TALAY Thai Kitchen in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Our favourite place to eat on our visit to St Ives. A little expensive but the food and service were great. Highly recommended.

Always a great experience, staff are all so helpful, insightful and enthusiastic. Happy to make recommendations and clearly knowledgeable about the dishes. Always come here every time we are down. Still one of the best Thai’s we’ve ever had.

I’ve always wanted to try here. The wait didn’t disappoint. The food was fresh hot and delicious. Every plate was empty. Can’t wait to visit again soon.

Once again, we enjoyed a great meal. Chose something different and wasn’t disappointed. See you October next year. Recommend

We had an outstanding meal here and would most definitely recommend. No wonder it's difficult to get a table here with the food being so good! Everything was freshly cooked and boiling hot when it arrived! It's great to be able to see the chefs working in the kitchen. Cocktails were great too!

Excellent Thai food. The staff were very welcoming and helpful. It gets really busy late evening so book a table or get there by 4/5. Awesome view into the bay.

Great food and good value for money

The staff were super welcoming and accommodating. Visited for lunch and it was quite busy, but the service was pretty fast. The drinks were delicious which also includes a few imported beers. The dishes were freshly made and were very enjoyable. Would recommend the rice dishes if you are unsure what to order. The menu has a bit of everything including dumplings and the open kitchen was a nice addition. Nice view of the beach if you manage to grab a high table by the windows.

Hi TTK, I’d like to thank you for the high quality meal i had with you this evening. The cocktails downstairs were very good, the food was fantastic and generally the serving staff were good. I found it disappointing however, when ordering food to be instructed that there can only be ‘one order per table’. You have an extensive menu of great food. Whilst i’m very comfortable with food being brought to the table when it leaves the kitchen, if you want to have a multistage meal, ordering everything at the start in one go, makes this tricky- to plan next dishes and not least to prevent food from getting cold. Whilst i appreciate you likely value customer throughput, I suggest you review this blanket rule. I would have ordered considerably more if i could have phased the meal in the way i wanted and it regrettably this ‘rule’ sapped the joy out of my otherwise very good meal. I’m not sure i have ever eaten in any other establishment that takes such a restrictive approach to customer experience. I would happily have given five stars if a bit of common sense and discretion had been deployed. I would encourage you to consider the above. Best wishes, Guy

The staff were great , even moved us to a window seat. The mock tails were fantastic and the food excellent. Great view too.

Absolutely stunning food! Staff were lovely and service was amazing. Food came out so quickly and all were attentive to everybody in the restaurant. Lots of option and was a lovely dine-out. Definitely would visit again!

Long wait, but once seated, the service is super fast! Food is not bad. Ask for Thai chilies in fish sauce if you like it extra spicy!

Excellent cocktail in downstairs bar, before a delightful tapas style Thai dinner - quick & attentive service - overlooking St Ives harbour

We recently tried a takeaway from Talay Thai Kitchen, and it was absolutely fantastic! We started with the vegetable spring rolls and Thai-style dumplings, both were delicious, but the dumplings were exceptional and full of flavor. For mains, we had the Massaman curry with beef, which was rich and comforting, and the Street-style special egg fried rice with chicken, which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The Tamarind Duck was another exceptional dish, with the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The coconut rice was the ideal complement to all the dishes. Overall, everything was fresh, full of authentic Thai flavors, and beautifully prepared.

AVOID !! Unsure how good the food is as we didn’t get that far, door was open at 11am so I thought a great opportunity to book a table for our last night. The lady was mopping I asked excuse me politely. Her reply “ I don’t appreciate you coming in you must leave just get out, I explained I was simply trying to book a table and the door was open apologised profusely, she was aggressive and dismissive and escorted my downstairs, what a shame to work in hospitality with such anger issues” the lady was mid 20’s brown hair clearly has a chip on her shoulder or hates her job. No matter the food or the other staff I would never return

AVOID !! Unsure how good the food is as we didn’t get that far, door was open at 11am so I thought a great opportunity to book a table for our last night. The lady was mopping I asked excuse me politely. Her reply “ I don’t appreciate you coming in you must leave just get out, I explained I was simply trying to book a table and the door was open apologised profusely, she was aggressive and dismissive and escorted my downstairs, what a shame to work in hospitality with such anger issues” the lady was mid 20’s brown hair clearly has a chip on her shoulder or hates her job. No matter the food or the other staff I would never return

Was recommended this place…and loved it. Doesn’t take bookings but the very charming waiter took our mobile number and said we’d have to wait 45 minutes. We used our waiting time for a couple of drinks downstairs. Service excellent, food delicious and good value. Will be back.

