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’.
Shoals (a 15 minute walk along the coast by the lido) is a tiny, but really high quality restaurant which also has tables outside for lunch or a drink and is owned by the Perkes family of legendary Brixham fisherfolk. Amazing views across Torbay as you eat, and amazing food too, as you can see from these photos from summer 2022.
You’ll definitely need to book – but it’s absolutely worth doing so
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. The new owners plans to massively redevelop the site have caused huge controversy among tourists and locals alike, and now (thankfully) seem to have been effectively blocked by the local council, menaing the beach should be able to continue to be enjoyed as it currenty is for many years to come!
Albero – One of our real favourites, a very good “pizza+” restaurant which seems also to have nailed the “outdoor seating that’s warm” conundrum too. They still do great pizzas, but they now lead with some top notch seafood with daily specials to look ouot for on their menu 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 and the Bistro 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
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.
Dilly Dally Tea Room was being run by a couple from London “living the dream” in Brixham, and (as of January 2025) has just been taken over. We are hoping the new owners maintain the same award-winning Full English, and have picked up the recipes for cakes and lunches too along with the premises!
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.
