The Cornish Arms in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

We had lunch here in 2018 so during our recent visit to North Cornwall we decided to book dinner on our last night. Really wish we hadn’t bothered! From the beginning, the service was painfully slow. My daughter’s crudités (which are promised on the menu) were forgotten then when they did arrive the carrots were wrinkly and the flat bread was rock hard! My fennel ravioli tasted overwhelmingly of vinegar, was far too rich and gave me an upset stomach. My husband’s steak was far too thin so was overcooked. And wrapped sachets of butter served with the sourdough - really? Surely Rick hasn’t agreed to that. The staff constantly looked like they’d rather be anywhere but there. Our plates were still on the table when I had to chase for the bill. I asked the young lady to remove the service charge of 12.5% which she did but there was no apology or conversation about why I had requested this. Basically the staff couldn’t care less about your dining experience. I was sent an automated request for feedback which I completed. No one has ever reached out about it. For the money charged, this pub is a complete rip off and is living off the fact its owner is Rick Stein. Won’t return and wouldn’t recommend.

Had the fish curry on the menu, it was excellent. What made the night even more memorable was the lovely waitress "Rebecca" she was so attentive, kind and helpful. She is such an asset to the company. The pub itself had a great vibe.

Called in for lunch, salt and pepper prawns were in five spice not salt and pepper as listed but still pleasant. The piri piri chicken was pale greasy and never seen piri piri, it was covered in cheap olive oil with sliced red chilli and garlic. Service was terrible the waitress informed me if I want any sauces etc that they were inside at the end of the bar and left! Not once did anyone return to the table to check if the food was satisfactory nor clear our table, we sat for over 30 minutes with finished plates uncleared so decided our next drinks were best enjoyed elsewhere. Save the disappointment and dine elsewhere.

We had a nice burger, but after an hour we both had a stomachache and were sick also had diarrhea. I don't know if the chef touched seafood and then touched the buns, or something, but it wasn't a good day after that.

Excellent. Friendly and helpful staff working in a pleasant environment.

Food very much overpriced for what I had

Sunday lunch was fantastic, great pub we enjoyed it very much much , and very friendly staff .

From start to finish, great service and a fun night. We’ve been here a couple of times before, but yonks ago, so was a bit worried about recent reviews, and that it was a busy Easter weekend. No bother, there were plenty of staff on duty and everything was very relaxed, from the garden games outside, to the doggy friendly table we were allocated (on request), through to the table service. We had scallops, fish and chips, steak pie, everything was beautifully cooked and couldn’t be faulted. As with all of Rick Stein’s places, the wine was excellent - we went for the crisp Sauvignon Blanc and the chaps enjoyed the beer options. We decanted after scrumptious puddings to the pool table, which rounded off a brilliant night. Proper job.

Absolutely cracking pub meal. Great service and atmosphere. I had the full face steak which was cooked to perfection and massive, my wife had the whole plaice and the lemongrass butter was very tasty. Panna cotta 10/10. Service was attentive and friendly. Would definitely recommend for a great pub meal.

Lovely pub with a great restaurant. Very attentive staff. We went for Sunday lunch and there was a good atmosphere, plenty of dogs and great food. We had a delicious scotch egg and a charcuterie board followed by the best steak and chips, a whole plaice and highly recommend the delicious kale. The pannancotta with pistachio cream can't be beaten. Thank you for a terrific lunch.

Saturday lunch couldn’t folt it lovely staff lovely food lovely atmosphere

Good food, very polite staff and excellent service

Website and menu says “allergens catered for” but was made to feel it was an inconvenience. I have a milk allergy and was told by the waiter that seated us that the whole menu can be adjusted to take it into account. However, when a different server came to take our order, she stated none of the options i was interested in could be adjusted: either it had cheese in (not mentioned on the description of the salad), it came with a buttery sauce which couldn’t be removed, or the chef “likes to use a lot of butter” when making mash. Both of our meals were completely bland. The salad was drenched in oil, the gravy was thin and watery, the veg was unseasoned, and the mash my partner was served was tasteless and had developed a skin on it - meaning it had clearly been sitting in the kitchen for some time. Instead of mash I was offered chips which were the nicer option, but completely unseasoned. The sausages were really nice though- well done Trerethern Farm!

