Smugglers Rest Talland Bay in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

The perfect evening, the location is special the food excellent, good selection of beers wines spirits The service has been well thought out with a bleep system to let you know when your foods ready .And it was a music night 7 piece band . If your on holiday make sure you visit this very special place

Beautiful spot, good food, friendly staff, live music. The Smugglers Rest is a truly magical place to unwind after the beach and soak in amazing views. The music on the Saturday night we visited was superb, our kids took time off playing in the field to dance the night away.

Visited the Smugglers Rest Friday evening for the BBQ and live music. Staying in nearby accommodation so popped in on the walk to Talland Beach to book a table (recommended as it was busy!). Laid back,informal BBQ which was family friendly in beautiful surroundings tucked away in a fab location just up the road from Talland Beach. We were a family of 4 who visited (2 adults and 7&9 year old) and there were other families enjoying the evening also. Friendly and welcoming staff,tasty food,wide choice of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks and had a great band playing which was very enjoyable. Would definitely recommend. Thank you for a lovely evening!!

We joined friends this evening to see a live band called Three's Company at the Smuggler's Rest. The band were excellent as were the venue staff serving drinks and food. The Smugglers Rest is a special location, unpretentious whilst providing a relaxed venue with good food and a lovely location for a night out.

Would have got a 5 as the end result was lovely, but at first said kitchen was closed, large order which is excellent for business but as it happens, according to a waitress, every month “round the world day” I think she called it, one would have hoped they had the right resources to accommodate it, whilst not impacting the remaining trade. We had cream tea, pulled port and some Panini’s, all were perfect and excellent service once we got over kitchen closed originally.

Fabulous cafe to have a light lunch. Whether you walking the coastal path ,visiting the nearby beach , or just in the area. Thoroughly recommend. Just sit back, enjoy the view and food, served by the friendly staff. If you're visiting by car the roads are quite narrow, but with plentiful passing places. The cafe has its own private car park with ample spaces.

So there is a hidden gem in Cornwall between Looe and Polperro called Talland Bay, on the Bay is the most charming eatery with the most stunning views and is dog friendly ... you ask where I say The Smugglers Rest @ Talland Bay beautiful food, beautiful people and I have to say the best broccoli and Stilton soup i have ever had and I've had a few..... if your in the area find it early do you have a chance to visit over and over .... brilliant.... love from Littleborough

Popped in for lunch and pleased to find a choice of 2 vegan Ciabatta Sandwiches. Lovely fresh bread and ingredients. Free customer parking onsite and lovely views for a relax in the sun - perfect chill time

Drove down a random road looking for a little bay, came across this little gem! Had a few drinks and a cream scone. Wonderful friendly staff, fantastic service and scone! Thanks guys x

We booked in for BBQ night the day before returning home from our holiday. We were asked to pre book to ensure we got what we wanted. We all really enjoyed our meals. Extremely good quality produce used, & cooked to perfection! The setting is so beautiful. All staff were extremely friendly. Especially the new lady who had only been there a couple of days (from Leeds originally). We would recommend to anyone. This is a destination not to be missed if you are in the area. Thank you for a lovely evening!

Need to visit to see how perfect, service so so friendly amazing setting and great food and drink from breakfast, coffee, cake. Lunch, ice cream to afternoon tea, we stayed snd sat snd had it all. On a good day sitting looking out to sea. The walk along the cliff path amazing or the country lanes narrow road but plenty of passing places if driving and plenty of parking. Thank you Smugglers rest.

Brilliant Seaside Cafe with lots of Allergy friendly options including ice cream, soup, sandwiches. Great range of drinks. CASH ONLY. Lovely nice, chatty staff.

Lovely cafe, set back from the beach so you don’t have the awful smell of seaweed whilst you’re eating.We had a nice cold fruit cider which was very welcome after a long days walking in the glorious sunshine, however , there’s plenty of choices on their menu.

We walk here on a regular basis. The staff are lovely. The food smashing too. Location to die for, great for walking to or driving as you can park. The views are beyond belief!

To be utterly truthful we were initially attracted by the big field in front of it where you can park for free as long as you then buy something at the café. But hey, happy to do that and you can get some decent drinks and snacks, and I can't remember that last time we spread a blanket out on the grass by our car and sat down under warm English sun to enjoy a sandwich whilst gazing at the sea. Pretty perfect really.