We asked our hotel rep for a recommendation of a place to eat in busy St Ives front and this was the suggestion. You cannot book but we only had to wait half an hour in their lovely downstairs bar. It was worth it as the food was delicious. We all tried something different and everything was equally as good and not too expensive. The service was very good and we had a window table with a great view of the harbour. Food was fresh and as good an experience of Thai cuisine as you’ll get anywhere.

Arrived early and were seated before 6 pm without having to wait. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The food was really tasty, and the views across the harbour were stunning. Would definitely recommend.

Authentic Thai food. Service was quick and food was freshly served. Service staff were nice and good looking! 💖

Long wait for a table (1-2hours) Most of the dishes on the menu contain fish sauce so as a vegetarian I could not have the dishes on the menu that had a veggie option like curry/pad thai/… (because they didn’t know that fish is not vegetarian) Very stressful atmosphere, they serve the starters and main courses at the same time and it feels like you have to leave quickly Very disappointed because of all the good reviews

Every time we visit St Ives we make sure to go to or order from Talay Thai, their food is absolutely amazing! Unfortunately they don’t take bookings which can often mean if you want to eat in there can be long waits, but it’s easy to see why there’s a long wait. See you again next year :-)

I rarely give 5 stars but this place deserves top marks.. lovely friendly welcome, had to wait an hour for a table but it was worth it! We had the pork belly, sticky rice, coconut rice, salt and pepper squid, egg fried rice, street food rice with prawns, hake and duck in red curry sauce with greens. All delicious. Great service with a smile. Reasonable prices. Highly recommended!

Very nice food.Quick take away order and such a great surprise.Delicious mussels 👍🏻👍🏻Great service👍🏻 Update : second visit ,dine in : very busy place ,everything absolutely delicious!!! service very nice and fast. 👌🏻👌🏻highly recommended !!!

A lovely little restaurant, you could easily walk past and not notice. I am so glad we had lunch here. We got a table straight away, service was quick and friendly. The food comes out straight after it's been cooked so it's piping hot which is brilliant. I would definitely come back, plenty of things on the menu I would like to try.

Great tasting & authentic Thai food. Better than many an expensive Thai restaurants in London. Flavours were spot on. Spice levels were where they should be. We had a nice table overlooking the sea and the service was warm. To top it all - it was really value for money! Dinner for 2 with a drink each was under 40!

Fantastic food 😋 went there twice whilst we were on holiday. All I can say is tasty tasty tasty food. Fantastic service 👏 would highly recommend a visit.

One of best Thai food!!!! Easily!

Stunning food, amazing service. Tried lots of dishes, we all thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The lychee cocktail was a highlight!

Fantastic food and fantastic service. We were put on a waiting list and got a phone call when a table was ready as we were not able to book but it was definitely worth the wait. Best prawn toast I've ever had.

We were only in St. Ives for one day and decided to try this place for dinner as it was by the water with a good view and the reviews were mostly positive. The front of house staff ruined our dining experience. They don't take bookings and we asked for a table for 3 exactly at 6 pm on a Wednesday. They actually weren't super busy yet, but I very specifically asked for a table by the window. We may have gotten a different table right away but I only wanted a table with a nice view. We were told by a lady at the front of house it would be about a 15-20 min wait. We waited downstairs at the lounge. About 20 min later, a different lady, also working front of house, came and got us to bring us to our table. She took us to a table in the corner, nowhere near a window. I told her we had spoken to a different woman about getting a table by the window, which is what we were expecting. She responded by saying we could be waiting an hour for that, completely unconcerned that we had been told something different by the first person we spoke to. She seemed very impatient with us and made us feel like we were crazy for even making such a request, so we just sat the table we were given. Not even 15 min after sitting down, before our food had even arrived, a table by the window opened up, and was given to another party who was on the waiting list after us. There was absolutely no attempt made to ask us if we would now prefer that table. It would have been easy to move us. Or we even could have waited another 15 minutes for that table, but we were told it would be an hour longer. Most people probably don't care where they sit. But for us it's part of the experience. I won't even discuss the food because I was already put off by the service even before the food arrived. I've had better Thai food at other places, but even so, it's the front of house staff that ensured I will never return. Also, they add a 10% discretionary tip to your bill which goes to staff but failed to mention this to us in case we wanted it taken off. I only noticed once I saw the receipt after we paid.

