The Cornish Deli in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

The freshest & tastiest seafood in our life! The fish fell off the bone, the prawns were juicy and cooked to perfection, calamari same, absolutely an amazing culinary experience! (ordered the fritto misto) Also I liked the fact that the frying oil is changed all the time, which says a lot...Tried 3 sandwiches as well: generous size, hot or cold, all 3 were hands on delicious (the best so far). Atmosphere really cosy and lively, customer service very nice as well. We are coming back next summer for sure, regulars from now on! Keep it up Cornish Deli! 👍

Fantastic service and food was outstanding. Really friendly helpful staff. Great for allergies including gluten. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Lovely local cafe with friendly and efficient service. We had full breakfast and it was the best breakfast we have had in a long time. Everything was cooked to perfection and had a quality taste. Could not fault and will recommend.

Such a great experience…great food in unpretentious surroundings. Lovely welcome, great service and oh!…the Cornish fritto misto delicious!! Great local beers and very drinkable wines. Highly recommended.

So great to find somewhere that is so committed to Gluten Free options. Great food and fantastic service. Crab sandwiches were amazing!

Wonderful - we enjoyed 2 lovely takeaway sandwiches. Excellent quality and super tasty. Go you won’t be disappointed.

Good food, dog friendly, and very aware of coeliac disease and caters for this.

What a great find.. It's that local home cooked quality cafe that we look for in every town. Met here with a couple of friends for some fantastic food. We had a crab salad, a lemon sole and a goats cheese salad. Everything was presented to perfection.The decor and food transported us to the Mediterranean. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Last year we sat in for food and drinks this year I just came for cheese. Note to owner you need to get relish to get with the cheese.

Had seen The crispy squid sandwich on recent reviews on Trip Advisor so thought we’d check it out in person. Blimming awesome, lovely place, staff and food. Sandwich did not disappoint and would defo come back. Staff were lovely and a great music play list too!

Quite simply the best food we ate in our two weeks in Bath and Cornwall (and we ate at some highly reviewed restaurants). The most delicious fish and crispy, savory potatoes ever, with out-of-this-world sauce. Friendly, efficient service. We went back as often as we could get a reservation in the days we spent in St. Ives. It's quite a small spot, nothing fancy--but delicious--reserve!

This small deli / cafe is located in a back street of St Ives. We both ordered the Reuben grilled sandwich, a local Cornish beer and an iced vanilla coffee. The Reubens were very tasty but a little greasy. The beer was warm but served in an iced glass which helped. The iced vanilla coffee had very little taste of vanilla. The dining area had a strong smell of deep fried oil when we visited which was not pleasant. The service was friendly and efficient throughout. There is a 12.5% discretionary service charge which we are not a big fan of as we always leave a tip if we think the service had been good which in this case it was. Ok for lunch but not really the type of place we would go for an evening meal.

SEVEN layers on this chocolate cake!!!

The best gluten free fried seafood ever!! We wished we lived closer, the staff were brilliant so friendly and helpful, the food, out of this world, also took some cheese home for tea, dog friendly too, a wonderful little deli

Cosy place with delicious food. The crab sandwich was great! And the portions are very generous.

We visited the Deli for brunch and dinner (had to go back for dinner a second time!) last week. The food is delicious and helpings are plentiful - perfect when the sea air has given you a good appetite. We love the little team at the deli. They’re really friendly, helpful and do everything they can to make sure you have a great meal. Would definitely recommend going if you’re visiting St Ives. Book if you can.

I had a delightful lunch here. King prawn meal was delicious, and the server was pleasant and helpful. A nice place to get takeaway food for a light supper at the B&B.

What a great little place in the heart of St Ives! Both dog and human friendly, the small menu, along with the specials board, features everything from surf to turf, with vegetarian and vegan in between. The drinks list features beer, wine and Cornish inspired cocktails, and the service is friendly. We shared the crab sandwich, the Reuben sandwich and the fritto misto. All excellent, especially the fried seafood, with light and airy batter and fantastically fresh. Highly recommended.

Such a shame I didn't take a picture of the food when it arrived, but it looked as good as it tasted. You can tell the food is cooked with love. There was a small wait, you can tell there's no microwaves going on, it's all made to order. I am so pleased we've found this hidden gem. Also the service is very good, polite and helpful. (Good wifi too). Thank you.

