Waterside Meadery in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Nice place, good service and food. Just shame it will be demolished.

Good evening with friends and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Also you get *huge* portions, and the staff are happy to put the leftovers in a container for you to take home.

Warm, welcoming place. Loved the food especially chicken in the rough with garlic mushrooms for starters. Chocolate challenge for dessert. Fantastic service. There were 10 of us and our young waitress was quick, efficient and totally unfazed. She worked so hard. Smiling all the time. All the staff seemed very happy. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and will definitely be back.

A good place to go for a meal and a beer and a drink

Simple food done well.. very quick service

Excellent meal and a great atmosphere 👌

Always a great atmosphere and friendly service here! Portion sizes are massive, brilliant value for money and the mead choices are amazing! Always something new to try each time you visit

Just had the best food of our holiday. Lovely staff so welcoming and friendly. A true holiday highlight. Thank you Esther for your great service x

Visit the Waterside every time I go to Cornwall. Best ribs in the area and great service. The rooftop bar overlooking the harbour is a great way to finish the evening.

No where near to park. Tried over 2 days on the phone to book with no answer. Turned up and was told they could fit us in, drove to car park and walked to meadery to be told no space. We reminded them that they told us 15 nins before they could fit us in. They sat us in horrible seating, no good for me with arthritis in my back so they kindly moved us. This next table had us sat side by side and miserably had us facing a wall. Meal was OK, little choice of salad and staff were quite friendly.

Last minute decision. Menu is a bit limited but interesting. Food was very good and at a good price. Excellent for families as a lot of finger food, and plenty of it. Worth a try.

A very nice dining experience, tasty food, and friendly staff.

Great location, staff so welcoming, food cooked perfectly and no wait, which was great because we were starving. Thank you for a brilliant evening

Been visiting the Waterside Meadery for 16years now. Never had a bad meal or experience. Staff are always happy and friendly and food is always piping hot! Think I’ve burnt my mouth on the mushrooms every time I’ve had them! Mead is always good too. Can’t wait to visit again!

went in this evening for my partners birthday lovely food but the waitress was extremely rude short dark hair a lot of tattoos we asked for a meal without a couple of items as she was allergic then told just to pick it off then rolled her eyes and slamed the plate down there's no excuse for that behavior at all no customer service skills and she was being rude to others too couldn't believe it and then went to pay our bill then she point blank refused to spit our bill really come on! never had such a bad experience at the meadery she really needs training on how to talk too people. we've done nothing but support the waterside meadery and spread the word and sign the petition we feel really disappointed.

The food was very poor, it was extremely greasy and the chicken was only just warm and not at the temperature which is required for it to be safe to eat. The tables were very sticky and probably had not been cleaned since 1970 when this opened. I was invited to a Christmas meal by my friends the table was not large enough and seating was extremely cramped. The staff were very poor I was not offered coffee or a dessert and they could not wait for us to leave. My friend was extremely embarrassed when she was told that dogs were not allowed, when she pointed out this was an Assistance Dog she was told they were not allowed. The staff obviously are very happy to discriminate against people who can't g out without their Assistance Dog. They have no respect for the laws on discrimination. Avoid this place at all costs

Fantastic service, great staff and excellent food, really enjoyed our meal. I can only recommend and will definitely be going back. Big thank you to Waterside and all the staff.

Excellent food,value for money and brilliant staff. Will obviously be returning next time we visit Cornwall.

Excellent food and you get plenty, very reasonable prices cheaper than I thought it would be, customer service was excellent very attentive and pleasant staff,would highly recommend.

We managed to book this last minute which was lucky as it was busy. It’s quite dark and certainly fulfils the premise of a pirate ship! The menu is limited with the starters and mains being the same but different portion sizes, there is not a separate kids menu but again they do smaller portions. The food was brought out really quickly. The kids had melon for starters, I had the prawns and Nathan had the fish fries. For main we chose the chicken in the rough of different portions sizes and the ribs. I was the only one that didn’t finish. The ribs were massive! I was offered a take away bag. Our waitress was outstanding, very friendly and attentive. The mead was also good! Overall we enjoyed the food and the experience.

