The Lobster Shed in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

1st time in Cornwall and find this little gem! Food was amazing and service. The only moan is that we was sat by the door in the shade and constantly left open and it was windy despite the restaurant being quiet empty and in the sunny parts. I would definitely recommend and return 🥰

The food was good but very very overpriced for a shed dining experience. They’re charging high end restaurant prices whilst trying to be a rustic style shack. We like Riley’s in Tynmouth.

A bit lacking in atmosphere, but the food was good albeit it a tad spenny.

Good atmosphere staff were great food really lovely cannot ask for more highly recommend

Lovely location and service was excellent. Food was nice but didnt wow, and given the price I'd have expected to come away saying that was amazing.

Poor food. Very expensive (for what it is)…. Just get the impression no one cares. Avoid.

Such a great place with such wonderful staff. Great service. But the food is just terrible. Over priced, dry. Tiny lobsters with far too many herbs added. Dried out and overcooked. Just a shame. I love the pig hotel. They really need to work on the food at the lobster shed though, sadly a very expensive let down.

Seems there is mixed reviews on this place and I’d say that’s what my review is overall, very mixed. Essentially there was nothing terribly wrong but it didn’t meet our expectations of a place of this calibre at all. The food really lacked the excellence and the quality given it was marketed as upmarket culinary experience (with well above average pricing) yet the food was, as others have said, distinctly lacklustre and average. Much more impressed with our visit to the Rocket Store in Boscastle where the food was so much more in line what I think the lobster shed is trying to be. It was an artisan, incredible local dining experience worthy of 5 stars.

Very overpriced food for what you get.

Felt slightly apprehensive given some of the negative reviews but I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening here. Lovely friendly service, delicious food and fantastic summer evening setting. I would book again without hesitation.

Not worthy of being inside a Pig hotel. I went there after reading the reviews and with the tiniest of expectations but was still disappointed. Tasteless food, Both squids and Thermidor. It could either be upmarket and refined or shabby as is but full of flavour but the lack of taste is unacceptable.

On my 4th visit I am very disappointed to find this place has gone downhill. There is poor staffing, not enough and poorly trained. The price for a single small mackerel was just ridiculous and after waiting 20 minutes we gave up waiting for a desert. It appears they have gained the fame for what was a great establishment but are now surviving on their laurels

Another place I visit every year when we visit Cornwall. I’m always more attracted to the idea than the food though, not that there’s anything wrong with the food! But there’s been so many great memories here. The kids can play outside, the service is always excellent, the vibe is perfect. The food is always nice, always good, local suppliers buy it never wows me. But I don’t go there for that. A visit to the lobster shed is more than the food for me

Way too expensive and poor quality. The lobster was burnt in some places, the fish (sol) was tough and burnt. The cauliflower in a pastry crust, deep fried and topped with a spicy sauce....too bad. This does not fit at all in the concept and cuisine of "the Pig" where there are always clean, honest and tasty dishes. The lobster shed is NOT an added value for the hotel, even a negative value. . After we reported this to the hotel, we did receive an unsolicited correction on our bill.... but even with this correction... not recommended

Wonderful setting , brilliant service and superb food !

Terrible lobster super overpriced wouldn’t recommend it tasted like soggy mush Wtv herbs they put on it taste awful Appetizers were underwhelming too 90 USD for a 1lb lobster… Paid 200 USD for a 6 lbs lobster in Miami last week at a high end restaurant before coming here that actually tasted good Paid 650 USD for 6 people and at that price point I expect a lot more quality If you are American and like lobster avoid this place it sucks …. Total flop…

Lovely setting and nice concept . However after a long walk we arrived hoping for lobster but it was off the menu . They did however have a lobster and crab cocktail. It was so disappointing! £23 for the smallest bowl of mainly lettuce with a bit of crab and tiny pieces of lobster and 2 dried bits of bread . Starters were nice but overly expensive for what they were . Expensive for what it was and not even a sea view . I’m writing this after experiencing a fabulous meal at The Mariners which was much better value and far superior in every way !

Lovely atmosphere, Food was delicious and customer service was even better thanks to Sean who looked after us. He was extremely accommodating, polite and made our experience at The Lobster Shed excellent. All round would highly recommend.

Tteat yourself to a lobster. Its delicious. Nice place

Starters were good, mains were terrible. Shell in the cocktail, rarebit tasted awful. Incredibly over priced and the service wasn't great.

