Pinetum Park Gardens Tea Room in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Won’t be back anytime soon ! It used to be a good but has fallen off the edge I’m afraid The cafe area is a complete shambles, full bin bags lying in the seating area, tinned drinks stacked up, bookshelves stood up against wall and no heating. Food is poor quality and hugely overpriced, with stale bread, salad leaves going brown and “ lumps” of cheese in the sandwich. The staff are less than helpful and appearance does not seem to matter to them. All in all a very poor standard set in all aspects

We decided to visit for a cream tea. Received a lukewarm welcome from the lady in-the tent. Took our cream tea to our table and discovered that the clotted cream had split and tasted sour. It was quite obvious to anyone that it had gone bad. Allowing for an honest mistake, I would have thought that she would want to exchange the whole meal, we had already spread the cream on our scones. Instead, she tried to make an excuse “it’s probably because the cream has been frozen” frozen??? No apology. Won’t be back

Visited today with a friend for possibly lunch but menu only offered beef stew or soup pasties and cakes. Marquee area was a complete mismatch of books,cards tinned foods much different to when we've visited before. Tables littered with used plates and food , 2 people behind the counter 1 serving 1 standing not doing anything and then the second one walked past all the dirty stuff on the tables and disappeared. The prices did seem a little high £6.50 for a pasty. £2.30 for a fruit shoot !!. As we left the seagulls were helping clear the tables of food !!. Sadly the place seemed really neglected apart from the beautiful plants surrounding the seating area. This is a far cry from the lovely lunches we used to come regularly for before the pandemic when the ladies in the cafe produced beautiful quiches, salads etc and tables were spic and span. Dont think I will return here any time soon.

Attractive setting, with lovely tea garden, as you would expect. Happy helpful staff, ( including the owner helping out behind the counter), Excellent range of teas, but we settled for a cream tea each. Nicely done, and such a serene peaceful location.

The restaurant is in a temporary marquee at the moment, presume because of Covid, as they can offer more of an outdoor atmosphere, with options of chairs under cover, or in the open air. There are adjacent clean toilets. The staff were very helpful and brought us our food across to our table, very hot, freshly done, large portions, well presented at a sensible price.

We went for breakfast, all looks nice, just one problem, they don't do breakfast, despite their trip advisor page stating that they do. Seems a bit of an ad hoc cafe.

By the entrance/exit so a chance to fuel-up before heading into the Gardens and then refuel before leaving. Good coffee, nice staff and quite the best chocolate brownie that I've had in an age.

Great little cafe with lots of outside seating available, either in the sun or in the shade. Very peaceful and tranquil.

A good selection of light meals and snacks to enjoy before or after exploring the lovely Pinetum Gardens

My husband and I stayed in one of the Moongate lodges. Absolutely lovely! A real privilege to be able to wander in the gardens early in the morning/late evening. Great welcome for our dogs as well. Friendly staff in cafe, good value breakfast.

Beautiful gardens, some amazing plants and shrubs with an opportunity to buy some too at the little shop ( great coffee too). Quite easily walk around for a couple of hours. Best thing about St Austell or St Awful as we called it!

These gardens are just tucked off the main road and one would not even know they were there. Extending for 30 acres, with dotted lodges, themed areas of beauty, a lake and sculptures it’s just a lovely place to stroll around. Ample parking and mostly flat but sloping in places, mobility scooters were seen on our visit and prams. Many responsible dog walkers too, especially around the meadow flowered area. So many wonderful trees in the Arboretum, great for children to play hide and seek. Seating found throughout the gardens if one has to rest. Not suitable for wheelchair users. There are tea rooms serving hot and cold food, cakes are amazing, and indoor/outside seating areas. Quite spacious with sunny and shaded spots. Access to the shop and an area selling potted plants too. The only toilet facilities are located by the tea room, which are very clean and well stocked, but a little tricky with doors within doors if physically challenged, however on even level flooring. We spent 4-5 hours there covering all the stated paths on a given map on entry at a leisurely pace. One would recommend a dry day to visit as all open areas.