Up there with the best Sunday Lunches, very tasty, good portions perfectly cooked, service was excellent. Highly recommended.

We went with friends today to show them our favourite spot and enjoy the amazing sandwiches, service and view. Just look at the difference in what was served last year and today. Totally understand that Covid-19 has changed things, but not happy having paid £6.80 for this prawn sandwich. Not sure why it was still takeaway when it was brought to the table. Restaurants and cafes are now able to serve food on plates now. Looking forward to the standards getting back to normal.

We visited you today. The time was 10-30 we waited until 11-00. Yet you advertise open 7 days a week! What a disappointment

We were a party of six who all enjoyed our various sandwiches and baguettes. Gorgeous setting and plenty of parking. Good value

Food decent, but evening ruined by rude service, accusations of not paying bill in full, and pressure to order and leave. Minimal drinks selection and cash only.

We visited a few times whilst in Talland. The staff are lovely and there is outside seating which is good on those sunny days! They only take cash so be aware of this. We got some baguettes to take away (prawn and bacon) and they were lovely, really jammed packed! We also had some beers there which were also good. It's a great little place, tucked away from the beach so don't miss it! Closes at half 5 with loads of parking.

Having walked from Looe we were delighted that this was open. Lovely cream tea, tables outside with a view, and clean toilets.

I can’t recommend the Smugglers Rest enough. Such a beautiful, tranquil spot. An amazing place to stop and rest if you are doing the Looe to Polperro walk, and their summer evening BBQ’s are just great.Carole and the staff are so Friendly.Please remember its cash only. The first time we went for the BBQ we didn’t realise this, however we weren’t turned away, we were well feed and watered and simply asked to return the next day. We did, and ever since we have always returned for their summer evening BBQ’s every time we visit Cornwall.

We had a quick cup of tea only, as we did not have enough cash for food here as would not take cards. The cafe inside was chaotic, service very slow. We walked around to Talland Bay cafe. It was cleaner, faster, friendlier, better view and food choices on offer. And they take cards

We had a quick cup of tea only, as we did not have enough cash for food here as would not take cards. The cafe inside was chaotic, service very slow. We walked around to Talland Bay cafe. It was cleaner, faster, friendlier, better view and food choices. And they take cards.

this is a lovely spot for an amazing bbq you do have to book weather dependant, opening time 6.30pm - 9.30. we had the mixed grill which was to die for and nt to expensive but well worth a visit then have a small stroll down to a lovely bay.

had a walk on the coast path to polperro, stopped off here for a rest and a drink ,, a great view and a lovely piece of lemon cake as well , would highly recommend

Great spot and Smugglers Rest is very welcoming with great fresh food. Owners very friendly and lots of parking

Had a lovely bacon sandwich and coffee. My wife had tuna and mayo and a pot of tea. Quite a wide variety of food available . Would be interested to try the evening barbecue some time. Only drawback. =Cash Only.

Wow, what a lovely pace !! I visited with my partner and our two children, sea views to die for and awesome staff, clearly very well managed. But it’s the crab salad that gets the big review ! Easily the best and most generous portion ever. We then decided to have cake but didn’t have enough money left ( cash only ) so they gave us a slice of lemon cake on tic !! ( repaid the next day of course ) Anyway, whoever is in charge of this little diamond - you’re amazing !!!!

We’ve been coming here for years it’s great on a summers evening with all the food cooked fresh. Lovely service and a great atmosphere.

Very nice lunch today, we haven't been for a year or so..forgot what we have been missing. Food is lovely, so are the staff fantastic view..and if you are lucky a RN vessel messing about in the bay adjusting it's compass.

Lovely place just near the beach. Super cream teas and prawn sandwiches. Bring cash. Very helpful staff.

Simpel, Idylisch, good food. Also for vegan. Good taste and friendly!! And if you eat here, you may your car for free. We went there to the beach. A 5 minutes walk. After beach. We visit the rest again. Very nice people

We stopped here for lunch on our day trip to Talland Bay.

Stumbled across this lovely cafe and stopped for lunch.