A bit different, tends to mainly serve meals to be eaten with fingers, is chicken or scampi in the basket but does serve other things, their prawn cocktail is delicious as are the ribs, chicken, and breaded mushrooms, a must visit each time we are in Penzance, already been twice this holiday

The staff were simply lovely, and the range of meads was impressive. We were able to get a table on a busy evening without a booking, which was great. Don't expect fine dining, as they mainly serve huge portions of junk food (which arrived unusually quickly and was not quite in keeping with the tone of the place) and the menu is quite limited (no vegan options when we visited), but if you're starving and fancy a few glasses/pints, it hits the spot.

The friendly staff made us feel really welcome. I would recommend the fish fries, they were delicious 😋. The lady called Emily was so helpful and nice

Gorgeous food! Would definitely recommend, great value for money and something on the menu for everyone. Will definitely return in the future.

Excellent food and drinks great atmosphere and wonderfully friendly owners me and the missus don’t go to Penzance without visiting this place....wolfie and Lorraine xx

Went for a meal tonight for my birthday, me and my partner. The service was amazing, food was quick, hot, and bledy tasty! The best meadery I think I have ever had! The waitress caught on that it was my birthday so before bringing the bill she brought out a cream filled chocolate with a lit candle in. What a lonely touch! Will definitely be back. We live in Redruth and will make a point of driving down the Penzance for this Meadery. Highly recommended! 5/5

Great visit with a large group of bus owners and drivers after the Vintage Bus Running Day! Big portions, very well priced and very quick for food to arrive! Friendly staff and good puddings too! Thanks for a great feed!

Love coming here. Fantastic, friendly staff and great tasting food! Definitely recommend the cherry bakewell mead...yum!

Great menu choice and fantastic food. It was really busy but the service was great, the staff were so friendly and welcoming. We have been going there for years and even though not been in 3 years it was as great as ever.

Lovely service and decent portions, a bit large if anything, but the half size options were just the ticket.

Amazing service and delicious mead! Can’t wait to visit again.

It's always great.. Great food ..atmosphere and service x

Amazing great awsom and amazing staff

Lovely food. Portions are great. Service is excellent

Great place. Food is a bit basic but still tasty, with very large portions. The main reason for going is clearly the mead though and that is fantastic. Really enjoyable evening.

Personale molto gentile e posto stile nave pirata. Cibo da pub ma piatti enormi. Viste Le dosi, e la qualita...

Good service, the chicken was spot on.

Had a takeaway from there tonight 2 small scampi & chips cost nearly £17 both went in the bin,the scampi had a very weird taste & didn't looked cooked it was slimy and grey We've both had an upset stomach tonight

excellent service and excellent food

Lovely local place, 'Chicken in the Rough' is always worth the money!

Brilliant atmosphere good service.

Menu not very good and poor presentation of food, staff not very attentive/responsibly.

What a unique experience. A gem of a place that is part of Newlyn’s cultural history.

As usual great food served with great service. Just allow yourself time to recover from the mead wines as they are a bit moreish!!! Thank you. See you soon!

Nice place to have food in a good location. Been going there for years and its always been the same never had any complaints.

Fantastic food and lots of it! Would have Been a 5 star but wasn't impressed with the tiny bought in plastic containers of garlic mayo. Cheaper and easier to make your own and looks nicer. Great choice of mead.

Very friendly staff, had lovely chicken and chips set in great atmosphere. Never had a bad meal here.

