Porthtowan Beach Cafe in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Had a lunchtime crab sandwich and chips. The service was excellent and the food well prepared and excellent quality. I would have awarded 5* had it been a little cheaper, £18 I felt was a bit expensive however, I appreciate the difficulties Cornish hospitality face in the winter months - would highly recommend and great menu. Well worth a visit.

Visited this lovely cafe a few times. Loved their roast dinner, breakfasts and coffee & cakes. Dog friendly. Will Return soon I’m sure!

What a gem of a cafe. Our first time of visiting Porthtowan and looking at the beautiful beach. The atmosphere in the cafe was really relaxing and chilled. The staff were totally welcoming and customer focused. The Buttermilk chocked was delicious and the Latte delicious. We sat in the window seats daydreaming out to sea at the stunning view. I would highly recommend and we are looking forward to returning on one of the themed Friday nights

A nice beach side cafe with a sunny terrace and a good menu. The flatwhite was decent enough if not a little big so the coffee was not as strong as it ought. That said it was well poured and accompanied the delicious Portuguese tart just nicely.

I arrived absolutely soaking wet and I was warmly welcomed despite the puddles of water left on the floor. Really friendly staff. Great croissant and coffee.

What a fantastic cafe right by the beach had breakfast there twice and attended their special paella night and the food was fantastic and the staff were all very friendly

The new owners have made this cafe very dog-friendly but unfortunately not very human friendly. Their dachshund has its own little corner of the cafe. If you enjoy having your meal with a vociferous yapping and yelping accompaniment then this is certainly the place for you. Otherwise not. It also has very limited vegan/vegetarian options and is expensive. Chips at £6.

Fabulous beach cafe. Lovely decor, friendly staff and good service. Had lunch there and the food was great and the cakes and pastries were amazing! Well worth a visit.

We visited here twice for lunch. The food and the service was great, it is definitely worth considering if you are in the area.

What a gorgeous find - we were just disappointed we didn’t find it earlier in our stay! The service, food and views are excellent. Everything is reasonably priced. I’d highly recommend the custard tarts and breakfast looked amazing when we were picking up our surf kit next door!

Had a lovely lunch - seated on outside seating area near to beach. Food arrived quickly, tasted good and was reasonably priced - perhaps on the high side but currently seems to be the trend in Cornwall of charging close to London prices for food. Staff/owners were very friendly and helpful. Recommend visiting if in PorthTowan.

Porthtowan is a small beach near me, it’s a nice place for quiet stroll and the cafe offers very welcome refreshments. Enjoy a hot drink while you take in the sea air and enjoy the view.

Thanks for great coffee, the eggs were super too. And thank you for assisting me when I asked for a small favour. I appreciated your help!

Lovely food excellent service and reasonable prices hot cuppa and bacon & egg buttie just hit the spot

poorly labelled food for those with nut allergies , in fact not labelled at all . Went in after daughter spent night in hospital after anaphylactic reaction to food purchased from a particular display cabinet which we were later told we should never have eaten. Not sure how we were meant to know this and nor did two of the staff Got three different answers from three different member of staff about the information they provide . Gave phone number for owner to give us a call to discuss how they might want to make it clear what is contained in the food they provide - never heard back. If you have food allergies of any type think twice before going here and have your epi pen with you , staff training / consistency of information provided is sporadic at best , really should be better in this day and age and is frankly dangerous. Thankfully close to Truro A&E who were great

Great coffee and food (generous portions and good quality). Good location so close to the beach / car park. Friendly service despite staff shortages

Really lovely cafe well located by the beach. Friendly staff and good fresh food. Really loved it and highly recommend.

Breakfast, lunch or supper the beach cafe is a firm favourite. From amazing bacon sandwiches, delightful cinnamon buns for breakfast or fresh fish tacos or pulled pork topped fries the beach cafe never disappoints. A lovely team always serve with a smile and I’ve not even mentioned their flat white…..

Lovely food, lovely people. We come to Porthtowan a few times every year and we always come for food and coffee almost every day of our holidays. Definitely recommended.

What a little gem. Porthtowan has three very good eateries and the Beach Cafe is one of them. A great, varied, menu all served efficiently with a smile, even in these very difficult times. We visit Porthtowan regularly and always eat here. Environmentally friendly take away packaging. Well done and keep going! See you when we are back in October!