We have had a wonderful time at this cafe/Bbq this weekend, The food was outstanding and the service was absolutely perfect What an amazing setting this little cafe is in its so tranquil and peaceful Would highly recommend you visit , Thankyou xx

We found this beauty of a Cafe whilst walking from Tencreek Holiday Park down to Tallend bay. The location is amazing, the food is simply scrumptious and the staff cannot do enough to make you feel welcome. One of my favourite places in Cornwall.

This little cafe has spectacular views set on the hillside with a view of the coastline, just past Talland beach. It has a field for parking, well behaved dogs were allowed and kids could run about in a safe area. There are sheltered and open picnic tables suitable for all weather lunches/evening meals. The prawn/crab baguettes are delicious and we also enjoyed a cream tea to go with it. It is a cash only cafe, so don't forget to bring money. We were more than happy to walk off the lunch as we already ventured from Hannafore (next to Looe with free parking) along the beautiful coastline to this lovely cafe, before continuing onwards to Polperro. We had 1 more stop in one of the Polperro outdoor beer gardens, before getting the bus to Looe and Hannafore where we collected our car. A quality day out and the 90 minute walk was just about right for us.

We came here twice during our stay as it was so convenient and great service. The full english breakfast is top notch and its not often you get to enjoy breakfast with such a great view! We returned one evening for the BBQ and were not disappointed superb food once again! There is plenty of parking here.

Myself and my wife had a cream tea here absolutely amazing would defo recommend, staff really nice, the setting of the Cafe is amazing the view is excellent

Another old favourite on the walk from Looe to Polperro. Just the job to fuel up for the last couple of miles. Crab baguette has become a tradition and it certainly didn't let us down this time.

Lovely little cafe with wonderful views of Talland Bay very friendly staff and great choice of food and drink well worth a visit

My wife and I stopped off here on the Looe to Polperro walk with our dog and were made very welcome. We were the only customers but were told that this is the quiet time and it gets very busy at peak times. We had coffee and cake. There were also some treats for the dog. The location is amazing with fantastic views across Talland Bay

Sea-food platter to die for not been for a few years place looks amazing inside and out new owners have really up-graded the place setting outside in the sun listening to the sea roll in with outstanding seafood and a excellent pint of rattle what more could I ask for..quality food and drink at a good price well worth I trip to visit if your in the area

First dissapointment was from the main road the "smugglers cafe" has a sign advertising a buffet breakfast when we got there no such breakfast was in sight. Secondly you cannot pay by card (in 2019) a well advertised cafe that does not accept card payment, so upon realising this we had to scrape about looking for change so we could pay for our food because there is no cash machine for about 12 miles. So i ordered my food from the menu which came with a complimentary cup of tea. So i ordered my breakfast (specifically mentioning that i do not like tomato and asked them to remove my tomato) as i thought all was well we paid and sat down expecting a small wait for our food. So i made myself a cup of tea from the tea pot we were provided only to find out that my cup was dirty and still had the remains of the previous users hot drink which was pretty gross to be honest.

To the owners of this cafe, your cake was excellent and your accommodation of us appreciated. Will visit again

If yu are looking for a nice food for you and your family this is the place to go after a swim . Not far from Talland Bay or Looe. Believe me Chris has got the best BBQ in that area. Don’t miss it next summer. If the weather is nice they will open early may and close end of september.

Tucked away behind Talland Bay this is the perfect place to stop for a snack if you're walking from Looe to Polperro. The scones are delicious, reasonably priced and the setting is glorious.

A similar experience for us as many others have clearly had. Were told that food would be a half hour wait even though they weren’t that busy and all they offer is jackets and sarnies; nothing complicated to prepare. Must have not liked the look of us. Talland Bay Beach Cafe down the road much nicer, newer, professional and with plenty of staff.

Stunning location and delightful place for refreshments and a bite to eat. Nice choice of food on the menu. Slightly bit pricey but definitely worth it. Fresh food, ample portions and beautifully presented. A simple jacket potato lunch was gorgeous !

we did the Looe to polperoo coastal walk and this cafe is approx half way which was such a welcome break from our walk on a hot day,just had the Jacket Potatoe with Tuna which was a very good choice

Plenty of parking, food and drink very nice as was the service. Also do beer and wines. Beach is nice but rocks and stones, very sheltered unless wind from south. Road very narrow with passing places but well worth the trip.