Beautiful place🤩. delicious food🤤, very friendly service 😊💯

Went for an evening meal. Very nice dinner and very nice staff.

Food excellent and service to match.

We were there on our first day of vacation just to eat After a few minutes of waiting we were shown to our table The food was good, the service was friendly 8

Had a great roast there on Sunday night. Hearty portions. Cauliflower cheese and the gravy standouts! Dog so happy at our table. Noah and Claire served us and were so lovely and attentive. Only tip - ice buckets need water AND ice. Not just ice! Champagne needs to be chilled! Apparently some customers don’t want wine labels wet - well, I prefer chilled fizz! Staff were helpful and desserts delicious. I’d be back in a heartbeat. Thank you

Had a fabulous Sunday roast here. Great, well kept ales. Excellent choice of gins. The service was very friendly, helpful and speedy. Ordered our meals (all 4 of us went for the beef roast) and drinks at the same time and the food was out just after the drinks. The meat was beautifully tender, lovely Yorkshire pudding, loads of vegetables including cauliflower cheese and a big jug of gravy. All delicious then the desserts were out of this world.

Food was good, sausage (2 small) and mash average for 18 quid. Chicken wings were some of the best. Fish curry very good, ice cream average, not a lot of taste esp vanilla and raspberry ripple more cream than anything

Nice place good food Great staff

The Cornish Arms provided the perfect setting for our wedding anniversary meal! The food was absolutely amazing, each dish cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor. What truly made the evening special was the incredibly friendly and attentive staff who made us feel so welcome. It was exactly the kind of warm and delightful experience we were hoping for. Highly recommend for a special occasion or just a fantastic meal out!

Lovely food, the staff are brilliant and it's not too expensive, well worth a visit.

Very friendly staff and nice food.

We've been going to the Cornish Arms now for well over 20 years. On our latest visit to the area we lunched twice. As always the food was top notch, as was the service. I had probably one of my favourite ever fish dishes, the hake with spring onion mash, blimey it was good.

Overpriced and disappointing - went for a friends birthday and upon arriving had to wait 30 mins for our drinks once seated. Atmosphere was pleasant enjoy however the service was inattentive and poor. Sadly the food and drinks are over priced and with limited options, expected so much more from the Stein name! Would happily go for a drink but so many better options at a fraction of the price.

Really good service, good food, dog friendly will frequent more in the future.

Lovely meal, food was delicious, pleasant pub, lots of character 👍

We had the most amazing Sunday lunch. The atmosphere was relaxed, staff attentive and friendly and portion sizes very generous. Food quality was high, portion sizes generous and prices more than reasonable. With seating inside and out (summer time), plenty of on site parking and dog friendly, what’s not to love. We will definitely be back.

Very over priced, not worth it. Just paying for the name

Average pub food spoiled by bizarre combinations of flavours and meals that don't really work, courtesy of Rick Steins unorthodox recipe book that feels forced as always. Pair this up with a ludicrous price tag such as £18 for 2 sausages and a blob of mash and 30p worth of vegetables, and you've got yourself a rather disappointing, hammed up catering experience disguised as a pub. Cornish Arms. No.

From the moment we entered you could feel a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. The staff were all wonderful on both the bar and the restaurant. We travel with our 2 Great Danes who always cause a stir but they too were welcomed and spoilt as well. Then there was the food - wow- it was truly amazing and the menu was just right for the venue, good portion sizes and lots of choice. I would thoroughly recommend anyone in the vicinity to go there, you won’t be disappointed!

Eaten there before, good service and food. Always worth a visit

The food is bang average and sooooo overpriced. I’ve had better meals at a Wetherspoons and it didn’t cost £190 for two of us!!! The restaurant had nearly as many dogs as humans and the orders were wrong for our table and quite a few other tables, I overheard. Sort it out Rick you’re taking the micky!!

This was our second visit to The. Cornish Arms because the food is fabulous! As my son commented, often Sunday lunch is mediocre, but this iteration was really superb. Great veggie/vegan option. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff who were lovely. And the surroundings are great.

Pleasant pub lunch for two. Staff were friendly and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming.

A lovely venue and absolutely fantastic food. A bit pricey, but trust me when in say that it is worth every penny! Highly recommended.

