Don’t tell Rick Stein, but we think that Brixham has started becoming a bit of a foodie destination on the quiet over the last few years.
If you are looking for a restaurant guide, or recommendations as to the best places to eat and drink in Brixham then the following list is by no means exhaustive, but it does cover most of our favourite eating and drinking places in the town!
Rockfish – at end of harbour (and visible from our windows!) has to be near the top of any list, with fabulous fish and great views over the port so you can see tomorrows meal being unloaded as you eat. They also have a good take-away chippie, and (now) a fishmongers.
Simply Fish has (we think) the best take-away fish and chips in town, and a proper sit-down restaurant with a mostly fish-based menu. It’s our preferred takeaway , the restaurant just does walk-ups. As well as the usuals, their monkfish and prawn curry is great, and their curry sauce is our go-to ‘side’.
Eventide on the Quay is a newly opened (Summer 2026) restaurant tucked away up a flight of stairs on the quayside (of course!) opposite The Captains Cottage – its the “medieval-looking” building that Brixham regulars may also know as the home of JRs and before that The Lusty Wench in days gone by. Run by a couple who have just moved down from Shropshire, it’s already become one of our must-go-to favourites when we visit, with top notch fish and a full range of non-fish too.
You’ll definitely need to book – but it’s absolutely worth doing so!
The Smugglers Hotel tucked away next to the Library and Scala Hall is the place to go if you have a craving for steak – on Thursdays-Saturdays they fire up a huge Argentinian grill, which can make the room a little warm – so maybe one for winter. They are also open on other nights, but we think the big charcoal grill is the magic ingredient, so make sure its operating on the day you choose to go!
ESCA sits on Middle Street in the site formely occupied by The Curious Kitchen, and is owned and operated by a former chef from Albero – so in terms of Brixham brunch spots, you can certainly say that this one has very good genes! We feel that no week in Brixham is complete without at least one ESCA brunch (full english or more fancy stuff, both are done with equal aplomb!), and over the summer it is also worth looking out for the odd evening special opening as well.
Breakwater Bistro (by the beach) is a venue which had a major refurb in spring 2023, and is a great place to have a cream tea with a view or to grab a drink and sit on the beach – and their food menu is not to be sniffed at either, for lunch or dinner. Plans to massively redevelop the site (which were causing huge controversy among tourists and locals alike) have now been abandoned and the place has new (local) owners once again, meaning the beach will be able to continue to be enjoyed as it currently is for many years to come!
Albero – One of our real favourites. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just a “pizza+” restaurant, they have great fish and lots of daily specials – so there is some real “cheffing” going on in their kitchen, not just “cooking” to a limited menu.
They also have absolutely nailed the “outdoor seating that’s warm” conundrum too, meaning you can sit outside even when the weather is not quite warm enough to do so elsewhere. They still do great pizzas as well, plus some tapas items too, but the star attraction is the top notch seafood and daily specials chalked on their menu board too.
The Guardhouse at Berry Head – This is ‘the’ morning brunch cafe for us up on Berry Head in the old fort. When you take a walk up there make sure you have left room for their bacon sandwiches and/or cakes!
The Prince William – the big “outside” pub by the Marina is great on a sunny day, and has recently uipped its menu game too. It’s owned by the same group who also run Liberty, The Mermaid, Olive, the Bistro and now Beamers too – so if you visit a few of them on your holiday you might recognise some of the same staff over the course of the week.
Liberty – An eclectic mix of cocktail and drinks in the evening, speciality teas and cakes in the day – and very non-Devon interior decor to match. It has outside tables across the road under the market awning in the summer too.
La Petit Maison is their more than decent French-style café and bistro that also does breakfasts, Liberty offers an eclectic mix of cocktail and drinks in the evening as well as speciality teas and cakes in the day – and very non-Devon interior decor to match with outside tables across the road under the market awning in the summer too.
Olive is the Mediterranean restaurant in the pack, but can be a bit hit-and-miss in our experience, and The Mermaid next door is a big modern bar overlooking the harbour
Beamers fish restaurant, upstairs on the quayside opposite the house has been a long standing feature of the town, but in recent years has been a little patchy as various owners have struggled to make a go of this large footprint restaurant. Summer 2026 saw it taken over by the same group who own all of the other places listed above, which should mean it becomes a solid choice going forward. There are apparently plans to redevelop it significantly, including taking over the ‘seaside-themed’ gift shop Ulla on the ground floor!
Port Expresso (on Middle Street) is an artisan coffee place that has branched out into brunches, home to our favourite bacon sandwiches in Brixham
The Market House – the large pub/gastro pub on the harbour opposite the pirate ship, with plenty of outside space. Always a safe choice, even though it’s got a hint of brewery-owned ‘chain’ pub about it – the other advantage is that you can see how busy it is from the front windows of our house !
The Manor just up from Middle Street is a top choice pub in Brixham, deceptively large and with both inside and outside space to sit and have a drink or two.
The Wine Loft is both a remarkably well-stocked independent wine shop and a contemporary bar for a lunchtime/afternoon drink and a plate of tapas-style food – they close around 6pm each day.
The Larder on Bolton Street (just past the ‘Spoons) is also good for brunch, and can go toe-to-toe with Port Expresso for top coffee any day of the week.
The Blue Anchor is a good proper Devon pub, one of the most pirate-ey places in the town and has live music on most nights of the week as well.
The New Quay Inn is nice and cosy, and is usually one of the last pubs in Brixham to close, meaning you can pop in for a nightcap before braving Temperance Steps up to the house.
Fishcombe Cove Café on the (pebbly) each in Fishcombe cove is a great spot to make an (early) stop on a coastal walk towards Paignton. Over the summer make sure to check out their Facebook page for any special evening events when they are open until sunset as well.
At Thai is an excellent Malaysian and Thai restaurant, so if you feel the need for a change from fish, chips and pasties during your stay we’d recommend booking here well in advance as it is always fully booked at weekends.
The Crafty Cwtch tea room on Middle Street does a nice line in scones, jam and clotted cream – and they do it as a takeaway too if you fancy tucking in back at the house while taking in the view.
For Sunday Lunch you are looking at either the Berry Head Hotel carvery, the Golden Lion or the Bell Inn up in Higher Brixham – all three have excellent reputations and certainly do deliver on the traditional Sunday fare front.
If you’re looking for other things to do, we also have a guide to the local area as well on this site.
