The Cornish Hen Deli in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

After visiting my home county of Cornwall in Penzance, I wanted what all Cornish men yearn for a real Cornish pasty so I bought one from a shop that has been trading for 20/30 years and what I tasted was the biggest disappointment I’ve ever had (total rubbish) disgrace to all Cornish pasties, so the next day I went into the deli called the Cornish Hen and bought another pasty and wow it was the best I’ve ever had in Cornwall so I say to all you people who visit Penzance and want the best pasty going visit the Cornish Hen in Penzance you won’t be disappointed

They had gluten free scones plain in their freezer and were not overpriced at a reasonable £3 for two. Friendly service too. Delicious scones thank you

We bought a roll and fruit scones. Someone knows how to make very soft and tasty bread rolls. Same for the fruit scone as good as you going to get it unless it was literally straight out of the overnight. Topped off with friendly service and a smile. Really super

A beautiful little deli shop with local and imported products, baked goods, milk, eggs, cheese among others.

Had Cornish ham and mustard and a Cornish cheese roll , bread was nice but ham was more like Tesco value ham waffer thin and hardly any in it and couldn’t taste the mustard, the cheese sandwich hardly any in , bits here and there , I should of just asked for 2 leafy sandwiches lots of that to make up for no ham and cheese, sausage roll tiny and bland for the price, although the lady serving us was nice.

Very cute deli, bought some pâte and a v tasty chorizo sausage roll. Would come back and buy more :) delicious! Really nice selection of local and international delicacies.

Came to the shop on Saturday and bought quite a few things. The place seemed to be manned by two very hungover youngsters. The girl behind the counter put everything in a bag but unfortunately when we got home, we realised she had forgotten to pack the piece of cheese we had bought. We also bought a piece of polenta cake to take away and I’m not kidding, it was the smallest piece of cake I’ve ever been given in a shop. My mum and I literally fell about laughing when we unwrapped it. £30 not particularly well spent I’m afraid! Shame as have been here before and usually it is busy and well run.

I love this place! I moved away a long time ago but when I have reached out and asked for a hamper for a family member they have gone above and beyond and made the loveliest selections and organised delivery. Highly recommended! I will be in for a coffee next time I visit :)

Very expensive for the small portions you get when compared to others similar. Salads portioned out in spoonfuls as if it's being rationed! Man serving litteraly tapping against the side of each tray as he didn't want too much on the spoon and verbally counting and pointing to the seperste salads to make certain he didn't go over the "5 small spoonfuls" of mostly shop bought salad. Wouldn't recommend this place at all.

Enjoyed a freshly made egg mayo and salad ciabatta. Staff very friendly

Really really need to increase portion size of salads. I got the 3 ‘large’ spoons of salads as opposed to 5 small. The large spoons were essentially 2tbs- so 6 tbs of a salad. Also I asked if only olive oil was used to which they replied left. With a salad that was pretty tasteless I should have been able to taste the oil that was visibly used and defo not olive oil. Wouldn’t go back especially for price.

What a cute shop! Had everything I needed at the end of my Cornwall trip with a great selection of Cornish cheese, frozen scones, clotted cream and a selection of local products. Had to get a pasty and it did not disappoint…flaky crust and well seasoned filling. Thank you again 😊

Great caterers. Sarah was fantastically reliable, a pleasure to work with and thought of everything.

Best Cornish Pasty I've ever had and I had tasted a few over the years. Recommend any of the pies or pastries. 😊👍

Lovely fresh food from a deli selling locally produced goods and freshly baked tarts. Lip-smackingly good!

The staff were incredibly friendly and provided great costumer service. The pastries were delicious. One of the best savory tarts I’ve ever had. And my partner loved his pasty. Wish this place was in my neighborhood! Would 100% recommend. And they have cool gin flavours too!

By far the best (and freshest) pasty I had while in Cornwall, staff were very friendly and hardworking. Cheers!

Bought two delicious sounding ciabatta rolls (one egg one beef). They would have been fine - except the salad hasn’t been washed at all. Both were very gritty and one had a small pebble in it - fortunately discovered before a tooth was broken. Had we not left Penzance to eat them I would have returned to complain / advise them. Such a shame.

They know how to make a good coffee here! Also the polenta ginger and chocolate cake (gluten free) is to die for...best ever in my opinion. Not a place if you are on a tight budget but oh my do they have gorgeous stuff :)

They recommended three banging cheeses for me to take away for New Years. Got absolutely munted on Cornish mead and tuck into it. Was wicked!

This Deli is a delight, small but jam packed full of delicious sounding, looking and smelling produce. Produce is sourced both locally and from further afield. A delicious range of food and drink to go is available and we had homity pie and a pasty....both warm and both tasty.