Our second time here and this time we weren’t impressed. Only 4 tables in and yet we were not asked “if our meal was ok”. Our plates were cleared and then…nothing. After 15 minutes we got bored, gave up on the idea of a desert, so went to the bar, paid and left.

We were met so warmly by Rebecca, and even my 4-year-old daughter was made to feel special. We had a lovely table by the warm fire, which soon warmed us up after the outside February night chill. We all ordered roast beef, and what a great choice that was! Honestly, it's one of the tastiest roasts we've all had in a long time. Jake looked after us so well, too, throughout the meal, and we shared a joke or two about wood burners! A wonderful experience all around and a real treat. Lucky to live nearby and have this pub on our doorstep. Highly recommend.

This is the fourth time my wife and I have visited the pup and I have eaten in the restaurant … the food is always exceptional and fantastic value, but just as importantly as the food should be and is , is the staff .. they always are super friendly and warm , always smiling and always going the extra mile … hence why we keep returning… to all the staff there thank you and to the chefs thank you for the wonderful food …

The worst Sunday lunch, not worth the money.

Great Sunday roast. Tender beef and delicious vegetables. Good kids choices. Visited in mid January when it was 3/4 full

We have visited the Cornish Arms on about 10 occasions . We have always had a good experience. This was second time we had driven from The Helston area . This time, on Sunday the 29 th of December, was unfortunately not so great . Our booking was pushed back by about 30 minutes due to a party hanging about over their allotted time . For which we were given free drinks . As I was driving I, I'd have preferred the drink with my dinner . We were informed there were no Sunday roasts due to butcher supply issues ??? The pubs in Porthleven were all serving roasts . The lovely burger I relied on was discontinued?????? We had overcooked fish and chips , paid and left a little disappointed We mentioned this to our server who volunteered to take off the service charge . We said it wasn't the fault of the staff . She said , hopefully our next experience will a better one . We love the Stein brand and we will return.

I’m using rooms for food here. The pub is a bit barn like inside which makes it harder to create a Cosy Cornish ambiance. We went for roast pork belly and were very disappointed with the meat. It was reminiscent of school roast meat. Thin slices of fatty meat with only one side that had been given a cursory brown under the grill. The vegetable sides were all very nice but the main event of the meat was below standard. We all have had pork belly and expect a chunk of meat with crackling. No crackling here 😞

Had a family lunch today as we were staying nearby . Staff were pleasant from the moment we walked in . 5 of us had the Haddock & Chips and it was absolutely delicious. The others in our party had the Burger and Sausage & Mash and they too said their meals were fabulous. Deserts were enjoyed by all . Can’t fault it . Will definitely visit again .

We booked a table of 7 on 29/12/2024 for 01/01/2025 which we were really looking forward to . On the 31/12/2024 we received an email cancelling our booking no excuse . I called the reservation phone number who was quite abrupt . I explained if they had cancelled the same day or following day I could understand but 24hrs before we were due I thought was totally wrong . She wasn’t really bothered what I was saying and didn’t even apologise Cornish Arms think you need to revise your booking system and the way your reservation team speaks to customers

We went twice during our Christmas stay. On both occasions the food was fabulous. The service was friendly and relaxed. Overall we would highly recommend this pub- one of the country’s best we think. Thank you

The decor was lovely, overall ambiance was wonderful, the staff despite being rushed off their feet all Christmas Eve were very friendly and professional. The food was tasty, but unfortunately they had run out of their festive set menu which we had come for. As a result we had to pay a premium for our meal. However we did get given a couple of glasses of Prosecco to compensate, which was a nice gesture. The only other negative was that the fire was let to go out before staff thought to add another log, but I imagine this was down to them being so busy. It just made for a cold restaurant on Christmas Eve and as many customers went home early, this didn’t help with the temperature of the restaurant. Pictures showing the lovely venue and meal. . . .

Just wanted to say, we came here to the Cornish after visiting Rafferty's and The Farmers Arm's and left both because the men behind the bar were grumpy, and rude about their neighbouring businesses. It costs nothing to be nice or say nothing! Staff here were 1000 times more friendly and professional.

The food was amazing and the staff brilliant. Treat us all amazingly, including the three dogs. Quality and price were unbeatable.We will be back as soon as we can.