Just driven 20miles to go to lobster shed to see that it is shut for private function !! No signs or postings till you've parked up walked to the shed !! Rubbish

We went here for my daughters 12th birthday and had a great night. The staff were lovely and pick-up the facts that it was here bday. When her desert came out the whole restaurant sang to her. Great night we will definitely be back.

Over priced, poor service and average food. Misleading by using the name of The Pig Hotel.

Portion small over priced, meal was cold No variety in the menu Idea for the tourists to rip off.

Struggled to get more than one drink throughout the entirety of the meal. The lobster was more like a big cray fish.the steak was very overpriced and only able to be cooked “well done or pink”. Overall it seems like a tourist trap not an authentic sea food experience.

Really great food. The two waiting staff, young blonde woman who served my family and I; and young chap work very hard to keep things moving. All around great experience!

Excellent customer service and outstanding cuisine.

Tourist trap! Over-priced. Left hungry and disappointed! Tiny lobster.

Way over priced, crab rarebit overcooked, dry and no flavour. Only table of 6 in there and forgot a main course (pork chop) that was then tough. Said we should order side salad so ordered two portions but all mains come with the same salad…

Good food but a bit of a tourist trap. Portions of everything except the lobster are very mean, all of our party left hungry after three courses. Kids portions are good at around the same size as an adult. The main restaurant in the pig is better as is the Rick Stein pub round the corner The Cornish Arms

Delicious and fantastic surroundings but a little overpriced. Worth it for a first time visit though if you're happy to splash out.

Over rated. Food OK but way pricey for relative basics.

Over-cooked, overpriced, lobster classic with overly fussy sauce. Very dissapointing..

Lovely location but no stunning sea views, lobsters small and "clawless" and silly surcharges for tap water and donations to Lobster Hatchery which we already contribute to (all before VAT)! Wine choice good but expensive, not rushing back.

Really lovely meal here and the setting is gorgeous, staff were great and the food was tasty but a little over priced for the portions etc

Long time fans of The Pig and it’s litter of delightful hotels, so this seems a nice little extra feature of this one in Harlyn Bay. Less formal than the normal Pig Restaurant, The lobster shed is ostensibly an outside eatery, as happily al fresco as you can get in the UK. It’s got plastic side panels to keep the wind off you and if the suns out, you’ll top up your tan no problem - it’s quite warm sat there - and I’m not complaining. It really is a lovely space, tiled floor, doesn’t really feel ‘outside’. Dining room is well laid out, rustic tables and slatted chairs, with the standard sauces on the table already. Menu is ‘small plates’ (think tapas) plus mains. Three lobster versions at various price points (two hot, one cold) as well as four mains including one vegan option which the other Pigs could do well to steal - a sort of bang-bang cauliflower; really spicy and lovely. I went for the chilli chicken and it was brilliant - charcoal grill, marinated , lovely flavours. I think all dishes come with the same picked salad and house slaw which I must say was really good - who doesn’t like green leaves and some picked veg? Fries were a side and very well cooked. My recommendation for the small plates - one is enough for two people; one each for two and a main is going to leave you well fed. I had the spicy squid with Marie Rose mayo and it was a non finishing it off. Not a hard job, but I was sated by the end of the meal. I thought the service was attentive but not in your face - just how I like it. Ended up about £50 a head (service included) and that was no desserts and only one alcoholic drink, so you know what you’re letting yourself in for. It’s great eating, lovely location and good service. We chose this as one of our destinations because we could take our three dogs. They gave us a quiet table at the end of the dining room - a class move by them and one we greatly appreciated. I’d happily go here again. Recommended.

Nice enough location and atmosphere. Outrageously expensive. Small portions.

Well cooked seafood, but unfortunately dog friendly, so we sat with a dog that spent most of the evening under the table next to us licking it's own arse. Somewhat off-putting and for that reason alone, we wouldn't return. When you spend £200 on dinner for two, the view is important, and this was not what we expected or enjoyed.

Great food and service at a fantastic location

Great little find. Called in after after finding the lobster shed on Google maps

Lovely location - lovely staff - food great but so expensive - the lobster was tiny and don’t even get the enjoyment of cracking the claw. Very disappointing- probably 1kg if lobster for 70 pounds. Nice if you have the cash

Great food. Lovely setting. Friendly staff. Outdoor eating but under cover so go prepared. On our day, the weather was fine.