Went last night for my sister's birthday, we had endless mix ups with orders, not enough starters arrived, the waitress was rude when asked about the missing food, we had incorrect drinks brought over, the mains were incorrect also, one waitress even said " you'll just have to have it, we haven't got time to sort it out", the service was incredibly slow, we had to ask for our orders to be taken on more than one occasion. The table was booked in advance and on arrival there was only another couple of small groups, so not busy, the waitresses spent a lot of time chatting together with their backs towards the customers. I feel very disappointed at the service, I have been many times and never had such an experience.

Very disappointing experience. Very small Vegetarian choice and most of the food on offer was fried. I've had a much better time at Meaderies elsewhere

Fantastic food. Chicken is awsome. Staff are friendly and service is 1st class

Great atmosphere, friendly staff.

Good family place to eat, mead wine be careful

Friendly staff, great atmosphere. Been going or over twenty years now the kids love it!

Oh my god!!! The foood!! Will be back!

BEST PLACE EVER! Love the chicken and Blackberry wine! Got Engaged here! LOVE IT. We are regulars. Would highly recommend xx

We have been going to this place for over 30 years and it’s a real favourite of the kids. The only thing that’s changed over the 30 years is you now get cutlery!

Visited after a year's gap. Excellent friendly service and atmospheric décor. Food was standard fare but well cooked and well presented. The chicken was good quality - much better than that offered in most KFC outlets. The wine was reasonably priced and the fruit flavoured mead wines are well worth a try. My only gripe is the early closing time in the kitchen - last orders at 20:30

This place is good for an evening out for the family. Always book a table as it can get busy. The food is piping hot and the portions you get are very good. The staff are all polite and the service is excellent.

Hemos tenido un amigo venido desde Alicante en España durante dos semanas, ella tenía el Waterside Meadery en su "lista". Ahora he vivido en Cornwall durante 20 años y visitó Penzance durante más de 30 años. Por lo tanto, se puede imaginar mi sorpresa al encontrar un restaurante con un ambiente muy agradable y buena comida el nivel justo. Siempre pensé que este lugar era un lugar turístico y no para mí. Yo estaba equivocado. El personal es amable y servicial. Yo no sé, por ejemplo, que el limitado horario de apertura tiene Meadery noche. Yo no sabía esto y uno de mi grupo era que lleguen después de las 8 PM. El cuidado de la cocina abierta para nosotros. . Lo que fue un gran. cosa que hacer. Tuve una buena parte de la empanadas de setas (que recomiendo) y una cerveza que estaba correctamente Worthington sirve. Los otros de mi grupo tenía el pollo y el pescado las rodajas. Todos eran muy agradables. Sí paquete del chip aspecto congelado. Pero estas patatas fritas eran fresco, de buen tamaño y bien.

Tan decepcionado con este meadery - aunque benevolencia sobre de historia y tradición que no excusa que de ser anticuadas y necesitan una buena limpieza.

Fuimos a El waterside meadery para una comida familiar. el personal era excelente y la comida era variada y muy buena.

Best food of all the mederies in the area. Nice group seating areas, feels inclusive yet keeps you privacy. My only real criticism would be the very slow service , waiting staff seem very pushed and unable to check tables regularly leading to long waits for drinks, food also fairly slow and some meals came out slower than others.

Went out for a family meal , table a bit small but restaurant was very full so could not move . Food was quick and very hot , and of good quality . Idea is to eat with your hands so no cutlery , all good fun , it dark in places , but part of the ambiance. Very good value in the end.

An amazing place enjoyed by all ages. We have been visiting here for many many years and it is still as good as ever. A varied menu chicken and chips in the rough ie eating with fingers is very popular especially WITH CHILDREN OF ALL AGES!! Finger bowls provided. Childrens portions available if required. Portion sizes on the plentiful side so be warned! We visit because of the atmosphere also children choose it for various celebrations birthdays family get togethers as it caters for all ages. A varied menu . Trying the Cornish mead is a must,

Dry and poor quality chicken, dry overcooked fish, cheap frozen chips....very dark and overpriced for what it is. Would not recommend if you want good tasty food.