This is a pub, so I'm not sure why Rooms is a rating option. Anyhow, we went for a lunch with family, 13 of us so a fairly large group. The food was very mediocre pub grub. We had a variety of things as there was a good mix of tastes. Most had starters and mains, and there were a couple of desserts. The chicken wing started that a few had was superb, but that's sort of where it ended. The main was boring, and this was agreed by nearly everyone for their collective choices., puddings were average, and drinks were as to be expected in this day an age of varied selections. Then the bill arrived. Holy Moly!! For an out of season, mid week lunch we paid over £50 per head, for 8 adults and 5 children. The cost versus quality was disproportionate, not to mention exorbitant. Will definitely not be returning. Mr Stein, you need to review your costings!!

I and four friends have just had a most enjoyable relaxed lunch at the Cornish Arms in St. Merryn. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The food was superb...three had the fish curry which they said was as good as they have ever had, I had hake which was faultlessly cooked and the fifth of the party had Crab...also first class. Puddings equally delicious. The staff were delightful and attentive. Thank you.

Lovely friendly and great location

Nice, just like a pub should be.

Expensive for pub food , trading on the name I guess . A lovely building well modernised.

Went out for an evening meal Mushrooms and kidneys to start followed by fish curry. Both dishes where excellent My wife had the half pint of prawns which she said are the best she has ever had. Prices are high ( but not not too expensive ) Would I come again ? Hell Yes

Never disappoints one of our go to places when staying in Padstow. 2 delicious starters and mains, friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere. Here’s to our next visit. Thank you.

We are local and have been previously visited the Cornish Arms. Today experience was average at best. The pub wasn’t busy today so was surprised that no one from front of house greeted us or showed us to the table that we had booked. Approaching the end bar we were told that ‘someone would be with you in a minute’. The manager who was on duty today wasn’t friendly at all and was disinterested. I personally felt uncomfortable with his attitude. The food is very average and the portion size did not reflect the price of the food. I would recommend that Rick Stein’s pub needs to implement staff training so staff meet and greet customers in a pleasant way. This surely shouldn’t be this hard.

Delicious food- great pub- lovely staff. The menu is down to earth pub food - my husband just had sausages and mash - I had the Pondicherry Fish Curry which was absolutely delicious - loved it. Can highly recommend the Sticky Toffee Pudding too. It's also quite reasonably priced for the area. Plenty of Parking.

Myself and my daughter had the most beautiful bowl of Moules Marinere, accompanied with bread and fries, each for lunch. Absolutely exceptional! We are retuning to Cormwall for Christmas. We've already booked for lunch for a table of 10. Enough said. DELICIOUS.

Massively overpriced lunch that did not live up to expectations. Apparently the two roasts that were had on the table were good, but the hake and mash two of us ordered that sounded delicious, was measly portioned and bland. For £27 it needs to be better. The soy butter sauce was watery and bland. The mash was oily and poorly made. The fish was cooked well but there was too little of it for that price. The barn-like dining hall wasn’t great either - last time we went (some years ago) it was still the old pub, and all the better for it. Won’t be back.

Excellent, friendly service. Food was delicious. Lively experience out if season. Thank you all.

Excellent service, excellent food, great place to eat, but they need to have chutney with the curries

We booked on the phone and informed that we would be bringing three big dogs as we were staying in an air B&B we couldn't leave them. When we arrived we were on a small table crammed in next to a family with nowhere for the dogs to get out of the way. The family were clearly unhappy about the dogs and the small girl, between fits of screaming and crying began kicking my elderly dog in the head. Luckily he is a bit daft and confused so didn't respond but if he had bitten he would have been at fault not the child. The Mother intervened quickly. I didn't want to sit next to screaming children and they didn't want to sit next to dogs. I think both parties should have both been informed. It was overcrowded with tables too close together, really noisy we couldn't speak to each other, food was bland and overpriced and a 10% service charge. My husbands tartar sauce had a crust on it and the peas were grey. I had mussels in a cider, sorrel and cream sauce it didn't taste good but the mussels were huge and plentiful. The staff were lovely, hardworking and helpful, nothing was too much trouble so we happily paid the 10%. It wasn't an enjoyable dining experience and we couldn't wait to leave. We wouldn't go back with or without dogs

Fantastic dinner at The Cornish Arms. Not been for a long time, really flavoursome food, good choice, great staff and made to feel really welcome. Busy but didnt have to wait. Will be back!

