelled to say how disappointing our lunch was in the Heligan Kitchen when we visited on 17 July 2024. Two of our party chose the pizzas, which arrived within 10 minutes and were enjoyed. However, my daughter chose the Heligan's Ploughman. This contained one slice of beef, two small slices of cheese, one slice of bread with butter and a few salad leaves plus onion. The cost for this was £15! I chose Summer Pea & Bean salad - I thought that the pea element would be round & green but it was a pea pod, cut in two. The bean element was six thin green beans and the rest of the plate was a few strawberries and some variety of lettuce with loads of balsamic dressing. I wish I had taken a picture - it was the size of a side salad that you would serve with a main meal. Again this was £11 or 12. The pizzas were served and eaten by my grandchildren within 10 minutes but my daughter and I had to wait another half an hour for our meals. The restaurant was not busy - I would say barely 50% full - so why the wait for meals I cannot understand as there was nothing cooked on our plates. Luckily walking the gardens and grounds was lovely even though we felt the entrance fee of £72 was fairly steep.

Whist staying local we decided to treat outselves to a full breakfast at Heligan Kitchen. It is priced at 13.00 including toast and the cafe opens at 9am. They offer a wide choice throughout the day of other food and Specials night menu. However if the quality of the breakfast is anything to go by I wouldn't bother in the future. The breakfast is pre-made and kept warm under heaters so all the ingredients other than the eggs are dried out. The toast was burnt and they serve tinned tomatoes, which is poor after paying 13.00 per head. Nothing to write home about at all and we were sorry we didn't go over the road to Lobbs Farm shop cafe for better quality items.

Thought we would kick off our visit to the Lost Gardens with breakfast. Unfortunately we were left disappointed as the quality did not live up to the expectation set in the write up. One full English and one vegetarian breakfast, both fell short of the billing. The highlight was the hashbrowns. Other than that it was average at best. The fried eggs were poor - over cooked and hard yoke. A runny yoke is an essential for a quality breakfast. And little details like including tomato when specifically requesting none all indicates a bit of a lack of care and detail.

Disappointing choice and staff not willing to make slight changes such as replacing 'salad' with something else such as bread or baked beans for friend who doesn't eat salad. The actual salad was very boring too - garden fresh but only leaves.

This cafe in lovely heligan was great BEFORE COVID. it used to have delicious salads and gorgeous quiches all freshly made on a counter service style food server so that you could see what you are getting Nowadays the menu is limited and lazy. The dishes overly easy to prepare or throw together and not at all impressive. I feel the national are bored of covid laziness now four years later. I had waffle for breakfast at £10. It was very standard pretty small portion with ‘commercially produced berries’ like the ones you get FROZEN from the super market , which must have been the end of the bag because it just had the nasty sour tasting currents Husband had the £8 bacon roll. 😱. Come on people. You were great and can be again.

Excellent Sunday lunch, first Sunday in Cornwall what do you do, it has to be the Heligan kitchen Sunday roast. We have not been let down yet.

I don’t know what I was expecting , but definitely not what arrived on my plate . Crispy Tofu and vegetable Pad Thai , so very disappointing and for the money a big let down .

We attended one of Heligan's fabulous Lost Suppers last night, this time to celebrate Burns Night. It was a wonderful evening with many really lovely touches such as Pipers dressed in Cornish Hunting Tartan, beautifully designed and printed Menu, decorated tables, pretty lighting and a roaring woodburner. Not to mention the delicious food, which was imaginative and beautifully presented, and of course the catering team who work tirelessly.

Have visited Heligan on many occasions and the cafe has always been very busy. However when we visited today it was very quiet, service to our table was very quick and the staff were friendly and attentive. Only drawback is there was not a very varied choice of lunch, what we had was very tasty, (Moroccan chicken flatbread)but when I visited before the choice was far better. We also had a cream tea at The Stewards House and the scones were very dry.