Literally contemplating whether this is the best restaurant I have ever eaten at, which is the only reason im here reviewing it. Don’t usually write good reviews but this place NEEDED one. Absolutely amazing quality food. Clean, nice view, great service. Fair portions and price. Can’t argue with anything.

We had a lovely time, enjoyed the food very much especially the stir fry noodles were phenomenal, and the service was excellent waiters luca and hannah were very patient with us and humorous.

Best Thai food we’ve had in a while! Food wasn’t too spicy, yet still had a kick in it, and the service was amazing :) Super efficient front of house! A bit noisy but otherwise a lovely atmosphere, definitely recommend.

After a long day we came to Talay at 6pm and gave our names at the door. They put your name on a list and call you when your table is ready. You can at wait the cocktail lounge downstairs. Our table was ready in about 20 mins. We went there as they had a lot of vegetarian options on the menu. Beware that the curries have fish sauce integrated in them but we decided to turn a blind eye as we really wanted the curry and rice haha. We got the green, red and jungle curry’s with jasmine rice and added tofu. Service was quick and the restaurant itself is really nice. The food was AMAZING. So wholesome , full of veggies and deliciousness!

Amazing food, lovely location, great service:) Panang curry was really tasty 👌

Great food. Family of six including baby amd child... worth the wait.

Incredible food, drinks, location, view & service. Thank you!!

Amazing food & not overpriced. Love the tapas idea as you can try lots of different things. We enjoyed & finished everything. Visited early evening, mid week in August & had to wait about 45 mins to get in. Just enough time for a walk to the headland around the corner. Will definitely visit again if we get a chance.

Excellent food combined with a sensational view of the harbor. The staff is also very friendly and you don't have to wait long for your food!

I had lunch at this Thai restaurant with a nice sea view, and they were out of papaya salad, which I specifically went there for. However, they made a beef dish similar to papaya salad, and it turned out to be delicious! I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. The salmon with tamarind sauce was soft and flavorful—highly recommended. Additionally, the lady named Chloe provided amazing customer service.

This was the best food we have had in st ives ever. 😍 (Visiting 30yrs+) Unfortunately I forgot to take photos, to busy eating 🙃

Wanted to love this place given the reviews but the service was very slow at the start of our meal and the waitress had to go back and forth to the kitchen as she wasn’t well versed on the menu. Food overall was quite good though a little bit salty (eg salt and pepper squid) and the pad see ew had tons of veg despite being a beef pad see ew, but not many noodles. You can just put your name / number down and then come back when your table is ready or (as we did) enjoy the associated cocktail bar downstairs. Prices were fair!

Although the workers are very nice but the food portions are very small ..really disappointed I paid too much money to dine in and I had to buy food from other restaurants because the food was little.

I was surprised that the food was good. I recommend the pad thai, tom yum, tamarind duck, and thai milk tea. The servers are also attentive. During peak dinner time, better to place reservation.

Service and atmosphere are great, our waitress was really nice but the vegetarian options of food is terrible .. very pricey, no taste, would not recommend for vegetarians !

Very nice Thai restaurant, and before I forget, you need to try their cold tea, especially the one with milk! Delicious food and very affordable too, although I'd caution on ordering the rice plates, as we thought they were for at least 2-3 people, but they were only for 1, wish those rice servings were bigger as they were filled with lots of toppings. Anyhow, still enjoyed our time here and definitely recommend this place, nice staff and very private atmosphere.