Try the homity pie - in fact, try all the pies and tarts, you won't be disappointed!

Sensational homemade brownies and coffee to go

I wanted a real Cornish pasty and not some mass produced item made somewhere in Cornwall, frozen and baked off claiming to be the genuine article. The Cornish hen did not disappoint, not on display but advertised in the window. A delicious pasty with beautiful meat, lovely vegetables and rich buttery pasty. The other goods on display also looked delicious and there was a fabulous selection of delicious looking cheeses.

We had takeaway sandwiches from here for our trip to Geevor Tin Mine (took the open top bus there from Penzance via Lands End). Incredible flavours. Felt like going into a local farmhouse kitchen. Beautiful smells from the deli counter. Sandwiches very fresh. Excellent.

Really lovely deli and their pasties are good

Friendly and patiant staff, delicious local food

Friendly staff. Great pastries. And absolute world best sausage rolls, anytime, anyplace! Still salivating about them six months later.

Coffee is excellent friendly staff and food was lovely and freshly prepared very recommended for a nice lunch very clean environment 10/10

Another deli for me to try, got plenty from here and the sausage rolls (meat and veggie) were just incredible. Shame I never got the chance to revist, next time again I am sure.

This place is so cute. Really nice food and so glad it's in my local town

Customer service average. Food was cold.

Called in for cocktails while a little pricey they were very good. Unfortunately they don’t sell any Bitter so the men folk weren’t too happy so we only stayed for one.

Tasty food love the vegetable rolls. Fresh bread is lovely.

Amazing sausage rolls. And probably the best Scott egg ever with chrizio and chili in it. Good prices too.

Called in to-day to try out their pasty...wish we hadn't bothered. Went share with my wife down at the seafront only to find it was stone cold & burnt, ended up throwing it away, a seagull went for it but had second thought & dropped it. Come on Cornish Hen your charging £3.60 for a burnt cold pasty, your ripping people off. My advice is don't buy pasties from here, about turn & 100 yrds down Market Jew St on the left & you find Mounts Bay Pasties which are delicious & i would defo recommend the pasties here ( they had sold out to-day hence buying the other rubbish on offer at cornish hen ). Avoid buying the pasties at cornish hen.

Lovely deli but really unfriendly staff let it down. None of the three staff encountered on our visit this week smiled or greeted us. We’re obviously just an inconvenience to their day! Probably won’t visit again despite having always headed there on our trips to Penzance. You snooze, you lose, Cornish Hen.

Beautiful selection of vegetarian foid

We were travelling home last Sunday morning and wanted some food to eat on route. We had the steak pasties, made and baked in the deli. loved them - lovely light and crisp pastry with a good peppery filliing. The deli had a good range of other foods too. We agreed we would definitely return when next in the area.

Whenever I visit Penzance to see family I always make a point of visiting The Cornish Hen. The food is always of amazing quality ranging from their fantastic selection of sandwiches to their deli that offers local and regional cheeses to peppers stuffed full of feta (yum). They also have on sale local gins and vodkas, fancy pastas and oils and they also sell local eggs. It is a small cafe/deli so there is limited seating, and the food can seem pricey but trust me it's well worth it. I can't wait to go again!!

Third year, third visit... can't beat their Homity Pies!! Well maybe you can with their delicious Cream Tea!! All within the most beautiful classic deli setting. We will be back!

I used the Cornish Hen to cater an engagement party for my son. Sarah was great to work with. Planning the menu was a breeze; Sarah took on board our theme, helped us balance the menu to accommodate food allergies and preferences. After an initial planning meeting we had to work via email as I was traveling, all went smoothly. We opted to serve the food at the party ourselves; the food was delivered at the agreed time, Sarah made sure we knew how to present it on the platters. We received many compliments from the guests. Thank you Sarah!

Delicious ginger, chocolate, orange, almond and polenta cake (sounds too much but was fab) and a good sized pot of tea. A lovely relaxed atmosphere surrounded by good food. What's not to like?

How on earth didn’t they spot this huge bone in my crab sandwich? Dangerous. Very careless thus won’t be revisiting.

My wife and I called in for lunch today. We both ordered the Newlyn crab sandwich. When it arrived we looked at each other in horror... Sliced bread filled with a bright red radioactive looking crab filling, it was the colour of tandoori and very wet. I called the young lady over, she took them away and refunded me. My coffee was nice!

Had a salad box from here for lunch today and it was absolutely delicious. Most of the salad items were vegan which was fab. The server was really friendly and happy to help. Definitely will be coming back to try more of your delicacies!

Great little place. Nice staff amd a good range of produce. Recommend it.