The staff in the kitchen are friendly, but the current system in place to manage the restaurant is not working. We ordered and ate our lunch at the restaurant. It took a while to arrive, but overall it was okay. The potato wedges were quite hard and hadn't been cooked for long enough, but the battered tempura was nice. We returned to the restaurant later in the afternoon and ordered coffee and cake. The restaurant was quiet, but it still took a while for the cake and drinks to arrive. My in-laws asked a member of staff where they could get a fork to eat their cake with. They were told the restaurant had run out of clean forks and the cutlery needed to be cleaned. Fifteen minutes passed by and nobody returned with any cutlery, so I asked another member of staff for a fork. By the time one was finally brought over my in-laws had used their hot drink teaspoon to eat the cake. The Lost Gardens of Heligan is a great place to visit, but in future we will likely take our own lunch and snacks with us rather than eat at the kitchen.

Sadly won’t be returning for lunch. Value was very poor and service slow. Rather go elsewhere. Pity really as we were members

We enjoyed a gorgeous breakfast and one of the best hot chocolate’s ever at the Heligan Kitchen before a perfect day spent exploring the gardens. A real treat and highly recommended. It was also great value for money run by a friendly team.

There is a cafe in the middle of the gardens - not nearly as well run as this one. There is plenty of choice here, you order at the counter, and it is brought to your table. Very pleasant staff, and fast service

This was the only value for money part of our trip to the lost gardens. The staff were lovely which was great.

Just really disappointed by our visit to the Heligan Kitchen. The layout with one ordering point for everything means a long wait, when only ordering coffee and cake, behind those ordering multiple meals. Then you have to remember your table number which is just daft and when you're only ordering cake. I had a scone that was very soft and dry and only a single scone for £4 (not including drink!!!). My daughter had a Victoria sponge, which on asking why she kept going for glasses of water, she explained was because it was so dry. I had a taste myself and she was not wrong and clearly not freshly baked. Very limited cake offerings for vegan/dairy free and just so disappointed having visited lots in the past and always been impressed. It has all the marks of a new manager bringing in a Lounge/Cosy Club way of operating which just isn't working. Sorry but we won't be bothering again any time soon.

On our many visits to West Cornwall, the journey has always been broken with lunch at Heligan, even though out of our way. I’m afraid our experience this time was not great. There used to do some great hot food and old fashioned pies. This menu would have not stretched an O-level cookery pupil. Lots of servers around but lots of uncleared tables. We bought three drinks from the cold cabinets and, on paying, asked for some ice. It was obviously a problem but was promised to be brought to our table. None appeared. I went over to the drinks area and asked for some glasses. I was waved to an area around the corner and the server renewed her conversation with a colleague. A repeat round of drinks prompted another request for ice and another unfulfilled promise to be brought to our table. I’m afraid we won’t return on the next trip.

It is with regret that I write this review. On behalf of myself and my husband. Today we came for lunch following an absence of a few months, due to ill health. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. We wanted a light lunch, none of the menu was to our taste. In the end we decided on a bowl of soup. I had mine with a roll, what happened to the lovely bread you used to provide? My husband had a cheese scone, that I must say looked appetising. The main problem was, the soup was served covered in, I think olive oil, I had to ask for a cup to remove all the oil, who on earth puts oil on top of a soup? Who are you catering for? A captive audience, who because they have paid an entrance fee, are obliged to eat with you? 21 years we have been visiting, 'The Lost Gardens,' throughout the year. It's so sad, because the food in previous years has been outstanding. This will not stop us visiting the gardens, but we will not be visiting any of your food outlets, during our visits. Having read the reviews from other people.

