The Thirsty Scholar in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

This is a little gem of a place. If you are a student at Falmouth University you will know about this place. The food here is great and so are the staff. We came back a couple of nights later because we like the place so much.

We called in shortly before the food service ended and there were a few things off the menu, but there was still a good choice. We were advised we may have a wait as restaurant was busy, but food actually came fairly quickly. The meals were if a high standard and presented really well, and tasted as good as they looked. No room for puddings but the dessert menu looked amazing. Definitely worth a visit

Lovely place to eat , great service and atmosphere. Lots of options not available due to delivery shortages, however the staff explained this & the menu was vast. We really enjoyed the food and the burger deal. £8-50 Also got nhs discount on other things. Would recommend & great to have home made chips.

Fabulous stay for a friends birthday. Nothing was too much trouble, the whole team went above and beyond to make our time special. Rooms are lovely, beds are so comfortable. Dinner was outstanding. Breakfast was the best we’ve had in a long time. Highly recommend this place.

Excellent food at a good price. Friendly attentive staff. Located in Penryn just outside Falmouth. It does not appear to have a car park, that's about the only thing against it.

Lovely welcome, great beer recommendation, ambience, attentive service and really nice food. Great value and left full tummy’s all round.

We stayed here two nights and had a very small quaint room but modern and ensuite very good. Small window with view over harbour. Very clear and comfy room. Friendly staff and very good breakfast and dinner. Only a few rooms and up a few stairs. Good location in township and easy to walk around. Parking is not off street but is available around Inn at night.

We were a group of eight last night. We had booked a table after reading the reviews on trip advisor The table we were seated at was tricky as we were too far away from the table with the fixed seating and there were lots of cobwebs on the walls and a sticky table. We were served quickly with a drinks order that arrived promptly. For starters we had prawn cocktails, a fondu of Gruyère cheese and tomato served with cheese straws and a baked Camembert. This was all very tasty, but we ordered extra bread as was not enough for the cheese or fondu. For mains we had cheese burgers, the pork ribs, the special of grilled lobster and the special of monkfish served with new potatos and asparagus. The chips were great, the ribs really soft and yummy and the lobster was great (although spelt lobter on the menu) The monkfish they had forgotten the asparagus, but this was quickly put right. For pudding we had banoffee pie and a chocolate moose. Both very good. We finished with a round of whiskey sours which were very nice The young female waitress was brilliant and made a real fuss of the two girls we had with us which made the whole experience very nice Overall a great meal and with a few little tweaks could be five stars

Good food, reasonable prices. Specials are special- I had lobster it was delicious! Something for everyone on the menu including the picky teen

Sunday Roast - Pork £10.50 & Beef £13.50 Pint of Porthlevin - Skinner Brewery Food was good value and good portion sizes I couldn’t recommend the Porthlevin enough. Was a really nice pint

Excellent quality food at reasonable prices. Had the seafood linguine, very tasty & plenty of seafood. The puddings were also lovely.

Great sunday roast, best gravy I've ever tasted and excellent value with good portion size. Outstanding selection of deserts and the cheesecake was perfect.

I’ve lived in Penryn for 6 months but this is the first time I have eaten out locally - I wish I had discovered this place sooner! My family were visiting so we decided to eat here (my daughter and her boyfriend discovered the thirsty scholar earlier in the week and recommended that we eat here) We all enjoyed our food and I was pleasantly surprised by the vegan options, especially the raspberry and chocolate truffle dessert - only one of us is vegan and we all enjoyed our respective main courses but three of us wolfed down the vegan dessert - it was truly delicious Ii will definitely be eating here on a regular basis Staff were friendly and pleasant and the service was excellent Thanks for a delightful experience

Had dinner on a Monday evening with a family group of 6, lots of choice on the menu, good service lots of space. Lobster was delicious. Will go again when back,

Popped in for drinks, and as always the food looked amazing, so stayed. Wish I was still there! Unique menu whilst offering great value!

The staff were very friendly and helpful. Good choice of food especially vegan/vegetarian selection. Nicely done out. We both enjoyed what we ordered and would recommend eating here. Real chips too - very rare nowadays. Delicious. Parking is difficult. May not be able to get parked outside and the car park is down a big hill so not ideal for anyone with mobility issues. Good selection of ales, etc.

