The 39 best restaurants in Torquay and Paignton

Torbay boasts some of the UK's very best restaurants and cafes, all aiming to tempt you inside with their delicious food and drink.

Visiting one of the English Riviera's wonderful eateries offers the perfect opportunity to try the local cuisine, as well as spend quality time with friends and family.

From fine-dining establishments on the harbour to traditional pubs and hidden gems, it can be difficult to find the right place to spend your hard-earned money.

So to help you decide, here's our expert list of the 40 best restaurants, eateries and cafes in Torquay, Paignton, Babbacombe and Brixham.

Click the links below to read the reviews and book your table.

1) Small World Tapas, Torquay

This family-friendly eatery in Torquay allows diners to peek at the kitchen while the chef is cooking worldwide tapas - not only from Spain but from all around the world. The menu is changed often to showcase the best of every country.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

2) The Orange Tree Restaurant, Torquay

Tucked away just a few steps from Torquay harbour, The Orange Tree is renown for its seasonally-changing a la carte menu offering modern British-European cuisine complemented by warm and friendly hospitality.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

3) Memories Bistro, Torquay

Set in what was once St Marychurch's oldest coaching inn, this venue's interior is a treasure in itself. All the food is prepared and cooked in the kitchen with fresh fish from Brixham served with home-made sauces and all meat, game and poultry is free-range and sourced locally.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

4) Royal Windsor Tea Room, Restaurant and Carvery, Torquay

This Torquay favourite provides a unique experience for all as well as delicious dishes including everything from freshly carved meats to all-day breakfasts or their very own version of a tantalising cod and chips.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

5) Green Leaf Cafe, Torquay

This independent family-run cafe in Torquay offers breakfast and light lunches, with a varied menu. Its coffee is locally roasted, and you can also enjoy loose-leaf teas and hot chocolate. The tasty lunch menu includes healthy options, vegetarian dishes, and delicious chefs' specials.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

6) Weavers Cottage Tea Shoppe, Torquay

This family-run business is situated in the heart of the picturesque Cockington Village, Torquay, serving award-winning cream teas, light lunches, speciality teas and coffees and luxury Langage Farm ice cream.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

7) Old Vienna Restaurant, Torquay

This fine-dining restaurant in Torquay offers artisan cuisine made from seasonal local produce. Created with the Austrian touch, the food here is both tasty and beautiful to look at, providing a unique continental dining experience.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

8) The Shack, Torquay

Tuck into one of The Shack's burgers, which are hand-pressed and made locally using only prime South West aged beef with full traceability - together with a little touch of seasoning to provide that great taste.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

9) The Waddling Duck Bistro, Torquay

This traditional British bistro in Torquay is nestled in the heart of Wellswood and focuses on using seasonal ingredients and local produce. Sample delicious food from regularly-changing menus.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

10) Number 7 Fish Bistro, Torquay

Overlooking the harbour, this busy family-run seafood restaurant serves the best fresh fish and shellfish from Brixham, including deep-fried fish with hand-cut chips.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

11) La Scala, Paignton

Discover Mediterranean cuisine and the flavour of real Italian Gastronomia at this restaurant, which serves a range of dishes, as well as daily specials and a fish speciality.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

12) Torbay Thai, Paignton

Torbay's oldest Thai restaurant and takeaway serves the likes of Thai red curry, jasmine rice, king prawns and soup, all prepared by experienced chefs using specially-imported spices.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

13) Pepper Shack, Brixham

This harbourside restaurant serves local ribs and home-made steak burgers and local seafood, as well as Caribbean carnival favourites like goat curry, saltfish & ackee and jerk chicken.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

14) TJ's Restaurant, Paignton

TJ's boasts an outside terrace and dining room with probably one of the best views in The Bay. Customers can enjoy their food and look out across picturesque Paignton Harbour and along the stunning coastline to Torquay, Thatcher Rock and beyond.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

You can stay up to date on the top news near you with DevonLive's FREE newsletters – enter your email address at the top of the page or go here.

15) Meat59, Torquay

This artisan eatery and takeaway is well known for its gourmet burgers, created using hand-made patties, chilli, pulled pork, burger sauce, BBQ sauce, slaw, chilli jam and bacon ketchup.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

16) Restaurant at Orestone Manor, Torquay

Set in a Georgian building with views over the gardens and sea beyond, this restaurant offers a fine dining and set price menu as well as light bites, lunch, afternoon teas and Sunday roast.

Click here for directions, visitor reviews and to book a table.

17) Fredericks, Torquay

This friendly restaurant and wine bar serves a range of freshly-prepared home-made meals, like fish and chips and chilli con carne, with roast dinners on a Sunday.