We go to Heligan a lot, have coffee in the main cafe, and food. But had it in the Stewart’s house and is was awful . The soup was like water and tasteless. The roll l could hardly eat, it was like leather, so very disappointed. Would not recommend,

Had a lovely lunch. However menu is limited. Menu usee to be broader range. Good chouce of salads and used to be able to pick what you wanted. Jackets potatoes mac n cheese good varied choice. Now menu is a bit odd. Come back to the way it was pleaze

When ever we have visitors from overseas or UK we take them to The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Love it. We had a surprise this last weekend as we arrived to grab some lunch they had their Sunday Roasts and managed to squeeze us in. What a joyful surprise to be served such an excellent meal. We did not have to wait too long at all to order and the serving was impressive to say the least. (My gorgeous German Shepherds enjoyed my doggie bag which was supplied with a smile and no effort to fetch us one) Compliments to the Chefs and the team in all areas to make this such a wonderful place to sit in and eat - open spacious and welcoming. Back to the food - each and every single vegetable element was cooked to perfection and the beef was the best I have ever eaten. The over generous portion was delightfully unexpected and best of all - hands down one of the best roast meals I have ever eaten. Thank you to everyone at Heligan Kitchen xxx

Unfortunately the coffee was luke warm, the specials sign at the till was badly written so my vegetarian soup came with brie, chilli jam and pork. So paid £11 for a small bowl of soup and took the toasties home for a family member! (No...

This is the restaurant located in The Lost Gardens of Heligan. It is a good sized place with a really good vegetarian menu; a variety of hot and cold food and drink. There can be a bit of a wait when it's busy but the...

I'm very rarely amazed or disappointed to the point I feel the need to review. 6 choices all vegan or vegetarian (86% of the UK population are still meat eaters) I'm happy to eat vegetarian. I just wanted a light lunch. Soup and a toastie....

The strangest experience at lunch today. The menu isn’t good, only 6 things to choose from. We wanted just a toastie but were told we couldn’t do that, we had to have soup with it which was just such a waste. You can buy soup...

We have been visiting Heligan since it was first open to the public. The restaurant has of late been a bit hit and miss, with "proper" meals being replaced by small plates and rather lacking in appeal. There is now an interesting lunch menu and...

Lovely little cafe. Very nicely decorated. Full English was £11 and was delicious. Breakfast bap for £6 and you can choose 2 items. Also had the Jam which was so nice. Right outside the entrance.

Disappointing meal, I had the Root vegetable with Cornish cheese crumble but it just consisted of fennel in a tomato sauce with a small amount of cheese sprinkled on top-no crumble as such. Fennel was one of the side vegetables too. Very unimaginative. My husband's...

The Lost Suppers at Heligan Kitchen (The Lost Garden of Heligan) have easily become our “go to” treat. They are a seven course taster menu which are ingredient led from what is available from the Heligan kitchen garden and surrounding farmland. The garden is only...

Such a shame as visited at Christmas and the meal was lovely…today it was awful….Luke warm roast with pork which was full of fat….it’s put me off pork..! Swimming in gravy….unless you like loads of suede the small amount of veg which I think was...

Ww were invited by family to join for Sunday roast. We had roast turkey which was amazing. Great taste and cooked to perfection. There was no shortage of food. In fact our daughter-in-law asked for a box to take some veg. home. We did manage...

Whenever we go to the cafe the cappuccino coffee is ALWAYS served only Luke warm so by the time you have eaten cake it is cold!

No trip to Cornwall is complete without visiting Heligan, this time we made sure it was Sunday so we could have a roast lunch. Food was excellently prepared and the staff were so helpful, from booking online to the Kitchen. An excellent day.

Good portion size, the traditional Sunday roast was excellent for the price. It matched any other restaurant Sunday lunch we have had.

Ordered tea, cappuccino and two pieces of cake and was still waiting 30 mins later. I had at least another 20 mins before I reached the head of their queue. Some people waited just over an hour. The cafe was hardly busy but it appears...

We visited Heligan for the heavy horse event in September and thought we’d have a nice lunch after our 2 hour journey to get there. We went into the cafe at the entrance. We were too late for the breakfast so looked at the lunch...

It's at the entrance to the gardens and it wasn't bad as a place to grab some refreshments before going in, but was very busy. We later went to the Stewards House for lunch which is a much nice setting.

