Maltsters Arms in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

August 2024 - Service was extremely slow due to lack of staff. Two of my children were ill shortly after eating the tomato pasta (which was lukewarm). Attempted to contact the pub twice to alert them, both attempts ignored. Very unsatisfactory experience.

Review from May 2024. My wife and I had been trying to eat in here since it was recommended to us 3 years ago. It was however closed due to Covid and other complications so we were delighted to see that it is open again and under new management. The pub/restaurant is in an out of the way location in the idyllic Cornish village of Chapel Amble. The pub is deceptively large with multiple dining areas. Whilst we had booked for their Sunday carvery it was mid afternoon and much quieter than we expected. The food was excellent with several meats to choose from. The quality was superb and the staff were super friendly and helpful making the whole experience a pleasure. We will be back.

Brilliant little pub, great for food or drinks. We stayed nearby and visited each of three nights we were here

Nice popular establishment But I didn't visit as I deliver indian food takeaway (SPICE GURU) from Wadebridge to holiday home nearby.

Around 18 months ago my wife and I popped in here for drinks and had such excellent service that we vowed that we’d come back and try the food at some point (we are local). Today on a very rare day off that was also a lovely day to sit outside, we headed over after checking their website for food serving and opening times for a spot of lunch. We parked in the village car park and walked up and before we’d even made the door, a polite, but very brusque Eastern European female told us that the pub was ‘shut at the moment’ because ‘we need to prep for tonight’. This was 12.35pm. I’m not sure if something special was happening ‘tonight’ but this lady didn’t even know if we just wanted a few beers or lunch? How hard is it to pour a few drinks, or offer a limited lunch menu? If we can’t be assured somewhere will be open, when website etc states it will be, we won’t bother making the effort to visit. Especially as it’s a bit off the beaten track. I really do hope ‘tonight’ wasn’t simply food prep for the tourist trade/season, because if it were, I’ll await the usual winter ‘we aren’t supported enough by locals’ statements and shall remind the owners it’s a 2 way street!

Fantastic food and drinks, friendly, helpful staff. Lovely old pub. Quite expensive though.

Outstanding Sunday roast! I’d almost lost hope that a decent carvery still existed, but my faith has been restored by the excellent food at the Maltsters Arms. The dogs loved it too. What a great find!

EPIC Sunday roast, the chef on hand carving the luscious joints of meat explained that the rib of beef was roasted for 8 hours. The beef and the other 4 melt in the mouth roasts did not disappoint. Best Pub Sunday roast you can get. Highly recommended. Also fantastic table service.

Unimpressive staff. not welcoming. they reluctantly served us a couple of drinks, as we hadn't booked for food... Very strange. Thank you.

Very nice pub with good food. The starter in particular was very generous and was enough for my companion as a main course. Dog friendly!😃

Lovely country pub in a pretty little village, great food, friendly atmosphere, and dog friendly. I would advise booking or getting there early in peak season as it's quite popular

Very nice and cozy place. The service and food was really good. The atmosphere you could not buy for money, it comes by the years

Best fish and chips in North Cornwall (and yes, I ate at Rick Steins and that was a solid 6/10, but this was delicious)! Good food, good beer and cute inside. Fantastic!

Great local carvery with plenty of choices of meat all beautifully cooked - staff were great, the carver was brilliant with my son who was spoilt for choice. Will definitely be back.

Excellent food. Lovely friendly bar staff

But disappointing..would suggest giving bar mam training on customer service

A good selection of delicious food to be found here in this quant old pub. Sadly, on the evening we visited there was only a young man serving behind the bar and doing food service so things were a bit on the slow side but when the food did arrive it did not disapoint.

Fabulous food ( Sunday lunch) although we were booked in for a timed slot we ended up waiting 50 mins before we could even go to the carvery. The food was excellent.

Made a last minute booking on a Sunday evening and how lucky we were! Atmosphere was super relaxed… All of our dishes were absolutely delicious… The menu even managed to cater well for our vegetarian family member who has a nut allergy (not easy to find a good choice for her) and Jacob the barman and waiter did brilliantly juggling both roles perfectly always with a smile and a laugh! Thank you!

The Best Sunday Lunch I've ever had .Service was amazing , I couldn't believe the value I be back .

Food was so good. We shared the Camembert starter and both had a steak. I had the 8oz with garlic bread. Husband had the 12oz with mushrooms and tomatoes. Both steaks were delicious. Chips were super crispy and great as well. Only thing that let the whole experience down was there was only one poor waiter covering the whole pub and bar. Poor woman was ran off of her feet.

Good menu, great food, good atmosphere. Fabulous lady serving, friendly worth her weight in gold.

