The Arts Cafe Truro in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

We were out Christmas shopping in Truro and found some good Christmas market stalls and the atmosphere in 'lifestyle Cornwall's' capital City was lovely. For lunch, my new partner suggested this arts cafe. My goodness what a fabulous recommendation she gave for Lucys potato skins. We ordered the veggie topping and were not disappointed. The staff were smiling from ear to ear, the potato skins were a taste sensation worthy of winning Masterchef or featuring on Marco Pierre Whites menu. Gordon Ramsey would surely get an extra Michelin star if he could do as well as these potato skins. Thank you Lucy, whoever you are, you will go down in Truro folklore! The skins made up for all the tasteless, over priced tourist trap pig swill I and friends have had the misfortune to suffer over the years in Cornwall.

WOW. How have I passed this place by for so long. Excellent service and the best quiche I have ever had. Melt in your mouth. And proper loose leaf tea too. 👍. Will definitely visit again

Oh...yummy! Dog friendly....they got a biscuit. Lovely, happy, smiley staff. Coffee and gluten-free cake was awesome! Took away a extremely full and tasty salad box. Great value. Beautiful artwork too.

I had a BLT sandwich for lunch that was without doubt the best BLT I have ever tasted. The addition of crushed avocado was inspired. Beautiful whole grain bread and a bargain at just under £10. My co-diners also rated their food highly.

We sat outside to people watch and enjoyed a delicious lunch. I had the quiche of the day, which came with coleslaw, green salad garnish and crisps. Hubby had the smoked bacon butty. Our coffees were really good too. Friendly staff.

Excellent food good service staff friendly and chatty . I love this spot sat outside and watched the world go by. Thank you

Most delicious sandwich I've ever eaten (and I've eaten alot!) Good choice on the menu. Everything presented beautifully.

Always a pleasure to come here. I am a creature of habit and have always ordered the Mac and Cheese however this time it was unavailable, deeply disappointed I ordered a toasted panini and although I had major food envy when my partners salmon avo and eggs arrived as soon as I look my first bite it vanished! Excellent food and service as always!

Never thought to visit the Arts Cafe but my friend recommended it so we thought we’d try…SO glad we did! Lovely staff, fresh food, clean facilities and yummy coffee. It will definitely become a regular spot for me when I visit Truro 👍🏻 We had the vegetarian quiche of the day, it came warmed with a hearty amount of coleslaw, salad and crisps on the side. It’s not the cheapest place but the food is made to order and super fresh so I didn’t mind paying the price 😊

Asked for a cheese scone but was told they only had cheese muffins. Said I’d have a plain scone instead. Server then brought me a cheese muffin which I refused and said I’d ordered a plain scone. Scone was brought to me but when I cut into it, it was a fruit scone. That may seem a minor issue but if I had allergens instead of preferences/things I don’t like such carelessness would be very worrying

Came in for a coffee and cake after visiting the museum today. I was unable to walk around the museum after having surgery a week ago, so thought I would enjoy a nice coffee and cake. I Sat down in the leather arm chair table on the upper level. Waited for 18mins for someone to ask for my order and in the end gave up and left. I was passed by 5 different young members of staff in their teens/early twenties, not one interested to ask if I would like to order. They were making more than a conscious effort to not make eye contact. The menu stated table service, but clearly your staff lack the interest in giving even the basic level of customer service. Get your act together Arts Cafe, you are only as good as the people you train & employ!

When we first came here about four years ago it was the place to go, how times have changed. One of my biggest gripes is food ie cakes uncovered around the till area, thus exposed to touching and breathing by the great unwashed, regrettably around this till area there was uncovered food. My wife ordered Earl Grey tea which didn’t taste that nice. The surroundings were not helped by the large brown damp patches on the ceiling. The highlight of our visit came when the waiter came to clear the table behind where we were seated. He kindly placed the dirty plates on our table while he wiped down the said table. On approach to the café outside the yard was very untidy with broken plant pots. Won’t be back.