Went to this lovely place in 2016 / 2017 /2018 beautiful food and great BBQ in the evening, staff very good. Whilst talking to one staff member she said stop talking and tell me what you hear, the only sounds you could hear was the waves it was so peaceful. The staff are lovely, the food is beautiful and the location and scenery are so lovely that a wait during busy periods is a pleasure. We will be back in 2019

After walking from Looe it was like landing in heaven Had the full English Not the cheapest but one of the best Ended up there 2 hours,there’s also a nice little beach

We’ve been visiting this charming little place,which is nestled away idyllically just off the beaten (coastal) path, for over twenty years both as a couple (myself & my husband) or with our children. It is as beautiful and serene now as it was when we first started visiting. It overlooks the sea and is gently surrounded by the most beautiful plants and trees and the relaxing sound of birdsong and the waves lapping against the rocks adds another definite plus to the whole atmosphere. Whether you are a foot worn walker desperate for sustenance and a rest before continuing the coastal path; a family wanting a break between rock hopping or playing with the kids on the beach; or simply a couple (like myself and my husband) wanting a hustle and bustle-free cuppa and a lite bite on return from driving down the coast to shops - this is the perfect place. In all the years we have been visiting, the staff have always been friendly and helpful, the food is always lovely and fairly priced (and freshly made to order - which makes it well worth it if you have to wait a little while) and the place is always spotlessly clean. It’s rated a 10 out of 10 from us.

Ein tolles Restaurant für BBQ. Alle drei Essen kamen bestens an. Top Qualität, heiß, zusammen und von sehr freundlichen Menschen serviert. Leider fahre ich morgen ab - hier wäre ich sofort wieder dabei.

We walked from Polperro to Talland Bay with a party of 11 and having seen the advert outside the Smugglers Rest two days beforehand on a walk to Looe, we decided to return for a cooked breakfast later in the week. According to the board outside, the cafe opened at 10:30am. When we arrived at 10:50am we were informed by a waitress, who had just turned up, that they would open in about 20 minutes when the owner would arrive. On hearing this we whiled away some time and returned at 11:15am and began to order some cooked breakfasts. It wasn’t until the last group of our party of 11 placed their order that we were informed that there would be an hour’s wait for toheir food. There were only two other customers there in the cafe at this point. We then spent some time in light-hearted conversation about the amount of waiting time and lack of English mustard (a long running family joke) only to be ambushed by a member of staff (manager?) who confronted me to say that the owner, who had been momentarily sat behind us, had heard us complaining about the hour’s wait and proceeded, in an aggressive and very confrontational manner, to give a series of excuses about why they were late opening and how they only had two griddle pans to cook on and rudely told us “the customer is NOT always right” and we could have our money back! By this time two of our party had been served up with breakfast - which incidentally was satisfactory ( poor budget standard sausages) - and we were already committed to waiting for the rest of the group to be served. What had started off as a well earned morning breakfast turned out to to be a disappointing all day excursion! Basil Fawlty and Manuel would have been embarrassed with the standard of service!!!

We have been to this cafe several times now, good food, lovely setting over looking the bay. Nice place to take dogs too, lots of seating outside and even free dog treats!

Took our friends to the Smugglers rest and again they were wowed like every one else we have taken.

Excellent staff and very friendly. Very tasty fresh cakes, cream tea. Food plentiful and tasteful. Amazing views. Beautiful location and venue.

Quiet cafe with friendly staff overlooking Talland Bay. Good parking and food was good quality, especially the scones. This place really gets you away from the crowds at looe. Would definitely go again.

After a long hike on the sweltering hot day, I ended up having an ice cream and ice water to recuperate in this absolute charming in the middle of nowhere gem. Great service, loads of shades. I charged my phone and continue with the hike.

Great food with lovely selection of fish and meat for the BBQ. Nothing pretentious, just good food, a nice selection of drinks, and a location overlooking the sea.

Hidden gem of a place with a stunning sea view. BBQ was absolutely delicious and good value for money. Friendly service would highly recommend

We stumbled upon this cafe during our holiday, the setting is very nice, it was not the warmest of days when we visited, and the sea was in, so no beach to see. but the location was picturesque.

Had visited before for drinks and snacks but the BBQ came highly recommended from where we were staying just up the road. We weren’t disappointed!! The food was cooked to order so we had to wait about 40 minutes but everyone enjoyed it and we are returning later in the week again.