Visited here last year and had a delicious lunch so we just had to go back. The staff are so friendly and happy it’s a pleasure to have a sit down in the cafe. The steak pies were monumental, very tasty with melt in the mouth steak. Might have to visit again!

Friendly helpful greeting. Lovely varied garden. Plenty for avid gardeners, people like me who like a stroll in pleasant surroundings and activities for children. After which coffee and cake is appreciated or maybe a cream tea. Lovely

Two of us called in for a bite to eat for lunch we both had panini and coffee. The panini was full of flavour and the coffee tasty. Ideal for a bite to eat, especially if you are visiting the gardens.

We have visited here since 2014. Just visited today, overall very disappointed that there is obviously a lot of work going on, the structure of the garden has lost a lot of its charm along with some beautiful specimen rhododendrons and other flowering trees and shrubs. As far as we are now concerned, although living locally, the new entry pricing has made this garden no longer an attractive proposition. The daily entry fee now puts it in line with other much bigger and more famous gardens in the area that offer far better value for money. To cap it off, no discount for seniors.

A group of 8 of us needed coffee/hot chocolate and cake. I enjoyed the chocolate fudge cake and hot chocolate and the others also had drinks and some had cake. We all enjoyed the friendly service and sat outside watching their ducks while they entertained us. A great way to spend an afternoon.

Visited here over the last four years, each time my ticket lasted a week and I and my dog could come and go throughout our holiday. Arrived on Saturday expecting to do the same but now you have to pay per entry- it is too expensive for this considering what is inside - beautiful but small. This means I have not paid to enter, nor have I returned regularly to eat in cafe or buy plants as I have for the past few years! Greed will not win out I am afraid!

Great place to walk your dogs and family, even though its summer still quiet enough to enjoy the walks. Bit pricey on entry but great annual pass price, will visit all the time with my dog.

It seemed almost a shame that people just came in for a small snack. We decided on a meal and were not disappointed. I had the chicken and bacon salad and my partner the burger. We both enjoyed them. Our dog even got a doggy treat. Well worth it a little hidden gem.

Nice food, well served, sensible prices - most enjoyable. Nice surroundings. Suited our family group from 1 to 81 years old.

We arrived here by chance after a long drive so stopped for lunch. My husband enjoyed the steak and ale pie, which was a PROPER pie, not a sort of soup with a pastry crust on top the dish like so many places; whilst I enjoyed a salad Both dishes were well presented; served promptly. We enjoyed the meal and then decided to pay to look round the gardens afterwoods . Plenty of parking and clean loos.

Enjoyed a lovely lunch here before walking around the gardens. The tea rooms were very cosy with good menu choices and not too expensive. The service was good and the staff very friendly.

Really disappointed. They’d run out of a number of items - odd for a Sunday lunch. The lunch arrived after a nearly 40 minute wait - it wasn’t busy (another tables meal came out piece by piece over a nearly 10 minute period!) and there was a lack of beans for two of the meals, about a table spoon, which isn’t enough for a baked potato. Everything was a bit pricey, very slow in coming and very far from being served with a smile.

Visited here for coffees while at the gardens and was really impressed with the café. The Lavazza coffees were excellent and the staff very friendly. Lovely and clean ladies toilets.

Great cafe, fab cake and coffee. Good quality food at great value for money. Service impeccable. Really worth a visit whether it's raining or shining!

Came across this Park by chance during a few days away in Cornwall. We walked around the park twice with our little dog, enjoying the many splendid plants, trees and open spaces. Sayings from the Soul Bird book written on wooden objects in various places is a great idea and very thought provoking. The cafe is great, and dogs are allowed. Good food at good prices, in very nice surroundings. All this with plant and gift sales made it a wonderful place to be. We will be back soon.

Called into this very nice gardens on way back from Mevaggisey.A very nice way to spend a couple of hours,walking around the different gardens.Personally I liked the Japanese garden the best.Plenty of room to park & good value for the entry fee (reduced for us seniors).The cafe had a good choice but was very busy.You can take dogs & children will love the wide open spaces to run around.

We visited these lovely premises on our recent holiday, and we were delighted to find this restaurant served a cooked...

