Porthluney Cove Beach Cafe and Shop in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

This review does not detract from what is a fabulous location but the food is hugely overpriced for what it is. 7 of us for a brisket burger and fries and soft drink was over £100. Now I know this is Cornwall, we were not on holiday and live about 20 minutes away but come on!

Brilliant birthday party I had my 60th here. Great food and a brilliant beach. Anyone expecting haute quisine shouldn’t be eating at a beach cafe tbh (ignore those reviews). The food is great and staff really friendly. I live nearby and we went there for lunch today. Pulled Pork bap and chip with a pint of local IPA. Dogs happy as possible and everyone enjoying a Cornwall summer day.

Went once before on one of their music nights and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. We were nearby recently, and decided to go late afterrnoon for a bite to eat. The young lady serving was rather curt, but maybe that was because it was nearly closing time (4pm). It was a very limited menu. Burgers, basically. As we don't eat meat, about the only options were an Halloumi burger and a Kale and Hemp burger. Both came with chips. The halloumi burger was OK, although the bap was very cotton-wool like. No nutrition - they should offer an alternative 'healthy' option. Never had a Kale burger before, so a bit of a risk, but it sounded healthy, so gave it a go. Mistake - it had a strange 'burnt' taste. Maybe as it was actually over-cooked, as it was very dark. Not nice. Same unhealthy white bap - the bottom half of which was soggy due to the 'wet' dressing, and collapsed into messy little pieces. The chips were nice. Won't stop us going back, as a nice relaxed vibe in a great location, but maybe we'll stick to the music nights, as hopefully the food will be better.

It's in a great location, and somewhere I've visited frequently with colleagues and family. The food is great and whilst not cheap, in a location such as this I wouldn't expect it to be. Unfortunately, the visit was let down my myself and a colleague overhearing a lady talking about how she was working cash in hand whilst on maternity leave as a nurse. As doctors, we found this quite alarming.

Early afternoon on a showery September day. Went for a coffee for me and tea for my wife, plus something to eat. We chose bacon roll and soup - not the best day for ice cream! Both freshly prepared and a good choice, plenty of good bacon in an excellent ‘herby’ roll (can’t remember name of herb but didn’t need spoiling with ketchup or sauce). One of the best ever! A few tables under shelter kept us dry during the showers. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff. Toilets probably responsibility of council/car park operators? They do need to shape up and maintain this ‘public’ facility which is not just for cafe customers, so not cafe responsibility other than being the only facility their customers can use.

We went to the beach bar one evening on our summer holidays. Over all we thought the place was OK!! A little pricey for drinks and the food looked the same. My main problem is the £100 parking fine (now £170) I've received for visiting! On my arrival there was 4 maybe 5 people struggling to use the parking machine so we all came to the conclusion it was out of order. At this point I moved my car on to the grass at the beach bar thinking it was their car park and I'd be fine as I'm a paying customer.......no. I've emailed Charlotte at the Caerhays Estate appealing for help and she just said 'nothing I can do get in touch with Initial Parking'. I realise this isn't directly the cafes fault, but if you want my advice go to Cake Breads in Gorran Haven. Easy parking, nicer food and great music!!

This place is great. Bar is well stocked and always great staff. food for kids and adults. The slow cooked beef bun is really nice. We went twice for the live music over our stay and it was great. Third year visiting and really happy with every visit. Parking meter is easy to use and if you need to do it on your phone just go to the viewing deck on the beach and you get a great signal.

We spent a great evening with live music here after an afternoon at the amazing beach. The food was lovely and there was something for everyone, young kids, moody teens, grumpy adults and one vegi special mention to the waffle hut which was a bit hit in our group. The best part was the relaxed and fun atmosphere created especially during the live music as the sun sets over the surround hills, would definitely recommend visiting was one of the highlight of or holiday in Cornwall.

We went to the beach cafe one evening and ordered our dinner. Between us we had a roast beef burger and a halloumi burger. The amount of roast beef in my room was terrible, barely enough to cover the surface of the roll. It was also cold. The roll was filled with more coleslaw than anything! The halloumi was also cold and no attempt was made to jazz it up. The chips that came with it were nice, but I imagine that they were just reheated frozen chips. Considering we spent £21, we did not get good value for money. Let’s talk about the toilets… they’re disgusting. Very unhygienic and not clean at all. No soap to wash your hands with and barely any water. This place must make a killing for doing not a lot!