Great food and excellent coffee. We visited numerous times during our holiday and always had delicious food. The service is also very good

By far our favourite beach cafe for miles. We come here year round for great coffee, delicious freshly made food and friendly service. Plus it’s dog friendly! Simply our favourite place to hang out by the beach.

Lovely fresh breakfast, not greasy at all and well packaged in bio degrable containers. Not the cheapest of breakfasts but well worth it.

Porthtowan Beach Cafe is an absolute gem of a place. The staff are always pleasant and smiling even though they are clearly having a really tough time trying to keep everything going during these difficult times.The food is delightful, well thought out and delicious with lots of choices regardless of what type of eater you are. They use local produce and you can really tell the difference.What I cannot understand, is people that leave rubbish reviews just because they didn't get served instantly, or their favourite wasn't on the menu that day. Be kind people, there's no need for it, the staff at the Café are tremendous and don't deserve to be dis-respected.

Reasonably priced and a big step up from a pasty on the beach. Fish tacos and wagyu burger made for the best beach bite I’ve ever had. Can’t recommend enough for a quick bite by the sea.

It was just a bacon sandwich but tasted soooo good! Perfect spot for brekkie with friends. It’s dog friendly, chilled music playing… We sat on the comfy ‘sofa’ near the building. Well worth a visit!

Great place to grab lunch , the food was great and a little different. The fish tacos where lovely and the wife panini had a lot of Brie in it.

Walked over from portreath via coastal path so felt hungry and thirsty. Warm welcome from friendly staff. The coffee is locally roasted and really good with an amazing taste. We had the brie ,onion chutney and rocket panini and it was excellent and huge. The staff even called us a taxi as there was no signal in the town. Great service thanks.

The best burger I have had in a long while !!! Burger was cooked to perfection and definitely hit the right spot . As we go through these difficult times a burger like this really lifts spirits and brings joy to my heart . Go and eat your food with gladness - Ecclesiastes 9:7

I've been here a few times now with friends and family and must say that the food is fantastic. Never have I been dissatisfied with what I've been served, always large portions. I recently had the brunch sandwich, which was beautifuly cooked, succulent, and extremely tasty!One negative I would have to say are the reviews on this page, as I've never had an issue with the service provided. Absolutely lovely people work here, and serve

Great food and great staff. Me and friends regularly come for the burger night and lunches and are never disappointed. Great cakes too. Quality foods in great portions, served by some lovely staff! Definitely come down and check it out if you haven’t!

On a sunny Easter Friday, a walk in the sunshine and supporting a local business during tough times seemed a good idea. However after being stood waiting to order simple cakes and coffees and being ignored by staff was not what we were expecting. We were stood at the hatch, masked up as asked, for at least 15 minutes whilst the two girls in there completely ignored us. A simple ‘so sorry, we are busy, please bear with us’ or ‘ we will over to take your order as soon as we can.’ Instead they continued to ignore us and the customers who arrived after us, and to be honest there were not many of them. It’s a shame as I would have thought most food establishments would want every penny of business that walked through the door after the last 4 months. Your loss, beach cafe. We spent out £20 elsewhere and won’t be coming back with friends or family or recommending.

My daughter and I had a delicious lunch here food was lovely staff really friendly and efficient.. Definitely recommend 👍 See below for the view

Came across this cafe by chance and I’m so glad I did. We ordered the XL steak burger with bacon, fish burger and chicken burger to takeaway. All three burgers came with skin on fries and everything was delicious - had to stop myself buying homemade carrot cake whilst waiting. We will definitely be visiting again

Greta cafe/restaurant. Good menu or just for coffee and cakes. Service excellent and cafe had nice friendly vibe to it.

This place is really busy as it almost has the monopoly here. The seating outside is reasonably distanced (we didn't go in) and the staff were helpful, even if service was a little slow due to the number of customers. The food was good and the view was unbeatable, Recommended,

Decided due to bad weather not to go out today and ar lunchtime wandered down to the beach cafe. We was expecting the normal stereotype beach cafe but a big surprise really clean and spacious and a varied, although small healthy menu. I had the fish Tacos and they were really tasty. Service was great, friendly and quick. Cannot recommend highly enough, shame we only tried it on the last day of our holiday.

We spent almost an entire week in here last summer, came back for breakfast today. We love the staff and the food is delicious. Love the comfy egg chairs and the proximity to such a beautiful beach. We come to this cafe even when we’re based an hour away. Cinnamon buns are absolutely naughty...