Fab brunch really good local ingredients

The “Ultimate Fish Finger Sandwich” is super tasty and the food is prepared quickly :)

Amazing food, and one my first stops every time I visit St Ives.

Great seafood and a really nice place for breakfast/brunch. Lovely friendly staff. Delicious crab sandwich!

I have mixed feelings about this place. The owner is a nice guy and the food was delicious. We did all enjoy it very much. The hot drinks were nicely made. I did ask for peppermint tea, but they didn’t have any. Unusual to be fair in this day and age. It’s a tiny little cafe/restaurant, and we came for breakfast. The seats that we got placed on weren’t overly comfortable in the window if I’m being honest, but I can over look that for good food. I don’t particularly like service charges being added on to the bill, but particularly not 12.5%. That’s quite steep. It’s basically an increase in your prices if you’re the owner and you’re taking that as tips. Half of that, ok, but that did get to me a little. Of course I can ask for it to be removed, but it makes me feel uncomfortable, and I’m sure others aswell. I’d also like a more transparent billing receipt personally. A bit of paper with scribbles and a complete whole amount for food just doesn’t lie well with me. I like to know what I’ve been charged, and for what. The toilets weren’t pleasant, but usable. It was a nice place, but not somewhere we’d go to again I don’t think. If you want good food, and you don’t care about my other grumbles, try it, you probably won’t be disappointed.

Best Reuben sandwich I’ve ever had, absolute 10/10

always great food freshly prepared

I’ve ordered takeaway sandwiches for my walking groups several times now from the Cornish Deli, and my groups always agree they are the best sandwiches in Cornwall! Nice bread, amazing variety of tasty fillings (and very full fillings they are too 😊), and always ready exactly when I’ve asked them to be. Thanks Mark and the Deli crew!

Amazing breakfast and good portion sizes with brunch cocktails! Friendly atmosphere. Wish we didn't live 300 miles away!

Back to St Ives again and we all looked forward to returning to the Cornish Deli. This time we managed to squeeze in a breakfast, a dinner and two takeaway lunches. All absolutely delicious! The omelette with cheese was a particular breakfast favourite. We all loved our dinners - beetroot and goats cheese for the vegetarian and the sole fillets, steak and chips, and hake catch of the day for the others. Completely clean plates all round and all agreed it was the best dinner of our holiday. The lunch sandwiches were also some of the best we have ever eaten. Meal adapted to be Coeliac friendly for our daughter as well. The service was great, the young lad behind the counter is always so friendly and the lady that served us for dinner was so welcoming. Just can’t recommend the Deli highly enough!

Unbelievably good food!!! I consider myself a sandwich connoisseur and the fried squid sandwich I had here was by far and away the best sandwich I have ever had. My wife had the king prawn sandwich which was equally as good. A must if you are in area….and if not visit them anyway!

Lovely little deli cafe. Eaten here loads and they never disappoint. Reasonably priced, great portion sizes and super friendly.

This was soooo good, as soon as we finished I immediately booked again! The specials menu was a range of delicious fresh fish. The king prawns were the best I have ever eaten…. The sauce was so delicious we nearly licked the plate clean!! Cannot recommend this place enough. Absolutely incredible. Book immediately!!!

A gem of a place. Delicious gluten free chicken sandwich. Best fish finger sandwich I’ve ever had. Only wish we’d been earlier in our holiday so we could’ve visited more often! Fantastic to see such variety of gluten free choices. Thank you Cornish Deli!

I just ate here a day ago i loved thr food and the vibes the place had

Best restaurant in St Ives! I came here 3 times in 3 days, definitely deserved it. Strong recommend to have a look at special menu before order.

We ordered three grilled cheese sandwiches with seasoned fries, one vegan plate and one grilled goats cheese salad. The food was made fresh and there was a little wait for it to arrive but everything was absolutely delicious, very filling and the guy was super friendly and attentive 😋

Our second year in a row visiting on our holidays and both times have been excellent. Great food, highly recommend!

it’s been nearly a week since I had the po boy prawn sandwich and I've been thinking about it every day since. Genuinely the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life. I will long for it for the rest of my life once I leave this country

Fantastic food, lovely friendly staff and catered for me as I am gluten free 😀

I’m a celiac. Just WOW….gluten-free options for everything!!! GREAT value!