Fabulous location for a summers evening looking over Talland Bay enjoying a really well cooked BBq meal. Food was superb and a reasonable price. Staff were lovely. Good range of drinks. Make sure you make a reservation if you are down that way - its really popular and rightly so.

Came for breakfast on a Saturday morning at 10am to find it was closed. Closed on a Saturday morning in July? Not what I'd imagined in the height of the season? We were extremely disappointed to say the least. Even if they were to open at 10.30,its still too late for breakfast

We are staying in looe and decided to do the coastal walk from looe to polperro and had a pit stop here for a bite to eat and refreshments very friendly place and prices are good too we had the tuna sandwich which comes with salad and crisps and the cheese salad very big portions. Lovely view of the sea and the young chap who severed us was very friendly we had a lovely long chat with him while he was having hes lunch hes a credit to the cafe he clearly loves hes job and talked about how good hes boss is which was nice to hear could of stayed and chatted to him longer. Keep up the good work xxx

A party of 13 of us visited here tonight & where do I start...What a shambles!! We all ordered our food & when it arrived we were one meal & one side short. We asked the waitress & were told that the missing meal had not been ordered nor paid for. The waitress that took our order said that she remembered the meal being ordered & paid for but had re-written the tickets. We then had the manageress come to our table & accuse us of lying about paying for the meal. What a joke!! Other tables nearby heard this & we were made to feel like thieves. There was 13 of us eating & we had absolutely no reason to try & con this restaurant out of £11.45. I do not appreciate being called a liar so went to speak to the so called manageress only to be told ‘it’s your word against ours but don’t worry,you don’t have to pay for the meal’. WOW!! What a way to treat your customers. Arguing in front of other diners,accusing us of lying & just being down right rude,this woman needs to learn some manners!! We come here regularly because the food is actually pretty good but the rude staff have put me off for life,this has also happened to us once before (not to this extent) but I will definitely not returning nor will the rest of our party..Sort it out smugglers or you will have no customers left! So disappointing!!

Lovely bay with a car park at the end of a very steep narrow road but well worth the effort because when you get there the beach is charming and the cafe is great. A good choice of food, snacks and drink. Just the thing.

A much needed rest on the Looe to polperro coast path. Great snacks and cold or hot drinks available

Thank you so much Carole Chris and staff for a lovely bbq this evening, 6 of us went for supper and 5 opted for the bbq fish, sea bream, sea bass and salmon and one had chicken skewers, absolutely brilliant service as they were run ragged, it was packed at 6.30 and was still Packed when we left at 9ish. We waited for 1 hour for our meal and were told this when we ordered which wasn't a problem. We are from Oxford and we will definitely eat here again.

We were visiting the nearby beach and came here for a late lunch. It is more like a beach hut with seating than a restaurant but it is licensed. The seating is all outside partially covered so this is really a fair weather destination and we visited in great weather. It is set at the top of a sloping field with great views out to sea. The menu is sandwich, salad, baked potato type with quite a range. We had a prawn sandwich where the balance of sauce to prawns was exactly right so there was the flavour of the sauce but you could still taste the prawns. The other was a tuna mayo baquette where the baquette was lightly toasted exactly right so it was crispy on the outside and soft and not a challenge for the teeth inside. We followed with scones and cream with generous portions. The prices are very reasonable. It is order a the counter and they deliver. There is plenty of parking and BBQs are held on Fri, Sat and Sun evenings from about 5pm. We are definitely going back

Loved this place. My elderly father stayed quite locally for a month. We (myself and three boys) joined him for a week.

Well we come every year the Staff are super friendly and the food is amazing have to book for evening grill which is catch of the day ! Other wise you'll be disappointed.

We can walk from where we are staying to here and we have done, several times! Such friendly people, lovely food specially the breakfast! Hopefully we are going back for the BBQ. Very dog friendly and they made a huge fuss of our Border Terrier.

This little cafe is a real hidden gem in Cornwall, with a long and exhausting walk to get Talland Bay, this place is a perfect stop and has a beautiful view as you eat.

Turned up by accident looking for beach to walk the dogs. Found the cafe opposite and they were cooking a bbq. We had steak and sea bass with chips and salad for £15.50 simple but excellent quality

After a tiring coastal walk this was like an oasis. Perched on a small hill overlooking Talland Bay this cafe/bar has a wonderful array of light snacks, drinks and ice creams, a perfect place to relax on take on board refreshments.