Excellent coffee and great food. The breakfast sandwich was epic and delicious. It’s super clean and the staff are really friendly

An impromptu stop in Porthtowan for lunch & chose the Beach Cafe as there were table free outside.Ordered the Posh Fish Finger Sandwich & what a treat it was. Beer battered pieces of fresh white fish in a brioche bun with fresh salad & pickles & a mound of home cooked chips.A substantial portion which I cannot fault, it was delicious. Coffee was good too!The Beach Cafe is COVID secure. The meals are served in boxes, wooden cutlery, order & collection at the door & tables adequately spaced. Definitely recommend

I don’t think I have ever had a better Cinnamon bun and I have tried a lot!! Light and crispy with plenty of flavour. My husband had a bacon roll which had plenty of bacon.Although there is currently no indoor seating available, plenty of space outside, we were lucky with the weather which helped.

Easy to order from the front door with collections at the side . Lots of tables outside. Menu small but we all found something including a nut free vegan . Good value and yummy !!

Really nice food - had a couple of lunches and some carrot cake during our stay in Porthtowan. All really good. The burgers were fabulous.

Stopped off for quick refreshments. Chose table outside. Table needed cleaning which was no problem when asked a member of staff. It was pretty busy and due to Covid restrictions then queue in place etc. The chips, coffee, ice cream were all nice. However what stays with me as over arching memory is the grumpy bloke bellowing!! from the ‘take away door/ hatch’ peoples names to collect there food order.

Ate there a couple of times food was reasonably priced and lovely! Due to COVID we ate food on beach, but there are tables outside.

We went to Porthtowan beach today and bought coffees and cakes from the Porthtowan beach cafe which we consumed at their picnic tables at the cafes front ( due to cov-id19 virus)The young lady (blonde east european) that served us at the cafes' order window was offish bordering rude, clearly not at all interested in working there let alone dealing with the public. When we asked for the cinnamon bun to be 'warmed' the response was a huff! With so many unemployed now for summer work in Cornwall surely a cafe can either train 'front of house' in customer service or employ someone who has natural customer skills.The coffee and cakes earn our two star rating.

Two adults and 5 kids had lunch outside this place today. All last veggie meals but are not all vegetarians. Surprisingly tasty, good range of flavours and perfectly cooked. Really friendly staff too.

We stopped here for drinks; flat white was excellent. They are dong takeaway and offer outdoor seating at the moment which was fine for us as they day was sunny and warm. Staff pleasant and service was good.

Wonderful food and coffee. Really nice menu. If only it were open in the evening too I'd happily eat there and watch the sun go down.

Had a wonderful breakfast before travelling home from Cornwall. Filled us up nicely before a stroll on the beach. We returned to the cafe to pick up some pastries for the journey home. The vibe, service and food was all perfect.

Lovely clean modern cafe. Dog friendly and welcoming staff. Excellent carrot cake ! It's the perfect stop after a coastal walk with great views over the bay.

Popped in for breakfast, great location right by the beach. Friendly and welcoming service and also dog friendly (We don’t have a dog but it’s ideal for those who do!).Vegan friendly (we ordered the vegan breakfast and it was tasty) and they also had a large variety of desserts (some also vegan). For us it was ideal and we couldn’t fault the place, would highly recommend!

We visited Porthtowan Beach Cafe during the Christmas break, and joined some friends who were already there. This made quite a large group including our dog but we found a large table and settled in. The inside of PBC has been well done out and the staff were friendly and welcoming. The food was inviting and my avoidance of gluten did not phase the kitchen at all. We had a lovely and filling lunch and coffee after and couldn't fault any part of the experience.I am sure it is manic "in the season" but we dont often come to Cornwall then so I look forward to our return during the quieter times.

After walking for a couple of hours this was an excellent choice for a coffee and wow what a great piece of homemade carrot cake ! Will definitely go back there and next time try the fuller menu

Stayed nearby and tried the bar in the evenings for drinks, the staff are fantastic and made us very welcome. We ate dinner and the food was amazing,excellent quality and lots of choices,we will return.

Great cafe. Visited with a friend, children and a huge dog for breakfast. Staff were really welcoming. The food was really tasty and fresh. I had really good avocado and poached eggs. Great coffee, nice staff. Very well priced. We even sat in the window and enjoyed the sea view.

