Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Having looked at the menu and not being a massive fan of fish dishes, I have put off eating here, particularly in light of the queues you generally see of people waiting to dine. My wife, on the other hand, does enjoy sea food, and as there was no queue, we gave it a go. The staff are very friendly, attentive and efficient. The first waitress who attended us took our drinks order and explained the menu to us. They are small plates but larger than tapas style. Good for someone like me, who has little experience eating fish (other than battered) and might like to try something new. To order, you mark your selection on the menu and hand it over to a waitress. It is a process I hadn't come across before but works very well. I had scallops and mackerel, and my wife tried the battered cod and prawns. We also had sides of chips and new potatoes. All the dishes were nicely presented and very tasty. The staff checked on us several times, and the interactions between themselves and the customers helped to make it a very comfortable and relaxed mid day meal. I will definitely return and would even queue (for a short while) for the same experience. I think I'll try the crab dish next time. It looked very appetising. In summary, it was well prepared, tasty food, served by good staff at a reasonable price.

Amazing food and great service I have been here before but was still bowled over by the food it was delicious and the staff were so friendly

Fabulous little place. Great fresh fish couple of good wines and beers. If you can get a seat. Try and enjoy

I didn't go in Mackrell Sky I was over the road parked up but people were going to them all the time

We've been here a few times over the years. It is still really great. Food is tapas style. The ingredients are fresh and the cooking is excellent. Crab Nachos are a highlight.

Possibly the best meal I had on my whole trip to Cornwall. Highly recommended!

The food was amazing, and the staff couldn't do enough for you .It's a lovely place, and we will be back next year as always when on our next trip .🦞🦀❤️

We had visited Mackerel Sky each time we were in Cornwall and on Tuesday evening were lucky enough to arrive before it got too busy. Once again a most delicious variety of food served by efficient and friendly staff - definitely worth the wait if you do have to queue.

Während eines Aufenthaltes in Newlyn kommt man automatischen am Mackerel Sky vorbei und es ist für jeden Fisch- und Seafoodliebhaber ein MUSS! Ausreichende und abwechslungsreiche Speisen- und Getränkeauswahl, schnelles und sehr freundliches Personal und die Gerichte sind sehr lecker! Man sitzt mitten im Ortskern nahe der Straße und kann wunderbar das Treiben beobachten, kein Schickimicki, einfach authentisch!! Wir waren an zwei Abenden da und es war jedesmal sehr gut!

Love this place with the Seafood Shack and the Seafood Bar almost next to each other we managed to get tables easily even when they were busy I really enjoyed the small plates menu, favorites being the Scallops with Hogs Pudding, The fresh Mackerel with beetroot and horseradish, plus the lemon sole with Katsu sauce. Been twice now and longing for a third visit!

Great food fantastic location the staff are amazing. Must try if you ever pass by Penzance . Its located in Newlyn❤️❤️❤️

Absolute great find, excellent food👍

First visit. Food nicely presented. Lovely friendly staff. I really can't praise them enough. How this gets through. TripAdvisor I have given my review.

Food good. Service excellent. But I found the atmospher a little cold and clinical.

We were 3 adults there and ate twice...because the fish is amazing...and they always serve it beautifully! The service was always very nice!!I preferred the seating to be a little unspectacular but the food was good!!

Still a great place to go for excellent fish served quickly.

Amazing food, amazing! The cafe has a relaxed atmosphere and is somewhere I wish I could visit every day. Eating lunch at this restaurant was one of the highlights of my visit to Cornwall.

Just love the Staff here. Imagine being in the shop next door buying some Cornish deli stuff when a coffee is delivered to the woman who serving you. When you say oh my gosh I’d love a coffee. The person actually takes an order brings you one along with the car machine to take payment. We love Kayleigh!!!!!! This woman would do a good job running the country

Absolutely fabulous, great food, service and staff

Best food we had this holiday. Highly recommended. I wish more places would cook to this level and at these very reasonable prices.

This was a great find in Newly by my wife. We decided to share a few of the small plates which were fantastic. Location is by a busy road but that didn't bother us. Food was sooooo good!

We had the monkfish burger, crab nachos and Korean hake and all 3 dishes were delicious. Service was excellent, very polite attentive staff, but not too much. Already recommended the place to any friends that are coming to the area 😋

We had a terrific small plates meal here in mid September. Our host and server, Ruth, made us feel immediately comfortable and at home. Everything we ate was perfectly prepared and presented, don't miss the scallops!! Newlyn is a "don't miss" little town next to Penzance and Mackeral Sky is a "don't miss" in Newlyn.