Cappuccino was lukewarm. When waitress was asked to clear the table she curtly responded that she we get someone else to do it, but they never materialised and so we drank our coffees amongst others' dirty plates. Disappointing.

So you arrive hungry and looking for a quick option, hmm the pizza place doesn’t have a queue. How long can it take to make and cook a pizza in a very hot wood fired oven, I’m sure it won’t be long. Ho hum how...

The Heligan kitchen is fantastic... If you happen to be a vegan Tibetan monk on a walking tour of Cornwall. Unfortunately I am not and neither is my Lady wife. Having mobility problems, but remembering fondly, previous visits to the gardens, we decided to visit...

Went early morning to the Stewards House for Breakfast,it was excellent, lovely staff,just the birds singing in the garden, perfect!

Popped in to use the cafe on our way back home, I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food, service and settings! Can’t wait to go back and spend a bit more time there!

A nice, relaxing way to end the visit to the gardens. We only had a drink but the food looked fresh and was well priced.

Really nice place to go for lunch when touring the estate. As the estate is a huge visitor attraction we booked in advance for Sunday lunch and it looked like if you didn't book you might not be able to get a table so it's...

Really nice lunch, good quality food and a lot of it, we spilt the ploughman’s and it was plenty. All good coming out the kitchen looked fantastic.

The food was of an okay standard, just expected more for the cost of the meal. The staff, however, were polite and friendly. The atmosphere was good but it was hard to have conversations as the restaurant echoed. Do I think the food standard warranted...

Arrived for coffee & cake to start our visit. . Went back for a snack lunch, not a great deal of choice, 1soup, Miso and Mushroom? Really? Choices for Gluten Free very poor, no sandwiches or rolls, we ended up at the farm shop across...

Visited for lunch just fifteen minutes before the lunch service ended and very pleased that both our choices were still available I had the Ploughman’s Platter which was huge and would have been enough for two people My husband had the Pie of the Day...

Excellent food and pleasant staff. We were told there would be about a 20 minute wait for food which was fine for us as we got drinks delivered quickly. When the waitress brought our food she apologised for the wait and offered a free soft...

Another lovely Sunday Lunch, eaten with friends. Today, due to the terrible ongoing news of the Ukraine, it was good to have some uplifting food. Tasty, lots of veg with the beef. The Veg option was delicious. The crumble and clotted cream was mouth watering,...

I have visited here on more than one occasion and always been happy therefore my recent experience was very disappointing. I ordered the mixed bean burrito and the large wrap was filled with 98% basmati rice plus wild rice + I counted 1 kidney bean,...

Amazing roast dinner, a solid 10/10. The beef was cooked to perfection. Fast service and friendly staff - chloe was particularly helpful. Many thanks to heligan

Christmas lunch for two. The restaurant is large but warm and rustic. Wood burners add a lovely glow, we had a lovely welcome and the Christmas trees were spectacular. Lunch was very well cooked, wholesome and tasty. We had the soup, roast beef and attempted...

Guy and the kitchen team. Many thanks for the best Christmas lunch ever. Beautifully cooked, wonderful array of seasonal vegetables, ample portions, terrific value, totally faultless. Very much recommended. We also loved 'The Lost Supper' and 'Heligan Harvest Feast Night', again excellent meals. We look...

We booked the 14.00 slot, thinking it was table service. Incorrect, it was a reserved table, but order & pay as you go at the counter! The choice of roasts were Topside of Beef medium rare, Silverside well done, or Gammon. I had Topside, the...

The first evening event for a display and presentation of the local produce from the Heligan establishment. What a fabulous evening in a lovely welcoming environment. Such diversity in the menu and an abundance of tastes from the professionally prepared food to satisfy anyone's taste...

Long queues. Not well organised when you only want drinks. We had to queue with lunch ordering which took forever. Coffees very small and expensive

The drizzle which greeted us had turned into a downpour by the time we reached the entrance so we diverted here and had a very good coffee and a couple of very tasty freshly baked pastries while we waited. Swift service and quality food.