Very expensive and the service was terrible. I took my friend, fter ordering at the counter our tea and cake was bought in, £3.95 for a slice of lemon cake that was approximately two bites! and only one pot tea arrived, was told I had to queue again to sort it out, another 10 minutes, then I was told the second tea would be bought over......another 10 minutes and nothing, my friend had finished hers by now.....went to see where it was, five minutes later a pot of tea was put on our table by a waitress that almost landed in my lap.... my friend said I was lucky there not to get a lap full of tea, but no cup to drink it with, when i asked for a cup that was practically thrown at me too!! I am usually quite quiet but was very upset by the service we received.......I would now not recommend this place to anyone.......just don't go there......terrible service!!

We called in here for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Table service was fast and friendly. I ordered the beetroot and Stilton quiche which came with crisps and homemade coleslaw. Hubby had a bacon sandwich and we had the best flat white coffees of our Cornish holiday. A lovely place to eat, well worth visiting.

We sat outside for toasted focaccia sandwiches and the food was tasty and despite signs about lack of staff the service was friendly and prompt!

Good quality food, interesting menu, well presented, but not full of hipster stuff. Food came quickly after ordering. I'd definitely return again.

Stopped here for lunch. Delicious food and perfect spot to sit in the sunshine! The waitresses were friendly and welcoming.

We had lunch here on a recent visit to Truro. The garden area is nicely shaded, with suitable warnings about not letting the seagulls steal your food. The friendly waitress came and took our order promptly and it was delivered equally promptly, with the drinks...

Seating outside is ideal in the summer. Indoors there is seating on three levels. They had closed one level, meaning the only table left was in the corridor leading to the arts shop: not the best place to sit. Apart from that, everything was fine....

A wonderful café and arts shop, immediately adjacent to the museum - I’ve lived here for 15 years, and always thought of it as a wing of the museum. Lovely food and drinks, whether for morning coffee or lunch. Children, vegans, and people who are...

Table service only. We waited 15 minutes for someone to take our order having asked twice. The waitresses were more intent in serving customers in the main dining area. We were situated by the main till area but were completely ignored by the young staff....

Was on a day visit to Truro & looking for somewhere to have a coffee, after an afternoons shopping. Checking on TripAdvisor I decided to aim for Emily's cafe as it was number 1 in the ratings. But whilst walking up River Street my eye...

Been here for drinks and cake a few times. Its a very nice place to sit outside when it's sunny and very attractive inside as well. Staff are friendly but can be rather haphazard. Don't think much of the tea which is one up from...

Went with my family for lunch, it used to be one of our favourite places to go in Truro but unfortunately it’s really gone downhill, tea is no longer served in teapots so you just get a small cup, sandwich was stale and no care...

Greeted on arrival and encouraged to find a seat by friendly staff. The menu is mostly salads and sandwiches. Mildly irritated to be asked to pay while I was ordering. Did I look like I was going to do a runner? It also meant that...

Love this place, food, coffee, atmosphere, its always great. Staff are lovely, service is quick. Great variety of food to cater for all hungers.

We visited here while on holiday in Truro and it was just lovely! We sat outside in the sun and the setting was perfect, such a nice, relaxed feel to the place with a few tall shrubs/small trees and plenty of umbrellas. Our meals were...

Visit with grandson. Very nice pannini and tea. Bacon sandwich and milk shake. Staff very friendly and helpful. Tables cleaned after use, sanitizer available

Tables were dirty on arrival. Expecting a decent cup of tea for £2.50 turns out it was a warm cup of tetley.. wife’s coffee was cold already forming a skin on top I’ll go to a chain next time.

Popped in for a hot drink with my husband - there was no room inside but plenty of seats outside seeing as there had just been a sharp shower. We chose to sit under an umbrella in the sunshine and used the QR code to...

Found a nice table outside to enjoy lunch in the sun. Managed to access the menu via the QR code and then a friendly waitress came to take our order. I had the grilled halloumi sandwich and am iced coffee. Both were bought out within...

We decided to stop here with my two children who have a dairy and soya allergy. I went in prior to sitting to check that there would be some bread or an option that my girls could eat. The lady behind the desk couldn’t be...

This was always my go to spot when visiting Truro which as a local was every few weeks. Things started to decline pre covid when i stood waiting to be served for 23 minutes as the waitress had a full conversation with her mate who...

I visited here on Monday 16th August., with a friend. Not been for a very long time. Don't like the idea of ordering on the app and I feel it should stop, but having said that when I said I didn't much care for ordering...