Had my review removed by caerhays beach cafe so re-writing this with an added bad point. Come to porthluney beach quite regularly with family as locals. Today I went there with my sons, one of their friends and my parents. I took to the beach a pack of 24 cans of coke. We heard that a shanty group were playing so we decided to stay for that. I had some cans of coke left over and all four boys had one while we waited for the group to start their music as any parent would. Me and my parents had a drink from the bar and in the afternoon we had several coffees and teas and also various food items. The lady which has a grey/white streak in her hair came over to us with an aggressive manor and proceeded to rudely have a go at us from bringing our own drinks to the free entertainment they put on. We did not know there was a policy not to bring free drinks but these were drinks left from the beach. I proceeded to tell her this and I was still met with rude and aggressive behaviour and was told I’d had to leave if I kept them there. We have spent a lot of money over the last 3 months not to include last year. Had she politely come to us and explained I wouldn’t be writing this now. Sad to say we won’t be spending a penny at the beach cafe again. Also for the amount of money they make their toilets are in poor condition with a deep clean much needed. As well as the fact there’s no soap or hand sanitiser to clean your hands after using such disgusting toilets. Never felt so angry in all my life. We are the people that keep businesses going when out of season. We shall find another more welcoming place. Also the lady in question gave me too much change just a couple weeks ago and I returned the over change in pure honesty because that’s who I am. Disgusted is an understatement! Don’t go here unless you like to be spoken to like rubbish! I also left a review on their Facebook page which I had a reply from a fake Facebook account accusing me of cheating on my husband and being an alcoholic and also said I was probably caught pouring vodka into a can of coke. As I clearly stated in my review I’d had a drink bought for me by my stepfather from their bar. Never in my life have I ever been treated so badly by an establishment and to even think they’d make a fake Facebook just to make me look like a bad person for leaving a review that doesn’t suit them even though they were to blame. I feel I should be contact trading standards and so forth for slander. Disgraceful behaviour.

Lovely place but the toilets are a disgrace! Please sort this as it is somewhere you would go and stay for hours! Facilities are a necessity and would make the place a true gem!

We visited Caerhays beach cafe whilst on a cycling day out. Location was great and the weather was stunning. We ordered food from the cafe and got charged close to double what we should have been. Not noticing until the next day I made 3 phone calls where promises were made to call me back but unfortunately no one called. On the forth attempt someone called back to say a refund would be given, however over a month has passed but no refund. Would not recommend

I cannot fault this lovely little cafe on the beach, lovely staff, absolutely beautiful food, the beef stack was unbelievably tasty, I could of eaten another… not because it wasn’t enough but because it was SO SO SO GOOD!! Absolutely worth the price!! I’m shocked by the 13 bad reviews I have read… they clearly don’t know good quality food when they eat it! It’s the kind of food that makes you go MMMMMMMMmmmmm at every bite! Will 100% be returning (probably tomorrow!!) I would also like to say a massive thankyou to the staff for all their hard work and dedication to their job! Also love that it is dog friendly and they have biscuits on hand for our furbabies!!

We went here on a very busy night with live music and had a good bbq and burgers. I would have liked to have been asked if I wanted hot sauce on everything as it was very spicy - too much for my son and there was a lot of pepper on the chips! But we had a great time and the setting with the castle and the beach is beautiful. Oh yes the deserts were really good too!

Totally agree with last review great find. After an excellent trip round castle and beach walk with the dogs, we wanted lunch and the cafe was just the place. Friendly staff, tasty food and good service. Will definitely recommend.

I have been a regular here for a number of years. Its a great place to sit and chill out after a walk (or before) and watch the world go by. Staff are always friendly even at busy times. The beach is great and loads of wonderful walks close by. Food and drink has always hit the spot and I look forward to visiting again this year.

We had a great lunch here. Great choice of tasty good quality food and well priced. Location is fantastic. Ample car parking and the staff really looked after us. Recommend the bacon roll! Yum! Thanks guys :)

This is a unique experience almost Mediterranean camp kitchen. Great plates of food vegan and vegetarian catered for. Superb location.