A really nice place. Very good and fresh seafood at reasonable prices in a friendly casual setting with shared tables and no frills.

I was really looking forward to eating here. The grilled white fish was gorgeous, however, the scallops were overcooked and I've definitely had much better. One waitress was extremely friendly and another quite passive. I enjoyed my meal but I wouldn't come again.

The food was amazing! Maybe a bit pricey but difficult to find that quality of food in England. All the dishes were very nice and tasty. We paid around £60 for 2 people

Very small meal at high prices. The fries were very greasy and tasted rancid.

Overall fresh seafood, very good price and friendly and speedy service. However mussel was cooked too sweet. It was a rainy day so there was no queue at all. Limited parking in the car park round the corner.

Great fish and chips! Scallops were excellent too. Reasonable prices

Friendly family run business with lovely staff, very busy but worth the wait for fresh, simple but delicious fish dishes. Little pricey but you definitely get what you pay for!

The food was amazing, EVERYTHING we ordered was amazing!!! PLEASE do yourself a HUGE favour and have the Fish Katsu curry first thing on the menu I guess, It's the best on here!!! Also, grilled fish, lobster are fabulous. Mussels, prawns and scallops are good. Didn't try anything crab. Lastly, the staff was also very warm and welcoming and catered to our every order, service was fast and they didn't get irritated when we ordered food and drinks multiple times. Overall, definitely recommend to pop by here. Cheers!

Absolutely amazing fresh seafood to die for! The mackerel was probably the best I’ve ever had and the mussels and scallops were delicious. The prawns were also so fresh and the aioli to go with it was divine! Service quick + friendly would recommend this to anyone in Cornwall it’s worth the trip !

Good place for high quality see food

A quaint tapas style fish cafe with two properties close by. The food is always delicious and the service good. Very reasonable prices for the quality of food presented.

This place was sick. Best seafood i eva had

Superb lunch yesterday, food was amazing, very friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Amazing food, server was insanely slow and took ages to attend to us throughout our whole visit. Other than that, we had an excellent time.

Had a fantastic lunch today at Mackerel Sky, thoughly recommend. Food and service was first class.

Lovely place with lovely service. Food was perfect!

Some of the best food I’ve ever had! So incredible, worth the visit. Forgot what this green stuff was called but I’d never tried it before and I was addicted. Yum!

Absolutely excellent food and service. Well priced for the quality on offer. Highly recommended!! 🦐🐟

Always exceptional food and great service. Visited again today and everything as good as ever. My husbands only complaint is that the beer battered fish is so good he can't bring himself to order anything else!

We had the Katsu Lemon Sole, it was fantastic, very light and flavoursome, lovely staff too.

The proposition here is that you can expect to queue for a short while and then be seated. There is no pre-booking. The restaurant has an overspill location a couple of doors away which is where we went. The menu consists of a small number of fish dishes, all freshly prepared. The menu appears to change regularly. We had an excellent experience. The five dishes we opted for were the anchovies, mackerel, sole, grilled fish and beer battered fish. And a bottle of Trebbiano. This was just the right amount of food for two. Including service and a donation to the Fishermans Mission our total bill was £75. The service is also excellent. Cheerful and helpful waiting staff. We had a window seat and could watch the many comings and goings outside. Highly recommended.

This seafood gem in Newlyn was a great find. The food was fresh and delicious. We had the crispy lemon sole with a fantastic Katsu curry sauce, the crab nachos (wasn't a fan of the jalapenos though, but that's me), and the mussels. Everything was delivered at temp, by smiling, friendly serving folks. The wine was perfect. You could tell that the staff liked each other, and worked as a well oiled machine. Bathroom was clean, and everything worked. Definitely a 5 star recommendation. I would return here.

Delicious food and brilliant service. One of the best spots to eat in Newlyn!

Well worth the 350 mile drive. Read an article in the Waitrose newspaper and was sold. John Dory special was sublime. Lemon sole with katsu sauce was a taste bud explosion. Mussels in Cider were sweet and tender. Faultless. Fabulous serving staff. Loved the tick box menu ordering simple and stress free.

The beat Mackerel I ever had !! Staff are so nice. It’s undeniable restaurant ! Worth your money !!! Go try !! Easy going since it’s close to bus top.

Excellent does not do this place justice! I cannot recommend it enough. We were visiting Cornwall and this seafood restaurant was the best we tried. Great tasty food, amazing friendly staff. The prawns were excellent, the mackerel was excellent, the lobster was on another level! Highly recommended

Delicious food. Quick service. Pleasant staff.