Worst thai restaurant we’ve been to, we ordered the fried sea bream, but the one we have is like frozen fish with just added sweet and chili sauce. Not to mention their two female staffs that are quite rude, one of them nearly shouted at my son. Not the best customer service when you are paying 10% service fee of your total bill. Definitely will never come back and recommend.

Overpriced average food and very small portions.

We had an amazing meal here. They were full at the time and busy but we were able to wait in the bar below and they called us through as soon as a table was available - which wasn’t long. The staff were super calm, very welcoming and nothing was a problem. We loved being able to have the tapas portions and try a few things out. Thank you

So chuffed we found this place! Welcoming, organised, chilled, amazing food and reasonably priced. Would recommend it 😋

One of the most sought after restaurant in St.Ives is Talay Thai Kitchen. No wonder it is always so jam-packed and a long queue waiting outside. We had to wait 45 mins to get a table for 4. But no complaint.. as the food totally compensated the wait. The best thing about their menu is that all mains can also be ordered in small portions as tapas. We ordered Panang curry with prawn, jungle curry with chicken, fish cakes, grilled pork chop , egg fried rice, and prawn crackers. We paired it with chilli gin. So portions are really comfortable and the price is extremely pocket friendly. I would like to go back there again and again for their parang curry. It was just that good. Thank you team @talaythaikitchen for such a wonderful meal. Special mention to the wonderful staff of Talay for all the warmth. . . . #nomadicdrogo #restaurantreview #thaifood #stives #Cornwall #food #foodie #goodfood #fun #travel #memory

We got a takeaway and had heard good reviews, well it definitely didn’t disappoint. The food was incredible, the Thai green curry was one of the best I’ve tasted, the Thai pork basil stir fry was divine and full of flavour, prawn crackers, spring rolls and chicken satay were amazing! Overall I can’t highly recommend this place enough. It was on the more expensive side but definitely worth the money. Just bear in mind all the dishes don’t come with rice/noodles and there extra.

Excellent Thai food at reasonable price

Very good, even underrated restaurant. We tried the Chicken Pad Thai and Pad Ped Sea Brim, both were served very quick and tasted great. The atmosphere is nice and the staff had good vibes, would go again.

We always dine at Talay when in St Ives. We are regulars to Thailand and in our opinion, the flavours are really authentic and nicely spicy. They sell both Singha and Chang by the bottle which keeps us both happy! We have always found the service to be top notch. We've settled on ordering 3 main courses recently (2 curries, and one noodle dish) and this works perfectly great for us to share. I can recommend their penang. Do yourself a favour and plan your visit. Waits of 1 or 1.5 hours arent unexpected. Pot luck with tables, even better if you're allocated a window seat with those fab views. We always try to aim for midweek and have a drink downstairs as you're less likely to miss your slot. We will be back in September.

We were lucky enough enough to get a table with a harbour view which made the meal a little bit special. The tapas were excellent (chicken satay, dumplings, pork swerers, fish cakes, prawn toast) with the dumplings being our favourite and the pork less interesting. Nice selection of wine by the glass and overall a really lovely relaxed meal with an excellent waitress.

Great fresh Thai food, can’t complaint at portions either, the prawn crackers are to die for, would highly recommend this restaurant but beware of a possible waiting time. Ours was 1 hour :)

Amazing meal, lovely service, one of the best Thai meals I've had

Best seaview, chef kiss food. Would definitely try this if u love thai food. Would visit again when coming back to st.ives

Birthday meal, very attentive staff, handy bar downstairs whilst you wait for table, drinks even carried to your table for you. Food great flavours, recommend duck curry and massaman. Arrive before 7 and put your name down for a table!

Absolutely the best Thai food in the area. Very quick service. Great views, you can sit by the window and have some fun watching seagulls snatching ice cream from tourists 10/10 for fun factor.

Delicious Thai restaurant on St Ives harbor. We had very tasty curries and Pad Thai. The service is friendly and service-oriented. The price level is higher, considering the location and quality, it's okay. Full recommendation.