Lovely place nice food and hot chocolate 😀 very helpful staff certainly went the extra bit to make you happy 😃

We are regulars to Caerhays beach cafe and it is absolutely one of our favourite spots for tea & cake or something more substantial. The cakes are THE BEST - some of our the family are gluten free and are also well catered for. The...

£12 for two teas and dry cake, we had lemon cake and carrot cake, both were the worst we had ever eaten! The view was nice and the sun was out

Pork bap and chips. Not the best, bap about as soggy as my dog after being in the sea. Couldn’t pick the bap up without it falling to pieces. Not very much pork and minimal sauce. Disappointed

We visited here with my partner, son and friends during our holiday. The bar offered a variety of drinks and the food was well presented and extremely yummy. Being able to sit along the beach front whilst enjoying food & drinks, it gave our son...

Lovely views, food & staff. Staff are polite & friendly, food was delicious & came out quickly 10000% recommend

An amazing place to chill in the evening with friends and family with the cornish sunset and beautiful sea views!

We live locally and visited the gardens in the estate which are lovely but the cafe on the beach is awful. The chips tasted like they were cooked in oil from last year. The chicken fillet strips turned up as 4 Low quality chicken nuggets....

I've been coming to this beach for about 25 years and have to say that since the beach cafe started up, each year it gets better and better. A fantastic location to spend the day, superb safe beach, friendly staff and great food. Still trying...

Stunning location & great beach café. Unfortunately our day was marred by an unwarranted £170 00 parking fine. The owner of the café has since informed me this is run by a different company & is nothing to do with them.

Absolutely brilliant location, food, drink and atmosphere. Set with a back drop of Caerhays castle and with a sea view. Moonshine cocktails and live music were excellent and the best night out I’ve had in Cornwall recently. I returned again with the family to go...

stunning location to have a cafe. The food (lots of choice) is lovely, and plenty of it! the atmosphere is great with music playing and the sound of the sea! event nights in the summer last year were fab, with a seafood and grill and...

Beautiful beach and great atmosphere especially on event nights with live music, cocktails and good food! See you again this summer!

Popped in for a bite to eat and wow what a great little place to be , food was amazing, very friendly staff. Great value for money will definitely be back 😊

What an amazing place in a stunning location. The beach on the left and a castle on the right! Excellent food at a reasonable price washed down with a bottle of Korev. Lovely smiley staff. Will be back

I stopped by for an outside cup of tea and sandwich for my lunch. The waitress was rude and the sandwich I had was so old the bread was inedible, and the halloumi in it was salty and sorry for itself. I won’t be back

Lovely friendly little café, spoilt by outrages car park fines! Miss renewing your ticket by just a couple of minutes and you'll get a fine months later in the post!

Went here once and that was bad enough. Had to practically beg them to make us a ‘large’ starter with salad as there were no 'mains available'? The salad was just salad leaves and the chicken strip overcooked. I queried the price at £25 for...

We only went here once and that was bad enough. Had to practically beg them to make us a ‘large’ starter with salad. The salad was just salad leaves and the chicken strip overcooked. I queried the price at £25 for 2 x chicken strips...

We visited to get some food before the Skylight drive in cinema night and had a lovely meal. I think it was specially open into the evening for it. I don't recognise the experience we had from some of the reviews here so hopefully it's...

Thoroughly enjoyed the food and location Wonderful natural beach and sea However , got hit for a £100 parking fine for a 30 minutes overstay Be careful of this disproportionate punitive charge from Initial Parking

We have eaten at the Cafe several times this week and the food has been fantastic. The chicken salad and the prawn salad were amazing, as was the beef stack, which came with the most delicious fries. I would recommend anyone visiting the beach to...

We only found out about this place via a local. The food is absolutely delicious, the bbq pork stack and beef stacks were "the best we've ever had", and the squid I had was absolutely yum!!!! Staff are lovely, location is perfect. If you can,...

Lovely food, so delicious! Great bar and friendly staff, fabulous chilled atmosphere and beautiful scenery. Dog friendly. Pizzas are amazing! Highly recommend!!

Thursday evening and sunset are an absolute treasure at this place. Lovely people and really good entertainment.

Great food and great service - weather wasn’t the best but staff kept going through the rain! Couldn’t fault anything.

