La Scala in Torbay

This review is not about a visit. This restaurant is excellent place for eating in. However I would like to bring to your attention that due to health issues, some times the owner is unable to open. We come on holiday and book twice a year. However 3 out of our last 4 bookings have been cancelled. We have just been unlucky, but,if you are new to this restaurant just be aware that this could happen. But do not let this stop you from booking, cause once there you will have a great evening.

Don't be fooled by exterior.Once inside experience amazing very friendly staff and some of best Italian food have tasted. With small touches like real flowers on tables a nice touch Highly recommended. Definitely 5 stars

First time coming here and it was amazing! They really made an effort for our daughters birthday, such a warm and friendly atmosphere, was a wonderful experience. The food was out of this world. Best restaurant I've been to in a long time

This truly is one of the best restaurants we have ever visited (and we have visited lots). The food is excellent, the service really good, and the ambience truly Italian. We have visited Paignton twice, and made a point of returning to La Scala on this visit. Everything was just as good as last time. Don't be fooled by the slightly drab exterior - go inside to experience a piece of Italy in Paignton. We love this place, and will definitely be back.

Well , what can I say....so many lovely reviews .So please explain why , after personally booking with the owner for my Birthday , 1st December 2023 ...we arrived to the place in darkness and all closed up .....no explanation, no apology ...This after reading so many positive reviews on here . Never again as so upset ..a special Birthday totally ruined .

We had a great meal and the atmosphere was very good. There was a birthday 🎂 there and Max looked after the Couple. All other tables enjoyed their meals except a couple who was in early. We had what they had and couldn't complain. Alicia was very good at looking after all of us.

Absolutely amazing night. We booked a table for 2 for my husbands birthday. The table was trimmed with confetti and banners . There was a card signed by all. We felt really special. Food was amazing, service excellent. We were not pushed or rushed, the manager came out with a cake and candles and sang to my hubby! What an amazing place. But you need to book as they fill up.

We went to La Scala on the recommendation of the taxi driver to celebrate my birthday. From the time we went in to leaving I can honestly stay that this is the best meal we have ever had. The owner made us so welcome and had decorated the table and even made me a birthday card… the food was superb, the service exceptional and friendly and attentive, the owner and his daughter sang happy birthday to me in English and Italian and offered us some liquors to toast . I would recommend anyone to go here for a meal… thank you also to the owners wife who cooked the food absolutely delicious… thank you !!!

Amazing little Italian restaurant. Owner is very friendly and they serve some of the best Italian food I've ever had. 100% recommend and would go back. Great family run business!

Honestly, as far as family run Italian restaurants go…this has been one of the best I’ve ever been to. Lovely staff, amazing service, gorgeous food and a really rustic feel. We will definitely be back for more! 🤤 Kennedy & Chris

A wonderful evening with fantastic food. We visited for our wedding anniversary to find a card and decorations on the table. With fresh bread and beautiful Italian food it really was one of the best restaurants we have ever visited. Max went above and beyond. It is a truly wonderful place and we would recommend to anyone. Thank you so much!

Excellent family run one off authentic Italian restaurant x don’t be put off by exterior of restaurant x once inside you will find a family friendly comfortable restaurant with excellent original Italian dishes at a good affordable price.

This by far the best Italian restaurant we have ever dined in. It was our 54 wedding anniversary and our table had a banner on it,and a card and some sprinkled hearts etc. This made it very special for us. Max is a great person,very very attentive and the service was excellent. We will be back again for sure. Many many thanks for your kindness from Trev and Marilyn March

Great restaurant with lovely Italian food. The gentleman that served us was so friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend but you need to book in advance as it is popular.

What an excellent evening! Despite turning up ‘on spec’, we were fitted in and enjoyed the most amazing evening’s food experience. The food was delightful and the service was simply excellent. A great way to end our holiday - there’s no doubt that if we’re in the area gain we will be eating here!

If you are visiting Paignton you should book a table at La Scala. The welcome is warm and the service was very attentive. The food was delicious, freshly cooked and well presented. The restaurant looks out on a local park

A Faultless Italian cuisine at it's very best! Many years experience from Max Solazzo and his lovely wife Meg, that run this wonderful restaurant with the little help from their daughter Alessia. There are no Gimmicks, no false pretences, just fantastic homemade Italian food at it's very best.

Another birthday shared with friends at La Scala. Max, Meg and Alessia make the dining experience second to none. Great food, great hosts. Fabulous.

Best Italian meal I have had for years, first time we have ate here but Max made us feel as if we were regulars. Food was delicious, excellent service. We booked for 7.30 and left after 10, made to feel so welcome not rushed the table was ours for the night. My wife has special dietary needs and Max ensured the meals could be altered to cope with her dairy allergy. Would highly recommend and was amazed at how reasonable the meal cost.

Went for celebratory meal. Amazing starter of creamy mushrooms. Only complaint was the mushrooms, and the fresh bread, were so amazing I barely left room for a main and couldn't even consider a pudding I was so satisfied.