Un lugar de belleza y tranquilidad, con plantas y flores coloridas y espléndido. Magníficos árboles y espacios abiertos, junto con zonas de caminos y estanques intrigantes y descubrimiento. También tuvimos un almuerzo ahí también.

El personal era muy servicial y amable, el café estaba bueno, pastel excelente y el entorno precioso. Obviamente, popular entre los lugareños y turistas. volver Buena relación calidad-precio!

This garden is lovely. It's quite flat and so very suitable for my disabled daughter. The kids loved the garden and finding all the hidden things. The tea room was very reasonable though we had to wait a while for our food and they did forget to give us knives and forks so we had to ask for them. The only complaint I have about the food is that it doesn't say on the menu what is in the sauce which is put on the salad. My husband is allergic to vinegar so even though he's not keen on salad he had to leave it. I had some but was unsure of the sauce/dressing myself, but told my husband not to eat it. Otherwise a very pleasant day out. The gardens overall were very good.

Was taken to the cafe for a lunch treat. Chose the steak and ale pie. Lovely meal. Crust was rich and crunchy and the need juicy and tender and rich and full of flavour. The staff are lovely and polite and very accommodating too.

Was good for a quick pitstop and yes it was pricey but it's helping the gardens and keeping it open, enjoyable day for sure but if you want to have an even better day, take a picnic and enjoy the sun... when it's actually sunny.

We only stopped for a morning coffee but the café area was clean and the service quick. A nice touch is having a small library to browse through whilst waiting for the coffee to cool.

An excellent menu available and the food is very tasty. Have visited twice and the different choices were all worthwhile - with the added bonus of a 10% discount for being annual members.

Enjoyable breakfast and light lunch. Helpful, service orientated staff. Tea room in pleasant surroundings.

Lovely tasty home cooked food, couldn't have got more on the plates if they tried, Steak and Ale was awsome, Scampi was delicious and homemade fish cakes were to die for.,

Been many times as a local. Peaceful and tranquil setting. Lovely atmosphere. Tearoom authentic and very clean. Very welcoming staff. Table service was elegant and professional. Gives you a great feeling of Cornwall. Food exceptional and very well presented. Nice hot food on a nice hot plate. .

The tea rooms used to be my first port of call for lunch when in this area. Then the people running it lost their lease and moved to Truro. The change over had not been successful. On my first visit this year there was no water and the gents loo was closed, on the second visit there was no coffee. The third went better. But the service is unfriendly, the food expensive for what it is, and the loos need cleaning. Having said that the food was definitely better on this third visit. The chips were excellent ( served like a game of jenga!) and the sandwiches far fresher. So maybe the new owners will soon make it a unmissable lunch treat again. At the moment I prefer elsewhere. The car parking is good. But if you have elderly companions drop them off by the tea room then drive back to the carpark. The walk is short but has a few places my elderly father finds difficult, slopes and uneven ground. The ducks that congregate outside will entertain children, and dogs are welcome at the outside tables. So there is good. Just not yet good enough for me.

The girl who served us was really surly and didn't make us feel at all welcome. However, the cream tea itself was really good - the scone was a good size and there was plenty cream and jam. My sons both had chocolate cake, which they both said was quite rich, and I felt was quite pricy at £3 a slice.Not sure that we'll be back for second helpings, but give it a go and let us all know of your experience.

We ate here 3 times on different visits during our 2 week holdiday. The tea room is bright, clean and spacious. They serve anything from cake,sandwiches to soup or a main meal. There are daily specials and you can eat inside or out. Children well catered for and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Would recommend.

I have fallen in love with this setting. A mixture of different gardens and landscapes which are all so tranquil. We had lunch and tea and cake in the afternoon in The tea Room. The food was delicious and all the staff really polite and helpful.

Lovely and cosy little tea room, however, I did think my meal was slightly over priced. I had a small jacket potato with a tablespoon of beans and it cost about £6. For that price I was hoping for a few more beans, enough to actually cover my potato. We did not have cakes however they did look lovely and fresh

The tea shop has a very relaxing, calm ambience and the young girl who served us was extremely polite and friendly. We had coffee, cake and also ordered a bacon bap. The waitress came back to our table 5 minutes later and told us that the chef wasn't cooking anything else. It was only 3.30 and the place was open until 5. Also, the ladies toilet was unacceptable. The toilet seat was hanging off and inside the toilet was stained and yellow all around.