One of the best seafood restaurants in the area. The fish are fresh, the food is yummy, the staff are welcoming, the ambience is amazing. Highly recommended 👌

Food was lovely, fresh, and cooked to order (not always the case in some places). Shame it's a 5 hour drive away or else would definitely be a regular visitor as lots on the menu I'd like to try.

Great food. I had fresh grilled sardines. Everything they sell is lovely.

Great food, lovely ambience, attentive staff

Fantastic seafood. friendly staff Excellent service would definitely recommend if in the area

great food and good services as well! Love scallop and crab nachos

We went there and there was no queue. But after we sat there was a long line. So be prepared to wait 20 min. We ordered 4 different course and chips. Also lemon dessert was delicious. Our waiter was lovely but the place was so crowded so we had to wait. I would recommend this place!

Staff were so friendly and the service was excellent. As for the food very fresh and simple dishes but flavours jumped out. A real gem and will be visiting again And again.

For such a small place, the food was fantastic

Extraordinary food, lovely friendly staff, v good value, plenty of gf and df options on menu, went at 12.15pm and got a table straight away. Highly recommended for lovers of seafood

Delicious food, friendly staff and reasonable prices!

Exactly what you hope to get when you go to a seafood bar. Very creative and tastefull dishes. The staff is super friendly as well. Would love to go back and try the other half of the menu (+ order the katsu again)!

It’s good, it’s beautiful, very good address!

Fresh, local seafood, simply cooked. A great choice of different seafood, in a relaxed environment. I dont especially like having service charge added onto a bill, we'd have likely tipped anyway. You simply mark onto the menu the items which you want. Food is then transported a matter of a few feet to the tables. I don't think it merits a service charge, but imagine this is discretionary. A busy venue, which has atmosphere to match. It's a no frills venue, allowing the food to speak for itself. We will definitely be back. Be prepared to queue

Nice food and really good service

Absolutely phenomenal food which included the crab nachos, lobster and chocolate mousse. The service was fantastic and the prices were very reasonable. Highly recommend.

The staff here were fantastic. The girls that served us were so kind and we felt really looked after. I have severe nut & soya allergies and they made sure I was catered for so well, so considerate. The food was delicious and great portions. I was here with my sister so we shared a few bits. The sol & katsu curry sauce in particular was by far the best! Would highly recommend. Unfortunately I did get ill, however I have IBS, so it would be down to that as my sister was absolutely fine! (Or just from something else) if you go here and also suffer from anything make sure you tell the staff they will look after you really well!! The only downside is that it’s not big enough! If only they could manage to get more indoor seating this would be 5 star. For me it was just the rubbish weather that ruined it as we were sat outside - BUT they did give me a blanket which was so kind, and allowed me to move slightly to be under the cover. It’s a no booking restaurant so you do have to wait outside for a table, but even so the food is sooo tasty! ☺️

Saw this place featured on Rick Stein’s Cornwall the day before our trip to Cornwall do decided to go on our way to St Ives. Don’t be put off by the queues as there’s an overflow cafe a few doors along. The food was exceptional and the staff were, cool, friendly and welcoming. We plan to go back on our way home

Everything we had was absolutely delicious! The panko fish with katsu sauce was fantastic. Staff are really lovely too.

A busy restaurant to have our meal and popular for crab meat dishes.

Decent but more of a 3.5 - 4 star place

Great place to eat, really enjoyable atmosphere. Good value.

We went there a bit by chance. We had the lobster for 30 pounds. It was magnificent. There are less expensive dishes that are just as good.

Great fresh seafood served tapas style. Super fresh. Quick service. Good value. Get there early for a lunch table. Recommend

FABULOUS, don't hesitate just go

Lovely food, especially crab. Quick service. The bar staff was very friendly.

Fantastic fresh fish and chips. They were busy and you could see why after eating the food.

Amazing freshly cooked seafood, friendly quick service and all at a good price.

We drive past Mackerel Sky on our way to holiday in Mousehole and thought it looked appealing. Subsequently, we were recommended it by a wider family member who has excellent taste!! We were not disappointed. We had a lovely meal here. Really, there was nothing not to like. Fabulous, delicious fresh fish, a lovely ambience and super staff. I can't recommend it enough. Enjoy!

Brilliant food, delicious every bit. Waiters were very nice to us checking in on us. The experience couldn’t have been any better.