Stunning, just stunning. Ordered a large amount of tapas servings of curry, noodles, rice. Just loads. Everything was faultless and one of my favourite meals out in maybe 4 years. And we eat out a lot. Can't wait to go back and order the full menu again.

If you like Thai food, this is the place to go. Food is fab and restaurant overlooks St Ives harbour. You cant book, just turn up and if there are no tables free, you just put your name on list and they ring you once a table is available. We will be back on our next trip to St Ives.

Wow, returned to Talay today, it's been 2 years since I was in St Ives, have to say this restaurant has really improved - so much so I'd say it's on my list of top places to dine in Cornwall. Great flavours, decent portions and affordable. The service is done with a smile. Go eat and enjoy.

Great food with lovely views. The Chu Chi Hake had incredible flavours and the iced tea, while very sweet, is delicious. Overall, came to £19 wjoch I think is very good for what you get! Highly recommended for a dinner in St Ives. They don't take bookings so best bet is to walk in a bit earlier to guarantee seats, especially if your in a bigger group!

Food too sweet,no that nice and fried rice over cook,we can smell it.

Really wonderful food, unfortunately we waited 2hrs for a table, I think the restaurant should have a timed slot for tables, also a booking system.

Great service, great stuff... tasty food... Thanks

Very friendly welcoming atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had the Sea Bream with Seasonal Greens and my husband had Massaman(Beef) with Egg Fried Rice. We both enjoyed the meal and service.

The food was good. However, the restaurant strangely has a policy of forcing diners waiting for a table to buy a drink downstairs by a very rude & abrupt server. Upon arriving we were told a table would be ready within 20 minutes & to wait downstairs in the bar area. While waiting in the bar area a female member of staff came over & asked for our drinks order. We explained we were waiting for a table & told to come downstairs. Her abrupt response was "but this is a bar", thanks for clarifying in your patronising manor I was aware. Any restaurant I've been to in London & elsewhere have a waiting area for diners while a table becomes available & don't expect diners to buy a drink as an obligation. Luckily it was not raining & therefore waited outside, otherwise the restaurant would expect diners to wait in the rain while a table becomes available. It is a very odd policy on the restaurants behalf that I've never come across elsewhere, however, regardless if that is their policy there is no need for the waitress to talk in the rude & patronising manor that she did.

Best meal we had in St Ives. Great location, food and service were perfect.

Get here early evening for a table. About 6pm is a good time.

Excellent food service and price and quality

If you like Thai this is a great place to eat. The best I've had in years. Revisited and just as good.

The restaurant is very popular and it is always a good idea to make a reservation. We arrived without a reservation and put our name on the list and went to walk around the city, when we returned the table was still not available, but we were served drinks in the bar located on the ground floor. Soon after, we were seated at a table with a view of the sea, which was worth the wait. We opted for the Thai Dumplings, Wepping Tiger (with steak) and Massaman (with Jasmine rice). The dishes were very tasty. It is a restaurant with good value for money. Excellent service in a pleasant environment. I recommend!

Amazing food and lovely waiting staff! We had some tapas bits to start, followed by Massamn chicken curry and prawn Pad See Ewe, all so good and some of the best food I’ve tasted outside of Thailand ☺️. So welcoming throughout and very good value! A must visit in St Ives 😍

Great food , not super overpriced , super friendly waiting staff , thanks Ieva for all help with choosing dishes and been super helpful . service with smile

One of the best Thai restaurants I have been and I have travelled around a few places in Thailand as well. Not found a thai place in the UK that beats this it’s honestly incredible. A must visit. Top 3 dishes are the crispy cod salad, prawn Penang curry and the salt and pepper squid but tried mostly everything and it’s all so good

I didn’t love this place. It’s not bad food but not what I’d call great. It’s in a very busy part of st ives and I don’t love crowds either. Waitress forgot part of the order and when I got up to ask despite very politely and calmly asking, did not get an apology and did not even get a smile. I felt like I’d done something wrong for asking. Come on guys, it’s basic customer service

Talay Thai offers a great view of the port alongside offering excellent food and wonderful hospitality. Ended up eating twice during my two-night stay in St. Ives. The produce- particularly the seafood is fresh and the menu offers a wide variety with great portions. Highly recommended.

