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The Seafood Feast of the English Riviera

Writer's picture: Louie AmosLouie Amos

“Fish are friends, not food” is the famous quote from an animated great white shark with an Australian accent. However, the Seafood Feast of the English Riviera disagrees with this quote, given the amount of seafood consumed during this event.


The English Riviera Seafood Feast is an event where fish markets, pubs, and restaurants celebrate everything related to everything found in the sea. In addition to serving fresh fish, they also host events that engage tourists with the world of seafood. These range from sampling the finest seafood on a premium moored yacht to fishing for your catch of the day and having a chef cook it to perfection.


No matter how this is celebrated, there is no doubt that you will come across fresh fish daily. This is especially true when dining in some of the finest seafood restaurants in Devon. Having experienced this feast for myself, I gained a bellyful of knowledge from the three-day weekend I spent participating in it. You may wish to use the following guide as a rough plan for what to do during this feast; either this or you can follow your own itinerary however you create this.


Driving into the sea-faring town of Torquay is no doubt making me eager with anticipation. I anticipate the number of times I will taste a wide variety of fish freshly caught on the day I consume it. I drive to my hotel and get checked into my adequately sized double room. This is where I realise with excitement that my hunt for some of the best fish in Devon has begun.


I embark on a stroll along Torquay Harbour, where I walk past a family fishing for crab on a slope leading into the water. The children eagerly look for crabs to catch and place into their miniature buckets. They are getting the fishing buzz at such a young age. I then take time to notice the neat form the boats have been moored up in just as the sun sets on the visible horizon.


A family of keen crab hunters looking for their catch of the day

 

The time to consume my first meal approaches, and the time comes for me to dine in my first Devon seafood restaurant. After examining the options available to me, I decide to visit Torquay’s Saltwater Restaurant for a casual dining experience on my first night. I am seated down at my solo table and proceed to consume my fish two-course meal.


This adventure begins with lightly seasoned whitebait served with tartare sauce, priced at £7.95. It ends with grilled monkfish with feta, tomato, and red onion salad, equating to £23.90 (£18.95 for the monkfish only). The freshness of these fish can be tasted, given that they were caught from the seawater in which they swam. My excitement grows as I realise more fish feasting will come the next day.


My whitebait starter and monkfish main course at Saltwater Restaurant

 

After resting from the hard work of digesting my first fish meal, I wake up to a curious thought: what if I step it up a level and have some fish for breakfast?


After researching the available options, I discover Offshore Restaurant, which hosts diners for breakfast, where one of the items consists of scallops on sourdough toast. With this being the Seafood Feast, skipping having fish for breakfast would be criminal. Coming to this conclusion, I head out of my hotel and towards Offshore Restaurant for a fishy breakfast.


After being seated, I order a vanilla latte with the scallop & sourdough toast breakfast. While waiting for this, I admire the scenery from the table where I have been placed. It conveniently faces the restaurant window, where I can view the moored boats at Torquay Harbour. The sun shines down on them, projecting a gleaming light toward me. This is made even more enjoyable with the arrival of my vanilla latte and my scallop & sourdough toast breakfast shortly after.


For £14.95, I am presented with a nicely toasted slice of sourdough bread with perfectly cooked scallops and a delicious emulsion of tomato salsa and smashed avocado. I also sip on a smooth, silky vanilla latte priced at £4.05. What better way could there be to begin my second day of the English Riviera’s Seafood Feast?


My vanilla latte and scallops on sourdough toast at Offshore Restaurant

 

With my breakfast consumed, I head out to a ticket kiosk opposite Offshore Restaurant and purchase a return ticket for a ferry to Brixham. This is where the next leg of my Seafood Feast weekend begins as I board the ship bound for this seaside town. It also boasts the second-largest fishing port in the UK, as revealed from the tour guide aboard the ferry. For a £7 return, it offers a 30-minute ferry ride from Torquay Harbour to Brixham and vice versa.


After it moors up at its Brixham terminus, I depart the ferry and immediately begin exploring this harbourside town and how it celebrates the Seafood Feast. There is a very long pier with many locals gathering to watch a jet ski competition, where confident jet ski riders race around a circuit, competing to get the best lap time. Walking along this pier, Brixham Lighthouse stands as the white monument as it is overlooking the English Riviera.

Once I reach this, I am in awe at the gorgeous clear view overlooking the Riviera, which visibly extends out to Torquay via Paignton.


Brixham Lighthouse, standing tall at the end of its lengthy pier


The walk is quite strenuous; however, getting to the end and back again is my cue to treat myself to a divine crab sandwich. I settle down at a table in a seating area belonging to Claws Restaurant. I dig my claws into the crab sandwich I ordered for only £4.50. A sandwich packed with crab meat surrounded by white bread is arguably one of the best lunches I recommend if you eat seafood all weekend.

 

The crab sandwich I sampled at Claws Restaurant

 

With a bellyful of crab and white bread, I am just in time to catch the last ferry bound for Torquay. This is the opportunity I take to admire the blue beauty of the Riviera itself before disembarking. Upon returning to my hotel room, I focus on getting ready to head out to enjoy my second and final evening meal. This is where I look to experience this Seafood Feast from the higher end of the spectrum regarding dining experiences.


The Orestone Manor, just a few minutes from my hotel, is the place for this fine fish dining experience. To be seated at a table sampling three courses of fine fish cuisine is bliss. The first course is a Brixham Crab Martini with avocado, apple sorbet, apple crisp and a poppy seed straw. The second course is a Pan Fried Hake Fillet, served with mussels in their shells, a paprika veloutè, sapphire, a burnt lemon half and new potatoes. To finish this off, the third and final course is a Plum Frangipane Tart, served with clotted cream and a brûléed plum on the side.

 

My three-course meal at the Orestone Manor


The elegance of this meal presents itself very well, and for £44 for three courses, it is hard to argue that this is reasonable fine dining. I am also treated to a relaxing atmosphere, where very few tables are used in the area of the restaurant I am sitting in.


As this evening draws to a close, I return to my hotel, hoping to sleep through the digestion of the fresh seafood I have just consumed. Sure enough, I wake up for breakfast at my hotel the following day.


As I check out, I feel the divine seafood on the English Riviera has satisfied my appetite. It is enough to persuade me to return to the English Riviera the following year to discover more about the Seafood Feast.


The Travelling Foodie’s Facts and Figures


  • There are many accommodation options, ranging from a simple B&B in Brixham to a 4-star hotel in Torquay. I stayed at the Yardley Manor Hotel, just outside the centre of Torquay, where the rate was £79.96 per night.

  • Visiting the English Riviera from the end of September to the middle of October guarantees the opportunity to participate in various activities.

  • You can Click Here to view further details on the Seafood Feast of the English Riviera and the activities taking place during this event.

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lizgloster
24 Νοε 2024

The food options sounded delicious. Hopefully the rest of the menus tasted as good. Xx

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Who Am I ?

My name is Louie Amos and I am the Travelling Foodie! As you can tell, I am mad about travelling and food. You can find out more about me on the "About" section of my blog!

 

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