Cornwall's best family-friendly restaurants

Stand-out children’s menus and dog-friendly dining spots

With award-winning cuisine to be discovered all over the county, Cornwall’s thriving foodie scene continues to attract flocks of visitors every year. From family-run farmyard ice cream parlours to coastal cafés with rock-climbing for the kids, these family-friendly dining spots all offer something special to make their guests feel truly at home.
 

Wild Café

© Wild Café

Situated just metres from the golden sands and cresting waves of Mawgan Porth beach, the Wild Café is a great spot for family friendly dining with a view. Overlooking the sea, the café prides itself on simple and contemporary food, with all of its ingredients grown and prepared locally.

The three course children’s menu offers a great selection for smaller appetites, with each main course served with a bowl of fresh, seasonal vegetables to make sure everyone’s eating their greens. Children’s high tea is the perfect opportunity to bring the family together, as the little ones enjoy a snack pot, a freshly cooked main course and a selection of sweet treats from the dessert counter, while the grown-ups relax and take in the view.
 
Inspired by the seasons and a local team of Cornish growers, farmers and fisherman, the Wild Café’s lunch, evening and every day menus include pan fried scallops, Turkish spiced aubergine and a West Country cheese board. Dishes are arranged fresh each day with seasonal produce and plenty of options to keep even the fussiest eaters happy.
 
For a foodie break, a stay at nearby Trevenek puts you in a great position to explore the local eateries in and around Mawgan Porth.

Kota Kai

© Kota Kai

One of the best-kept secrets in the South West, Kota Kai Bar and Kitchen is famed locally for its extraordinary dishes, talented chefs and relaxed friendly atmosphere. With a dedicated children’s room where younger diners can play while parents relax with a drink, the restaurant sits in a picture-perfect part of Cornwall at the head of the harbour in Porthleven.

A short walk from Porthleven Harbour and sleeping up to 11 guests, Seathrift is a spectacular family-friendly home with awe-inspiring sea views.

Boscastle Farm Shop

The perfect lunchtime pit stop for a family walk along the coast path, Boscastle Farm Shop celebrates ‘food from around the corner and not around the world’, with great quality local produce at its heart. Surrounded by National Trust farmland and just moments from the sea, there’s a bright and airy tea room, a farm shop and deli, and a fantastic outside area welcoming four-legged friends and providing plenty of space for little legs to let off some steam.
 
Everything on the menu is made from scratch in the coastal kitchen, from seasonal soups to Cornish cream teas – and parents will be relieved to hear there’s not an additive in sight. There’s also fresh artisan bread available to enjoy in the café or to take home from the farm shop, along with a selection of local jams, preserves and snacks to keep your larder stocked up with great Cornish produce.

Just around the coast in nearby Trebarwith Strand, The Yellow Cottage is a charming home with incredible views over the rugged north coast of Cornwall.

The Old Sardine Factory

Delicious food to fit your lifestyle. That’s what it’s all about at The Old Sardine Factory Restaurant and Café, which is the perfect spot for a light lunch or special celebration with friends and family. Located in the historic fishing post of Looe, The Old Sardine Factory lets its ingredients speak for themselves, with dishes like crisp fried squid, Cornish crab linguine and Tarquin’s Gin cured salmon all prepared just footsteps from the water.
 
With its very own ‘Little Sprats’ menu, and harbour side outdoor seating, The Old Sardine Factory is a great place to take children and dogs. What’s more, the fantastic climbing wall downstairs is sure to work up an appetite and keep everyone entertained before dinner. And if you’d like to explore more of Looe, hiring a kayak from The Old Sardine Factory and taking to the water is a truly unique way to get acquainted with the Cornish coast.

Moodmaid of Zennor

© Moomaid of Zennor

A small family-run business based at Tremedda Farm in St Ives, Moomaid of Zennor produces luxury Cornish ice cream and signature sorbets. Dating back to the 1900s, family is forever at the heart of this Cornish company, and with a huge selection of both classic flavours and indulgent original recipes, there’s something to please those with a sweet tooth of any age.

Moomaid of Zennor has shops at St Ives Harbour and Porthtowan Beach, as well as a seasonal pop-up parlour in the Cornish countryside near Zennor. The farm’s herd of Friesan dairy cows, or ‘moomaids’ as they’re nicknamed, are free to roam the fields and enjoy the Cornish air, while fresh milk is collected daily and combined with Rodda’s Clotted Cream to create a whole host of dairy delights. Favourites include the crème fraiche and lemon curd ice cream, a fizzy prosecco sorbet and the iconic ‘shipwreck’ – a sea salt ice cream made with fresh milk, caramel and honeycomb.

A Moodmaid ice cream makes the perfect Cornish addition to any summertime picnic, or if you’d prefer to take cover from the sun or the seagulls, head to one of the parlours to choose your flavour and sit down with a hot drink overlooking the sea.