Just splendid! Immense racks of ribs enough to re-assemble a proper porker. The mead's somewhat more-ish too!

Me and my husband have been coming here for years the place never changes .Very friendly staff always chatty and the food is lovely the only down side is sometimes depending where you are seated it can be a bit dark and you struggle to see the menu but overall we love the place.

Questo locale è poco più di un fast food.. Se entrate sappiate che il menù e' una paginetta con 7/8 portate di antipasto che fanno anche da piatti principali a seconda della porzione desiderata!!! Per cui la scelta è risicatissima e tutte le portate sono fritte, gamberetti, funghi, pollo, pesce.. Puoi scegliete il contorno di patatine o insalata. L'unica cosa non fritta del menu erano una lasagna vegetariana, le costolette o lo sgombro affumicato.. Vedete voi! Per noi molto deludente.

Another of the small chain of Cornish Meaderies, similar to the better-known one in Newlyn. The food is much the same in all of them - huge portions of chicken or scampi with chips and salad. Pretty dark inside, like Newlyn, which young children love. If you have to wait for a table at Waterside you can have a drink in the upstairs bar overlooking the harbour.

Charged 50p extra for asking for more milk for my coffee , what a rip off . You should be ashamed of yourself's . !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These people have no knowledge on how to treat customers. Went in with my family to be shunted off a table that was apparently reserved. No sign. Had forgotten my Cristal ball. Tables were dirty. No customers being greeted or served. You should realise pz is full of places to eat so my money is going there. If you like being treated like dirt this is just the place for you.

We recently enjoyed a lovely meal at Waterside Meadery, we have been a few times now and the we received the same warm welcome that we always receive from the staff, the food was delicious and well cooked. We will go back again to Waterside Meadery.

Night out with the wife , good hot food , did not go out hungry , bit crowded , but it is summer , so no surprise there , can be a bit dark in places , staff very good.

Always come here when visiting family, I love the meadery, very friendly staff , they are always polite and acomadating, food is always a plenty and good value for money. I love eating here, the atmosphere is always calm and relaxing. You can't come to Cornwall without visiting a meadery its a must. Highly recommended. 5 star service with a smile.

Blackberry wine, need I say more? I have visited The Meadery twice as my boyfriend's Mum used to go there frequently when she was growing up, and the first time something about made me fall in love. It's so dingy, yet absolutely fabulous. The food is absolutely delicious, so comforting, the staff are so lovely and the mead is incredible. Honestly it has been an absolute highlight of a holiday to Cornwall for two years running and I would recommend this fabulous place to anyone visiting Penzance.

This is a very friendly welcoming restaurant. The staff are excellent - really cheerful and helpful. The food is standard fare but done exceptionally well and great value for money. The interior of the building is really atmospheric catering for large groups and yet having plenty of little alcoves for couples and smaller groups. Well worth trying the various fruit meads on offer.

We were very excited about visiting here as my partner came here a lot as child when he lived in the area. The place itself is very interesting looking in the inside lots of little hide away tables for privacy and he decor just added to the atmosphere. The staff were very friendly and helpful- love the outfits they wore again just added to the experience. The mead was amazing - my first time having any and by God it was strong. Good job we were staying in walking distance. The food was amazing!! Chicken in the rough was delicious!! I couldn't fit any more inside me then my partner wanted desert. It was just how my partner remember it as a child and he was very excited and was extremely happy. Will be returning to the area in the future and definitely coming back to this restaurant.

Has to be an annual visit or two when we come down - food and service always amazing - thank you!!

