The best places to eat and restaurants in Paignton

Paignton is one of Devon’s most popular holiday destinations, with wonderful sandy beaches and a wide range of family attractions and fun things to do. We have a number of holiday cottages in the English Riviera, and while self-catering accommodation can help you keep costs down, sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself and let someone else do the cooking and washing up for you.

Paignton has no shortage of places to eat, so whether you’re looking for casual pub grub, traditional fish and chips or a restaurant serving up exotic spices, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Our guide aims to help you narrow your search for a place to eat in Paignton based on the type of venue and cuisine, with an idea of what to expect and where you could stay nearby. Scroll down to find out more, but if you want to check out the holiday cottage options first, just click on the button below.

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• Restaurants in Paignton
• Pubs in Paignton
• International cuisine in Paignton
• Fish and chips in Paignton
• Places to eat in Paignton map

Restaurants in Paignton

Paignton is home to a variety of restaurants that cater to different tastes, making it a great destination for food lovers.

Cantina

Cantina Kitchen and Bar is a family-run and family-friendly business in Goodrington. It’s the ideal place to eat if you’ve spent the day relaxing, swimming or paddleboarding at the beach, watching the steam trains, cooling off at Splashdown Quaywest waterpark, playing crazy golf in Youngs Park or boating on its lake.

Cantina is passionate about sustainability and much of its produce is local, from the fish to the craft beer. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu changes regularly but seafood plays a big part. There’s something to keep everyone entertained, from table tennis and badminton on the lawn, to colouring, games and live music. 

Shoreline

Photo credit: Shoreline

You can enjoy panoramic views of the beach and sea from this family-friendly and dog-friendly restaurant and bar. It’s situated right by the traditional pier, so you could combine a visit with some fun in the amusement arcade or a round of crazy golf on the Jurassic Park-themed course. It’s also very close to a free adventure playground.

Shoreline serves artisan pizzas, burgers, craft beer and barista coffee. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and welcomes customers seeking coffee and cake, or just a drink, as well as those wanting a meal. There’s a dog station in the lobby with hand sanitiser, bowls, emergency poop bags and towels – and there’s even a special menu for your four-legged friends featuring items including sausages and doggy ice cream.

Costero Lounge

 Costero Lounge is located right beside the beach, pier and Geopark playground. Similarly, it’s family friendly and dog friendly. Its atmosphere changes hour by hour, with each new wave of customers. It’s part of the chain of Lounges with menus that offer something for everyone – including gluten-free and vegan menus – as well as deals available at certain times. The menus change twice a year and have brunch, tapas, burger and main options. It serves food to eat in or take away all day.

The drinks on offer include herbal teas, high quality coffee, smoothies, milkshakes, wines, draught and bottled beers and ciders, and a range of classic and unique cocktails. It has board games for customers to play, toys for really young ones, and refreshments for its canine visitors. 

Cattlemans Steakhouse

Cattlemans Steakhouse at The Parkers Arms, on the main road between Paignton and Totnes, is the place to go if you love a steak. It offers a range of steaks from 6oz to a whopping 200oz steak! Its steaks – which are mainly Aberdeen Angus or Hereford – are served on a hot volcanic lava stone so you can cook it exactly as you like it. Cattlemans is famous for its food challenges. There’s a mixed grill challenge, burger challenge, 60oz steak challenge and 200oz steak challenge. The meals are free if completed within 60 minutes – but making it onto the Winners Wall is no easy feat!

As well as steaks, the menu has chicken, burgers and kebabs. There are a few options for vegetarians, and a children’s menu. There’s also a daytime menu featuring light lunches and salad bowls. The venue has a children’s play area, separate bar area, pool table and fruit machines. You can sit inside or outside.

Pubs in Paignton

Paignton is not without its fair share of pubs. Here we’ve detailed a few of our finds...

Harbour Light

Photo credit: Harbour Light

Harbour Light is a St Austell Brewery pub and restaurant situated by Paignton Harbour – a short walk from the beach and pier – and it has fantastic sea views from its terrace. In the cooler months, you can enjoy the warmth of a log fire.

The menu features pub classics with a contemporary twist, seasonal specials and delicious desserts. A traditional roast is served on Sundays – with vegetarian and vegan options. Harbour Light is open for morning coffee and brunch right up until late-night dinner and drinks. 

The Spinning Wheel Inn

By day, 'the Spinny’, as it’s affectionately known, is a seafront family pub with a fun garden in which to play and a varied, family-orientated menu. By night, it’s an entertainment venue offering live music, dance music and weekly karaoke. Children are more than welcome at the pub but must be accompanied by an adult at all times and must leave the premises by 10pm. 

The pub offers classic pub food including burgers, pizzas and basket meals, and a wide selection of beers, ales and spirits. There’s a weekly specials board, and a range of vegetarian options. Lighter bites include sandwiches, salads and jacket potatoes.