A delightful local diner with great service and wonderful food. I stopped by for breakfast on Monday morning and had a three-egg omelette with tomatoes and cheese. The balsamic syrup created a delicious flavor combination so I asked for additional syrup on the side. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A nicely placed deli-cafe on the way in/out of St Ives. It's not too expensive like the touristy place's. Limited menu because of its size but still nice fayre. Service was good, and the people were pleasant.

Lovely little quirky cafe/restaurant. Great atmosphere and the food was excellent especially the ciabatta sandwiches. Strongly recommend

Cracking bit of lunch in there today! My friend had a crab sandwich and I enjoyed the gammon. Highly recommended - good grub and nice service - thank you!

Some of the best (fried) seafood my husband and I have ever had! And so much of the food is naturally gluten free. 100% recommend!

I had one of the best sandwiches I've ever had here, the Reuben. It took a while for the food to come out, but the atmosphere was good and the staff very friendly. The sandwich was unreal! Highly recommended.

Delicious shellfish. Seasoning was on point. Best paired with fries. Could get quite busy (we were there tuesday afternoon) so better book ahead to secure a table:)

We visited cornish deli two years ago when we first visited cornwall and we had to come back to st.ives even though we are staying in a different part of Cornwall this trip. We were dreaming of their sandwiches ever since the first visit. Fishfinger sandwich is a work of art. Pairs amazingly with the pear cider too! We will continue to dream about their sandwiches once again, until the next time we visit Cornwall… 🐶Extra appreciation for being dog friendly🐶

Loved my brie sandwich – great bread! The vegan plate was fantastic. The patatas bravas were delicious! Lots of regulars popping in, which is surely a great sign too. Friendly staff and quick service even during the lunchtime rush.

The Cornish Deli has to be my favourite place we visited for food whilst in St Ives. Using fresh local produce, the delicious menu was hard to choose from as everything looked and sounded absolutely amazing. We passed here quite regularly when we visited and it was always bustling (which is definitely a good thing) - we went around afternoon time / 2.30ish , however there are more tables in the back if the front tables look full. Went with the Fritto Misto in the end which came with a delicious combination of lightly battered lemon sole, squid and king prawns, chips, salad and a side of aioli. The meal was absolutely divine, as was the atmosphere inside and the staff that worked there. We try to find independent places when we travel, especially when it comes to food, and this place just ticked every box for us. This little gem is a must if you’re visiting St Ives. Everything can be made to suite a gluten free diet which was fantastic for my partner. Thanks again guys.

So happy we found this little gem! Ordered the Fritto Misto off the specials board. Beautiful gluten free meal, really good portion size, very delicious meal. Couldn’t be happier. Thank you chef and staff at the Cornish deli.

Had an incredible sandwich here, probably the best sandwich ever!! Was on the specials and the chicken caeser sandwich. Chips were really well seasoned and coffee was tasty too. 100%! recommend!! Also good place to get deli bits like cheeses chutneys and sauces :)

Best place for brunch, would highly recommend the avocado and poached eggs. There were 8 of us, we booked in advance, service is excellent.

We had read great reviews so decided to try for lunch . We were surprised by the scruffy interior which needs a deep clean . The mixed fish was nice but very salty and my husband had a sandwich which was sadly served in a very dry doughy panini. The shock was the bill which we paid unaware of the sneaky service charge for putting two plates on the table !

Amazing breakfast chorizo eggs are awesome for those who likes some spice!! They've got gluten free options in the menu. We had to wait a long time for our meal but it was worth it. Attentive lovely staff.

Very friendly service from Stacey and delicious food, cooked by Tom the chef. We will definitely return again next time we’re in St Ives. 👍🏼😊

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS FOOD! 😍lovely atmosphere and dog friendly too! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal- we had the Cornish Deli Fritto Misto! Large portions too! Would definitely recommend and go back!!🦀

I absolutely love this place and my partner did too. All the food is gluten-free, amazing for coeliacs! I repeat everything on the menu is gluten-free, not an easy thing to find at all. And not only that, the food is pretty delicious. I had the side salad, beetroot salad, chowder, misto fritto and the nduja scallops, which I shared with my partner, and they all were pretty darn delicious. The fish and seafood is very creamy and whatever you do you have to try the side salad, misto fritto and chowder. Great service and decor, and you can also buy some Cornish food treats, like different types of cheese, cheddar and brie, along with some other options, to bring home. How amazing is that?! I also absolutely love the decor and coziness of this place. I want to go again for the sandwiches, which I was informed they do 9:30-3:00. Also, there is a washroom, even though the cozy size! I felt so excited going and I want to go again. Thank you to all the Cornish deli team for doing such a great job. I would undeniably recommend.