Made a last minute book here and was not disappointed. The mussels were delicious! Good range of beer too. Our waiter/barman was really lovely too!

Incredible food - love the latest menu - and nothing beats sitting by the fire with a good drink.

Really tasty roast and dessert, with good choices for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Staff are a little chaotic, but really lovely and helpful all the same. Would visit again!

Culinary delight awaits at The Maltsters Arms! My husband and I savoured every bite of their delectable fish pie, where each mouthful burst with intense flavors. The owner graciously shared the ingredients, sparking inspiration for our own kitchen experiments. Amidst the hustle, the staff remained friendly, and we even made a furry friend in the pub dog. Our adult children joined us and raved about their sausage and mash; the gravy, especially, was a standout. Throughout our visit, the owners were lovely, adding to the warmth and charm of the place. Despite the distance, we'll treasure our time at this charming pub, complemented perfectly by their great Guinness. The Maltsters Arms is a hidden gem, offering delicious food, warm hospitality, and a memorable experience.

Very friendly staff and a delicious Sunday lunch 😋 had a choice of 5 different meats, all were freshly roasted. A lovely pub!

Nice, cosy pub/restaurant. Despite being near empty the kitchen was really slow - no idea if that's normal.

Absolutely wonderful..we visited from Sidmouth ...food was amazing and pleasant staff

The only place to go for a Sunday carvery. Book first as lots of folk know about it.

Lovely village pub, and the owner and bar staff were so friendly. The food was excellent, and the portion sizes were huge!

The definition of a classic Cornish hamlet pub in terms of atmosphere with a menu fit for an upmarket restaurant. The owner is very clearly as passionate as they come in regards to providing the best possible experience, even contacting me personally to iron out details about our visit that resulted in us having an even more enjoyable time. Despite being a traditional pub with an open fire, there wasn't a cobweb or dusty light bulb in sight, the place is immaculate. The food is fantastic and very reasonably priced for the quality and portion size, our meal came out to less than £75 and that included three course, one being a steak. The menu is exactly what you'd expect from a pub with the addition of another 7 or 8 items you wouldn't expect to see. If you want a traditional Cornish, dog friendly pub meal they do not come better than this, will be back again very soon.

Had a lovely evening at The Maltsters Arms with friends. Superb food, great atmosphere with attentive staff. The landlord, Pip, was the best host!

Web site says open at 12:00 got there-at 12:30 ish , waitress explained chef was on his way and would be 40 mins. Stupidly we agreed to wait. He arrived , another couple did sat by the fire same as us as BTW there is zero heating on elsewhere by then it had been over an hr . We ordered , so did the other couple, their food was served way before ours , now 1.5 hrs. Our food arrived it was terrible, fish pie was a slop and over salted to a ridiculous degree.The waitress tried to argue we knew it would be a while but by now it was 2 hrs + The owner /chef approached and I said I just wanted some food as by now we where starving and just to leave it. The waitress asked if I had finished which I had I thanked her for taking the plates… the owner approached I said I just wanted to finish . He clearly had a go at her as she was now in tears I have no idea why.We left £38 lighter … my wife just had a sandwich !another women followed us to the car and started shouting at my wife and myself , I returned to the pub and was accused of bullying !!!…the only person who might have bullied her was the chef .Another person who had been sitting down with head phones on and a laptop in another room out the back by the toilets who I smiled at earlier and he looked at me in a very odd way also had a go saying I had a go at her from the start … utter rubbish how on earth does he know what was said with headphones on sat in another room.I was then told they would call the police if we didn’t Leave !! And we were banned !!! Absolutely Bizzare place clearly with some serious staffing issues …. Shame as we used to go a lot as we are local and it was fine

To be fair, it was a Monday lunchtime just before Xmas, not many people about so not a great deal of ambience. The fire was lit and gave great warmth, the staff couldn't do enough for us and the food was delicious. A little jewel tucked away and one we will definitely visit again.

Wonderful NYE experience. Fantastic carvery, super-hospitable hosts...a pure delight!

Amazing food would highly recommend

Brilliant welcoming atmosphere and superb food.

Fantastic food and lovely staff

Beautiful old pub. Food amazing& all staff are lovely. Great atmosphere

Fantastic little find, which was signposted from the main A road. The food is excellent and such a welcoming place. Dog friendly (Reg got lots of pets and treats). The chutney on the Ploughman's Lunch was divine.

Food looked great plated up although we only dropped in for a beer. The menu had some interesting items on it. There was Whole Lemon Sole on as a Special on the Chalkboard.

Food lovely. Service was slow. Staff were constantly busy but not enough of them.