The best non fussy pub around. Great food , lovely drinking institution. Really no complaints. I would recommend.

Lovely food both times. Staff very friendly. Dog friendly too.

Lovely meal, great service. My only negative comment is why are dogs allowed in. 3 tables all next to me had dogs. If I come again I shall ask to be on a table not near any tables with dogs

Food average at best. Service pretty poor waiting time for food abysmal. No apologies because no recognition of slip shod standards. Train your staff. Rojanos in Padstow was streaks ahead for a similar price point. Will not return until reviews prove they have pulled their socks up

Good atmosphere, service and food.

A pleasant visit, excellent food, good service friendly staff

Great food nice beer good staff

Called in for a light lunch. Tasty and nicely done. Pleasant service. Restaurant a bit large, lost some of the old style pub intimacy.

We had a fab lunch here. The staff are personable and provide fab service. The food is brilliant.

Fourth visit and last . Every time I try what looks like a great venue I get a different poor experience, there are many much better run pubs / restaurants. Don’t get lured in by the Rick Stein name , food is average at best , bar snacks very poor , embarrassing for a so called celebrity chef . Uninterested rude staff who work on the assumption that if you don’t like it tough ! There will be another mug along shortly

Rick's Cheesecake is one off the reasons I regularly visit his eateries. Today I lunched here once again the starter's and mains were really delicious. But cheese cake in a jar!!! You have to be joking? Remember this was on the menu there just after Covid, do we have another problem looming? Have booked the main restaurant on Sunday and the cafe next Thursday and Friday back here for lunch. Please say you have the real thing available.

Pleasant experience in the Shepherds Hut. Excellent breakfast.

A great place to stop, the restaurant area is bright and open, the menu is interesting and varied with a easy to navigate wine list and beers. Staff are attentive, friendly and provide very good service.

We came in, hungry and chilled from our walk and sauna/sea dip, along the north coast. We didn’t book, however, the service staff were attentive and helpful, finding a spot for us to sit, and after a short wait at the bar, sipping some local beer and watching the world go by, we sat down to a wholesome meal of Pondicherry fish curry and a proper cornish hamburger (meat from Philip Warrens - as natured intended!). It was a fantastic meal in a beautiful restaurant, filled with laughter and people enjoying each other’s company, not to mention the culinary delights on offer. A lovely end to the day.

Great place that I really enjoy going to. However, you should always make a reservation as it is difficult to get a table spontaneously. Service is great and so is the food.

Staff great food fantastic Have had Sunday lunch today and a lovely meal on Wednesday Thank you for allowing our dog to visit also very important to us

Pleasant staff and good food.Just too many dogs.

Popped in for snack, ended up having a relaxing lunch.

Visited in August. Excellent food and service. Easily the best food I have ever had. Ordered Cornish Arms Hamburger and Chocolate Pavé for dessert.

Nicely good evening meal. Great atmosphere and restaurant.

Very good food and great service.

Just a stop off for a drink. Really liked the look of the place. Seems very popular. One to revisit.

Saved up super treat for our holiday. Arrived on time and seated. We had our cockapoo with us and there was not a lot of space for her, but she eventually settled under the table. But even when she popped out she was greeted by every member of staff with a warm smile. We had a sharing starter, which was epic. Then steak for our main. Well... we asked for medium rare and it was perfect. The fries were perfect. The salad was fabulous. We had a portion of onion rings, these were the nicest onion rings had in many a moon. The staff were attentive, but not overly. We were given time to enjoy our surroundings, feel like we were not an imposition (as is found at times, unfortunately). All in all a fabulous experience for us. Thankyou all.

Had the steak it was lovely, peppercorn sauce was exquisite

The prices are very expensive for a pub . Portion sizes wasn’t brilliant and I cannot understand the 12.5 % service charge. It’s a pub with expensive food. Pay your staff more and shouldn’t be paying a service charge. We paid it but didn’t get the best waitress service. We are local and couldn’t be a regular customer as it’s too expensive for drinks . When he goes to these places in Europe etc and goes on about the locals eating out. They can because nowhere charges like this. Gravity should be at the customers discretion. We paid £14 for service charge. Absolutely disgraceful.The fish curry you get 1 small piece of Hake and curry sauce and rice with a popadom . Not great value. £4.95 for a portion of chips . £4.94 for a large bottle of water. Not great .

