Polpeor Cafe

Polpeor Cafe proudly lays claim to being the most southerly cafe in mainland Britain and it enjoys a stunning position perched perilously on the edge of the steep cliffs at Lizard Point, under the flash of the substantial Lighthouse.

The cafe itself is little more than a small cabin with a corrugated roof. It has a traditional, almost retro, vibe; not in the trendy sense but certainly not in a naff way either, you just get a feeling that it is slightly old fashioned yet a very homely and genuine place.

It is open during the day selling all manner of drinks and delicious homemade delights, but during the summer you can also enjoy an early dinner, sitting outside on the back terrace. The no-frills plastic tables and chairs don't detract from the experience in the slightest and with uninterrupted sea views it really is the most perfect location. If you are lucky you may see a rare Cornish chough (a member of the crow family with a distinctive red beak and legs) or even a seal in the water below.

It is BYO so we took along a bottle of Polgoon Aval, which the friendly staff were also happy to chill for us whilst we waited for our food in the evening sunshine.

Dave ordered the Luxury Fish Pie which seemed to be popular and, he declared, for very good reason. Generous chunks of white fish and prawns were covered in sauce and a bubbling golden top of potato.

The steak and kidney pie had tempted me, but being so close to the sea I felt obliged to do it's bounty justice. So I chose the Fish platter and it arrived loaded with white and brown crab meat, prawns, grilled mackerel and sardines, served with a fresh salad and bread and butter. I had also ordered a portion of chips, which I realised was rather greedy when I saw the size of the platter itself!

For desert we shared the cafe's special - homemade Jubilee Meringue with blackberry and apple compote, Cornish ice cream and clotted cream. The meringue was exactly as meringue should be; crunchy yet still chewy and gorgeously gooey in the middle. It was retro heaven.

The food is all cooked fresh to order in a small lean to kitchen and was fabulously good. It's not just about the food though, here everything conspires to make for a very charming experience .

We made the walk back up into the village and stopped for a few beers at the local pub. Given the sign outside it would have been rude not to and after a couple of pints of Skinners Betty Stogs Bitter, I can confirm that we were very happy campers indeed!

Polpeor Cafe
Lizard Point, The Lizard, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 7NU

This post forms part of a series about our 2010 gastro camping trip in Cornwall.