Enjoyed a lovely tapas meal for two here last week. We did have to wait for 2 hours for the table and there's no prebooking option but when we finally got there it was worth the wait. We have eaten better Thai food at local restaurants at home but we enjoyed it overall and found the waitresses friendly and helpful. Thank you

Such an amazing place! We will definitely come back!

We managed to get in without a wait, I ordered the Thai steak and was very impressed with it. Cocktails were also very nice

We waited like others in a queue and after three lots of couples in front of us turned and walked away one advising not to bother as they were rude we shouldn't have wasted our time. Once we were in front of the female waitress at the door I could see by her face we were just an inconvenience. We were not in a hurry and after a relaxing day we were happy to wait. The waitress altered the waiting time increasing it twice but when we were not discouraged she told us to drink elsewhere whilst we waited. I understand that these types of venues are busy at this time of year but what she needs to remember is every customer is different and their dining experience matters. Very disappointed and needless to say we will not be returning. There are a number of fantastic venues within this area that appreciate your custom and serve fantastic food. My advice, go elsewhere.

Top spot on the harbor at St Ives. Delicious Thai food. The restaurant has a first come first served method. It is very popular so it may take a while before you get a table, which means a lot of times up and down the boulevard, but it is definitely worth it 😋

Busy and booming restaurant with speedy and friendly service. Loved my meal and would definitely return.

Lovely food, really reasonably priced. Location is great and staff were really friendly

Friendly service, great drinks, great food and a decent atmosphere. I have the feeling any negative reviews are more of a reflection of the individual, rather than this restaurant 😁

This is one of the worst seaside restaurants I have been, to start I entered the restaurant in the first floor to be told abruptly to stand outside till someone caters to you, since we were tired after a long day and seeing the reviews thought the staff may be having a bad day, I just ignored it, I was then invited and told the server about my experience, she said it was not her, we ordered four dishes and surprisingly all came within 5 min, which we happy about, however the padthai was sweet, Thai curry was salty. I know that most seaside restaurants really do not take quality and service seriously as 95% customers are first timers, I strongly will not recommend them, not sure if the reviews are genuine too

The best food and cocktails. Service is amazing. Very good value for somewhere in St Ives with this view, such good value for money.

Yesterday I was ordered take a way for my feelings miss Thai food after I had been eating a lot of English food and junk foods for a few days between my holidays trip in Cornwall, So restaurants vibe was wonderful with beautiful sea views and nice location. But some menu of your food such as ( fish cakes) is not really tested like authentic Thai food , so including you put sauce come with them it more salty. Pad See eaw a bit sweet but not too bad. I hopefully some owners who read this review can you check and getting better please. Honestly reviewing ka

Very tasty food, with beautiful views, friendly service and amazing cocktails. Highly recommended if you're into authentic Thai food.

isited for my birthday after hearing great reviews! Definitely didn’t fail to live up to them. The tamarind duck was the ⭐️ of the show, absolutely delicious. Menu has great variety and for the location/view it is super reasonable! The girl serving us was super helpful and guided us on how much to order. She also recommended some mocktails which were delicious! Didn’t catch her her name but she had black curly hair, super friendly 👍🏻 We will definitely be back and I would make a trip to go…only downer was the service charge added! Which we would’ve done anyway but this was the only off putting thing 😊

Great position next to the harbour, lovely service and wonderful food. Best Thai in Cornwall ❤️

03/05/24 We visit each year we come to St Ives, and it never fails, cashew nut stir fry perfect balance of sweet and savoury. Tempura vegetables magically crispy. Many vegan options. Milly who served us was so cheery, service from her and her manager whose name I didn't get, couldn't be faulted. Love this place.

A very pleasant resturant which serves great food, the food was cooked very quickly and the staff were great.

We went here for dinner, there was a wait for a table but the service and food was outstanding, the drinks are slightly expensive, but the food was reasonably priced, the staff provided extra plates without having to ask, so we could share the food we ordered. If I am ever in the area again, I will be ensuring that I go back.

Excellent food, service and superb staff. Would love to return the next time I am in St Ives