The Truro
Quick info
About The Truro
The Truro is a South African restaurant in Croydon, at 3-7 S End, with an Indo African menu that draws on flavours from South Asia and Africa. The kitchen works around grilled seafood, chicken and South African street food, and the entire menu is halal. Peri-peri chicken comes grilled or braaied, prawns feature alongside it, and platters are made for sharing. Malva pudding is the dessert, and the drinks list adds mocktails, tonics and milkshakes. Bookings are essential, and large parties are given a set time slot, which suits groups.
Good to know
“The Truro serves Indo African Inspired cuisine showcasing a tapestry of flavours from South Asia to Africa. We specialise in grilled seafood, chicken and South African street food. We offer a family friendly environment and are a halal establishment. When you embark on your dining experience at The Truro, know that you are not just partaking in a meal, but you're stepping into an exhilarating adventure.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, parking lot, restroom, seating
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention peri-peri prawns, peri-peri chicken, malva pudding and mocktails and tonics.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention peri-peri prawns, peri-peri chicken, malva pudding and mocktails and tonics.
Customer Review Summary
Grilled chicken and prawns, especially the peri-peri, are what most diners return for, described as juicy, fresh and perfectly grilled, with generous portions. Close behind are the sides and extras: rice, corn on the cob, butterbean curry and malva pudding, though one reviewer says the pudding sells out too soon. Drinks such as the Lychee Mojito, cola tonic and passionfruit lemonade tonic are called refreshing, and several reviewers praise friendly, attentive waiting staff and food that arrives quickly. The complaints are fewer but specific. One reviewer reports that a waiter registered only part of their cash payment and charged the card for the rest, and says a manager mentioned staff removing service charges from bills. The same diner found the food noticeably salty. Another, part of a large booking, was asked to leave before finishing because the food came late and another party was due. A couple of reviewers describe family occasions, including a child's birthday where a chicken burger went wrong and the restaurant replaced it with a beef burger at no charge and brought birthday ice cream.
Customer Review Summary
Grilled chicken and prawns, especially the peri-peri, are what most diners return for, described as juicy, fresh and perfectly grilled, with generous portions. Close behind are the sides and extras: rice, corn on the cob, butterbean curry and malva pudding, though one reviewer says the pudding sells out too soon. Drinks such as the Lychee Mojito, cola tonic and passionfruit lemonade tonic are called refreshing, and several reviewers praise friendly, attentive waiting staff and food that arrives quickly. The complaints are fewer but specific. One reviewer reports that a waiter registered only part of their cash payment and charged the card for the rest, and says a manager mentioned staff removing service charges from bills. The same diner found the food noticeably salty. Another, part of a large booking, was asked to leave before finishing because the food came late and another party was due. A couple of reviewers describe family occasions, including a child's birthday where a chicken burger went wrong and the restaurant replaced it with a beef burger at no charge and brought birthday ice cream.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Waiter stole £50 from us, was dishonest…and tried to charge us twice. I won't be returning and would encourage others to be cautious when paying. Check the amount on the card machine and be mindful with part card and cash payments. I dined at The Truro on Sunday 2nd Aug for dinner and initially had an excellent experience. Our waiter, Anish (or Hanish), provided attentive service throughout the meal, we had a lovely time thanks to his service so we left him a £10 tip. The total bill came to £165.22 including the service charge. We handed Anish £10 for his tip and £50 to be paid in cash towards our bill. After thanking us for the tip, Anish said he needed to register the cash at the till before returning with the card machine for the remaining balance. By chance I briefly caught the amount displayed on the card machine as he positioned it to the person on our table paying, it appeared higher than expected so to be sure I asked him how much that was and he said £115, I then asked for a receipt, at which point he seemed visibly uncomfortable and claimed he needed to return to the till to retrieve one. Several minutes passed before he returned. During that time, another member of staff