Inn on the Green

Inn on the Green is a family-friendly pub with a beer garden and children’s play area. Dogs are welcome throughout the whole pub and there are water bowls, treats and a special menu just for them. The pub has views of Paignton Green, which regularly hosts funfairs and other events, and it is just a short hop from the beach.

It has a varied menu with pub classics such as sausage and mash, and steak and ale pie, as well as modern twists and food from around the world such as lasagne and vegetable Thai-style curry. Lighter options include sandwiches and jacket potatoes. The kids’ menu is divided up to cater for under-5s, over-5s, and bigger appetites. Special deals are available on certain days of the week.

International Cuisine in Paignton

Paignton offers a diverse range of international cuisine, with its vibrant restaurants and cafes serving everything from Italian and Indian to Turkish and Mediterranean dishes.

East in the West (Indian)

East in the West, situated opposite Victoria Park, offers contemporary Indian cuisine and its menu reflects flavours used in different regions of the country. It blends aromatic Indian spices with modern cooking techniques and minimal use of oil. Takeaway orders are available.

The restaurant itself has London-inspired decor, with harmonious arrangements of texture, material and colour, a sense of intimacy, and a relaxed atmosphere. Should you be unable to secure a reservation here, it’s worth noting that East in the West also has a site in nearby Torquay.

Gurkha’s Diner (Nepalese and Indian)

Gurkha’s Diner was founded in 2004 as a small takeaway in Torquay and claims to be the first Nepalese cuisine specialist in Devon. It has grown into a big, licensed restaurant in Paignton which serves stylish, high quality and responsibly sourced food from Nepal and India.

Takeaways can be collected from the restaurant near Paignton railway station, and it also offers a home delivery service across Paignton, Torquay and Brixham. English dishes on the menu include chicken nuggets and scampi. 

La Scala (Italian and Mediterranean)

La Scala serves traditional dishes from Italy and the wider Mediterranean region. These include chicken, veal, pasta and fresh fish. There’s a daily specials board including a fish speciality. A selection of fine Italian wines is available to complement your meal, including Brunello Di Montalcino, Amarone, Primitivo, Barolo, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo and Copertino Del Salento.

Peaky’s Turkish Grill

When this Turkish restaurant owner took over a Peaky Blinders-themed bar near the Palace Theatre, he decided to keep the decor as it was. So Peaky’s Turkish Grill is perhaps a unique combination of these two themes! 

It offers a wide range of Turkish dishes, freshly prepared in-house and grilled over charcoal for an authentic taste. Its Turkish bread and flatbread wraps are made using a traditional recipe and baked in a stone oven. It also serves freshly baked pizzas and grilled burgers, prepared and cooked on site from scratch. A variety of food can be ordered to take away or for delivery.

Fish and chips in Paignton

And of course, like any seaside town worth its salt and vinegar, there are lots of ways to enjoy fish and chips in Paignton. Here are a couple more of our recommended spots.

Scoff’s

Scoff’s, near the railway station, is widely regarded as a Paignton institution. It’s famous for its tasty, battered chips, which have a distinctive orange colour. This was once a delicacy unique to the Black Country, near Birmingham, but is now becoming more common across the country. Nevertheless, at present, you can only find battered chips at a handful of places in Devon.

Of course, Scoff’s also sells other items you would typically find on the menu at a chippy, such as cod and chips, battered sausages and steak pies, and takeaway is available. Please note that Scoff’s does not take payment by card at present, it is cash only.

The London Fryer

Just up from Paignton Beach is Preston Sands, and if this is where you find yourself when you start craving some fish and chips, head to the London Fryer. Its menu has been perfected with experience over time and it’s very popular with locals. You can eat in the restaurant, collect your takeaway or request delivery.

The restaurant menu offers 10 varieties of fish, with a choice of cooking methods and potato sides. It also features items such as a homemade Fisherman’s Pie, vegetable lasagne, all day breakfast, kids’ favourites, and large selection of jacket potatoes – and even a battered Mars bar! It serves a range of alcoholic and soft drinks. 

Mariners

Mariners restaurant and takeaway, near the railway station, is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it has some outdoor seating. It’s a well-placed option if you have been doing some shopping in the town centre.

In the restaurant, fish is served with chips and salad, and there’s a special offer for senior citizens. Fish in gluten-free batter is also available. The menu also features chicken, pies, burgers, jacket potatoes, and meals such as chili con carne and chicken curry. There’s a small children’s menu and a small selection of alcoholic drinks. 

Map of places to eat in Paignton

Please find all of the above Paignton restaurants with the help of our handy map.

Stay with us in Paignton

Whether you are travelling to Paignton with your loved one for a romantic break or with friends and family for a seaside holiday, we have self-catering accommodation, large and small, to suit the occasion.

You can see our collection of cottages in the Paignton area by clicking on the button below. For more inspiration on eating out in Devon, read our guide to the best restaurants in Devon.