I've read a couple of bad reviews here recently, about this place. I HAVE to say, I'm in TOTAL disagreement. We visit Carhaeys often, as we live just up the road near Truro. So we visit here at different times, all throughout the year. And...

My husband was stung by a weever fish and the staff were amazing! They knew how to treat it and looked after him so well. So grateful to Sally and the rest of the team. Also the ice creams are amazing, there was such a...

We stopped here a few times. Ideal for a drink, or taking a coffee back to the beach. Not fully operational because of covid, but still good.

We came to the beach for the day with family and saw the children's eyes light up when they realised there was a cafe on the beach, we were not disappointed! Ice creams and an excellent menu on offer with lots of delicious choices, amazing...

Such a disappointing trip. This cafe used to be pretty nice but it seems to have been taken over and the quality has dropped massively. The only food on the menu was stodgy and deep fried as the 3 slow cooked options were off the...

We went to this cafe as it was recommended via trip advisor. But we queued for 30 minutes for food that was ok. The squid was nice, but portions are small. There was plenty of parking but was pay and display, quite expensive. The access...

Nice café with lots of seating and great beach access. Not much for veggies and vegans but able to tweak the menu. Lots of parking in a wonderful setting. Wonderful coast paths

We’ve visited twice this summer, but only utilised the facility once- the queue was too long the first time so we didn’t bother. Wish we hadn’t bother to revisit yesterday...this place could (and should) be fantastic. The food was absolutely dreadful, low end quality at...

I get it, it's an odd time for restaurants, especially little independent places like this... But the quality of the food on offer, from a wildly reduced menu was really very poor. Slow cooked BBQ pulled beef burger... Flavour was sweeter than is reasonable but...

Do not think about going here ,its a rip-off. the estate are just ripping folk off plus you have to pay to park to use the cafe , ridiculous , never again . save your money and time and go elswhere.

Visited the beach on a couple of occasions whilst on holiday and came home to a carpark charge despite following the instructions on the board which stated that you can pay at any time during your stay as long as you do it before you...

Came here when Covid restrictions were first lifted so I gave them the benefit of the doubt The staff weren't very helpful, disappointed in the lack of food available...however I put this down to the current climate and shared my pasty and chips with my...

What once was a quiet beach with a lovely little cafe is now a money making trap for tourists. Such a shame and really ruins it for locals who are there all year round. I live locally and It's been such a lovely beach to...

We’ve been coming to the beach here all year round for decades as we’re locals and when the cafe started to get better, we were really pleased. However, the prices have gone up and up and yet the portions have gone right down. Some £3.50...

Lovely little open air cafe at this amazingly beautiful beach and the staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful. We stayed just up the road and popped down once quite late in the day just for ice creams which were fab but it was so relaxing,...

Great food, amazing location, live music on a summer night which was truly wonderful to listen to. Can’t cap it.

There’s a lot of space here which appears to be used by scouts and you’re right opposite the local lord of the manor and his pheasants which you will have scattered left and right if you drove here. If , like us ,you are walking...

What a pleasure to find this cafe during a coastal walk. It nestles behind the dunes and offers a wide variety of drinks and snacks. Lots of covered seating and a small decked platform to watch the surfers in the bay. Good service

Stopped off at the Porthluney Beach Cafe for a cuppa and a rest after a walk along the beach and coastal path. The cafe is right next to the car park so very convenient. There are public toilets to the rear of the cafe too....

Arrived today with a group of friends at 10:50am to be told that the cafe did not open until 11am, so chose a table and waited patiently. At 11:15 loud music blared from the speakers, signifying that the establishment was open for business. Tried to...

Welcome stop when walking from Portloe to Mevagissey - and open in September. Wide range of hot and cold beverages and snacks. Adequate loos!

We had a lovely meal here and the lady running the cafe was so welcoming. Even the dog got a biscuit and there were dog water bowls too. We went back again later in the week as it was so nice.

Stopped for tea and cake after walk. Long queue, 2 women struggling to serve everyone, they were talking about running out of food. We had 2 teas and 2 cake, got very SMALL slices cost £9 , seemed bit expensive. Summer would be very busy...

