headergrungy
item1
menu Piranflag
cafestop

Cornwall never used to be blessed with the kind of cafes that either suit or are happy to even see the high energy two-wheeled visitor (think twee 'tea-shops') and the kind of places that serve pint mugs of tea and giant slabs of fruit cafe (or beans on toast with HP sauce) are few and far between. The situation is improving however and while not cheap there are some decent places... here are my recommended favourites.

Currently limited to West Cornwall only I plan to expand this list so if yu know of somewhere I have missed then please drop me a line.

Godrevy Cafe, Godrevy Towans, Gwithian: This place is ace. Excellent coffee and super food from cream teas and flapjacks through full English breakfast to delicious wraps and paninis. Sits right by the beach, has a 'comfy lounge' area upstairs and outdoor terrace seating for when the sun shines. Bike parking is no problem. A particular favourite! Reduced hours in winter.
Website:
http://www.eatoutcornwall.com/cornwall-restaurant/details-restaurant.php?pv=5997

Cafe Chandlers, St Mawes: Right on the waterfront, the morning sun can be lovely when seated in the window... especially in winter when it's cold outside. Bikes seem OK propped up outside the big windows. Friendly place, noted by me for it's black treacle flapjacks... but there's lots of other good stuff on offer and a deli section too. Not dirt cheap but then you wouldn't expect it in St Mawes... yachtie central! Open all year.
Website:
http://www.cafechandlers.co.uk

The Beach at Sennen Cove: Right on the beach, a spankingly bright and airy place with great views, excellent coffee and snacks as well as full blown meals. Friendly staff and so far no objections to riding bikes up onto the terrace outside and dripping rain gear inside! My favourite - chunky date-filled flapjacks. It's a steep climb back up from Sennen Cove but worth the effort. Open all year.
Website:
http://www.thebeachrestaurant.com

Lamorna Cove: There is a small cafe on the quay aat the stunningly beautiful Lamorna Cove. Does great fruit cake. As far as I know open summer only. It's just a short detour off route if you're riding the coast road between Mousehole and Porthcurno.
Website:
http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/Lamorna-village.htm

Bissoe Bike Cafe and Cycle Hire: This is a true cyclists cafe and as such as a good value menu stuffed with essentials such as beans on toast, tea cakes, bacon and egg etc etc. Being the place it is they're happy to see even the muddiest, dripping wet cyclists. Have been known to turn the heating on specially for me to dry sodden rain gear on the radiators! Open all year.
Website:
http://www.cornwallcyclehire.com

Geevor Tin Mine: Situated right on the clifftops at Pendeen, the cafe at this mining museum has a spectacular outlook and does pretty good food. Worth it for the view. Not open on Saturdays.
Website: http://www.geevor.co.uk

Mullion Chocolate Factory: Situated on the Lizard, if you can ignore the chocolate there's a great cafe with plenty of room for bikes, indoor and outdoor seating. Does ace flapjacks and breakfast baguettes amongst other things. Another 'favourite place'. Open all year... I think!
Website:
http://www.mullionmeadows.co.uk

Roskilly's: A farm complex on the Lizard near Coverack... produces fabulous ice cream amongst other things. Has an excellent coffee shop, plenty of room for bikes, nice outdoor seating in a shady courtyard... 'nuff said really!
Website:
https://secure.youruk.net/safepayment/default.asp?id=5

Sithney Tea Rooms: Brilliant little cafe in the village of Sithney near Helston. Cosy, homey little place, inredibly friendly and the woman who runs it loves cyclists, this is a favourite among clubs in the area. Fantastic value and the home made cakes are superb.

Lizard Point: There is a nice little cafe situated right on the end of Lizard Point above the old lifeboat house. The views southwest from here are spectacular and apparently it does a good fruit cake! Out of season opening hours unknown though if you're here in summer it will be open.

The Wave at Coverack: pretty little place overlooking the harbour, it's at the far end of the waterfront as you start going up the hill tpowards the lifeboat house. Nice coffee, nice grub and nice people. May be seasonal, not sure. Here's their phone number: 01326 281526

Chapel Porth: Chapel Porth is a stunning cove just west of St Agnes. At high tide it's tiny but on a low sporing tide the sand stretches for miles. The beach cafe here does all the usual snacks and usually has decent flapjacks. Seating is all outdoors. It's a steep climb back out of the cove but worth the effort.

Penzance: well, loads of good places here.. take a look here. Convenient for the cyclist passing through is the Blue Bag Cafe on the road road that heads to the harbour. It's on the left opposite the big harbour car park. Has outdoor seating as well as in, does good coffee and has nice things on the menu!

Marazion: Just southwest of Marazion Village at the end of the beach road just before the railway tracks is Jordan's Cafe. Nice views of St Michaels Mount, has basic but good fare - baguettes, paninis, coffee etc.

Mawgan Porth: Watergate Bay just north of Newquay used to have a great, informal beach cafe... but since Jamie Oliver moved in the place has gone horribly upmarket... so instead I now stop just a little further north on the road to Padstow at Mawgan Porth. Here, as the road runs past the beach, on the right if heading north, there is a small convenience store with tables outside under a canopy... at the back of the store there is a rather excellent cafe doing properly brewed mugs of coffee, excellent banana cake, soup, baguettes etc etc. It's good value too, highly recommended. There is limited seating indoors but it's rarely busy.

item13a item12 item11 item10 item9 item8 item7 item6 item5 item4 item3 item2