We tried to call to make sure a table was available but line was constantly engaged so we took a chance and went, it wasn't busy when we arrived and we were seated straight away. Overheard one member of staff saying to the other "is the phone still off the hook..." Oh so that's why the line was constantly engaged now I understand...! Our waitress was really lovely and friendly and attentive, we ordered Chicken in the rough and Scampi, both we had with chips and salad, the food was nice, one gripe for me is the salad had raw mushroom in it, I know people do like this as my husband and son do but I really don't and in my opinion it's not a regular ingredient in a fresh salad.. Not a massive issue tho as I gave it to them, I had choc and nut sundae for pudding which was ok, nothing special. We have also been to the Meadery in Newlyn and we all preferred it to this one as the place is far more in keeping with the theme, also it has a buffet style salad bar which the Waterside doesn't have which was disappointing. To be honest it was quite an expensive meal for what it was, chicken and chips, but saying that the food was nice and our bellys full went we left. Next time we visit we will probably go to the Newlyn restaurant in favour of the Waterside one.

Its very clean with friendly staff, they cannot do more for you, the meal we had was very nice, and I will be going back for more (I hope) next year 2017 for my Holidays with my Family.

The meadery is located on the promenade in Penzance and with in walking distant from the town centre.Easy to make a reservation or even walk in to be seated.The vegetarian option was a lasagne which was really tasty! Packed with flavour and a variety of vegetables.The service was a little on the slow side and seemed to be a little too dark inside the restaurant. Friendly and helpful staff and very reasonable prices

Big portions, friendly staff but dry dry dry chicken and raw mushrooms with massive bits of onion in the salad. Nooooooooo. Work on the basics and your into a winner.

Big family birthday party held at the Meadery..we were well looked after . Plenty of choices well cooked , nicely presented as well , plus everything was piping hot..Very impressive spare ribs as well , and the fish fries were tasty.Drinks were a little over priced.Can we suggest the garlic mayo is not served in the manufacturers pre packs ..look terrible and not very strong tasting, surely the chefs can make some home made mayo and serve nicely ...Generally good value food though..well worth a visit

A family favourite when we are visiting the area, great as always busy but friendly service and in a pirate setting, we'll be back when in the area

We have been going to this Meadery for a couple of years and the food is still excellent.The staff are very friendly and nothing is too much trouble as i found out when my friends asked them to present me with a birthday cake.We can highly recommend this Meadery.

We always go to this meadery for family meals as it is the best tasting food around.... Not any more, what has happened to the food, the chips have changed from nice chunky grease free chips to cheap thinner greasy awful tasting chips, we asked why they have changed the chips and we were told that the chips are the same and haven't changed. Believe me, the chips are way different to when we were last there, you can even see the difference in my pictures, all four of us on our table said that the food seems to have gone cheaper, you don't get the amount of scampi and chips that you used to get and the quality of the food has gone downhill, we could hear other people saying about their food also, so it wasn't just us that thought it. They owners need to change back to what it used to be like, bigger portions, fresh tasting food, not cheap rubbish, such a shame as we used to love going to the meadery.

Food excellent, staff excellent, service excellent. Been to many Meadery's and all very good. I haven't been to the waterside for a few years but it is the best. My only complaint is the lack of Cornish beers. I am a Cornishman living away from Cornwall and enjoy a good Cornish beer. The only Cornish beer they had was dombars bottled, which is very good. Please get som draft Cornish beers

when i read some of the reviews i was taken aback the food at the waterside meadery is fantastic we whent there on the 3rd with friends for their daughters birthday and the service was very good and the food came out on time for eleven of us that you would not get in the pubs in the town from start to finish it was a friendly place thats why we always use this meadery a big well done to the staff we will return soon SEA WAVE B & B

I always enjoy eating here. It's definitely the best of the Meaderies in Cornwall. OK, so the menu is fairly standard, but it is well cooked, reasonably priced and the service here is outstanding. The staff are so welcoming and friendly. The Mead wines on offer are great too! Well worth a visit, but don't come here if you are expecting a la carte cuisine. It is what it is, a Meadery...based on a Medieval theme. Simple, rustic and charming but the food is great, and if you really can't handle eating with your fingers you can ask for a knife and fork!

