Aroma Cafe in Torbay

This place is more like a social experience than a café, in keeping the ethos of it's charitable background. We were way out of season and it's fairly well off the main beaches in a bit of a cul de sac of the riviera seafront so we suspect it's all very different in the high season. On New Year's Eve it was more like being invited to a family and friends get together than walking into a commercial establishment - apart from the paying bit obviously, but even that wasn't too painful!

We go here every now and then because my partner’s 14-year old boy can join us. We always find the facilities (sauna, jacuzzi, steam room and pool) to be very run down. It’s all a bit tatty really, but it’s good enough to spend an hour or so there. We usually do the “dip and dine” and the food has generally been OK… until New Year’s Day when we were served cold meals! When we explained this to the service staff we were told that it would be a 30-minute wait if we wanted hot meals. At which point I truly wondered if that would be the case… I mean how would it be any different, considering our food had literally just come out of the kitchen!!? My five bean chilli was also supposed to come with sour cream and mozzarella - neither of which were on my plate. And when I asked the waitress about it, she stared at me blankly… Needless to say, we asked for a refund and walked out hungry and disappointed 😞

Lovely pub. Very friendly member of staff. Comfortable seating. Very clean toilets. Reasonably priced drinks. Sky sports on TV.

Lovely food for lunch. Was just very shocked when I took my 7 year anniversary of granddaughter to the loo… on the wall were 2 vending machines, both selling ‘sex toys’? I had to answer some questions from her. I do find it hard to understand why the need in a local pub which is geared towards family friendly as there are great outdoor games outside. Very worrying for our young people to think these items are ‘normal’

Lovely old pub it's history a little tarnished now extended and improved ??? Still haunted with the ghosts of my philandering youth