Ed
11 April 2022
There’s an eating establishment for everybody from the gourmet to the ‘gastro-wimp’ in Brixham. Whether you’re looking for a fine dining experience at a seafood restaurant or a quality bag of fish and chips, Brixham is spoilt for choice with restaurants - but being a working fishing village and home to the world famous Brixham Fish Market, that's not exactly surprising!
The fish market does tours, taking you right into the busy bustling auction and finishing with a lovely fish breakfast cooked at Rockfish, just above the market. At £15 it’s a bargain – you have to be an early riser though as tours start at 6am. Book early via email to avoid disappointment.
Have a look below for a small selection of popular restaurants in Brixham that get visitors' taste-buds in a frenzy.
Not to be missed! The ‘go to’ place for a pint of prawns with a glass of bubbly to wash it down. The owners wanted to create a seafood restaurant which sold only the freshest of local Brixham fish and Shellfish from Brixham Fish Market. They have hit this nail bang on the head and offer a contemporary menu including lobster and oysters.
There are live music nights in the bar and grill (booking advised) which reinforces their fun laid-back vibe. Yaya, the Simply Fish chef is often known to whip up a delicious fish curry but of course, you can also enjoy the more traditional cod or haddock too. The wine menu is carefully selected and often changes to complement the catch of the day. The grill also offers steak and vegetarian dishes.
Another seafood restaurant that draws the locals and visitors to Brixham is The Poopdeck. Nestling down by the quay, the menu is dominated with oceans of dishes to choose from, from fish of the day to fixed course menus consisting of freshly caught shell fish. Don’t feel left out if seafood isn’t your thing; the chef also offers steaks and several meat and vegetable plates. Views over the harbour enhance the experience, so enjoy a fine wine from their expertly selected collection.
And now for something completely different. Try out The Pepper Shack, Brixham’s Caribbean restaurant. Offering a predominantly gluten-free menu, if you like spice then this is the spot to head to. Goat curry, ackee and salt fish, Jerk chicken, and Masala mutton are just a handful of exotic dishes on offer. If you don’t like spice, there are some non-spicy alternatives. Vegetarians and vegans are also looked after with an array of patties, samosas and curries. You can enjoy a cocktail or a cool beer whilst listening to some cool music to transport you to a faraway tropical island.
Out in the suburbs is the town’s best chippy, Dornan's. As we all know, the fryers that really know their trade lurk away from the tourist spots, plying their noble trade to the loyal locals. Act like you are in the know and pop out to the edge of town to get a serious portion of battered cod and some golden chips. The chips are made from freshly peeled potatoes, not the factory processed, pre-cut wonders 75 per cent of fryers push on us. The cod is MSC and the plaice and rock are from local quotas, making it a sustainable chip shop too. If you go on foot rather than going out in the car, how green is that?
A short drive up the coast is The River Restaurant at the Dart Marina Hotel & Spa. Dine in elegant style at this AA Rosette awarded establishment. Formal menus give you a peek at the culinary masterpieces on offer here. The head chef celebrates the flavours of the passing seasons with ingredients sourced locally in the South Hams region of Devon. Excellent views over the River Dart can be enjoyed from the restaurant making this a fine dining experience to remember.
With the strapline, ‘tomorrow's fish is still in the sea’ Rockfish has a prime position right above the fish market and is able to select the freshest fish from the auction before its shipped off to our busy cities and abroad. Owned by local celebrity chef, Mitch Tonks, the choice of fish dishes change with whatever the catch of the day has been. All dishes are cooked fresh to order and there are unlimited chips with every dish too – well you are on holiday! It gets really busy in the summer season so best to book early. Try and book a table on the balcony in good weather.
You will be able to see the trawlers come into the market below and unload their catch. If you are lucky you’ll also see our local Brixham seals popping up in the waters below; hoping for a spare treat or two from the returning fishermen. Watch out for the shipping forecast being broadcast in the loos – it’s not all it seems.
The sunset from Shoals
Located above Brixham's seawater pool, Shoals is probably about a 15-minute walk from the harbour bowl and well worth a visit while staying in Brixham. There is a large car park nearby should you wish to drive. Book a table outside and watch the sun go down over the sea, cascading a spectrum of oranges, purples and yellows; it is truly delightful and promises to go down as sunset to remember – they do say, holidays are all about making memories!
Shoals offers fresh fish, sourced from their own family trawler and also meat and vegetarian dishes. Being relaxed and informal – a great place to go for breakfast too; maybe after a morning swim in the lido.
If you're looking to stay in Brixham and sample its many excellent restaurants for yourself, take a look at our complete collection of holiday cottages in Brixham for somewhere to stay close by in the village.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.