joined him at the till for an extended conversation in which I heard them say “so did they want to pay in cash” Anish was clearly trying to cock up a story to them that they were struggling to make sense of as the receipt should come straight out of the card machine not require a trip to the till. Around five minutes later, he came back with £40 in cash and the receipt, apologising repeatedly for what he described as a "mistake." His lengthy explanation and repeated apologies, despite us simply querying the amount, did little to convince us that this was a genuine error as he claimed. He stated that he was at the till for long because he needed help trying to figure out how to use the receipt roll, none of which was overheard at the till. What was most disappointing was that we had already tipped him for his excellent service, yet after that he still felt comfortable to attempt to steal from us and then charge us for what he pocketed. We had let it go due to the profuse apologies and left the restaurant, after a few moments we felt inclined to raise the issue with the manager as we were still on the same road. When we arrived back, Anish quickly went out of sight, we spoke to the manager who appeared to understand after a few explanations our complaint. The manager said that for our table only £10 had been registered as paid cash, which adds up to the remaining £155 he charged us, essentially that £50 we paid in cash didn’t exist because he only registered £10 from the £60 of cash we handed him. During the conversation, the manager also mentioned that staff, as of recent, have been removing the service charge from bills after cash paying customers had paid and keeping it for themselves, which was surprising information for management to offer up. Training is really needed in this restaurant. I must say all the lady waiters I encountered were kind and delivered good service for the interactions we had. As for the food, it was decent comfort food, although noticeably on the salty side - nothing to the twice.”
- Google user
“Absolutely delicious! It was my first time eating here in Truro, and I can't believe I'd been missing out all this time—I genuinely regret not visiting sooner. The prawns were cooked perfectly, and the rice and corn on the cob were absolutely divine. Everything was packed with flavour, and the meal was thoroughly enjoyable. If you've never tried South African food before, don't let that put you off. If you enjoy bold, well-seasoned, and uniquely spiced flavours, you'll love it. It's a great place to experience something a little different. I'll definitely be coming back!”
- Google user
“It was great but we were asked to leave before we even finished our food. The food came out late as it was a large booking, and we were told we had to leave as another booking is coming. For large bookings I think there should be more time to avoid things like that. Still, the food was amazing as always.”
- Google user
“Loved the food at The Truro croydon ! The peri-peri flavours were rich, spicy, and full of authentic African taste. The chicken was juicy, perfectly grilled, and the prawns were delicious. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and generous portions. A perfect place for family dinners or catching up with friends. Definitely coming back for more! 🌶️🍗🔥”
- Google user
“Gotta give this branch a 5 stars for an amazing experience. 👏 Beautiful layout, nicely spaced out, air conditioned, great cutlery. Service from the waiters were top class, especially the South African servers - the service was on point. Food was next level 👌 Good portion sizes, flavored to perfection, fresh ingredients and extremely tasty. We couldn't fault anything. From the milkshakes to the mains...these guys know their stuff!! I highly recommend a visit. Plenty of parking. Great location. Bookings essential. Well done to the management team.”
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Restaurants near The Truro
- Chai Kadai Croydon4.11,2340.1 mi£10–20Vegetarian optionsWheelchair accessibleGood for kids
chicken biryani, karak chai, prawn biryani
- Galicia4.51,1530.1 miWheelchair accessible
tapas, octopus, paella
- 876 Uptown4.23040.1 mi£10–20Vegetarian optionsGood for kidsReservations
oxtail, jerk chicken, curry chicken
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The TruroWheelchair accessible | 4.71,397 | — | — | peri-peri prawns, peri-peri chicken, malva pudding |
| Chai Kadai CroydonVegetarian options · Wheelchair accessible · Good for kids | 4.11,234 | 0.1 mi | £10–20 | chicken biryani, karak chai, prawn biryani |
| GaliciaWheelchair accessible | 4.51,153 | 0.1 mi | — | tapas, octopus, paella |
| 876 UptownVegetarian options · Good for kids · Reservations | 4.2304 | 0.1 mi | £10–20 | oxtail, jerk chicken, curry chicken |
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