Amazing! Went out for my birthday, after hearing great reviews, not disappointed, food was faultless, service was spot on, And the landlord and he's staff were so helpful, definitely recommend, made my birthday, and a lovely afternoon, Five stars, 😊

First visit since reopening and enjoyed a fabulous Sunday roast. Meat was really tender and tasty. Will be back.

Sehr freundliche Bedienung. Wir hatten Fish&Chips mit diversen Bieren und es war sehr lecker.

Wonderful meal, huge portions and the best fish chowder I've ever had.

Great food, generous portions. Really enjoyed the meal.

What a pub 🥰 Staff were very accommodating, helpful and nothing was too much trouble. During our stay in Chapel Amble we went in EVERY day. Each visit we were made to feel welcome by all the staff and locals alike. Even Mooseman our Jack Russell (who is quite vocal when it comes to other dogs) was welcomed each time, with dog treats from the bar and was renamed 'Angry dog' We had dinner on the Tuesday, which was fabulous (all credit to the "dancing" chef 😘) My husband and Dad had the belly of pork and I had the ham egg and chips. Everything was cooked to perfection and the portions were generous. So much so that 'angry dog' had ham for his breakfast the next morning. Perfect place to unwind in front of the fire after a busy day of exploring. An absolute gem. Neil, Charley, Bryan and 'Angry Dog'

Amazing Sunday carvery along with great service Thank you we will be back 😀

A lovely pub with lots of charm. The staff are extremely friendly, polite and a good laugh. They got us in short notice for the best carvery we've had. The selection was excellent all perfectly cooked. The range of the vegetables was just right and the extras were spot on. The Maltsters arms was a recommendation so I'm hoping to pass on the favor to someone else. Best to book as it's easy to see why this place is so busy. Can't wait to go back. Thank you 👍🏼🙌🏼👌🏼🤤

The pub was closed last year, so we were happy it was open this year for our 2 week holiday. What a surprise, the food was excellent each time we ate there. The staff were super friendly and made us very welcome. This is a place to eat and drink if you are in North Cornwall.

Great food, cooked well with quality ingredients. Good selection of wine and beer and great service from all the staff. Lovely little dog friendly pub serving traditional food.

Best Sunday carvery around! Beautiful pub and great, friendly service.

As a returning customer 15yrs later the Maltsters is still an amazing place to eat. The carvery was second to none a choice of 6 meats amazing unlimited veg all cooked to perfection this is by far the best Sunday roast I have ever had just as if you were at home. I will be back alot sooner.

What a shame. Food looked amazing but after waiting an hour and still no service decided enough was enough. Having booked I expected better service. Landlord was apologetic but not the Sunday lunch I was looking forward to.

Fantastic pub, food and staff. Extremely friendly and welcoming. The manager, head chef and bar staff are all exceptional. Can't wait to revisit.

Best fish and chips I’ve had in a pub in ages and the ham , egg and chips were delicious too. Generous portions. Staff friendly and attentive.

Don’t want to praise it too much otherwise everyone will want to visit, but it’s an outstanding country pub.

Fantastic lunch, all home made,very friendly service and beautiful village setting. Will definitely be back👍👍👍

They accommodated us without a booking and we're very friendly and food was superb. Giving 4 stars for atmosphere as one of the bar ladies was very tense behind the bar, huffing a fair bit and husband felt awkward ordering drinks. Otherwise lovely place and super food we loved

What a find! The best carvery we have had in a very long time…absolutely delicious, portions are so generous. Jeremy and the chef and all the staff were so friendly. Highly recommend 👍

Good quality gastropub style food. Generous portions and quick attentive service too.

Fabulous, friendly pub. Great food and service. Dog friendly. Interesting selection of Cornish wines too.

No oysters. Good pub. Good service. Bad roads

Decided to visit as we were in holiday in Cornwall. We saw the sign and realised this was the place that we used to get ghost bookings for when we owned the Maltsters in Henley. We weren’t booked but they found space for us. Top quality floor walking team and an excellent carvery chef. This isn’t a carvery by carvery standards. Think more of a personal table chef asking you which cuts you would prefer, the only difference is that you are stood up at his table. The meats are all top quality, no Makro deal of the week stuff here (or maybe they just know how to cook a cheap cut properly). The real star of this offering are the sides and veggies. Each one had attention paid to it that Alain Passard would enjoy. No exaggeration, no inside dealings, this fayre would’ve commanded £60-70 a plate in London. Well done guys. Great to see someone climbing out of Covid with pride & produce.