Love treating ourselves to lunch at the Cornish Deli when we are on our hols in St. Ives. The Crab Sandwich and the Spicy King Prawn Po Boy were, as usual, delicious 😋

One of the best breakfast/brunch ever. We had the veggie full breakfast, and the avocado and poached eggs. So tasty and not greasy. Huge servings. Good coffee. Excellent and friendly service with a non-pretentious setting. Thank you.

A lovely, cosy cafe with great food. The specials board offers some great fish choices. Everything freshly made with high quality ingredients and care in its presentation. We loved the fish finger sandwich with lemon sole and the king prawn and crab fish cakes with salad. Gluten free choices offered across the menu and you can tell how good the food is by the amount of locals using the cafe. Thank you for a wonderful lunch.

We had a fabulous lunch here as recommended by the positive reviews on this site. Absolutely brilliant service and delicious food all round.

Thank you trip advisor. This was the first place that came up for best breakfast in St Ives and we were not disappointed. The full Cornish breakfast was fantastic, the service great with local advice too. The place is authentic and has lots of character, just like a tourist would want. We'll be going back there later this week.

Discovered this hidden gem today, whilst we were walking our dog and we are so pleased we came across it. The breakfast was amazing and is honestly the nicest breakfast we have had in St ives. All the ingredients are fresh and excellent quality. Friendly staff and its dog friendly too, which is always a bonus for us and our fur baby

Delicious contemporary food and generous potions. We’ll be back to try something else off their menu.

Today's sandwich was very delicious and the french fries were very tasty. The special menu, squid blah~, was a little weird because there were too many fried potatoes and sausages. The special menu seems suitable as a beer snack. There was a lot of smoke inside the store, as if there was no ventilation, and the clothes had a lot of odor, so it was a bit...

Probably the best meal we had on our Cornwall trip this summer. Absolutely divine, the fish was cooked to perfection. Great cosy atmosphere too

Service was awesome Food was fantastic Portions were fantastic So so big Can’t wait go back See you Back in march Can’t wait

Favourite place for crab sandwiches, definitely worth to price. Their breakfast are also fantastic, all ingredients very fresh and well cooked. Service is lovely too.

First visit to the cornish deli and will definately be back, delicious food, lovely young man who served us and lovely cosy place to have lunch thankyou 😊

First time back for 3 years- didn't disappoint. Cakes were the only thing different- they didn't do them- but a delicious shop close by is available ! Small inside with limited seating but friendly and welcoming. The kitchen, cooking area, is small and how the excellent food is prepared and served never ceases to amaze us. As well as Gluten free- more importantly for us- completely nut free. A rarity. Keep up the good work. Wouldn't eat anywhere else in St Ives

Quite possibly the best sandwich I’ve ever had

Wonderful lunch today at The Cornish Deli in St Ives. Fish just beautiful, Coeliac heaven no cross contamination issues, can’t recommend highly enough! 😍

What a great little place to have brunch Never been here in the nine years we’ve been coming to St Ives because I thought it wasn’t Dog Friendly - completely wrong… our cockerpoo Ruby was made very welcome So… a very warm welcome from Mark we chatted over the options for brunch and chose the Frazzled Chorizo and the Smashed Avocado - amazing, really tasty from the first to last mouthful. The menu has many interesting and unusual dishes and we will certainly be returning to sample the lunches whilst sampling the Ribera We also came away with some Cornish Yarg and smoked anchovies to try later A very talented chef and really friendly “front of house” we can certainly recommend brunch… delicious!

Fantastic seafood and Cornish breakfast

Really good food and service. Top notch

Been going years, always a delight, staff are friendly and attentive with delish food that changes depending on season/availability. Tastes fresh and the seafood is a winner. Eat in or takeaway its a gem. Bloody Mary's are our go-to cocktail and I bring friends and family here when they visit.

We are on the vacation and decide to have brunch here, the woman who served our table is very friendly, polite, and patient. The food especially the fries is delicious which is my favourite. And beef sandwich is also great!

Absolutely amazing crab sandwich, delicious

Fantastic food! I had the crab sandwich and it was delicious!! Felt like the portion sizes were really good and you can tell the food is all freshly made 😋 I have been coming to this place since I was a kid and their food is still just as good. Make sure you visit if you're in St Ives!