Both myself and my wife love this place. After a walk round the Caerhays castle gardens there is nothing nicer than a light meal from the beach shack, crispy salt and pepper squid on the latest visit; absolutely yummy. Great coffee too.

This was a recommendation by our guest house proprietors, a stunning place! A cafe, car park and small beach. People were surfing, swimming, picnicing and all seemed very happy. It’s a lovely drive from Fowey, down some delightful, steep and at places narrow roads. You...

How lovely to be able to take your drink, ice cream or lunch and sit at the picnic tables looking out over Porthluney beach. They also do drive in film evenings in the summer.

We visited the fantastic beach but unfortunately the beach cafe didn’t reach the same standards! Food tasted of old cheap fat - everything appeared to be cooked deep fat fried. Very disappointing and very poor. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone

An excellent sandy beach with a stream running down it was only marred for us and the dogs by a strong wind. The beach was clean and the backdrop of Caerhays Castle added atmosphere. Sadly the café closed on the stroke of 3 so went...

This cafe has a very limited choice of food. Most of the listed items were not a a available. Cornish pasty handed over in a paper bag and when I asked for a plate I was given a cardboard tray. No cutlery or crockery here!...

Great beach and lovely location. I was there with my best friend Billy (cocker spaniel) so he could run, play and swim. As we have been before, we know the cafe is good for drinks, snacks and food. On a nice sunny day, it is...

Had thought the Beach Hut would offer the standard floppy sandwich and over stewed tea. I was completely wrong Pork burgers with pulled pork, Beef burger with pulled beef - all home cooked. Scrumptious! Second visit my son-in-law and I partook of tacos with all...

We have visited these gardens on many occasions and never tire of the spectacle that we behold. There are a great mix of spring plants and trees set in an original Cornish setting. The majority of plants ant trees have labels that give you a...

nice beach, large car park, average price,toilets and food and drink available with plenty of tables and seats food menu a bit sparce at takeaway, but alongside is a resturant with more to offer

...was atrocious. Absolutely amazed it has such good reviews. £4 to park for an hour, dreadful (instant?) Coffee. Group of 5 tried pasties, fries, the mouth drying veggie burger, all inedible. Cheap sachet condiments. Pizza oven there but not in use?? Felt completely ripped off.

We visited the beach four times in our week locally. It can get a little busy but it’s a lovely beach with great scenery. The cafe is perfectly located and the food is amazing. Not your typical seaside options but they go surprisingly well looking...

Great location and set up well for outdoor seating. We only had a drink , water and some crisps but the staff were friendly and offered treats for dogs. The toilets (part of the beach) are disgusting, the worst I have ever experienced in this country, which is worrying for a food establishment if the staff have to use them. I would also question the green credentials as there appeared to be no provision for recycling plastic bottles which for our beach areas should be a priority

Beautiful beach. Went with group of friends and relatives with my partner.

First class entertainment with girl duo A Little Twisted. The girls happen to be friends of our daughter. Good and reasonably priced food and an open air bar. Nice to be able to wander around and visit the beach. Even our dog enjoyed it.

A absolutely stunning location but ruined by the miserable runt who runs the car park. Possibly the grumpiest 5od in Cornwall. Save yourself the 'pleasure' of meeting him and drive 5 minutes up the road to a free car park and a picturesque walk back down the coast path.

Fast food is only 50% true. It was fast but not what I call food. Buns and fries. As for the toilets - unbelievably bad.

.... and of course mine, too. Beautiful location, extremely (dog) friendly staff, tasty food, nice cakes and very good espresso. By the way, the beach is lovely, too (and dogs are welcome all year).

I was with my dog walking the coastal path. We found the beach and at one end this very unassuming cafe. Lots of different food on offer. The food was very tasty and very reasonable. Nice place to sit as well. Would recommend.

Really enjoyed the soup and the tea served here. People were friendly and service was good. Cafe is in a really beautiful location so definitely worth a visit.

Stopped here to see the castle but it was closed sadly as late in the season now . It was so nice to find a cafe was there and still open staff were friendly and had a nice selection of food but I only wanted soup , the soup was lovely but sadly the roll that came with it was rock hard didn't even soften being dipped in the soup and it definatly had not been toasted it was just stale !! ( The soup was carrot and fennel ) So marks off there from me . But having said that I would return as plenty of seating and staff friendly and right by the beach .