I had the pleasure of dining at Mackerel Sky Cafe, and it was an unforgettable experience! We were initially drawn in by the massive queue of about 20 people outside—curiosity got the best of us, and we wanted to know what made this place stand out from the other empty spots nearby. Let me tell you, it was absolutely worth the wait! We started with the mussels, crab salad, and crispy lemon sole—all of which were fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Each dish was a testament to the chef's skill and attention to detail, especially considering they operate out of the smallest kitchen I've ever seen. But the desserts were truly something out of this world! The chocolate mousse was rich and indulgent, and the lemon and thyme posset was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. I still can't believe how they pull off such amazing dishes in such a tiny space, serving up to 40 covers within an hour. If you're ever in the area, Mackerel Sky Cafe is a must-visit. Incredible food, charming atmosphere, and a team that knows how to deliver excellence!

Lovely food! What more could you want..

We went to Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar initially, it was full, we have to wait outside. After a while, they can offer us a table but in a nearby place, just two shops away, named as Mackerel Sky Seafood Shack. A nice restaurant well decorated and comfortable seating. The staff was very friendly and explained the menu and gave you a pen to mark your order on the menu. The food was great and delicious, but the portions were small, that’s what they said it’s a tasting plate. Both the scallops and crab salad were very good.

Amazing food, so fresh and tasty. Classics and modern takes with a twist. Fresh fish galore! Staff are super attentive, helpful and organised. Will definitely return!

Delicious fresh fish. All tapas style so you get to try lots of dishes. Definitely worth a stop off!

Wonderful little spot with delicious food!

Amazing chilled restaurant Amazing food. Really great lunch thank you

Fantastic day at Mackrell sky we ordered crab nachos ,mussels ,scallops,salad & new pots .really friendly staff, polite good fun and great music, personally I prefer scallops roe on, but thats just personal preference ,scallops had nuts in the sauce which personally I dont think go at all, but again scallops were cooked OK,mussels were terrible very small ,grey in colour not at all plump so we didn't eat all of those ,the nachos with fresh white crab meat were good & went well with the jalapeños, side salad had a great mustard dressing ,lemonade & water came to £51 which for 2, i thought good value for money ,best part were the staff singing and dancing away to the music, which i presume it was the owner turned down (for which i apologise as in the response you see it wasn't him )which sort of killed the buzz ,would go back again and try maybe a pasta dish ,& monkfish or lobster thanks guys you were great

Great fresh ingredients + minimal interference = a magic plate of food. It was so good that my sister and I ate there 3 days out of 7 in the area. Would go again in a heartbeat if it weren't thousands of miles away. I'm trawling Cape Town for samphire, put it that way!

It is true that seafood here is fresh and the food is indeed very delicious! We did order the mostly recommended crab nachos according to feedbacks and it did not disappoint! Gets so busy so be warned as there is normally a queue which is not so bad on good weather - this is actively checked on often and we didn’t wait very long to be seated. Very small inside but in good weather, having outdoor seating helps. Only serves tap water which was disappointing. Price is not bad considering the freshness of food! Service was also good, very rushed though as they were very busy with food presented well.

Food and service is amazing! katsu fish was 💯

What a great find in Newlyn, Cornwall! We did not expect such flavourful, fresh and reasonably priced food. The restaurant is small and very popular, therefore you will always see a queue. Luckily it is easier and less waiting time for a table for 2. All the sharing seafood plates we ordered were amazing especially the mussels with the dill broth , the crispy fish and the crab nachos. I personally was not a fan of the shrimps because I do not like cold shrimps, but my BF loved them. Also, the green stuff - the samphire - was not our thing as it is naturally very salty from the sea- but we were curious to try it and we did.:) We went again on our 3rd evening and we ordered again the mussels, the scallops and the battered fish. The battered fish was a dream, the scallops delectable but the mussels were less good this time ( smaller in size and different broth , not as good as the previous one with dill). Great customer service too, explaining the concept of the restaurant and very enthusiastic!! Highly recommended!

The food is just amazing if you like fish

This is a jewel in Newlyn. The most wonderful seafood we've had in England. Will be back.

Lovely small restaurant and everything was so good, we had to order some dishes twice! Highly recommended if you are looking for a seafood restaurant!

We visit Marazion each year , and our treat is to cycle along that wonderful coast path to Newlyn and Mackeral Sky. Gorgeous fish tapas beautifully cooked and friendly service . Thank you all!

This restaurant is a little Gem! Been visiting it since it first opened & it's simply amazing - small plates beautifully cooked & presented always favourites to choose but special board is letting you try something new & appetising - staff are always friendly & I always feel they all seem like a group of friends the atmosphere is always good - it's in my very favourite place to eat in Cornwall

The seafood lunch spot you dream was in every small coastal town you visit on holiday but almost never find. Every dish was a delight. Fresh, inventive flavours, great service and if you can’t get in the main place the shack three doors away is just as good.

Excellent food, friendly staff, very clean toilet, authentic ambiente

Only had coffee but it was a nice cup