Probably the best food i can remember ever eating!! Hats off to the chef's, best steak ever on the surf n turf, just melted in your mouth! and the mussels.... well thats another story, so fresh and perfectly spiced and paired with the chorizo. The hake and scallops were also so so yummy. Thank you so much for a wonderful cosy experience with amazing quality fresh food!!

Fishfinger sandwich was nuts. Probably the most beautifully cooked fish I'd ever had and it was in a fingered sandwich format. Everything else looked insane, definitely go here when in st Ives

The cornish deli has amazing food, it's freshly prepared and great quality. We were so impressed with our take out lunches that we went back for brunch the next day and enjoyed it even more. Eat in prices are more than take out, but I would expect that and had no issue with it. What we didn't like is that they then add on another 12.5% service charge; this is only notified by a small sign at the side of the bar and you don't get an itemised receipt that clearly shows what you are paying for. We love to support local businesses and cannot fault the food, but service charges should be included in the price and it should be up to the customer to decide if they want to tip.

I had the sandwich of the day: 3 types of salami, balsamic tomatoes and cheese and it was amazing!!! I had fries with it and split them with my husband and it was more than enough for lunch. Very generous portions and great quality ingredients, especially for the price. I could hear the fries being cooked from my seat and they had a lovely seasoning on them. Very friendly and knowledgeabke staff and it's just off the main route through St Ives where you can escape the hustle and bustle. We'll definitely be going again!

Breakfast is very good, the ingredients seem high quality. Service is very friendly and quick. Cornish tea in pots is nice, however the coffee is not great. The fried potatoes are extra on a relatively normal sized breakfast. The mushrooms are quite nice but they aren't actually that mushroomy.

Starters fine but one main course was not as advertised - new potatoes were actually deep fried and the dish was swimming in oil as though it had been decanted. After deliberation and our insistence the meal was refunded. Real shame

Amazing place, food was outstanding. definitely recommend

Wonderful spot in St Ives - had the butterflied sardines and crab sandwich, both sensational and the best crab sandwich I’ve had in Cornwall, full of flavours and super generous. Service was also excellent, staff were so lovely - kudos on running such a great operation!

A very nice crab sandwich, with very nice fries! It’s all I had so all I can comment on, bar with the option of a sourdough baguette or multigrain bloomer, as well as a whole host of other exciting filing options, they’ve got your lunch time sorted really. The space is nice though a little cramped, bring difficult to navigate when it gets busy, yet offering a range of Cornish produce, from cheese to meats to Gins and coffee. The staff are lovely too, always serving with a smile. I would like to come and try the evening menu here, with fresh fish being a clear focus, given the crab was so good too. I would recommend stopping by, though it is a little pricey with an added service charge on top as well

We ate here twice. Once for take out and once for a full English. The food was excellent. Two of the party have ceoliac disease, quite often, places state they do GF food. When questioned, they don't have a clue about cross contamination. The Cornish Deli were all over this and were able to provide a full Coelic Friendly menu. It's worth a visit regardless of dietary constraints.

Stumbled across this place by chance and our taste buds were delighted that we did! Delicious food (I had the gammon and C had the Veggie option), tasty coffee and great service, will definitely come back on our next visit.

The best place to enjoy fresh food and friendly service, I would highly recommend this place. Check opening times and i would recommend to book before as it's a small place ( family business) . Can't wait to enjoy your food 🥳

Delicious delicious delicious! Prawns, and scallops, and pan-fried fish were fantastic. So happy to choose you guys for a dining in St Ives!

Fantastic gluten free food! It was wonderful to have so many safe and delicious options for people with coeliacs. We had lunch here twice because it was so good, and particularly enjoyed the chorizo moules frites, the crab sandwich, and the Cornish gammon & cheddar sandwich. The portion sizes are generous, the chips are crispy, the staff are lovely. I can’t recommend this place highly enough!

Nice place for lunch. The staff are very friendly and the food is tasty. Only nit was that the coffee was a bit weak. Would definitely go again.

Best fried sea food I've had in Britain. I'd recommend reserving a table in advance as it gets quite busy.

Great Breakfast and Service. Feels more authentic, it was recommended by a local.

A gem of a cafe with superb food and cheerful service. Highly recommend.

Great fresh and delicious food made to order. Ansum

It's a must for us to visit, at least once, whenever we are in St Ives or surrounding areas. It's really well cooked, tasty food and always great service