Not very inspiring! Very rubbish starter I'd squid and chorizo, yet so overpriced! The rarebit was so so underwhelming at such a high price. Steak was better. Not great all round for our first meal in Cornwall!

Today's dinner with my wife was a surprise - we tried lobster and crab for the first time. I recommend everyone to try it if they haven't eaten it yet and choose their favorite, we already know it.... Very nice staff will help you choose and advise you. Crab included costs £25 Half a lobster included £33

We love the pig hotels and stumbling across this one was a joy. Super fresh and delicious lobsters just sensational and the shed is dog friendly too!

Nice food and good service, but it was a bit cold outside due to windy conditions

lovely location and nice place for lunch or dinner. The lobster was very good (£56 ) last year £39 so getting pricey but still excellent . disappoint for me was the steak £26 , over cooked and not up to their usual standard, sourced from best butcher in cornwall so surprising . Starters of chorizo and squid recommended . Wine is also getting pretty expensive .Overall nice place to go if you can close your eyes on prices . Prices gone up again this week

Really underwhelmed and disappointed. We have dined at several 'The Pig ' resteraunts and are used to a much better standard. The squid was over seasoned with too much salt , the chips where greasy , as in they had been fried again once they had gone cold and absorbed the oil , the lobsters were more like having a crayfish as they were so small ( they did mention this on the menu ) and not worth the £56 per lobster charged . Surely if the lobster is so small then it should be reflected in the price ? Afterall , when they buy them in they are charged by the weight !!! However ! The staff were very attentive and polite , the salads , the sauces and the puddings were delicious . Tbh not what we were expecting on the day !

Absolutely brilliant evening at the Lobster Shed (@ The Pig). Staff were amazing, lobster was excellent and even the chips were something to write about. Lovely setting, look forward to staying at the hotel at some point it’s in a great location. It’s the 3rd “Pig” I’ve been to and they always stand out. Well done everyone involved.

Great lobsters, cra and steaks. Perfectly cooked. Good fries. Great location, but a bit expensive.

The food is really good not amazing but it’s a simple menu executed well. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was perfect. It’s not cheap but I don’t think anyone would expect it to be.

Fantastic location for a special occasion, particularly on a summers evening as for us. But you will pay a high price for the evening, and for food that is good but not amazing. £26 for an 8oz steak and a few spinach leaves with chips and £68 for wine you can buy at £32. Staff were stressed, grumpy and had to order some drinks twice. We had a great evening with our family, and you can as long as value for money is not important to you. Its a case of how much are you prepared to pay for the location and occasion, having done it we would not go back.

The best lobster ever & perfect place & service !

Perfect lunch! Lovely setting, delicious lunch, we will definitely return. Particularly well looked after by Jack.

Lovely location, great service and delicious food! We booked in advance, and was full on a Thursday evening, so was happy we did. Staff was lovely from start to finish, cocktails were on point, food came quickly and was just a lovely ambiance all in all. Highly recommend!

Great food, ambiance and friendly service. Even our dog got a sausage treat

Really enjoyed our evening here, great atmosphere and service and delicious food will definitely return. My only suggestion is a sign from the car park to the shed.

Had a lovely lunch Great environment/ambiance the food is fab and the staff are very pleasant

Really enjoyed our meal here. Pricey, but that was to be expected.

We came for lunch with our toddler and pup for my partners birthday last week. The food was beautiful (we had lobster thermador mains with salad and chips), my son loved his meal and the staff were very friendly and efficient.

Great spot for a lunch or a casual dinner. There’s nothing mind blowing about it, but the execution is good and the atmosphere is nice. The team could be more attentive and we found it disappointing that they won’t serve draft beer, especially in an open air venue in the British summer.

Great food, lovely staff, beautiful scenery

We have been about 4 times now and every time has been great. The staff are really friendly and attentive. We just left having both had the beef stew - it was so good and I can’t stop thinking about the dumplings. It was perfectly seasoned and the beef fell apart. Location is beautiful and there are nice little touches about the place. Their infused chase gin and tonic was a really lush idea and tasted lovely. I really can’t understand why this place doesn’t have 5*. Looking through past reviews people have given well deserved praise and then whacked a 4* in. Very odd! Perhaps they’ve never worked in the industry and understand how valued positive feedback is. Wish these guys all the best, they’re a happy and helpful bunch. We will be back, lots! I would have taken a photo but I shoved it in my gob too quickly. Love from Jo, Ben and the Dog 🐕 xxx