Before lockdown we regularly visited the cafe - it was excellent. Nice ambiance, the food was delicious and the staff lovely. We all accept things have changed and I think it’s good distancing is maintained wherever possible but having to use the mobile app on...

We visited Truro in the rain, but parked opposite this lovely looking cafe and thought "Lunch"! We were surprised it was so big inside with an arts and crafts shop too. Wonderful accommodating staff as I have a mobility scooter. The food was absolutely gorgeous...

This was my second visit, having met a friend for coffee in December. This time my daughter and I stopped by for an earlyish lunch. Plenty of tables available even on a Saturday lunchtime. We were greeted at the entrance by a member of staff...

We spotted this lovely looking cafe and decided it was time for a drink; we had to wait a bit because we didnt want to order through the app but with a reall person!!! Once the drinks arrived they where nice enough although they where...

The food was good, especially the avocado on toast with poached eggs & bacon on fresh bread. The BLT focaccia also nice. The tea was forgotten, so after waiting for a while we had to order again. The vibe of the place was not welcoming...

Me and my friends are regulars at the Arts Cafe and its easily the best cafe in Truro. The food is second to none and the service makes it that much more enjoyable. As its really testing times for food establishments, its refreshing to see...

Nipped in here before work for coffee and a brownie... Because having a brownie for breakfast is allowed when it's nearly Christmas, right? The woman behind the counter was lovely and welcoming, service was swift and all Covid security measures were in place and working...

Lovely dog friendly cafe. The staff were extremely helpful and it felt a safe environment given the current circumstances. There was the four of us 2 adults and 2 children. The lunch box for the children had lots of choice and the cream tea was...

Today we’d been out for a walk and decided to call into the Truro Museum cafe, to sit outside and have a quick coffee. My wife had a face covering with her and I had the the money. I fished out a £20 note and...

Great little cafe with a nice vibe. The bacon sandwich was just what i needed with a pot of tea. all staff very friendly and made it very stress free under the circumstances of covid will definitely be going back to this little gem of...

I popped in for something to eat and working in a pub in Padstow I know how hard things are at the moment but despite that it was amazing, they have it all under control from the moment you walk in, the service was cool...

Went to the cafe here on Wednesday 14th October and after many previous visits will not be going again. Of course I understand the Covid19 rules at the moment, I had my mask on and observed the 2 metre distance also queuing on the right...

Came across this place by chance when visiting Truro for the day. Sat outside in courtyard. Both had panini sandwich which were huge and best I have ever had - not the usual flat type. Mine was goats cheese and delicious. Came with unusual salads and crisps and great combo, price and well presented. Staff friendly too. COVID safe. Def recommend.

visited 2 weeks ago for a light lunch, good value & nice choice, with daily specials, good outside area to sit & enjoy the sunshine.

Come here a lot for lunch or tea. The atmosphere is great, whether you sit in the main area, up on the gallery overlooking the art shop, or outside. Food is great - salads are amazing and there's a nice range of Cornish produce and drinks. Service is efficient and friendly and recent changes for Covid precautions have worked well.

The Arts Cafe is really beautiful as an experience. The huge art materials shop must be paradise for artists.The cafe rooms are so lovely and beautiful. The whole environment is exceptional. They do a good range of cafe and meal food and cater for differing diets.

I had a good Americano and flapjack but my husband is a coeliac and his tea was cold and the brownie tasted more of sugar than chocolate and was very dry. Although not busy, they only cleared our table of the previous customers' crockery etc when they brought our order to the table.

I went in needing to have a fat free lunch. The staff sent me to speak to the chef and I ended up with a perfect chicken sandwich with loads of salad and no butter on granary bread. Exactly what I needed and very tasty!

Steer clear the chains and head up River Street to this thriving independent cafe. Good choice of food we had lunch delicious, home made soup (which changes daily) and bread and butter and a ‘doorstep’ bacon and Brie sandwich with salad and crisps (tell the team when ordering if you want thinner slices of bread) all delicious.

If I say to my husband, “do you fancy taking a wander round Truro?” then I know the answer will be, “No!” But if I say do you fancy going to the arts cafe for a bit of quiche then he is suddenly very receptive. We never eat lunch anywhere else in Truro and are never disappointed. All freshly homemade and super tasty.

Right next door to the museum this was a great find. A really nice range of food on offer. Service was quick, the food was good and it was not over priced. There is a small seating area as you walk in but the dinning area is up the stairs to the left with a further mezzanine area.

