Vegetarian and vegan restaurants and cafés in Cornwall

Potager Garden Café, Constantine

Best for: Fresh homegrown produce

Set in a charming converted greenhouse in the lush countryside, the well-loved Potager Garden Café uses ingredients straight out of their own café garden. Their changing menu features a whole range of tasty, inventive vegetarian and vegan breakfasts and lunches. The choices depend on what’s in season at the time, so two visits to the café are never the same - but with the likes of ‘Malaysian coconut & lemongrass laksa’ and ‘Beetroot risotto with pickled beets, toasted hazelnuts and feta’ you’ll never be disappointed. 

After your meal it’s worth hanging out for a while in a hammock or wandering the garden grounds to soak up the wholesome, natural atmosphere. They often have a small plant sale area, so you can take a little piece of Potager’s magic home. 

Potager is a community centre and creative hub too. They often run workshops so if you fancy getting hands-on with crafts during your visit, check out their workshop schedule.

Sunshine Café & Yoga, Penryn

Best for: Yogis

Eateries don’t get much more serene than the beautiful Sunshine Café & Yoga studio in Penryn near Falmouth. Their ethos is around ‘nourishing your body and mind through a combination of honest food and thoughtful movement’ - and their healthy vegan menu, yoga schedule and healing space certainly reflect that. The menu regularly changes but you’ll often find delicious deli salads and ‘nourish bowls’ on offer, as well as a whole selection of vegan cakes, healing lattes and fresh juices. 

The light, open space is the perfect place to relax with breakfast, lunch or a drink after a yoga class - of which there are lots of options available every day, whatever your experience level. From gentle Morning Vinyasa to invigorating Awakening Flow, take your pick and enjoy a couple of hours of blissful self-care and connection. 

The Cornish Vegan, Truro

Best for: Vegan takes on British classics

The Cornish Vegan is a café and restaurant in the heart of Cornwall’s only city, Truro. After a morning or afternoon wandering the cobbled streets doing a spot of shopping, it’s the perfect pit-stop to refuel with some hearty food. The menu has been designed to entice both vegans and non-vegans alike, with lots of meat-free alternatives to classic British favourites such as burgers, f’sh & chips, lasagne, curries and mac & ‘sheese’.  They also serve a delicious vegan cream tea with scones, jam and coconut cream (jam still goes on first, of course!).

Once you’ve had your fill, just around the corner you’ll find the Royal Cornwall Museum, which is well worth a visit, as well as Truro Arts Company, the largest independent arts supplies shop in the southwest and a treasure trove for creative crafters of all ages.

The Bean Inn, Carbis Bay

Best for: Hearty meals near the ocean

A short walk away from the stunning turquoise waters and golden sands of Carbis Bay, this vegetarian and vegan restaurant is a real gem for plant-based eaters. Eat in the relaxed candlelit restaurant or al fresco on the terrace, or take away (in sustainable plant-based packaging) and enjoy your meal overlooking the bay. There’s something for all appetites, from hearty casseroles and satisfying buddha bowls to smaller dishes like salads and paté. They’ve got a great dessert menu too, including a delectable Chocolate & Orange Mud Pie. All the veggie dishes can be adapted to be vegan so no-one misses out at The Bean Inn. Everything’s globally-inspired, colourful and beautifully presented, so you won’t be able to resist a snap for your Instagram. 

Carbis Bay is nestled between two great surfing areas, St Ives and the sweeping beaches of Hayle, Gwithian and Godrevy. If you fancy giving it a go before your meal, take a look at our ‘Best places to learn to surf' blog post.

Archie Browns, Truro & Penzance

Best for: Shopping for vegan goodies 

Archie Browns is a thriving health food shop and vegetarian café, with branches in both Truro and Penzance. Both are a haven for those looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle, with everything from chocolate to perfume for sale in their shops. The café (which is takeaway only and only in Penzance at the time of writing this) serves quiches, pies, salads and soups. And the shops sell everything from fresh fruit and veg, to aromatherapy to household goods - so make sure you take your reusable shopping bags with you! 