We came in for breakfast and had a great meal of pasty, tart, tea and coffee. The food was very good. Staff was kind, helpful, service was great, and it was nice to sit and enjoy a small meal next to the window before heading off for the day. Would go again to try out their sandwiches.

Stopped in on our way home to buy a selection of cheeses. We thought we would support local shops rather than go to Tescos. The lady that served us was obviously in a rush to close or to get rid of us, as she was so un-welcoming! Rushed our purchase because we felt like an inconvenience, shame because we were looking at buying some other products. Don't think we will be back.

Nice place. Stacked with goodies. Good food. Friendly staff

So tasty and satisfying this food is fantastic. Mushroom and celeriac soup, seasonal tart and brownie all fabulous !

Small but wonderful. Whether its to stop for coffee (great flat whites), browse for something tasty and different, or eat the great selection of salads and other tasty treats on offer, this deli at the top of Market Jew Street is an absolute must. The pies are excellent, and the fresh (or frozen) bread superb. Nice atmosphere, helpful staff, definitely recommended.

Lovely coffee, lovely service and a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by as you are waiting for the magic hour of 3 pm when your holiday home is available to move in!

Very hot n very small area to sit in ..the food was expensive & small portions ..

Great little deli at the top of town. Great morning coffee (or rest of the day) possibly the best in Penzance. Open early and throughout the day. Great homemade foods and some great delicacies to take away and create a home meal. Friendly owner and staff with a welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommended

We went here to sample the steak pasty. Staff were average, selection of food on display was very good. Pasty had an amazing pastry, the filling dryer then a usual pasty and there was not a great deal of meat but I think that may fit with a traditional recipe. I felt it was lacking seasoning, particularly pepper. Not sure if I would return but it was good to try.

Charming cafe / deli with good flapjacks and excellent coffee. Very nice speciality foods to buy (we got some fudge and flavoured salts). It was definitely the best coffee in Penzance - we went every morning (I am very fussy about my coffee!)

Great latte and vegetarian sausage roll. The hot milk was ‘good’ - which is probably 9 year olds idea of excellent :-).

Friendly staff, vegan options too. Small and busy. Lovely coffee, plenty of choices. Food available if required

Lovely cream tea, hoggaty pie, and pasty! Tasty, fresh, well presented and friendly service! All homemade and simply yummy. Only feedback would be price is a little high... but also quality is superb so understand price a little more than most places.

Ein sehr nettes Personal hat uns einen schönen Espresso und Amerikano zubereitet. Eine schöne Aussicht auf das zentrale Penzance hatten wir durch die erhöhten Sitze hinter der Glasfassade. Den Kuchen haben wir mitgenommen.

Very poor filling not much meat lots of potatoes and swede no seasoning. Get better cornish pasties at home in Gloucestershire.

Die Cornish Hen ist was für Leute, die gerade andere beobachten und vielleicht auch gerne gesehen werden. Das Café ist sehr klein und besteht eigentlich nur aus einer Fensterfront, die sich entlang einer der wichtigsten Kreuzungen von Penzance biegt. Eingerichtet ist es sehr gemütlich und erinnerte an an ein französisches Straßencafé. Neben sehr gutem Kaffee und Kuchen werden andere cornishe Spezialitäten angeboten, die man am Tresen bestellen kann. Der Service ist gut und freundlich.

Great coffee and open before 9am too. Wish I could have stayed longer to try the excellent looking food.

Lauter leckere Sachen, alles aus Cornwall: Kuchen, Käse, Gin, Wein (!). Toll für Foodies.

Great place for a snack, lovely pies etc, but if you want a sandwich that will fill you up don't bother. £5.50 for a sandwich with the thinnest smallest piece of ham possible and barely any filling. For some reason olives were added (didn't say olives when it was ordered) which I cannot stand, so it was a complete failure for me personally.

Small but good snacks and drinks

Excellent food and coffee, big variety, pleasant people. Also fascinating location to watch the world go by in the middle of Penzance.

Always pop in for Saturday morning coffee and croissants - excellent service, food and drink while watching the world go by...

We loved this place!! People were friendly, food and coffee was good. The location was fun for just looking out as one was eating. Fun place!

Nice for a tea and nibble snd watch the world go by

Sweet little cafe/deli perched on a busy corner of Penzance. Great for people watching especially the more characterful members of the community.

Happened upon this little gem while wandering PZ. We sat in for bit, drinking great coffee (always a macchiato) and eating tasty snacks (polenta almond meal lemon drizzle cake; cheese scones). Staff were super friendly and shop is wall to wall tasty things.

lovely coffee and home made cakes and savouries We enjoyed and recommend the Eccles cakes and the Socca. Whenever we are in Penzance this little Deli is a must for us. The service has always been good, and we often buy some of the deli items to take home with us

Really unique-a wonderful venue for people watching over super sarnies!