Was visiting Truro for the craft fair and stopped here for a bit to eat for lunch.For a Friday the place was packed both upstairs and downstairs. Managed to get a sofa seat and sat here and had lunch.Drinks arrived rapidly and the food was freshly prepared and piping hot. Good value for money and good size, tasty side salad. Asking for no drizzle on salad was no hassle and easily accommodated. The garlic bread that came with the macaroni cheese was enough to share too. Would definitely visit again for eats.

Stopped in for lunch while Xmas shopping, managed to get a couple of seats on the end of a table in this obviously popular cafe.. our seats were overlooking the shop.Daughter ordered a lovely 'proper' jacket potatoe with cheese and beans, it was full to the brim, with a lush homemade coleslaw!! I had a yummy macaroni cheese with what felt like a loaf of gorgeous garlic bread!! You won't leave hungry!!We will be back again!!

Very busy & every square inch is taken up by tables. Good friendly atmosphere & limited but adequate food choice. Food freshly prepared and tasty.

This is a most attractive and very busy restaurant cafe within the arts store next to the Museum. Great sandwiches and salads. We enjoyed a lovely homemade ham and cheese quiche and a beautiful bubbling hot mac and cheese with slabs of garlic toast. Accompanying salads and coleslaw and hand cut crisps were excellent. Too full to try the tempting cakes.

We wanted light lunch after having good old Brit full English breakfast . This was a great place as good extensive menu, from salads choosing your own ingredients with quiche, sausage rolls, vegan etc. hot things toast, baked pots etc. my partner had tasty tomato and basil bowl soup with granary bread and butter packs. I took the carrot cake, tasty and very traditional recipe with no filling in middle, great as you can really taste the cake.

Cafe up steps, but also flat from museum entrance. Pretty standard food, nothing stood out on the menu, although was tempted to try the vegan sausage roll. We had a chocolate brownie and Vegan sponge cake, the latter was o.k., but the filling was a bit bland. The brownie was too ‘sugary’. Drinks ok. Went to toilet before leaving, which is near to museum gift shop. Was a bit lost, when the lady from the gift shop pounced on me, explaining there was an entrance fee to the museum. Explained I was looking for the toilet, when she proceeded to explain that the cafe has its own toilet, as she escorted me to it. I’d walked right past it! Maybe a bit of clearer signage is in order, as this lady, seemed somewhat irritated at having to redirect yet ANOTHER cafe customer.

I popped in for a coffee and the homemade scotch egg on the menu caught my eye. I was not disappointed it was tasty and excellent value.

The art course was great fun and worth doing. The food from the cafe was delicious, HOWEVER, the staff in the cafe need to attend a customer relations course. The man behind the counter got my previously emailed order written down wrongly as he had copied the people's names on the list incorrectly. There was no apology and he was clearly irritated by it. I said that I had emailed Leo about the order but this man just said that he wasn't Italian(!).

Lovely for a light lunch. Very fresh food and great assortment of salads. Gets very busy so noisy at times. Some staff could be a bit friendlier, I saw many people arrive and not sure where to go as busy and staff just walked past them. A simple there’s a table up stairs or whatever would have sufficed, or sorry no tables at the moment etc. So they just walked away and probably went elsewhere. There is outside seating. Food has always been good, although not the cheapest good value when it arrives.

As I was in a hurry, I asked how long it would take for a salad. Though they told me it would take 5-10 minutes, I had my lunch just a couple of minutes after I sat down. And the mixed salad was really a mixed salad, with a lot f different veggies and fruit. So far, I've never had such a tasty and rich salad in the UK. Not at all the the usual lettuce with some carrots, onions and cucumbers... The chicken (add-on) though was a disappointment, not very tasty (not roasted, no spices, just steamed). Better choose cheese or another add on.