Wilder Allotment Kitchen, Mount Pleasant Eco Park (Porthtowan)

Best for: A creative vibe

Wilder Allotment Kitchen is based in the sustainable community space, Mount Pleasant Eco Park, where there’s often a variety of exciting creative events, live music and workshops happening. There’s a lovely free-spirited feel that fits well with the food on offer from the eatery. Everything is vegan and internationally inspired, and wherever possible the ingredients are sourced directly from the organic allotments at the Eco Park. From flavourful thalis to warming laksa, there’s a different dish and theme each night, sometimes accompanied by live music. Check out their website or social media to see what’s on. 

Make sure you allow time to wander the Eco Park afterwards, with its stunning natural surroundings and sea views to Porthtowan beach. You’ll leave with your belly full and your soul restored! 

Take a look at more magical places to visit in Cornwall and really fill out your wanderlist. 

Featuring vegetarian and vegan options

If you don’t mind meat and fish being served where you’re eating, there are plenty of amazing eateries in Cornwall that aren’t strictly plant-based but have a great range of vegetarian and vegan options. Here are a few of our favourites...

The Cornish Pizza Company, St Agnes

Best for: Takeaway pizza

Located in the beautiful village of St. Agnes, The Cornish Pizza Company is popular with locals and holidaymakers alike for its award-winning pizzas. They handcraft and long-prove their dough before topping it with fresh, local ingredients and cooking it in a stone floored Italian Oven… so as you can imagine, the result is authentic and delicious. Each pizza is named after a local mine to reflect the area’s rich history - and there are always lots of vegan and veggie options, like the ‘Wheal Alfred’ with crumbled goat’s cheese, semi-dried cherry tomatoes, black olives, onion marmalade, tomato sauce and fresh rocket. All the pizzas are freshly made to order and it can get very busy, so ordering online in advance is recommended! 

For dinner with an idyllic view of the ocean and coastline, grab your pizza box and head to St Agnes Head in time for sunset. 

New Yard Restaurant, Trelowarren (Helston)

Best for: Relaxed fine dining

Set in the historic and breathtaking estate of Trelowarren amongst acres of magical woodland and pastures, you’ll find the beautiful New Yard Restaurant and Pantry. Their incredible tasting menu changes each night - and every course is entirely composed of produce foraged from the estate, grown in the walled garden or ethically sourced from the local area. In 2021 they were awarded a Green Michelin Star, ‘an award that recognises gastronomy as well as sustainable practices at the forefront of the industry’. Vegetarian and vegan options are available for the evening tasting menu, and could include the likes of ‘Jerusalem artichoke veloute’, ‘radishes with wild garlic ricotta’ and ‘torched marshmallow sorbet’.

The picturesque Walled Garden is open for the public to peruse, so before your meal why not pop in to take a look at no-dig beds and potted plants, where your food for the evening is most likely to have grown. 

Cornwall has lots more beautiful gardens to visit if you enjoy a botanical day out. 

Caffe Rojano, Padstow

Best for: Mediterranean dishes

Whilst the foodie town of Padstow is famous for its fish and seafood, Caffe Rojano has a wonderful vegetarian menu, with many of the dishes able to be made vegan too. One of chef Paul Ainsworth’s eateries, this relaxed brasserie serves seasonal small plates, Napoletana-style pizzas and fresh pasta dishes. Everything’s made with Cornish produce where possible, and cooked with Mediterranean techniques for an authentic flavour and experience. The wine list is extensive, so make sure you’ve booked a taxi and settle in for a long evening of delicious, quality food and drink by the coast. 

If you can, arrive in Padstow an hour or two before your meal to allow some time to explore this picture-postcard port town. Marvel at the colourful fishing boats in the harbour, meander the cobbled streets and browse the characterful independent shops. 

Staying in Cornwall

With so much to see and do, miles of stunning coastline to explore and so many eateries to sample, it’s well worth staying in Cornwall for a while. We have a whole collection of heavenly hideaways to choose from in this southwest county, including romantic shepherds huts with sea views, rustic countryside cabins and family-friendly safari tents with hot tubs.