Nice place to enjoy lunch, dinner or a pine. The food was good not much though on the plate for the price you pay. Will be good to have more fish options not on curry or sauce simple grill , fried. Service was excellent and the atmosphere lovely.

Bog standard food at high prices & small portions. Vietnamese salad was so, so overpoweringly bitter & citrusy, fish Goujons had absolutely no taste, and the chicken dry. I had really high expectations from this place but unfortunately felt totally let down. Then to add insult to injury, a 12.5% discretionary charge is added to the bill which appears compulsory however I asked this to be waived. Service was pleasant but not exceptional. Nothing special. Find somewhere better.

As usual food a service excellent

Brilliant pub. Sitting in the beer garden against the backdrop of St Merryn, listening to local singers and drinking decent beer all made for a superb pub experience. Good customer service also!

Lovely place to eat. Lovely friendly staff. ☺️

A terrible meal here, 2 out of 5 of the meals were cold and the rarebread sausage and mash was terrible. The sausages tasted like frozen wall sausages, split down the side and taste of mushy and barely any pork. I'm not sure if they were an emergency replacement, if so that's as shocking. We won't be back.

Service great Food amazing Only negative - dogs in restaurant 🤬

Lovely location. Pleasant service. Sat in the Rick Stein beer garden and ordered their pizzas from smartphone App. (We could also have sat inside the dog friendly restaurant but chose the garden area.) First class pizza made to order - and that’s from someone who isn’t a pizza-lover. Will come back to sample the indoor restaurant as well. Very dog friendly place as well. Prices fairly average for this area. Impressed.

Average at best. Like an early gastropub from 15 years ago. Poorly grilled halloumi when there are two big green eggs in the garden. Pizza with a soggy bottom. Disappointing, maybe try The Marriners.

On Tuesday 20th August around lunchtime, I had the displeasure of dining at a restaurant bearing the name of the so-called “celebrity chef,” Rick Stein, and I must say it was nothing short of a culinary disaster. To think that a chef with such a reputation would attach his name to such a dismal dining experience is utterly shocking. Let me start by saying that the young lady who served us was as helpful as she could be, given the circumstances, but her hands were clearly tied. The menu was rigid and inflexible, with no room for even the slightest deviation. It felt as if everything in the kitchen had arrived vacuum-packed and pre-prepared, leaving no possibility of adjusting any dish to suit the customer’s preferences. On the rare occasion that they did attempt to accommodate a request, it was as if the chef was doing us a personal favor—a laughable notion, considering the subpar quality of the food. I ordered the dressed crab, which turned out to be a sad excuse for a dish. The crab itself was so minuscule that it must have been the smallest crab in existence, accompanied by what they dared to call a green salad. This “salad” consisted of a few lifeless, drab lettuce leaves strewn haphazardly on the plate—utterly uninspired and unappetizing. The only extra I managed to procure, after much effort, was a sliver of smoked salmon from the children’s menu, which was laughably small. My partner, a fan of bangers and mash, was equally disappointed. Every bangers and mash aficionado knows that three sausages are standard, yet at Rick Stein’s restaurant, you’re lucky to get two—and not just any two, but the smallest, most pitiful sausages imaginable, paired with a meager helping of mash. Our friend opted for the Vietnamese salad, which supposedly contains only 250 calories—no surprise there, as the portion size was laughable, barely filling two tablespoons. Thankfully, I had ordered fries, or we would have left the restaurant starving. If this is the level of food that Rick Stein is willing to put his name on, I can confidently say I will never be returning. Our friend, a local, seemed equally disillusioned, which is a shame. In stark contrast, we later visited the Inn on the Shore at Downderry, where we experienced excellent food and service. Despite not being a celebrity-endorsed establishment, the staff there bent over backwards to accommodate our requests, even when we deviated from the menu. No pretentiousness, just genuinely good food, great service, and stunning sea views—a truly refreshing experience. Rick Stein might want to reconsider the quality control in his kitchens if he wishes to maintain any shred of culinary credibility