Este es un lugar fantástico! ! ! Hicimos la comida y música luego vimos una película en coche. Qué noche completamente mágico. Buena comida, buena música, buen cine comparte con amigos bajo las estrellas.

Gran comida que tenía el cerdo desmenuzado en un rollo con patatas fritas y un trozo de chocolate. Si es lo suficientemente caliente se puede sentar en una plataforma elevada con vistas a la playa. Sólo he dado un 4 porque aunque la comida es genial y es una cafetería en la playa, la comida se sirve en envases de cartón con cartón cubiertos. Personalmente hubiera preferido de platos y cubiertos de metal de China. También hay cafeteras de té tazas o vasos de cartón sólo. Tienen una noche de cine una vez al mes nos hubiera gustado de estado allí para eso. Es en el verano en la medida en que no hay viento y te puedes sentar en su coche o en el césped. El personal encantador, muy amable y servicial. Hay aseos públicos justo al lado de la cafetería. Sólo tienes que pagar por el aparcamiento de la calle 1 de mayo, no recuerdo cuando se termina, pero creo que fue a finales de septiembre. La playa es preciosa un montón de rocas, tuvimos que vadear un arroyo pequeño, aunque para llegar a la mejor parte, así que conseguimos un poco húmedo, pero valió la pena.

Fuimos en coche a la playa después de caminar con el perro en la playa La Carne pendower a unos pocos kilómetros de distancia, sólo para ver lo que era.

This turned out to be the only decent place to stop for a coffee between Portloe and Gorran Haven on the coastal path - and what a delicious coffee it was too!

La playa en sí es excelente, con un telón de fondo del castillo hacen de este un lugar perfecto para familias y parejas. El café en sí tiene una excelente comida, chips de ajo y romero de miga son el cielo. También una buena selección...

Me voy de aquí para ir a la playa y paisaje realmente, pero una ventaja es el café para la comida y la bebida. La playa tiene aseos y aparcamiento. Es tarde... favoritos aparcamiento es gratuito y puedes sentarte y mirar al mar y disfrutar...

No te molestes en empacar un picnic para pasar el día en la playa! La comida en este café es increíble. Realmente disfruté de mi lento, barbacoa de cerdo desmenuzado roll con papas fritas y mi marido tenía la carne a fuego lento. Una buena...

Muy buena comida y no pasan de el molino, gran opción para vegetarianos y comida de muy buena calidad. agradable tener esta opción en una playa preciosa.

The food was nice but there's not a great deal of choice. £5 for a pulled beef ( not a lot of beef ) batch and a few chips was a bit much I felt, but you're a captive audience. The beach itself is lovely - gentle waves, quite sandy, lots of parking (£3.50) and dogs are allowed.

Just a quick one, nice tea and coffee in a beautiful location had a bag of fries to share really nice.

Very friendly beach cafe, good produce and coffees. No competition here at this wonderful beach, none needed! Picnic area as well. Perhaps more hot food selections?

We happened on this place whilst on a walk from our caravan that is pitched all year up the road in Boswinger. Firstly the location is beautiful with a lovely beach, coastal walks with stunning views and a backdrop of Caerhays Castle that looks like it is right out of a fairy tale. There is plenty of room to park the car if you aren't staying near enough to walk. There are toilets there, and yes they won't currently win loo of the year but they are serviceable and make for a comfortable stay at the beach or a welcome stop on a walk. The Beach Cafe has an atmosphere all of its own. We met the owners Simon and Sally early this year and were instantly impressed with how friendly and welcoming they were, we can honestly say they are both lovely people. All of the staff had a smile and were always happy to help. The food is great and in our experience has always been excellent quality. The cafe is now also hosting events and we have recently attended a Mamma Mia evening where the film was played on a huge screen in the grounds, it was amazing- a Hog Roast and Mediterranean themed caterers too!. Tonight we visited and there was a talented singer-Jo Horne, and we just chilled whilst we listened to her sing with her guitar. If you are in this part of the world then we urge you to have a look at the cafes face-book page (Caerhays Beach Cafe) and pay them a visit. All in all its a fabulous place to while a way a few hours sitting in the sunshine, or chilling under the stars!