Called in for a quick cup of coffee and a flapjack. The service was friendly and helpful and the coffee delicious. You need to try the flapjack which had raspberry (I think) and white chocolate - it was wonderful! I regretted telling my son that I would share it with him!

This place is known for having really rude staff, but my God the food is lush. It's worth being looked down on lol.

Very good sausage roll. Nice staff.

Looks great from the outside but the food doesn't quite live up to expectations. A great place to watch the world go by.

Enjoyed the crab salad sandwich with a lovely pot of tea served in quaint china cups. Also delicious was the...

Visited at late lunch on a Monday circa 13.39. Got a post of seats- there are about 10 seats- ordered crab sandwich and a pastime with salad. Both very good though the salad dressing bottle was very greasy and I could easily have dropped it-be careful.

I was very disappointed by my visit to this wonderful deli today. The food looked fantastic and the range of...

Me encanta odio pero ellos son huevos whisky magnífico! Cambió mi mente. Ambiente encantador. Visitar cuando estoy Penzance

Sólo comimos una vez, ya que (como en la mayoría de cafeterías) a unos cinco. El té y pasteles eran buenas y era interesante sentarse en la esquina de la calle principal de la ciudad y observar el tráfico.

A bit expensive, but very tasty food and great coffee ☕

Tomamos el té y pasteles en junio de 2017. Tienen asientos con bonitas vistas a las calles de la ciudad de Penzance. Buen servicio, ambiente agradable y fresco tartas. Lo recomiendo. 10 libras por 2 pasteles y 2 tes.

We stopped in for a sandwich, think more wedding reception sandwich than lunchtime filler and you're on the right line. The food was very tasty, the service was a little forgetful, but they were busy. They did have a very nice range of products and a special mention for the chorizo 'sausage' roll...

A lovely place with lovely food and lovely staff. I have visited Cornish Hen many times over the past couple of years and have always found the tea and food to be excellent. Along with having a real aversion to salad (my cheeks are pink not green), I'm jewish so am rather fussy about food. Food at the Cornish Hen is made to order and I especially love the brie baguettes. Keep it up chaps/chapesses.

If you serve coffee, try drinking it black. And don't charge too much. The coffee here is undrinkable, so I left it.I found this place unfriendly, pompous and very bad value.

I also tried The Cornish Hen Deli and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and the coffee I had. It was definitely worth it a visit. Would love to go back there again. Maybe one day ...

We used the Cornish Hens Deli pop up facility at the Cornish County Show-ground antique event near Wadebridge over Easter. This amazing little gem serves fab food and cakes. Tasty, well priced and just lovely. Delighted we found them and discovered they have a restaurant in Penzance too! Highly recommended, their quiches and sausage rolls are to die for!

We both bought a pie, heated up and delicious. As well as a salad and deli items to take away. Staff very friendly and helpful. We then ate our supper on the promenade. One of the best meals I have had all week! Great little find. Highly recommend.

Nice little place in the town centre. Very good coffee and interesting range of cakes, snacks etc. Plus a small shop with items that can be hard to track down elsewhere-such as amaretti biscuits.

Food is made on site and very good, service...well could be better, doesn't seem like the staff are particularly happy, ok if they know you but if they don't they can be fairly dismissive. Still worth going though just need to have a thick skin on some days.

Great little independently owned and run deli. Very friendly and welcoming staff, good coffee and excellent sandwiches and food in general. Highly recommended

We had sandwiches here one day for lunch. They have a nice selection of breads, meats and cheeses. A lot of their business is take away, but there is a small eat in counter. Service was very friendly and quick.

Myself and my husband called in here for coffee and cake. There was plenty of choice including gluten free. The coffee was really nice and my chocolate brownie was delicious. The only niggle was that the staff could have been a bit more welcoming, perhaps they were having a trying day, but a smile would have been nice.

A local Deli for us. Haven't been for some time so thought would give it a go - not a good decision. Service was really slow and muddled. When the food arrived I was really disappointed. £4.80 for a beef & salad baguette was not cheap so was expecting something really tasty, not so. It had obviously been thrown together. A very very fine shred of beef and the scrapings of a salad bowl were the fillings used. The baguette itself was not good.I should have returned it but to be honest I didn't want the agro in front of my mum. We left and will avoid in the future.

Some fabulous local cheeses here and plenty of eats to take away too. Their coffee is very good and theirs a very nioce selection of deli dry goods too

Really good coffee and nutty brownie to return again for!! Great spot, small but perfectly formed!Good location at top of Market Place.