I needed a tasty and relaxing lunch in the centre of the charming city of Truro. I was so glad I came here to the Arts Café next to the museum. The choice of food was good and I chose one of the many salads which with the quiche was delicious. The service was quick, the staff were bright, warm, friendly and attentive. I had a delicious herbal tea and left saying, this is where I will return next time! Thank you especially to the Manager:)

A very good cafe, always welcoming, consistently good food with friendly hard working staff. The outside area is much improved and very welcoming. We have eaten there many times which in itself says how much we use, trust, and enjoy the place. Although there is plenty of space and tables, it is frequently full during the day, and that also reinforces our opinion, you cannot be that popular without knowing about what people want. The cakes, scones and biscuits are really good, homemade in quality. The main meals are generously portioned, with fresh ingredients, and very tasty. This morning we had granary bacon sandwiches with cheese, some toast, and a very decent cup of coffee. All good. We have been going there for eight years, since they opened, and will continue to do so.

We visited here last year & had an amazing cream tea [my achilles heel!] so this year we were down in Truro & visited again, noon on a weekday & as usual, cream tea was scoffed....gorgeous, unrivalled in my view.

Visiting Truro frequently I am always recommending, for day time food, the Arts Cafe in the wonderful museum.

I like to give the Truro Arts Cafe Crew and Owners a big thank you for delivering outstanding Service ,coffee and food standards which ‘’makes my day ‘’every day when I visiting during my lunch break!

Quality and range of food - brilliant . This is matched by a most warm and friendly staff . We have been enjoying this wonderful venue for close on 8 years, it continues to be a totally pleasant all round experience - long may it continue ! We meet so many people who are equally impressed - there is nothing like the place for lifting the spirit. Whatever they have is a magic rarely encountered elsewhere.

We stumbled across this little beauty on a recent visit to the area, straight away we were impressed by the lovely outside area which to my delight was a great little sun trap, i could have stayed there all day long if i had of been allowed, but unfortunately for me my other half is not a sun worshiper like myself. Very pretty and quirky surroundings.

We love coming here and sitting outside it’s so pretty and a little sun trap we end up staying for hours. It’s always extremely busy so sometimes a slight wait but definitely worth waiting for. The staff are super friendly and very attentive.

Staff are curt with no concept of customer service. Food was ok. You have to order inside, which there is no way of knowing if your on the terrace. So we went inside after repeated staff coming out and ignoring is for 5 mins.

Here we go again. Unbridled contempt and sheer disdain for the customer. You become invisible once you reach the counter. No greeting or any simple examples of basic courtesy or sense of human interaction. The blond young lady wins an award for the most ignorant and rude performance, I have to date encountered. Kept going into the back conversing with kitchen staff whilst I stood there like a lemon. The irony was that there were just 2 people in front, but after 10 minutes I had had enough. It wasn’t even the wait. They may as well just punch you in face to make the point that they don’t value your custom. Why can these places not find people with even the most basic of good manners? I am always surprised.

Amazing shop for artists materials supplying an abundace of equipment for all mediums, courses are also available.These types of shops are very few and far between and it is nice for a change to see and purchase items in the high street. Can't wait to visit again, have started my shopping list!

I liked the place but the food selection didn't really grab me. And it's a pity that the best seating down by the till is restricted, somehow that feels more like an arts cafe than the regular seating.

Thought it would be nice for my girlfriend and I to grab a bite to eat in town on a sunny bank holiday weekend. Stumbled across this place and we liked the look of the outdoor seating. Once sat down we realised we needed to order inside after we received no greeting or table service. Once at the till (that was covered in dirty crockery), I asked if they could do an iced coffee or frappe and the closest they had was a yogurt shake with coffee. There was no offer of a simple coffee with ice cubes? We were shocked that you actually had to pay extra to have soya milk?!? No consideration for those with intolerances then... We ordered a mezze platter which came out quite quickly and looked very nice. The homemade hummus was delicious. The platter only came with one slice of sliced bread (like cheap hovis, they ran out of granary and foccacia). I asked for more bread and it was chargeable per portion... to my disgust I was told one portion of bread was one slice at £1!!! They only had cheap white bread and no granary... Pound for a slice of shop-bought white bread?? Nope. The staff looked uninterested and were not helpful. We even overheard a waitress on her break, sat outside talking about how much she didn't want to be there. Overall, it was just really disappointing and somewhere we would never return to. I don't ever use TripAdvisor, but I felt obliged to leave a review just to warn others off going to this cafe. Terrible.

endroit agréable, faisant le lien entre le musée de Cornouailles et la boutique de fournitures pour les métiers d'art et les loisirs créatifs, nourriture tout à fait correcte, service agréable mais expéditif

Late afternoon shopping and walking Truro, we came across The Arts Cafe Truro.