Fantastic food, great service - will definitely visit again

We’ve just eaten at The Lobster Shed for the first time and the food was absolutely divine goodness! Very pleasant service as well! Can’t wait to come back 🦞👌👍

An outstanding lunch at The Lobster Shed. We both had the Fish and Lobster Stew, which was absolutely fantastic. Served with huge hunks of Coombeshead Farm bread to mop up the fabulous sauce. Pudding and cheese were equally as good. The team were absolutely great and service was perfect. It was chilly outside, but there were plenty of heaters inside to keep everyone snug. I can't recommend it highly enough. We'll be back!!

Settings in a lovely spot, however I'd say the food is overpriced for what you get. Steak cold after 2 min of arriving with a basic green salad. Small portions on starters service not the best and service charge added to the bill .. drinks forgotten .. won't be heading back, shame as it could be a real great spot .

Really perfectly cooked lobster and steak. Super delicious. Staff were lovely and attentive.

Beautiful! The freshness, food, service is all what you'd expect from The Pig team and thus lobster shack. Fresh shell-on prawns and pickled muscles were superb. The whole classic lobster with exquisite chips and foraged butter was outstanding. Well worth a visit and highly recommended.

Excellent food and very nice staff in a lovely semi outdoor setting. The surf and turf was awesome :)

4 of us had lunch here on Sat 31st July Very good food Very good service Would definitely come back

I think my review will echo many of the points made by others recently. This is a real shame as I have awarded them 3 stars on this occasion when they came soooooo close to me actually saying it had been one of my best ever eating experiences in Cornwall. Good points: Location - absolutely stunning settings. Amazing views, great on-site features including their own Kitchen Garden, the manor house etc. All done VERY tastefully. The shack itself wouyldn't have looked out of place in the South of France or Italy. Car Park - ignore the website that says parking is limited as there is masses of good, safe parking. Food - very expensive (for what it was), but in fairness, the ambience and quality compensated a little. Initial service/Maitre De - we arrived early, apologetically, and the young (Spanish?) guy found us a table for us and our dog, close to a grassed area for the dog to enjoy. Water was brought to the table, and we were shown how to look at the menus on the app. Nice guy, and by far the stand out staff member on duty. Bad Points: Delivery of food - they describe it (only after it had occured) as a 'as or when' approach. There are no starters as such so you would be naturally inclined to choose some of the small plates as such. But whilst half way through these, the main courses turned up. It wouldn't really take much effort to stall the mains a little, and it felt a bit too rushed for our liking. You can't really try and create a meditterean vibe but rush it through like an American service. This was greedy and un-necessary (if it's a tapas bar and tagged as such, then fair enough). Service - pretty terrible to be honest. The Oz guy that served us was ok, but he didn't have very good product knowledge (not my words, the words of the female waitress below that picked up his shift) so what we received isn't exactly what we thought we'd ordered from what he'd told us (the rum coffee desert which actually has no rum liquor at all if you order the 'non cornish' method evidently and as persuaded to do, contradicting the description on the menu) But the changeover service of staff at 4pm was really woeful. The Oz guy left, without explaining to his seated guests and a slightly 'brisk' female took his place. Except she preferred to stand around yapping to others and not paying attention to the guests, some of whom like ourselves were waiting to pay. The whole ambience just bombed. 'Add ons' - I appreciate businesses need to make money but £1.50 for a bottle of tap water, a previously unexplained £1 'Lobster Hatchery' addition on the bill plus 12.5% service charge meant we were already done about £15 (total bill for 2 with no wine etc was £110). Ironically, I'd have tipped more than the service charge but having it forced on me, when prices were high anyway (£40 for a very small lobster, £5.50 for small can of local lager etc) meant they received simply what they actually eventually billed us for. This *could* be the best pub/casual dining spot in Cornwall. But staff with chips on their shoulder/superiority complexes (same female was seen speaking to neighbouring table of 4 x 20 somethings about trying something other than lobster if they've not had it before!), non uniformity in service and general lack of knowledge spoilt this very slightly for us, but with fine tuning by management could see this place really get a proper pat on the back. We will go back, but probably out of season as I suspect there are issues with getting staffing in over peak season as seems to be the problem across whole of Cornwall this year. But please - employ people with less attitude maybe?