We were really surprised and pleased with the meals we had at Heligan. We were told they had a new chef and they certainly know how to cook, i believe it was a new autumn menu and we took the time to tell the staff...

average food and drink, the eating area id basic the toilets are some way off. the staff are the redeeming quality of the café they are pleasant and helpful.

Say no more, expensive full English in a small box with wooden cutlery that was difficult to eat . Covid has frightened the living daylights out of everybody that’s for sure. Please let people know who come back here time and time again , and...

Had some coffees. Very happy with my cappuccino and reasonable value. However the cafe used disposable cups which does not seem very green. Why don't they use cups and saucers that can be reused?

We had a good lunch, quality food and drinks but the wasps made it pretty miserable! They could have some sort of deterrent, such as citronella candles which would help!

So much choice and great to see local ingredients being used. Both our meals were delicious. Great service.

As a vegan, I usually struggle to find anything on the menu, but this place offered a great option of sweet potato, spinach and coconut curry with rice and flatbread. It was delicious and so filling, a very healthy option (unlike most places which offer...

We’re regular visitors to Heligan being local pass holders. Usually we opt for pasties which are wonderful however today we were with friends who are visiting the area. So we decided to eat from the menu in Heligan Kitchen. We ordered 3 crab sandwiches and...

We went to the lost gardens of hell today hungry so looked at the menu thought ploughmans will do ham cheese sausage roll bread roll butter salad and apple chutney . beetroot in vinegar was rock hard sausage roll was just a thin slice of...

Walking the gardens for 4 hours we at some point needed to sit and have refreshments. There were just half a dozen tables but we were lucky enough to arrive just as someone was leaving. There was quite a long queue and it moved at...

The coffee was excellent and the lemon drizzle cake was as light as a feather and melted in your mouth.

Well done Heligan to provide a quality outside cafe to enjoy drinks and eats in a very pleasant outdoor seating area. Coffee and sausage rolls good. A welcome ray of hope in this madness.

Booked to go out for Sunday lunch after a long period of refrain because of the virus. Masked and herded to our seat and read the rules placed on the table one of us was allowed to approach the counter and order our roast beef...

Disappointed after reading reviews. Average "cream tea", less than average staff. Not what we had hoped, maybe it was a bad day? and a one off but i doubt we will return

We stopped at Heligan Kitchen on our way back towards Mevagissey. We both had quiche (although different varieties) and salad, with mulled cider. This was quite nice and was quite filling. There are not many choices but sufficient I think for most people. The kitchen...

Lovely venue, friendly staff. Went to Heligan at night and decided to have tea there. Food choice reasonable - we paid £28 for 4 snack sized pots of food and a whopping £18 for 5 drinks. Come on Heligan - you’re ripping people off. I...

We eat at Heligan regularly as we are members, and always enjoy what we have. Everything is freshly cooked and a lot of the produce is grown on the estate so is very fresh.

I came here after a long (4:30 hr) walk around the gardens and estate. I had the gluten free cream tea. They do need a bit of notice for this, I think about 20 mins. I let them know before I started exploring so it...

A varied menu with lots of different choices to suit most tastes. Well presented and reasonably priced

We visited for breakfast out of convenience in advance of visiting the gardens but it was completely average. Staff were friendly and engaging but there was not a lot of choice for breakfast. We had bacon and sausage sandwiches, but the bacon was a little...

Met my friend here on Tuesday, we only had drinks and a chat. The hot chocolate was lovely, could have been a bit hotter though! I would deffinately come here again, and order food next time. Lovely position and very well laid out. Very busy!...

We visited the LGOH and as we were a little early we popped into the Heligan Kitchen and Bakery for breakfast. What an AWESOME place this is. Fantastic tasty breakfast, served quickly and by lovely staff. They were happy to swap out an item I...

Lovely cafe and restaurant and both were reasonably priced and offered very good hot and cold menu's..