When we have been here in previous years there has been an inviting selection of home made cakes. This year there was very little to choose from: chocolate cake, Victoria sandwich or plain scones. The cabinet that should have been tempting us contained nothing but factory made prepacked cakes. I didn't pay close attention because they failed to appeal, but there wasn't even much variety. Minute portion of jam (albeit good jam with decent fruit pieces) with the scone.We were left wondering what has happened here, because alongside the thin pickings in the café we found the former deli alongside doing a good impression of the Monty Python cheese shop : chilled cabinet contained nothing but a few boxes of eggs! Finally, I know this is a matter of personal preference but we found the limp 'cocktail bar' music that was playing quite irritating. Why the need to play any music at all?

Food was fine but overpriced for what it was. A lot of it ie cakes, biscuits etc appears pre-made but is being charged at a premium. All the tables were wobbly & the door was wide open making it quite cold inside.

Мы пережидали в этом кафе дождь. От шоколадного торта даже пахло содой, что уж говорить про вкус!!! кофе просто невкусный. Зато есть бесплатный интернет

We stopped here half-way round the gardens for lunch and a drink.The tearoom was spotlessly clean and comfortable, the staff attentive, efficient and friendly. The food was very well presented and very tasty.We had pasty with chips and salad, our vegetarian member was also well catered for and we all enjoyed it. There was no hurry and we were able to relax before leaving.Recommended.

Only had coffee here while visiting the gardens. It was a busy lunchtime and the room was full of people enjoying lunches. We were still given prompt, helpful service and enjoyed our coffees.

This visit is about the 5th time I've been here and once again am mystified how it can be so close the the busy A390 in St Austell and be soooo peaceful. This time I was with 10 others on a motorcycle tour. Free parking in the huuuge car park. A short walk through the trees and the cafe comes into view. Lots of room inside. Staff are so friendly, so helpful, so cheerful. Food and drink are top notch. There really is not a reason to miss this restful stop out. The gardens are very nice; I've had a walk through them before. The big spice grinding stones in front of the cafe are fascinating and smell divine.I will definitely return on our next Cornish invasion.

Comfortable small tea room to visit after your wonder round the lovely garden. Indoor and outside seating in attractive surroundings, small selection of tasty food

Popped into the tea room for a cup of tea and a cake while travelling back to Looe , even the walk in is just beautiful! The tea was lovely and the cake was delicious ! Would definitely recommend

We are regular visitors to St Austell and would generally aim to make two or three lunchtime stops during our stay.This place was an absolute gem, with good food and lovely, friendly staff.While it has changed hands, I would urge you not to be put off by the negative reviews and significant progress has clearly been made. We found a decent lunch menu, with a reasonable range of well presented sandwiches, jacket with potatoes etc, along with a good selection of specials - served promptly by cheerful and pleasant staff.I am pleased to say that a coffee machine is now in operation. Deserves a chance.

Popped in for a quick coffee and was tempted by scones. Coffee good, scones ok, came with lashings of cream but some while after the coffee. Pleasant surroundings, ducks to feed in the courtyard provided fun.

We came for a trip while down on holiday. The tearoom had been recommended by friends who visited last summer. It was very apparent that the friendly family staff we had been told about had left. No longer doing the homemade cakes or scones. No homemade hot food either, you only had the choice of a bacon/sausage bap or a jacket potatoe. The place was cold and didn't even have a proper coffee machine. It was instant coffee or hot chocolate. Didn't stay went somewhere else! Won't be going back!