Stayed for one night. Very welcoming and some good ales on tap. Had the burger for dinner and must say it was one of the best I have had for the money, great value! I stayed in room 4 which has a double bed, TV, coffee, tea, kettle, cups and saucers and was spotless clean. The room has an ensuite fully kitted. The room that I stayed in had a wonderful view of the harbour. I would highly recommend it! There is no parking as such, but if you head further down the road and follow the parking signs it leads you to a free car park that is only 5 minute's walk away.

Stayed here with my son on 14th/15th March 2023 as we were viewing Falmouth University. The Thirsty Scholar is about a 5 minute walk from Penryn train station. Very easy to locate. From the moment we stepped into The Thirsty Scholar we were made to feel at home. We had booked an evening meal which definitely did not disappoint. It was delicious. Staying overnight we had a lovely, comfortable,warm room with ensuite. All facilities met with a high standard. Being in a pub I expected some noise, but we hardly heard any. Breakfast was just as delicious and set us up for the day. As there was a train strike, the room we were staying in became available so we were offered a late check out at no extra cost, which was very much appreciated as we could leave our bags in the room until the evening when we left. From the bar staff to the owners, everyone was friendly and accommodating. If my son takes a place at Falmouth University, this will definitely be our place to stay when visiting him. Cannot recommend more highly. It definitely had a home from home feeling and it was just a shame we were not staying longer to investigate the surrounding area more. Thank you for a lovely overnight stay.

Lovely evening meal on Valentine’s Day. All the food was cooked in-house and quantity was just right. Pretty quick service, friendly and professional. An old, refurbished pub but simple decor and spacious. Waitress on her first day at work was charming. Restaurant manager (an Italian man?) was funny and expert. After eating we met the woman who owns the pub who had time to talk to us. Best thing was the berry and mascarpone tart with wonderful rich brown pastry. We’ll return.

To say that Federico's hosting and the Chef's food were out of this world would be an understatement. I'll get into EXACTLY why this place is a solid 5* in a moment, but for you quick scrollers out there, this is the place to go for food in Penryn. We spent 6 hours in this cosy little pub, and after immeasurable guilt on my part when I asked Federico whether he was Greek or Spanish (he's Italian), we had a wonderful evening. Sorry, Federico!!! Truth be told, we only came in for a drink because we were planning to eat at the Seven Stars down the way, but one glance at the menu and we just knew we had to eat here. No regrets. There's a log burner, which is wonderful, so my partner and I huddled up next to it to have our two rounds of Chenin Blanc (highly recommended) and some cheesy mozzarella chips, before we ordered food. The greatest challenge was that the menu was so vast, which is not an issue in the slightest, because so many of the options are appealing. Don't assume that this is a quick win kind of place because in a way you'll always be slightly disappointed, as you'll always wonder 'what if I'd chosen the Game Pie' after a delicious meal. It's accessible to all dietary requirements, so much so that even as an avid meat eater, I opted for an entirely vegetarian evening. We shared the Camembert to start. If you do share, take Federico up on his offer for more bread, which we didn't. He knows best! I had the vegetarian pie with root mash and blue cheese sauce, and my partner had the chicken, both of which were divine. Dessert had to be the banoffee cheesecake with thai coconut ice cream and honeycomb for both of us. The rest of the evening... well, that was a bit of a blur, because the benefit of such a small town is that everyone is so bloody friendly and we ended up drinking with some of the regulars for a few hours (they had dogs, so we had to become best friends with them). We ended the evening by asking Federico to make us a Zombie cocktail (my own take on it), so ask him for it if you dare, but only if you're not driving the next day!! In conclusion: if you don't visit here when visiting Penryn, you're a fool.

Lovely pub but very gastro pub vibes. Great food and they do a £8.50 roast on a Sunday. Lovely garden area and lots of board games

Down to see an old friend locally & decided to stay the night. Online booking no probs & Darren answered queries about parking straight away. The menu looked so good, booked us all in to dinner. Sooo glad we did. The room was perfectly set...

El sitio es caro y algunos de los meseros son malgeniados. Lo malo es que el pueblo tiene pocos negocios...