Setting 5/5, food 5/5, service 1/5. Real shame. Been to a few other pigs and they’ve all been outstanding. This one is a real let down. It was just slow, inattentive and at times rude. Expect more for the money. Hoping these reviews will encourage better.

lobster chargrilled...which bring out its full flavour n texture....even the thermidor was very subtle w a hint of chili which enhance its flavour, the dining area is casual but comfortable...menu not extensive, but most diners opt for the lobster anyway. the price is reasonay cheap.enjoyable experience

Excellent lobster (but unfortunately no claws!) in a lovely location! Service was excellent, would highly recommend

As with any Pig location this one did not disappoint! Great selection of craft beer and tasty food ! Vegetable dishes are the must to try !

We drove 40 minutes from Boscastle to this place, and it was not worth the drive. It was absolutely freezing and windy and drizzling rain which did not help as we were seated not under cover, though that was a better spot for escaping the cold wind. The staff were super friendly on arrival but once we wanted to pay and leave after having only spent 30 minutes there nobody seemed to pay attention to the fact that we were calling for the bill. The food was so below average. If you're a real foodie I would not recommend . We had the smoked mackerel and pickled shellfish to start. The smoked mackerel looked line something I'd buy in a pack from Tesco's. The shellfish was just pickled muscles in a small jar. I had the scallops for main and my partner had the lobster. He said the lobster was OK but not worth the £39. My scallops were tiny and nothing to rave about. We left absolutely freezing cold, still hungry and hugely disappointed. Would not go back and would not recommend.

Fun, friendly, casual spot for dinner. Plenty of heaters and blankets. Tasty food and delicious drinks. Our servers were super helpful, even moving us to a different table mid meal because we liked the view from that one better!

I think the current 3.6 is about right. Visually lovely. Service ranges from definite 5 (when asked what £18 worth of Wood Roasted Broccoli brings you the answer made me, a certified carnivore, salivate mildly) to a 1 (dishes dropped down in front of you whilst looking elsewhere.) It’s a place of contrast right now and obviously these are difficult times hence the 4 rather than 3 - 3 would have been unfair on this experience. Arguably the best tasting rump steak I’ve had in a long while but served luke warm with a single piece of lettuce. The fact that it’s 3.6 not 3.5 at time of writing is right - this is a good place to dine so don’t be put off. I have faith in The Pig team to continue to build the place up. I’d certainly go back tomorrow and especially when things are more normal, but I’d expect the creases to be ironed out by then too. As it is - for right now - it was great and we were treated to a beautiful sunset to boot.

Was very surprised how easy to eat the lobster was (was also very tasty!). The setup outside is nice and the service was ok.

Unfortunately they have got this place badly wrong. I would warn that there is scant regard for social distancing and diners are crammed together in a small patio area. The menu is limited and the lobster expensive and not pleasant being loaded with oil/dressing. The saving grace was the waitress who was very pleasant. Not impressed. We had a meal at the Pig the next day which was brilliant. How the 2 restaurants could be so polar opposite I really don't know.

Disappointing, very small portion of lobster and expensive. Service was slow, not very friendly and didn’t feel very COVID safe either.

Had a fabulous meal here, 4pm spot. Loved everything about it but thought the sharing plates were a bit pricey & didn’t know why they only brought 3 pieces of bread when there were 5 of us. Other than that couldn’t fault it apart from the waitress spilling some of the champagne ‘cos she didn’t fill the glass slowly enough!! Will definitely visit again. When you’re outside there’s no need for masks 🎭 and we were well spaced from the tables around us. Perfect.

What a lovely venue! Had the most delicious lobster. Great setting, casual vibe yet high service, lots of great little decorative touches. Only complaint is the prawns coming with bellies full of eggs, which we found rather off-putting. Overall, would certainly recommend (just don't get the prawns).

I really like this place and have now been twice. The food is simple but delicious, the service is friendly and the prices reasonable for what it is. The atmosphere is fantastic - you can even temporarily put COVID to the back of your mind, which is the objective for any restaurant nowadays. This really should have been five stars, but I knocked off half a star for slightly shambolic (albeit friendly) service and adding an extra £1 per portion for some random charity, and another half star for refusing to take Amex.

Expensive, service charge on bill, not wearing masks or keeping distance. Very disappointed.

Fantastic atmosphere, exceptional food and wine and the most friendly and professional staff it's been our pleasure to meet, for a very long time, especially Gee Will definitely be back