I can only assume that frequenting this establishment is good for the Cornish soul. Otherwise it is a dark and dingy place full of unswept corners and unhoovered pews. If you want to be filled with watered down mead, then choose this place. If you want an actual good time then choose wisely.

We visited this meadery after recently visiting the Newlyn one, can only be described like chalk and cheese. The food here was greasy and over cooked, also a big disappointment was that there was no salad bar unlike the one at Newlyn which is fantastic and fresh, the restaurant is also very dark and pokey. For us we will be definitely heading back to Newlyn whenever we are in the area again.

Amazing meal, the place was fully booked and the staff were so busy, but we ordered our food and it was put in front of us within 3 minutes, it was hot, fresh and delicious, 11 out of 10

Always made to feel welcome family friendly and lovely food great service lovely atmosphere and good prices

I've been going here for years with my wife. over the last 18 months i belive the place has been on the decline. nothing major. and nothing i would sit here and complain about, just little things like beer that's not been cleaned or general waitress service. so much so that we haven't been for the last 6 months, However we dined here on the 8th September, we didn't book but we were instantly greeted and sat. The waitress was going to sit us on a small 2 seater table but noticed my wife being pregant upgraded us to a larger table which was a great start. from then on in our waitress catered after all our needs and even allowed us to essentially change our salads to specific items IE i had just uncooked mushrooms and my wife just had lettuce and peppers, of which when the meal came out we had plenty on our plate... the started was served within 10 minutes and the main came within 5 minutes of our starters being cleared. upon leaving the waitress added to our experience by creating more conversation with us rather than just take our money and off you go.the reason i give the title improving is because of the difference in service and the overall improvement it seems to be running alot better than the previous visit we had 6 months ago.Kudos to the waitress who reads this and deciphers that its her im talking about. you were a credit to the industry, Well done to the team at Waterside, much improved!!

The meadery is a great experience I had ribs they were lovely the staff are polite and everybody is so kind.I'm speechless on how good it was it was filled with spirit from the Old Times.

The food was good the mead was a new taste for me.could have done with a little more candle light as we only had 3 tealights for a table of 7

I discovered the wonders of the Cornish Meadery over 20 years ago and always visit and the simple but very tasty food is as good now as it always has been. Try the blackberry wine with chicken in the rough just fabAfter dinner take your jug of wine and visit the roof top bar that over looks the harbour if you time it right you can see the fisherman in their boats or the ferry boat dockGreat views of Mounts Bay

Enjoy visiting for chicken, half salad and half chips. Nice relaxed place to visit, eat with your finger and enjoy some mead. Great alternative to a standard stuffy restaurant. Come as you are. Leave full of food and drink. Good for a party.

Well now, in decreasing order of luminescence, there's bright lighting, soft lighting, romantic lighting, dim lighting, and then there's Meadery lighting! On entry to this establishment, after we'd bumped into a few things, we were pleasantly greeted and "guided" (I think this is the appropriate word) to our table. The place was busy and obviously popular with young families, and as our eyes became accustomed to the environment, we noted it was lit predominantly by coloured lights of varying hues, though WHITE was rarely seen. We wondered how the staff managed to charge around the place without killing themselves. Having said all that, the food was very good. My wife had chicken (coated with a secret recipe crumb) and chips, and I was presented with the biggest pile of spare ribs I've ever seen, covered in barbecue sauce, again with chips. For me, this was a very messy meal (finger-dip provided though!) conducted mainly by feel. My wife thought her chicken had three legs, but anything was possible in this lighting .. and then .. the candle on our table went out! The food was excellent and I really enjoyed it. All I would ask for is, at the very least, is a small white light somewhere above each table. I would go again, possibly holding a white stick.

Good grief what a filthy, smelly place this is. Food was overcooked, everything was too much trouble for the grumpy waitress and the overall experience was diabolical. This place is an overpriced tourist trap. If you want to experience a Meadery then perhaps go to the one over towards Newlyn instead, this one is a shocker.