Click here for directions, visitor reviews and to book a table.

18) The Golden Lion, Brixham

This cosy family-run restaurant offers a relaxed table-service experience with good-value home-cooked meals and a choice of eating inside the restaurant, large courtyard or beer garden.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

19) The Guardhouse Cafe, Brixham

Offering panoramic views of the South Devon coast, this cafe in Brixham is located inside a Napoleonic-era fortress and serves locally-sourced food and drinks.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

20) The Local Thai Restaurant & Take Away, Paignton

This restaurant and takeaway serves authentic Thai cuisine, like jungle curry, pork dumplings, sticky rice, red curry and salt and pepper squid, all prepared by experienced chefs.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

21) Saltwater Fish Restaurant & Takeaway, Torquay

Just a stone’s throw from the harbour, this fully-licensed restaurant and takeaway serves up fresh and sustainable seafood, including fish and chips to eat in or take away.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

22) Ephesus, Torquay

Serving traditional Turkish and Greek cuisine, this authentic restaurant offers the likes of baklava, moussaka, hot meze, Greek salad, and calamari.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

23) Shoals Cafe On The Lido, Brixham

This family-run seafood cafe at Shoalstone Sea Water Pool offers freshly-cooked crab sandwiches, line-grown Brixham mussels and battered or grilled ‘catch of the day‘ with chips and garden peas.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

24) Nepalese Gurkha, Paignton

This family-run fully-licensed restaurant and takeaway serves authentic high-quality Nepalese food cooked by an experienced chef.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

25) The Curious Kitchen, Brixham

Serving fresh, healthy, modern food with good coffee and loose-leaf tea, this artisan eatery offers a daily brunch menu, weekend taster menu, locally bespoke roasted coffee and house tray bakes.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

26) The Elephant, Torquay

Overlooking the harbour, this family-run Michelin star restaurant offers an a la carte menu and set menus featuring locally-sourced and sustainable fish, meat and vegetables.

Click here for directions, visitor reviews and to book a table.

27) The Singing Kettle Tea Room and Eatery, Torquay

This award-winning family-run establishment serves home-made scones, cakes, cookies, soups, sandwiches and light bites, including a vast gluten free menu and diabetic cream tea.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

28) Ayur, Brixham

Offering a unique Kerala home-style dining experience, this unusual eatery offers a blend of Malabari, Arabian and Western dishes like goat curry, appam, dosa, fish fry, and fish moilee.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

29) Hanbury’s Famous Fish & Chips, Torquay

Boasting stunning views across Lyme Bay, this award-winning licensed restaurant and takeaway has been serving fresh, locally-sourced fish and chips for over 30 years.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

30) Biancos, Torquay

Just 100 yards from the clock tower on the harbour, this restaurant offers fine Italian cuisine, including steak, carpaccio, tiramisu, carbonara and fritto misto.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

31) Gurkhas Diner, Paignton

The very first Nepalese eatery in the whole of Devon, this has grown from a single small takeaway to a big licensed restaurant, serving authentic high-quality Nepalese and Indian food.

Click here for directions, visitor reviews and to book a table.

32) Driftwood Cafe, Torquay

This cool cafe and bistro offers freshly-prepared breakfasts, lunches, light bites, sandwiches and sweet treats, all made using locally-sourced ingredients.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

33) Simply Fish, Brixham

This popular seafood restaurant offers a superb and healthy selection of grilled fish, including line-caught sea bass, monkfish or whole Dover sole.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

34) Richie Indian Restaurant & Takeaway, Torquay

This Indian restaurant and takeaway boasts curry Tamil Nadu specials from South India, as well as a wide range of korma, biryani, dansak, sag, tikka and madras dishes.

Click here for directions, visitor reviews and to book a table.

35) Claws, Brixham

Located on Brixham harbour, this family-run shellfish specialist offers cockles, crab meat sandwiches, prawn cocktails and smoked-salmon parcels to eat in or take away.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

36) Smokey Joes, Torquay

Boasting styles and flavours from the Southern States and a passion for American BBQ, this authentic smoke house serves slow cooked brisket, pork, ribs and chicken, smoked over hickory wood.

Click here for directions, visitor reviews and to order online.

37) Brixham Fish Restaurant & Takeaway, Brixham

Located on the harbourside, this traditional fish and chips shop (also known as Garry's) peels and cuts its own potatoes and makes its own fresh mushy peas every day.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.

38) Amici, Torquay

Sat right by the harbour, this stylish family-owned Italian restaurant serves authentic, traditional Mediterranean food, including pasta, pizza and grills.

Click here for directions and visitor reviews.