You could be forgiven for thinking that you have to spend a fortune when eating out in Torquay.
We want you to have the very best experience on the English Riviera, and part of that is going out for some lovely meals. Our two leaflets detailing our favourite places to eat are therefore jam packed with the very best places – the best for locally caught fresh fish, the best for South Asian cuisine, the best for tapas, the best Italian, the best independently owned restaurants, and even a Michelin star restaurant. They have a range of prices, but quality food, fresh local ingredients and great service are not going to necessarily be cheap.
We recently had a particularly enjoyable cheap evening out however, that I wanted to let you know about...
It was a lovely sunny afternoon, so we headed down to the seafront. It’s a pleasant 10 to 15 minute walk to the sea, via the grounds of our closest tourist attraction, Torre Abbey with 800 years of history to explore. Once you reach the sea, less than another five minutes walk along the promenade, and you’ll arrive at the pier and Pierpoint Restaurant which is right next to the Princess Theatre.
It has plenty of outdoor seating, and on a nice afternoon, it’s in full sun. If you prefer, they also have lots of indoor tables too, and it has air conditioning. We took a seat in the sun and ordered drinks. An Estrella beer and a 175ml glass of White Zinfandel came to £10.15 and a lovely hour or so was spent people watching and gazing out to sea.
Afterwards we headed just next door to their fish and chip takeaway. You can choose to eat in the restaurant off their menu instead, but we fancied fish and chips from the takeaway. We ordered a mini battered cod and regular chips each. Although they were classed as “mini” cod, we found them plenty large enough for us and with a good splash of vinegar and their complimentary tartar sauce, they were delicious. As Pierpoint (as aptly named) is literally right next to the pier which has seating all along both sides, we sat and enjoyed them there whilst watching the sun set over Brixham.
The fish and chips for both of us only came to £11.40.
As an extra treat, after a short walk round the harbour, we returned to the third part of the Pierpoint business, an outlet selling donuts and ice creams. We do love a hot fresh donut sprinkled in sugar. Whereas I would have ordered four (two each), I left Julian in charge of ordering and we ended up with six (three each)! I think it was £4 for the six and they were lovely. We ate them whilst heading back home.
So, we had a lovely few hours, with a drink and dinner all for £25.55 (less than £13 each) which I thought was very reasonable. So don’t forget, you don’t need to spend a fortune on dinner each evening. Why not treat yourselves to a slap-up meal one night and have a more casual evening another?
You could also have one of our grazing boxes another evening - a generous selection of charcuterie and cheeses, homemade falafel balls, cheese straws and sausage rolls, pickled vegetables, hummus, chutney and olives, fruit and nuts, served with artisan bread, crackers, olive oil and balsamic - all for just £39 for the two of you to enjoy in your bedroom.
Whichever places to eat in Torquay you choose when you are here on the English Riviera, we know you’ll have a great time, especially if you’re staying with us at The 25! Check out our website at https://www.the25.uk