Sometimes words fall short. We had the MOST amazing stay. Our room was a cozy nest and the pub is a charming find full of happy and laughing locals. A dinner ( I had the game pie) was totally over the top and now back...

We thought the roast dinner was fab and was very reasonably priced. The nut roast was delicious as was the meat option. Nice chilled cosy vibe, would recommend!

After a busy day we decided to head for a late lunch & both agreed we would really like a good pie. We were delighted to see not one but two different pies on the menu. I went for the game pie & my partner...

This is our first time visiting the Thirsty Scholar and definitelywont be our last. Had an excellent Sunday roast at a very reasonable price. The staff were very friendly and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Ate here whilst staying locally, fantastic, friendly pub, the locals were welcoming, the food good, only a small menu but quality over quantity wins every time, really reasonable prices.

We went today and had a beautiful meal, the staff were all lovely and very helpful, would definitely recommend

We visited as a group of eight for an evening meal at the bank holiday weekend. Very impressed by the quality and presentation of the dishes and the prices. Especially recommend the sea bass special. Great desserts too. Easily the best meal we had on...

Stumbled across this pub when we were looking for somewhere to ear around Falmouth which served typical pub fare for fussy teenager as well as something more interesting for us parents. Pub is unassuming from outside but quaint inside. And the food..... well just fabulous....

Whilst we stayed at the thirsty scholar, we had breakfast and Sunday roast. Portion sizes were very good value for money. The food was delicious. Highly recommend.

Very helpful staff as we hadn’t booked but fortunately we got there at 1200 opening time and were directed to a table kept for ‘drop ins’. Ordered the Sunday Roast of the day beef and the vegetarian option. Both were excellent in both quality and...

Visited during our recent stay in Penryn. We sat in the garden and enjoyed a few drinks in the garden. Lovely staff, we didn't eat but the meals looked delicious that we saw go out. Would certainly try a meal there.

Cute little pub on the main street of Penryn. Two locals told us that they had the best Sunday roast in the area so we decided to try it. OMG!!!!! For £8.50 you get a massive plate of food - tender beef, nice gravy, Yorkshire...

A group of eight of us stayed for four nights for a wedding. We had the most fantastic stay from start to finish. Adele, Darren and all the staff couldn’t do enough for us. The bedrooms were exceptionally clean and the beds were very comfortable....

Friendly & welcoming professional staff and a comprehensive good value menu. What more could you ask for?

First class roast lunch..faultless. Very pleasant bar lady ..it wasn’t busy but we had booked.. Nice log fire . Good lunch and excellent service

We decided last minute on a Sunday to go out for lunch and decided to try The Thirsty Scholar. We were very unsure what to expect, but we were not disappointed. The quality was amazing and very good for the money. We will be back...

Adele, Darren and their staff made us feel very welcome from the outset. We were celebrating a birthday and they treated us with beautiful flowers and fizz!! We stayed 1 night in a very comfortable, clean room. They reserved us a good table in their...

The pub is very much a student pub (I have no problem with students by the way!) and had an odd layout but the staff were friendly the service was prompt and the food pretty good.

Lovely little pub with brilliant food I'm down from Yorkshire working on the local uni and have been eating here every night. the fish is fresh and changes all the time on the specials menu and the pulled pork is amazing. I'm yet to try...

Stayed just up the road from this place and initially couldn’t seem to get in due to limited opening,but when we did WOW !!! The food is top quality,we ordered a variety of dishes and they were all excellent. The chef even came out personally...

I cannot recommend this place enough. Everthing about this place is immense. My husband and I have just stayed for a 3 night break away from Kent and the staff can't do enough for you. The food is all fresh and cooked from homemade ingredients,...

We stayed here for two nights and the quality of evening food and breakfasts was first class. Owner is a Chef and his expertise and varied Menu shone. Very friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit.

Really lovely staff, great food- lots of choice on the menu! Nice outdoor seating and garden area. Would defo recommend :) Great that they were open for food on a Sunday afternoon :)

Prices are average but I do not mind paying good money for good food and the food was spot on. AAAA+

Stayed here for a long weekend for my birthday. Reasonably priced given the pandemic staycation boom. Arrived to a warm welcome from George, room was very much to our liking (room 2), stylish but unfussy decoration, comfy bed and fabulous en suite with rain shower....

