The Greenhouse

A very special restaurant- superb evening with fantastic imaginative dishes, especially the scallops and cauliflower cheese soufflé.

Whilst on holiday in Cornwall we were fortunate to book the last table available during our stay. Not only was this the best meal we had in Cornwall, it’s the best meal we’ve eaten out in a long time! My husband is a very good cook and becomes frustrated by the usual fare served at many restaurants as he thinks he can produce better food at home, although I enjoy eating out for the ambiance. We were both rewarded at The Greenhouse. It is a small, friendly and unpretentious place which is obviously very popular so book ahead. Both Leonie and Neil made us feel welcome. The menu changes depending on what is available I assume and has limited choice, which we think is a good sign. My husband and I had scallops to start with which had a slightly Asian flavour and were delicious. Our friends both had haddock soufflé with a carrot sauce which was tasty but quite large helpings. To follow, my husband had monkfish which was perfectly cooked. I had venison which was tender and delicious although I didn’t manage to finish the dish. We all had different flavours of the excellent homemade ice creams or sorbets. Neil was very happy to chat about how he makes them and even produced a sample of the beetroot sorbet for us to try which we all enjoyed. We took our own wine for which we paid corkage. As we left the restaurant and headed into the pictures square of St. Keverne, the church bells were chiming which was a perfect end to the evening.

We turned up and were welcomed by Neil who explained there were running a little late so could we delay by about 20 mins. His polite manner and way of talking to us as people meant that this was not a chore in anyway. He took our bottle of champagne and placed it in the freezer so that it was deliciously cold when we got back. The menu was easy to read and follow, and we enjoyed some complimentary bread and olive oil as we tried to decide on what choices to make from the menu. What made this difficult was not the endless choice of options, but the fact they all looked so delicious. The food when it was delivered was simply AWESOME, and we cannot praise the chef enough. All three courses we requested were cooked expertly, presented brilliantly, and tasted delicious. Neil was attentive when he needed to be, but left us alone to enjoy our evening together, thank you. We were so impressed that we have re-booked for the near future when we have friends coming down from Portsmouth.

What a wonderful find! A friendly welcome from the host and good efficient service throughout. Food is fantastic expect top class ingredients perfectly cooked. We both had scallops to start followed by beautiful pieces of turbot. Excellent desserts followed to complete the meal. Prices for food and wine are quite reasonable for the quality provided. The venue is quite small and obviously very popular so do book ahead. Well worth a detour if you’re staying anywhere near.

An evening in this small restaurant is the highlight of our annual trip to Cornwall. The food and the welcome is exceptional and we could not recommend it more highly. Book ahead