The food was really good. The portion size was pretty good too whilst still keeping the quality. Decent drinks. The only thing that let it down was the service, which was very erratic and slow, this really let it down. Luckily the food was good otherwise it would be far less than 4*. Nb. For fairness we did come last time we stayed near here and the service was good.

Fantastic pub outstanding food and a very warm and friendly welcome on arrival, would definitely recomend this pub 100%

Really good curry and quiz night even though it did run a little late.

The best roast dinner we’ve ever had out. Everything element of the Sunday carvery was delicious. And such friendly service. Our son is a vegetarian - they did a nut roast to order for him and he really liked it.

Lovely very quiet village pub, owner really nice and friendly, had a doorstop ham sandwich delicious and a nice pint.

100% a fantastic pub, Carvery was excellent, great staff, back in Cornwall in a couple of weeks so will be back !!

Went on a Sunday when they had a carvery on. The food was amazing, best meal Iv had out for a long time. Dogs are aloud in the pub. One of our party waited at the table with the dog and then was aloud to skip the queue to get his carvery so we were eating together. Friendly bar staff also.

Fantastic service, very polite and friendly. Great food. Only thing that lets it down are the toilets.

Big portions of food, flavours and presentation excellent. Cod and chips, cod burger, lamb shank and slow roasted pork belly with cider gravy.

A great find! The cavery was absolutely delicious 😋 cooked to perfection, certainly for us! The owners and staff were so friendly and welcoming. They deserve to do well! Thank you! 😊 well done and good luck! 👏👏 we'll be back!

Relaxed and very welcoming, nothing was too much. They already had free cold water waiting on the table which was a big plus for me. And got to say it was the best carvery I have ever had with no scrimping on portions. Guys on the outside on horse and cart was rude to my partner but was not part of the business. Again great place.

Nice pub, interior needs a little work to be perfect, food and service were excellent .

A gem of a country pub. Visited on Tuesday while on a week's holiday in Cornwall the food is awesome. Good homemade quality meals. A great wine menu with local cornish wines which were delicious. The only negative was the slow service. However this was NOT a reflection on the 2 ladies run ragged serving at the bar and waiting tables. I guess there was a sickness or short of staff.

Messed up our booking, so there was no table available. Ruined our evening... well..if they don't want my money then someone else will do !

Couple of weeks ago 2 of us stopped & had a lunchtime sandwich. No menu/prices offered but friendly chap told us what sandwiches he could do - we went for the crab on brown (we were brought ‘on white’. ) Ok sandwiches cost us £17.50 EACH!

Amazing power couple hosts, beautiful service, great beer. The food is excellent with an interesting specials board. Thanks so much!

Fantastic Sunday lunch yesterday. Huge portions and great value for money. Friendly staff and great atmosphere

We had food in the garden because we had a dog and it was a nice say. The food was delicious. The staff attentive and the grounds were clean and tidy.

Very friendly (and dog friendly) pub in a lovely village. Excellent ploughman's lunches.

Lovely place fantastic quality of lfood and really good staff. Would absolutely recommend a meal here .

Absolutely delicious carvery which all 9 of the family raved about!! The chef clearly took so much pride in providing an excellent menu for everyone, including veges and a vegan! Highly recommended 👌

Excellent food. Definitely worth a visit for quality food and value.

Bit dear for a yorkshire man but value for money

Fantastic Sunday carvery well worth a visit

Cosy traditional pub with good beer and good food. Very welcoming to both us and the dog! Worth a visit.

What a fabulous quaint pub in a delightful village. Booked for a carvery that was outstanding. The meat was beautifully tender and a good selection of vegetables and great Yorkshire pudding to top it off. The staff were all really friendly and helpful too. We will definitely be going back.

Brilliant pub, great staff, lovely atmosphere! What more would you want in a pub! Went to the Wednesday curry and quiz night which had a wide range of curry’s and spice levels. Top pub!

Nice staff, good food and service, value for money with a nice atmosphere.

Excellent food in nice friendly local

Thank you Pip and Kerry for the amazing buffet you created for us last week. The food was amazing. Great night had by all. Thank you again

The most delicious carvery. Beautiful meat and plentiful extras.

Friendly and attentive staff....roaring fire and cosy vibes. Food delicious.

Found through Google and definitely exceeded expectations. Dog friendly, the staff are super attentive and an A-AMazing chief that made the most tastiest food and even catered to a custom requirement. Made a 13 year old, birthday fiancee and myself feel very welcome and filled our stomachs. Would highly recommend for a spontaneous stop off just wish we had room for pudding.

Came for Christmas lunch. Excellent. A small family pub. Good atmosphere. Very friendly staff. Definitely will come again when we next visit Cornwall.