We stayed for five nights . Room one is above the bar and although we thought it might be noisy, there was no noise at all. The room was lovely, very modern and clean with a huge bed. The shower room was even better than...

I have always had delicious food from this establishment, until tonight!!!! Three out of six meals were appalling, two were returned only to come back the same (cold). So alternatives were selected and this time one out of two were ok, pizza with no cheese!!!!!...

We stayed here for a week in September while visiting family in Penryn. It is a really, really lovely place with super friendly staff and the room we had was nicely furnished and decorated - and with a very comfortable bed. Great breakfasts set you up for the day and we had one evening meal for a group of six which was excellent and good value. Next time we go to Cornwall, we will definitely stay again!

Great local pub with tasty food and friendly staff. Well worth a visit. Baked hake and baked cambert fantastic portions and taste.

After a day out in Falmouth which was particularly crowded we searched for a local alternative for a family meal. The thirsty scholar is not great for parking and from the outside not visibly appealing BUT it is almost perfect - choice of ales, quality of good and service are all 5 star. I strongly recommend diverting from the crowds in Falmouth and get to this establishment in penryn - you won’t be disappointed - well done to the team and thank you

The Thirsty Scholar is a really nice local pub in Penryn. I've been a few times now and have enjoyed a few different things on the menu (particularly the goats cheese fritter and chocolate fudge cake!). Very reasonably priced too and friendly service.

We are in Penryn quite a bit because our son is at Falmouth Uni with digs in the town. This place was a real find with great atmosphere in the bar/restaurant, terrific food and very nice rooms (extremely comfortable bed!!!)Staff really welcoming and helpful - Highly recommended.

Excellent room absolutely spotless very good food and superb staff so polite and helpful credit to the pub

Lovely meal here 2 nights ago.I had steak, very reasonably priced, my husband had the ribs. Followed by a strawberry tart and chocolate fudge cake. All good. Think the kitchen couldn't cope with lots of meals but we weren't in a hurry so it was fine. Staff very friendly, the only issue was the parking, which was a problem but it was the height of the holiday season!

We had 2 rooms for 2 nights.The staff were very friendly and helpful, in particular Heather who welcomed us on arrival and was a brilliant hostess.We ate on the terrace, enjoying the evening sunshine and despite being very busy the food choice was basic but good, the wine list limited, but everyone enjoyed themselves. What I liked about this pub were the friendly locals. The only down side, which can be typical of coastal locations, is the parking, if you arrive in the afternoon and get a spot close by I suggest you keep it, in the evening the street parking and free car park are extremely busy.The Covid precautions were also well managed with temperature testing, a recorder of customers and menus posted on the wall so you did not have to handle one.We would definitely use again.

Great boutique style bnb, really nicely finished with great hot shower, lovely sheets, wonderful breakfast, cosy rooms and a great bar/restaurant in the pub below. We couldn’t fault it, and the owner was really welcoming and friendly. Top marks.

Everything was perfect, the only reason is not a 5 star for me is for the lack of fish as a main on the menu. Having said that, I knew that there wasn't going to be any before booking.

The thirsty scholar was our first outing in 4 months for our anniversary and what a treat it was. Even with social distancing in place it was very cosy and comfortable. The food was the best part really lovely and fresh. I would 100 percent recommend.

Visited on 14/02 for Valentine Special as group of 4 and we were very impressed with quality of food and service.Nice atmosphere with log fire.Good selection on menu with meat,fish and veggie dishes.Had a beautiful Hake dish and tasty pizzas.House wines were well matched to food with a mellow Chilean Merlot and crisp Pinot Grigio.Thank you for a nice evening.Would recommend.

I was expecting a bog standard room for the price but I was pleasantly surprised! The room we stayed in was fantastic, I would rate it 5* and the bar maid Annie was amazing, very accommodating and lovely! Will definitely book here again 😊

We had a lovely meal of fish and chips. The batter was so lights we thoroughly enjoyed it! Staff were friendly, helpful and welcoming.

Could not fault the friendly service lovely atmosphere and food here. We popped in for a quick evening meal and had fresh fish and chips and my son had a burger. Best pub food we had had in a long time and the waitress/barmaid could not have been more friendly or helpful and made us feel very welcome. Definitely will go back the next time we visit my son at Uni here.