The friendly family running the tearoom have obviously gone, there was no lovely homemade cakes, scones or hot homemade food. The current menu is limited and the tearoom was cold and bare

Revisited on the 10th February. Very disappointed we come to visit the gardens often, however we usually spend a lot of time in the tearoom as the weather in Cornwall isn't exactly great! The staff WAS lovely and the food WAS homemade and there was a big variety. It was obvious that the family which ran the tearoom was gone as there wasn't any homemade cake or food, the coffee was instant as well as the hot chocolate and the tearoom looked run down!! The menu was very limited just sandwiches, sausage and bacon baps. We will not be coming back as this visit was not the same as it used to be! I hope the owners realise that the garden isn't the same anymore ☹️

Pleasant surroundings. Food and drink good. Bit of a hike from the car park for anyone with difficulty walking a distance

Booked to have a Christmas Lunch. Food, service and customer service was all excellent. Will be attending next year as well. Are you going to do Sunday Roasts in 2016

I pop in here at a variety of times often for a lunch break, the pinetum is a great place to walk around, either to walk off your lunch, or to build up an appetite. The excellent food is cooked to order using local produce, so if you want fast food this is not the place for you. The menu is varied and ranges from sandwiches, to a full meal, the portions are generous, and the quality is excellent,. You are made welcome in this little chalet style caffe set among the trees, whatever you are ordering, small or large. The little courtyard features plants for sale and a small shop selling local produce, you are bound to purchase something to take home and remind you of your visit.

The family and I decided to try out the pancakes here one afternoon. The staff are polite and friendly. The cafe area was clean and spacious. Our food was hot, very scrumptious and served quickly. Good selection of pancake toppings. Well worth a visit if you fancy something a bit different. The only downside was it is limited to pancakes or omelette.

The Lemon Drizzle was worth the entrance fee to the gardens alone, never tasted cake like it, can not wait till we are back in the area to have more cake.

Sad..I have had food before but today I was given a microwaved soggy skinned only half cooked ...bottom uncooked potato...was told it had been in oven...must have been for seconds certainly not rubbed with olive oil and salt before trying to to brown in the oven....Unable to eat meal...salad with steamed pot was not what I asked for...Having said that hubby had a reasonable fish patter with salad but not as much for the money as we have had before...will keep money in pocket in future and go around the

We stopped here for afternoon tea while visiting the gardens. Fortunately as it was a nice afternoon we were able to sit outside in the very pretty courtyard as the tearoom itself looked a bit utilitarian.However the cake was delicious and it all hit the spot.

'Tea Room' gives the totally wrong impression. The smell of greasy fried food was awful, hence the turnaround. More the feel and aroma of a transport cafe than a tea room.

We stopped off at the tea rooms for a spot of lunch on our way home from shopping in St Austell, we found the cafe to have plus points, ie..nice food, reasonable menu choice, reasonable prices, but it did have a few negative points, we found the over all ambiance to be poor,the lighting was dreary, the varnished wooden tables were stark and stayed damp after being wiped down, equally the tables had no covering or decoration, ie a small pot plant or a few flowers which is usual for a gardens cafe, the table menus looked scruffy and needed updating, the specials chalk board is positioned low down in front of the counter where customers stand to place their orders, hence I didn't get to see it until I had already ordered my food. the cafe was crowded but the waiting staff were rather too preoccupied in looking after a family who were obviously known to them, which I felt was detrimental to the overall service, in fact one family sat out in the back room waiting for their order to be taken not realizing they needed to order at the counter, also tables took longer than necessary to clear, and although I had ordered from the menu scrambled egg and smoked salmon on toast what I actually received was smoked salmon on toast with 2 poached eggs at the side..all in all the lack of attention to detail and the hit and miss customer service, makes this potentially good little cafe, just miss the mark.

Visited the Tea room on a rainy day, had lovely lunch and coffee. Please be aware it can take about 30 minutes from order to table, but worth it. Oh, and if you want a visit from mother duck and her adorable ducklings, don't shut the cafe door - it doesn't go down well with other diners and staff alike!

a nice cup of coffee but the cakes were a bit dry the toilets needed a bit of a clean and tissue towell bin was overflowing

Called in today and had coffee and cake. My wife had the homemade mixed berry cheesecake which easily was the cake of of the day!! Fab location makes the cakes taste even better. Definitely worth a stop and a look around and then have some cake!!!Only down side (and its a personal thing) is the restaurant smelled alittle of fried food (left over from lunchtime i guess) so i sat outside in the beautiful surroundings

Great place, stopped off here for coffee and cake with family the other day. We had the most gorgeous home made banana cake with coffees and teas, great selection of homemade cakes. Great farm/deli shop and plant stalls. Beautiful tranquil gardens too.