...vorweg: Egal, wo in Cornwall wir essen waren, es war stets ausgezeichnet. Deutlich abgefallen ist die Heligan Kitchen & Bakery.Zum Beispiel mischt man sich einen köstlichen Salat, um dann festzustellen, dass dafür nur EIN EINZIGES (nicht köstliches) Dressing angeboten wird. Auf meine Frage nach Essig und Öl wurde geantwortet: "Es tut uns leid, sowas haben wir hier nicht."Ähem??? Wie machen sie dann ihre Vinaigrette??? Ohne Öl und ohne Essig.Die Tische werden nicht regelmäßig gereinigt, die Akustik ist wie in einer Halle, ... alles sehr kantinenartig und unbequem.Quiches und Pasties geschmacklich okay.Überteuert!

Been to Heligan several times now. Visited with a friend. Very relaxing. Cakes looked delicious but this time resisted. Normally we go to Heligan for a walk and either have lunch or afternoon snack. Well worth a visit.

Soup simple and flavoursome, massive plus was two large slices of home made GF bread served warm. Would make great hummus sandwiches. Quiche and 3 salad portions - large - very generous for £9. Fresh herbs were delicious. Staff very helpful and friendly both in the main restaurant, the stables and the shop.

This review relates only to The Stewards House food & drink establishment.

We arrived at peak lunchtime. At such a popular destination I'd expect peak season the staff could cope with a rush. We wanted a quick eat, perhaps a roll or sandwich, when we asked where they were we were met with a blank stare and the response that there were none left. So we opted for 2 (mercifully small!) slices of frittatta...on its own as salad would have added a whopping £3.50 to the price. As it was it cost £15.50 for these and a pot of tea,the tea was lovely, but the frittatta was bland, filled with chunks of new potato which def had no frying about it...mine was oddly grey, perhaps someone had lobbed in a bit of leftover mushroom soup, as the grey bits tasted vaguely of mushroom...but I couldn't actually find one! Even the flowers (which in that glorious garden are obvs on tap) had seen better days, the snapdragons dead, and the remaining inch of water tinged green. Common Heligan, I know its the end of August...and August is tough for us all, but surely you could manage a filled roll and some fresh flowers!

We stopped off at the kitchen for a late lunch after spending the day walking around the gardens. The food was excellent and fresh.

We enjoyed a large freshly cooked scone together with a tub of Jam and fresh cream together with a pot of freshly brewed tea. absolutely scrumptious and all at a very reasonable price!

Decided to get some lunch after visiting the Gardens. Although the staff seemed nice they were to busy talking to ask whether we were eating in or not. ordered a pasty for myself & sausage roll for the hubby and some drinks. Both food items were nice and hot but the pasty wasn't very tasty or meaty!

Great food, and very gluten-free friendly! Service excellent! Set in beautiful gardens. A lovely day!

I was please to see a mix of appetising salads rather than fast food. I am comparing to London prices but felt I had a good value, delicious meal.

If you become hungry do drop in for a bite! There is a tap here to refill your water bottle too which is helpful.

The kitchen & bakery offers a wide choice of food and drinks to satisfy most people. Not sure how comprehensive the menu was for vegetarians, but good enough for we carnivores! The Breakfast Bap was substantial, though the full breakfast was more substantial for those with a good appetite.

We were disappointed with the disorganised nature of the "kitchen". It took ages to get served and whilst I choese a pasty from the beef pile when I got it to my table it was chees and onion!!

Nous avons déjeuné dans les jardins perdus d'Heligan par une journée de grand beau temps, à l'ombre d'une tonnelle. La nourriture est classique d'une cafétéria, mais il y a du choix, c'est propre, et les gâteaux sont très bons. On a bien apprécié notre pause.

The café has plenty of space between the tables so we found it easy to bring a wheelchair without being obtrusive. The food is very varied and accommodated some of our group who have special dietary requests.

Light and airy with plenty of space. The kitchen serves a predominance of locally sourced food, much of which comes from the Heligan estate. Produce from the in-house bakery is delicious. Considering that it is catering for an almost captive consumer, the standards are excellent.