Visited with my daughter when we came to visit Falmouth University for an open day. We drove down in the driving rain and were welcomed by Zara who was lovely. Our room was beautiful and comfortable. We had dinner at the pub which was very tasty and chose a yummy breakfast from an extensive menu. If my daughter goes to this uni I can see us being regular guests !

Had a staff party here a very nice welcome from the bar staff the food was amazing with very comfortable surroundings the outside gardens was very appealing looking forward to back in the summer time and enjoy out side dinning

You will not be disappointed here. Excellent food and great stylish accommodation. Terrific and a rare quality find

A good atmosphere friendly pub traditional nice range of ales meant to go there last year I will go again when I'm in the area next year on a trip would recommend the area a good fish and chip shop

Immersion totale dans la jeune population britannique ! Ce pub offre tout ce qu’une Frenchoâse en vadrouille imagine. De la bière bien sur , mais aussi quelques petits plats type brasserie, très bons ! Tout ça dans une ambiance très conviviale ! Lovely !!!

Run by the same people who own the Fifty B&B right next door, this is a great little pub for a few beers with the locals or great dinner food. We were there in cold weather but the table right next to the cozy fireplace made us forget all about the outside. Friendly staff too!!!

Stayed in the Number 50 Accommodation a few doors down and enjoyed my meal here. Staff are very friendly and accommodating. I was even offered a ride to the University where I was having a meeting!

We booked a couple of nights to visit daughter. Slightly confused to be staying up road, the pub having major refit. But... Such fantastic breakfasts - and such a kind host in Zina. Parking bit of a prob, as in all Penryn. BUT, go there. Brilliant

Had booked to stay here at the B&B; they offer. Couldn't stay as accommodation was that bad! . Their listing said there was parking. There was none. Building works were going on. The room was scruffy, rundown and dirty. The bed was so rickety when I arrived that i could rock the bed frame with my finger! The owners have refused a refund point blank. Clearly dont care about their customers. Ended up paying double at a local Premier Inn.

Had a pleasant meal here on the first night of our stay in the area and have been back for a drink a couple of times since. Food is good, honest pub grub. Very tasty and good value. Nice selection of beers and ciders. Best pub in Penryn (although not a lot of opposition)!

Scruffy! Decor must be relatively new but it doesn't feel that welcoming or clean. Apparently reserving a table for dinner is recommended - I couldn't see why based on the very few people eating when I was there. It was OK but a bar that has all the locals sitting at the bar making it awkward to order a drink as a visitor to me isn't great. Just felt like it needed some more modern management with a greater vision....but may be that's unfair as that's just my opinion.

We visited The Thirsty Scholar for an evening meal. The pub is a nice town pub with friendly staff. The beer was good. We ordered pizza and cannelloni dishes, which were ok, but nothing special. The service was good. An pleasant locals pub.

Nice pub, central location. Friendly, comfortable, fairly busy when we went. Could do with more staff, at one point one girl was serving food, clearing tables, taking orders and manning the bar on her own.

600 year old pub in the villge with terrace at the backside, modernised inside. Also has rooms for rent, good service and clean.

Peggy who was in charge of the bar when we popped in a couple of weeks ago impressed us. She was very efficient and friendly and has a certain air of authority about her that I took to. I say this as when we were starting a tab and she took our card I said in passing (I had n probs with her having our card) that recently another place had said they couldn't hold it now due to new data protection rules. Well she hesitated and then as another person in there who works somewhere else agreed with this she gave it us back.

Was staying nearby for work and thought I'd try this place. And very glad I did as the food was awesome to be fair. Had whitebait starter with homemade tartare sauce- mmm. Then Sirloin steak main which was cooked to perfection with very tasty chips. Great find.

We stayed here while visiting our daughter at Penryn Campus. It was an ideal base both for the Uni and for exploring Cornwall. The accommodation was clean, staff friendly and the food was excellent. The bed was comfortable and all facilities great.