This is without doubt the most amazing restaurant we've been to. Authentic Italian run by husband and wife, none of this chain rubbish. Service was attentive but not intrusive, food was out of this world. Honestly never eaten this food food including in Italy itself! We went there for a birthday meal for my wife. Greeted by a handmade card and decorations (didn't ask for anything), and then a lovely cake brought out at the end. Icannot fault one thing about La Scala even the prices are good. A hidden gem in Torbay. We re-booked for the end of the month before we even left the restaurant! Loved it

Food is amazing, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the host just tops it off, great local restaurant.

Went last night awesome, food terrific, the host and his daughter wonderful, the whole experience was brilliant, we shall defo be returning.

If you are an Italians restaurant i am the Pope. You serving the most incredible food combinations that have nothing to do with Italy.

We always try and have food here. Everyone is super friendly and the food is absolutely amazing. Highly recommended

Great food and lovely friendly people. Service excellent 👌

Wonderful meal . I went with my folks and had a lovely evening. Just the right size venue .Max was the perfect host and the food WOW . On a personal note my birthday cake was delicious lol . I recommend La Scala to anybody

Fantastic night Fantastic food as usual….some of the best Italian food you will find !

Lovely local Itialan. Great food with authentic Itialan cuisine

Lovely lovely little place with fabulous family hosts. Couldn't get much more authentic than these guys! The quaint but friendly family dining-room style atmosphere is very cosy yet open. They made a massive effort too, for my partner's birthday, which went well above amd beyond! You do need to book well in advance but worth the wait. Can't wait to go back!

Fabulous meal and service especially the owners daughter she was a delightful waitress. The tables were spaced out giving a feeling of space. Food superb and good portion size, definitely recommend this restaurant.

Outstanding. Warm welcome, relaxed atmosphere. Food pipping hot . Great quality with fresh vegetables. Would highly recommend Ian McCulloch and Anna Conway Thank you so much la Scala and your beautiful daughter helping on the night x

Fantastic! Very traditional all round. Must visit more.

Very welcoming service, great food, really nice atmosphere.

Nice place, friendly staff and an interesting menu.

Hidden gem in Paignton. Food and service excellent!! Worth a visit. Steak cooked to perfection and House Red very good quality.Homemade Tiramisu delicious.

Cracking home cooked Italian food, no fuss, very personable, lovely 👍

Fantastic ,small friendly, family run restaurant with amazing italian food. Would recommend but want to keep it a secret 😉 Food is amazing and good size portions.

What a lovely little Italian Restaurant, we had the most delicious meal and the owner Max was very attentive and welcoming. Would definitely recommend - best to book as very popular.

My evening at La Scala was amazing from start to finish. The owner was very attentive the whole evening from bringing out complimentary fresh bread and butter whilst waiting for the amazing starters to topping up drinks. All the food was beautifully cooked and presented, the atmosphere was very relaxed and nothing was too much trouble. The owner must of over heard a conversation about a recent birthday of one of our party and next thing he and his young daughter arrive at our table with a cake with candles singing happy birthday 🎂 It was a truly wonderful evening, I highly recommend you will not be disappointed 😊

Dined in la scala tonight the food was amazing, beautiful, the service was outstanding, it was my husbands birthday and they had added decorations to the table and a birthday banner and a birthday card, they came out with a cake and candles and sang happy birthday, how lovely of them, such a beautiful place with a lovely atmosphere and lovely staff 💜

Lovely restaurant great food great service Steve was very attentive great service excellent at making you feel welcome

Absolutely spot on for everything. Third year in a row coming here for food and by far the best Italian I have had. The garlic mushrooms in cream sauce as my starter 👌 😋.

Lovely place and the owner was very helpful and friendly, food was lovely ,definitely will be going back again ,got to book early as it gets booked up quickly 👍👍👍

Love this place. The owner was so passionate about everything. Food was amazing

Absolutely outstanding place for food and service, by far the best Italian in Torbay

Had by grandson's 16 birthday celebrations here perfection. What a treat. Thank you

Food was incredible, great atmosphere

The best Italian I've ever had anywhere. The food was amazing and the service was perfect.

Just about the loveliest Italian food you will get outside of Italy.

Proper small trattoria,real good food and not a pizza in sight!! V.reasonably priced..no bells n whistles,just a good eatery

La Scala was fully booked ,but the owner took my number & managed to book us in. Best Meal I have had in a long time . Food & service Excellent. Would recommend it .

Incredible food, super deicious, that was amazing! Lovely little family run restauarnt. WOW that was actually so nice. Large tasty portions, well worth the money. Bellisimo!