Such a beautiful little cobbled courtyard setting for a lunch or afternoon tea and what lovely food offered with care. An amazing selection for a small place : cakes galore and a ploughman's enough for two stocky ploughmen, served with a cracking chilli chutney. I can't wait to go back one evening to try the new pancake hut.

If you like gardens this is the place to go. Beautiful grounds with many lovely blooms. the coffee shop offered a range of food including a full english breakfast. We just had a cream tea and icecream.

Wouldn't know this was here hidden from the main road so lovely and peaceful, gardens to wonder round this is not free, but the rest is and you can lose yourself for a few hours. But plants or hanging baskets, little farm /deli shop. Nice tea room staff friendly. So if you want peace drop in.

Stopped off here for the second time while in the area and enjoyed one of their delicious cream teas. Fabulous at £4.

Lovely selection and friendly staff. Stopped off here for a quick lunch before going on to another attraction. Good value and very good.

We had a wonderful meal on the evening of 28th May where the tearoom changes to a bistro. Only 6 people there 4 of us,and a couple .We had chicken stuffed with mozzarella basil and sun dried tomato,white wine sauce bashed potatoes and veg .Our friends had lamb with mash and mint gravy and salmon with dill sauce. All cooked beautifully. The staff were very friendly come on people pay them an evening visit .

We like this cafe because it is usually fairly quiet, and we can sit in beautiful surroundings and bring our dogs with us The food is good, but simple. More vegetarian options would be lovely. It is more expensive then other cafes- but it is nice food.

I love this place. .very nice home made cakes and hot drinks..my daughter loves to feed the ducks in the courtyard. .looking forward to having lunch there one day. .the staff always have time to chat..we also attended a Christmas event here..well organised. .well worth popping in,if you are in the area.

Considering how lovely the farm shop is and what good products they have, the cafe turned out to be disappointing. I only had coffee and bake well tart but the tart was crumbly and fell apart and seemed factory made. With the great ingredients locally, there is no reason not to produce homemade type cakes. Coffee very good but staff seem more interested in talking to themselves rather than paying attention to customers.

We drove past this place twice before venturing in, but were pleased we finally made the effort.Being short of time, we made straight to the restaurant, but had to stop en route to watch the entertaining chickens and ducks performing for our benefit. The trees surrounding the place are impressive, and the plants for sale diverted us even more.We had only a snack, but it was delicious, served by welcoming staff and in pleasant surroundings. Altogether a very happy interlude in our day.

Love, love, love!! been there twice now since discovering and both times has been fab.. was not able to find any faults.. clean and cosy with extremely helpful and friendly staff. prices are reasonable, and most things are homemade!! will definitely be visiting again soon.

Stopped for late lunch here yesterday.Really nice surroundings all very clean and presentable.I had Bacon, mushroom and cheese panini which was great.Emms had a jacket spud and Ava chips, everybody happy food good quality and the cakes after were ace.Service was quick and freindly. Recommend

Lovely woodland setting in the Pinetum gardens with super little farm shop next door (good bacon supplier, thanks). We called in for a cup of tea and piece of cake. Seemed like quite a few regulars having lunch. Very nice location and good home made cake and flapjack, delicious selection too! Generous pot of tea each, thanks.Strong smell of cooking fat in the cafe put me off having lunch and the smell stayed on my clothes :( hope this was a one off as our friends recommended lunch here and we will come back to try that another time.

Visited tearoom yesterday, we were very disappointed with the quality of food served compared to the prices charged. I ordered a ploughman's lunch - expecting a ploughman's lunch and was served a very small basic cheese salad ( bagged salad) with a very hot (warmed up in microwave) half baguette. Hubby ordered gammon ham , egg and chips - expecting cooked gammon, was served 2 eggs, very small amount of frozen chips and a slice of pre packed, baked ham - the cost of both meals were approximately £18.00p. first and last visit