We had a very nice breakfast at The Thirsty Scholar when we stayed at their townhouse B & B a few steps down the road. The food and staff were excellent...! Highly recommend both The Thirsty Scholar and Number Fifty Townhouse

This pub used to be a very good and cheerful place to have a drink after work. When it was called the 3 tuns you could go in after work no matter what state you were in. Me being a builder I was always a bit dirty and dusty and it never bothered the landlord as along as you had a good time and caused any trouble all was good I came back from working away to find its all changed its now all dark,no atmosphere and the people who have it know no longer like us working people. If your a student or like a pub with no atmosphere then this is the pub for you

Not much to say, a small village pub with rooms. We have stayed here in the past, rooms are pleasant, food is good, as is the beer. Staff and locals are very friendly and welcoming.

We use the pub from time to time when popping into the town. Beer is well kept, includes local options and the service and staff excellent. The pub lacks immediate parking nearby but if you can find a spot in the town the walk is well worth it. The outside seating/garden has so much potential but looks tired and desperately needs a makeover which would make this very old coaching inn a truly great experience.

The pub/hotel is right in the centre of Penryn, is modern downstairs and has comfortable rooms upstairs. It's an oldish building, so floors undulate a little, but bed and en suite all clean and tidy. A towel rail or bathroom hooks would come in handy.

Alla ricerca di un locale per cenare, passando per Penryn con l’autovettura abbiamo intravisto The Thirsty Scholar. Consci dell’orario inglese...

Really pleasant evening, sat in the garden in the sun, sipping rose wine and eating the most tasty burger I have ever had. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, water for our dog, let us sample the wine and served our meal in the...

Tranquilo con buen pub comida estilo mediterráneo con flores y velas en las mesas; una buena selección de cervezas locales y sidra. Buena selección de comida vegetariana. Música suave pero no demasiado ruidoso, capaz de mantener una conversación durante la cena sin gritar!

Mi esposa y yo visitamos mientras trabajábamos en el campus de la uni. Como han dicho otros, el aparcamiento es un poco molesto, aparcamos en Browns Hill por peugeot y luego caminé hasta el garaje. No es lo ideal pero era gratis. El pub es...

First time i go for food there in a while. What's happened?!? Used to have such nice menus and specials. Got served the most shameless fish and chips today! So disappointed as i used to rate the place so highly... That's without mentioning the service... Felt like I couldn't get anymore pressurised by a waiter to order, eat and leave.

stayed for a single night whilst visiting Falmouth campus.Biggest problem was parking in Penryn which to be honest was an absolute nightmare, so beware !Very helpful staff and nothing too much trouble.Easy booking on line and easy check in.Rooms clean, warm and moderately spacey. En suite shower and facilities just perfect.Excellent choice of beer for those that enjoy their beers.Room was above the bar but made no difference, no noise whatsoever.Did not eat at the pub but food looked very good when delivered to nearby tables.

Stayed again at the Thirsty Scholar and was not disappointed. Had my favourite rump steak, which again was delicious. Clean and comfortable room, with an excellent breakfast.

Went just before Christmas. Food was OK. Wife liked the beetroot soup! Nothing special about the rest, but filled a hole and was reasonably priced

Not the first time we have eaten at and reviewed The Thirsty Scholar, but when three of us visited recently we ate from the specials board. Duck breast as one of the main courses and two of us had the Loin and Belly Pork and it was delicious. The main courses were £14.95 each and worth every penny. The wine also went down well and the service was lovely. Brilliant hosts. We will see you again soon.

Stopped in for a drink whilst in penryn. Lovely ambience & nicely decorated but the woman serving behind the bar was very rude. No please or thank yous, it was like she couldn't be bothered. Would not return because of this service.

we arrived late and had a lovely meal of anitpasto etc which was well cooked and very tasty. good service too

Went along on my own whilst on a business trip after having read the reviews on this site. Nice welcome, the beer was well kept and fresh. The pub looked nice but needs a bit of investment to make it look just right. Food was OK, Smallest piece of fish I've ever had, surprising when you can see a fishing port from the beer garden. No complaints but it's one of those pubs that could be great with a better menu and some new furniture.

Handy location because there is nowhere similar in the vicinity. Nonetheless this did not detract from the quality and range of food available which makes it ideal for many different tastes. Local beers and ciders available. Can get a little crowded, maybe worth booking in advance.