Popped in for a takeaway sausage bap , no normal bread only brioche, asked for no spread /margarine etc & it came out with it on so sent it back , no apologies just a bit of a face so had to wait another 10mins for them to replace it ! Sausages were awful quality & undercooked ( they looked grey) totally tasteless! £5 is outrageous in my opinion, I run a small bakery in Shropshire & we charge £3.00 for better quality! Wish I hadn't bothered .

This place definitely punches above its weight. We live locally and visit most weeks for a coffee and cake. Breakfast and lunches are great. Used by locals and visitors the atmosphere is friendly and the place has its own ‘buzz.’If you are in PT give it a go.

Totally recommend their special event nights we had the classic burgers fantastic value and delicious added bonus you can take your own drink too.

This cafe can be found right by the beach & there is easy parking nearby. the staff there are very pleasant & you can sit inside or on one of the tables outside. They serve nice food & drinks at very reasonable prices.

Great burgers reasonably priced. Very filling and tasty chips. Friendly staff and a popular venue with families. Recommended place ....

What can I say? The food is great (especially the crab sandwiches-yum). The prices are reasonable and the cafe itself is in a great location close to the beach and with a nice outside eating area. It also offers a takeaway option which is a godsend when you have a young child who needs an afternoon nap! I don’t know why it took us so long to try this place out but all I can say is don’t make our mistake and give this place a go!

Simple cafe with delicious food and a welcoming cup of tea. Atmosphere here was very nice and the staff were lovely.

Found they serve on Friday evenings by accident. Great burgers and friendly service. Great views of the surf too.

We came straight from the beach for lunch and we’re surprise by the quality and variety of food and drink available in this small seaside resort. Very friendly and good value to.

After a morning of surfing finding somewhere to cater 11 without a reservation is often tough! But this cafe did not disappoint making no mistakes and bringing delicious food in good time. We’ll definitely be back soon.

Great coffee and pastries. Breakfast especially good. Good value considering location by the beach. Well worth a visit.

Food was ok but the staff were cold, especially the young lady who took our order. There was no warmth or interest. Honestly if I could give some genuine feedback, as the first port of call in this local establishment, you need to be more smiley, welcoming, helpful and interested in your customers. It can make all the difference to an average versus a great experience. We said we might try again once more as the food was all ok, but I hope to see improvements (FYI the kids didn’t even get a thank you or bye when they called out at the end).

We regularly use this cafe when in the area but I'm not sure why.. Location I guess!

Visited the cafe twice on a two week holiday, both times the food was exceptional. I really enjoyed the Cajun Cod Burger. Good kids menu too. Sad we can't come back any time soon!

This coffee shop was just down the road from us on our holiday lodge. We had a delicious cream tea and on another occasion had lunch of a really delicious Buddha bowl..not huge portion but extremely good in taste. The young staff are so friendly. Great decor and spotless. Very dog friendly and lovely seats outside.

Having passed by on the way to the beach,decided to backtrack for a coffee.

I love this cafe so much and visit as often as I can when I’m back in Cornwall. The food is absolutely delicious and the service is super friendly. I’ve eaten the full English, granola, and vegan breakfast in the past and all have been perfect. Highly recommended.

Staying here for two weeks,thought we would try the beach,passing the beach cafe,decided to have a coffee.

There's not a lot in Porthtowan apart from the beach, and this is a very welcome cafe with loos, drinks, cakes, lunches etc - and wifi. Not over-cheap but worth it for the convenience factor.

Quick visit whilst coast walking, snacks or meals, good sized freshly cooked portions. Friendly staff with allergies well catered for. Easy parking and public toilets nearby.

We were recommended the beach cafe for breakfast as we were staying at a local campsite. We turned up just before opening at 9.30 and were met with a very unfriendly capped server who clearly didn't want to talk or have a laugh. The chef was no better and he just looked stressed in his open kitchen. Our drinks arrived after our food was served. Breakfast looked appetising but all tasted the same due to being all cooked on an over oiled griddle. My partner didn't like the brown seeded doorstep bread but no other bread was available.

We went down to the cafe for a bite to eat and a coffee in the morning. The deco is quite good and the place is dog friendly. We had a bacon roll which was ok and a tea. In my opinion this is an average cafe in a good location.

Came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon (12pm) after reading such good reviews.