The food was ok, but I encountered a very awkward waitress at the counter who was rude and most unhelpful when I asked a simple question about where we could sit.

First visit here. Great choices on the menu for our lunch. Food was excellent and very flavourful. Will visit again.

Stopped for coffee & cake while shopping. Coffee & delicious banana & butterscotch cake arrived quickly. My friend ordered a toasted tea cake which didn’t arrive. When we asked where it was they did bring it quickly however my friend had finished her drink. The staff were very apologetic & went beyond our expectations to resolve this. They refunded the tea cake & got her a pot of tea free of charge. Would go back as the cakes were lovely & they handled the missing tea cake brilliantly.

If you visit the Museum, the Art Cafe is next door and attached so you can visit (free) It’s a great cafe and I would recommend it

I often visit this cafe, usually have a warming bowl of soup. I like to sit on one of the sofas and read the newspapers available. In winter the log burner is glowing. In summer one can choose to sit in the small garden. It is very convenient if visiting the museum , part of the same building.

Occasionally we stop here to eat. Then I remember why it has been a while since we last came. I am gluten free. The menu selections here are quite inflexible when it comes to accommodating alternative dietary requirements. Yes you can have 3 of the 5 salads for your £8.95, but if you want homous, it’s an extra £3.95. The cashier was flapping. I went with falafels & goats cheese instead. The falafels were warm, but raw and sticky inside, the shiver of goats cheese, crumpled stalks of rockets and a few bits of cold greasy roasted peppers set me back £12.95 I felt a little queasy.

We found this lovely quirky cafe by chance whilst visiting Truro. The menu was very interesting and though it was very busy( justifiably), we managed to find a table. My wife had a delicious mixed salad and I had a very good cherry tomato, spinach and mozzarella quiche and salad with two very good coffees. Will be back.

Great place to stop for tea and cake which is delicious. Sofas, wood burner, newspapers make it comfy and relaxed. Recommended.

Cozy environment which is just allocated beside the Royal Cornwall museum, it holds occasional art workshops. The taste was more than I have expected, scones and the sausage rolls baked fresh with palatable salad .

Very vibrant and friendly . Plenty of choice and all fresh and presented nicely . Good coffee very relaxed area ,s to just have driks

Part of the Royal Cornwall museum but also operates on its own. We stopped for a cuppa and the white hot chocolate was delicious.

We went for lunch, we’ve been before and always head here if in Truro. The menu is varied, the food delicious and the atmosphere friendly and pleasant. The light and airy cafe feels summery even on a wet autumn day. We had stuffed potato skins with a selection of the wholesome and unusual salads - no iceberg and sliced tomato here! Stunning! And at a very reasonable price too. Many thanks! We will be back.

Children's lunch box disappointing quality, amount for the price.

Have visited a few times and everything we’ve eaten has been excellent. The coffee is brilliant.

When checking out the bus stop for the return journey to the Park and Ride, what did we find next to us but The Arts Cafe.

Visited on a Monday lunch time. Busy but not packed. Service was friendly. My friend had the mixed salad which looked lovely (she enjoyed it). I had the macaroni cheese which was gorgeous but very calorific! It came with a side salad & garlic bread (which was a bit salty). Would definitely go back as really enjoyed the food.

Visited the Arts Cafe today with the thought of having a drink but after seeing the lovely food coming out, decided to have soup and focaccia. We were not disappointed as it was all delicious.

Really amazing selection of salads and other hot dishes with seating outside and in right next door to Truro county museum. Lovely place to relax be4 or after the museum visit. Very reasonably priced served by pleasant staff.

Popped in after deliberating where to go quite late in the day one weekend- I'd previously had a lovely coffee here and thought we'd give it a go.

We visited the art cafe on Tuesday. It was just before lunch and very busy. There wasn't a table available but the coffees and cakes looked and smelt gorgeous so we where happy to wait. We didn't have to wait long and sat in the comfy sofa area. We order cream teas for 3 and scone and flat white. It was all gorgeous! We all really enjoyed however we felt your staff let you down. I appreciate you were particularly busy but a a simple smile takes seconds. It wasn't the warm welcome you would expect. The blonde lady was particularly rude and bossy. Such a shame because everything else was lovely.