Sitting slightly up the hillside, this cafe/restaurant has a great view down to Talland Bay without the smells from the seaweed on the beach!

My wife and I went to the Smugglers Rest for an evening bbq. We both ordered mixed grill which was cooked to perfection and came out hot. Lovely venue, lovely staff and excellent food!!

My friends and I were heading for a beach in Talland and saw a well positioned car park near to the sea,we realised that it was cafe parking only so we decided to buy ice creams. However this was far more of an inconvenience than we realised, once our ice creams had been prepared by a young lad, we were only then told that they did not accept card. This had not been made clear to us before ordering and we had no cash with us. The lady in charge rejected many viable options that we suggested such as a bank transfer.

Really beautiful spot and friendly casual atmosphere. Stopped here for lunch with the family on a fine day and it was very enjoyable, with a lovely view and plenty of space for kids to run about. The food is simple but tasty.

We stopped here as this is the only place to do so on the path to Looe from Talland Bay. The atmosphere is relaxed and the staff are friendly and welcoming. We had tea and ice cream but they offer a pretty full cafe menu. The views are very good.

Great cake but coffe average and straight from a machine, small cafeterias would be much nicer at these price but friendly staff and nice view over the beach!

Lovely Café situated next to our local beach, it makes an ideal stopping off point for a coffee or light lunch when exercising the dog on the beach. The café is dog friendly and provides a bowl of dog biscuits for our four legged friends. The lunches and snacks we have had at the Smugglers Rest have all been freshly prepared and of a good standard, I understand they have BBQ's during the summer months but we have yet to attend so cannot comment. Ample free parking with lovely views out across the sea, would highly recommend.

I stumbled upon the Smugglers Rest on route to Polperro and popped in for a coffee... ended up staying for a coffee and cider and an ice cream as met some lovely people on their beautiful terrace in the sunshine! Staff all fantastically friendly and...

stopped here for a looe break and ice cream for the beach! friendly staff and lovely ice cream :) not bad prices with 2 scopes each for £4ish

My review is based on the fact that I've yet to actually find the Smugglers rest open during its opening hours

Perfect little half way-ish rest on the Looe to Polperro coast walk.

out for a midweek drive down a very steep, winding and narrow road we found the smugglers rest, there is space for a few cars and there is a grassy slope and steps up to it - all seating is out doors with views over Talland bay,

We found this cafe by accident. What a treat for us. Wonderful position overlooking Talland Bay. The best cream tea I've ever had. Crab sandwich's fabulous too. Friendly staff. Plenty of room for children to run around. Excellent value.

We had a great evening BBQ meal here, it's open to the elements so is weather permitting, great for families with space in the field for kids to play, luckily we popped in and managed to book the last table for that evening- the only thing that spoilt our meal was we had to budget to the cash we had on us it's CASH ONLY-

Really stunning views from the cafe, spotlessly clean everywhere.

We enjoyed the summer BBQ on a couple of evenings. Good portions, great atmosphere, menu is short but enough to please everyone. Worth knowing in advance that you can park there all day if you get a meal. We didn't eat there during the day but they appeared to have a good selection of salads and baguettes.

Whilst visiting other places in the area by scooter, we saw the road sign for Talland Bay and followed the twisty turny road to the rocky bay and this cafe.

We visited here for dinner Saturday night and it was the best meal of our holiday.The Smugglers is in a beautiful location with the most amazing views, add to that the warm welcome of the staff and owners and the amazing food at great prices.My son and I had the chicken and ribs and my husband the mixed grill, the food was excellent and the portions very generous. It was cooked on a barbeque at the back, whilst you sit on benches under cover outside taking in the view and atmosphere.I wish we had found this on our first night, as we would have eaten here every night.The owners were a lovely couple, very friendly and welcoming. If your in the area this is one place you do not want to miss out on.

We walked from looe to Talland Bay and this was a wonderful treat after a hot walk! Amazing ice creams and cream teas, the rest of the food looked good too. Dog friendly with lots of doggie treats for the 4 legged members of the family. They also very kindly ordered us a dog friendly taxi so we didn't have to walk all the way back too! Super friendly with great service!