We was recommended to go try this place as apparently the food is wonderful. However we got there walked in and up to the desk and stood there for 5 minutes being looked at....IGNORED!! And GLARED at.

Really nice atmosphere and decor. Very relaxed and simple but nice menu with plenty of veggie options.

We are locals and been many times for lunch at this cafe. They have always done a gluten free panini when asked. When i went today u was first told they dont do gluten free panini,s.When i mentioned we have had before i was told they are too busy to make. What is going on?? Makes me think twice about supporting local cafe if they don,t care.

My friends and I came here on our last day of our tour of Cornwall and what a finish that was!

Are here twice this week with my family - great service, delicious fresh food . Kids and dog made welcome. Lovely evening spent enjoying a meal and watching the sunset, all whilst drinking our BYO wine . Will definitely be back.

We stopped for coffee and puddings and were not disappointed. Great place to sit and watch the sun go down. Lovely mix of seating inside and out. Dog friendly and the loos were fine. Will certainly go back.

We drove down to the beach mid afternoon after a long walk, too late for a pub lunch and too early for dinner, so the cafe seemed a possible option. I am so glad we missed the pub! Not only could we take our dog ( on a lead) inside, but the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. As vegetarians, there was a great choice but better than that, the food exceeded any expectation. Fresh, well presented and totally delicious and also very good value. As a result of our positive experience, we decided to come here for breakfast the following day before driving home. We both had the vegan breakfast which was really really good with top quality ingredients. We also noticed that the cafe bought their cooking oil from an eco recycled company who were delivering. Fantastic to see a business care so much about their food, their customers and their environment.

We have just walked out of this establishment and are very unhappy.

A good little beach cafe where you can sit outside on a sunny day (as we did last week of March 2019!). Serves fair-sized range of all the snacks and nibbles you might expect from such a place. Good range of ice cream flavours too. Helpful staff.

This is the 3rd time we have visited this cafe this year. Every time it has been lovely. Great food at reasonable price and friendly service.

Visited on a really busy afternoon, the local seal sanctuary were releasing some pups into the bay. However despite the crowds we managed to get a table in the sunshine with our pup. We had to wait 20 mins for food because it was so busy but all was explained to us so all good. We had a sandwich each and some of the best chips ever. Really lovely food in a gorgeous surrounding. Can recommend the grilled cheese.

After a long walk we needed: coffee, a friendly welcome, nice food, clean toilets, warmth. We got the lot.

Had a great post walk coffee and amazing millionaire shortbread. The best ever. Great service, tremendous location and fine fare. Keep up the good work.

Some of the best food I have ever eaten in my entire life, and an amazing place to see friends or family. Used to go here on an almost weekly basis when I still lived in Cornwall. Staff and owner are lovely people. A wide variety of things to choose from on the menu, including vegan options, as well as amazing home made desserts.

Very pleasant ambiance. Made to feel very welcome. Freshly served food presented elegantly. Wonderful sea views from the comfort of the restaurant.

Living in Cornwall we are always looking for coffee stops! To be fair over 20 years we have visited many places - have to say we come here regularly year round it’s always great for a coffee but not only that the food is great too! Give it a try you won’t be disappointed

The atmosphere was very friendly, a posh surfers cafe with big comfortable Chairs. Very clean place with a great attention to detail. The staff were very friendly, chatty and accommodating. The homemade nachos, Guacamole and salsa dish was incredible, the homemade nachos were the best we’ve ever had anywhere. As for the ‘vegan breakfast’ the avacardo was a little hard and the spinach was very salty and wasn’t very nice. It was quite expensive for a beach cafe however definitely worth the price for the nachos.

Really good coffee, best vegan breakfast ever, super friendly staff. Awesome location. Highly recommend 💚👍😃

We visited in December after a 7-mile coastal walk into Porthtowan; lovely beach cafe with a small selection of food & drinks on boards (not sure if bigger menu available in other seasons?). Good service. We ordered BLT which was very nice; bacon tasty and very fresh crusty seeded bread. Came with leaf salad. Cost £6.95 each though so pricey! Large beach car park nearby was free (out of peek season).

Nice place to eat very close to beach and also great food and drink, seating inside and out and canopy to shade from sun if needed

We went to Porthtowan Beach Cafe for a breakfast. I can't criticise the food or service or the cafe itself but it's just far too expensive. I've had really exceptional full English breakfasts for £2 less.