Me and my partner went to La Scala tonight down in the town and it was probably the most wonderful dining experience I’ve ever had!! I went on the recommendation of a family member but I’d never even heard of it! Such a kind/ friendly server, so attentive, I never had to fill my own drink, he kept coming over to do it for us despite it being busy! Fresh/ hot bread on arrival, incredible quality food, real Italian cuisine and for such a reasonable price, I was shocked! Highly recommend to anyone who wants the 5 star experience for 3 star prices⭐️

One of the nicest meals out I have ever had. Beautifully presented, fantastic service. We will be back!

We visit La Scala regularly and especially on special occasions. We recently celebrated my daughter's 21st birthday. She chose to celebrate at La Scala because she had her 18th birthday celebration with family there too. The food was amazing, service is always excellent, with a warm, family atmosphere. A huge thank you to Max and Meg for outstanding food and service.

Food that makes you smile. I'm so happy to have found this little restaurant. It was just so good in all respects but the quality of the food lifted it above being just good. It was excellent, thankyou so much. Kalo Paska.

Mom and pop italian, excellent fillet, good service, can't recommend it enough. I'm back for seconds.

I would give this 6 stars if I could! Celebrated an incredible birthday meal there! They set the table with birthday confetti, happy birthday banner and a card! The personal touch was incredible they sang happy birthday and gave us a cake! Would recommend this place to anyone visiting as the food was phenomenal and service was second to none! Thank you soo much for a lovely evening meal. Your a credit to your industry and area!

Probably the best Italian meal I’ve ever had (and I’ve spent time in Rome). Amazing food and lovely family atmosphere. Highly recommend

We have visited La Scala many times in the past and have always enjoyed it. We were not disappointed this time either, the fois is amazing and Max and family are so welcoming. We would highly recommend

Excellent family restaurant, fantastic food

We absolutely love La Scala, fantastic food & service. We always try to book when we visit Paignton & are so glad they've managed to survive post covid. Their newest addition to the staff, Alessia, is a real asset to this family run restaurant & we look forward to seeing her again in the future. The food, as always, had amazing flavours & very generous portions, (possibly too generous as we couldn't squeeze in a dessert!) Max is the perfect host & his wife (sorry we don't know her name) is a fabulous chef. We look forward to returning again the next time we are in Paignton!

Had a lovely meal tonight the host and his daughter delivered excellent service, the food was delicious, fairly quiet as only a few tables but think the owner keeps it that way to ensure customer satisfaction.

Lovely food, staff are brilliant. Definitely want to go again soon 😁

Excellent meal and service. Personal touch with a decorated table for our wedding anniversary, even a card. Thank you so much, We will be back!

The best Italian ever..... Unbelievable service and food, attention to detail and friendly welcome staff, little extra make this restaurant stand out. We eat out a lot and this place is exceptional

Finally we were able to book a table and visit La Scala. Well what can I say, there are not many words to describe how good the food and service is here. We had beers and a bottle of wine and it was very reasonable at £70. I have posted some photos and will leave it there. If you are lucky enough to get to try this restaurant then you will appreciate a review is pointless as the experience is 5star. Hopefully we will get chance to visit again if not we are very jealous of you .

We visited here for our wedding anniversary meal, what a fantastic night we had the food was superb and so was the service Our table was decorated for us along with a card what a lovely surprise and so thoughtful Our food was amazing my husband had the chicken and I had whole seabass both delicious We will definitely be back when in paignton thankyou for a lovely evening

Very very good restaurant. Excellent food well worth booking a reservation. Max is an excellent host and serves with passion and enthusiasm. Nothing is too much trouble. Just sit back and relax.

6 of my family went to La Scala for my Birthday. The table and window were decorated for my Birthday there was even a Birthday Card and a glass of bubbles and a Birthday Tiramasu with candles. We have eaten alot over the years and it has always been lovely. Thankyou for my special night.

Excellent food and service highly recommend it but you must book first

Fantastic food great host could not do enough for you the best Italian restaurant I have eaten in can't praise it enough.

One of the best meals of our lives! My partner had a foodgasm with the first spoonful of her starter. All courses were delicious and incredibly filling. The owner (and his helper daughter) were fantastic. If we could have booked the following night, we would. We will definitely return when back in the area.

The best food I've eaten in long time. The restaurant is a beautiful and a family run business. The service was great, every little detail was perfect. The food was amazing. Fully recommend. We were lucky to get a table.

The food was amazing. Definitely go back when in Devon.

Excellent food and great service. Not many people in so low on atmosphere.

My son and I had fillet Steaks and we were both blown away by them. Absolutely fantastic definitely going back.

Thank you for a wonderful evening g on Wednesday. The meal was fantastic and the service excellent.will definitely visit again when back down in paignton.

A truly memorable experience, the food, wine and service were all authentically italian and utterly fantastic. I will most certainly return here.

Max always makes us feel so welcome

The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere that really made it feel Italian. The service was on another level in terms of amicability, attention and in general. The food was at a great price. Recommend to anyone who's around the area!

Amazing experience will be back x

Don't be put off by outside it is a lovely family restaurant they are very friendly and the food is great if anything portion are to big. Great value for money will be going again next time we down this way

Absolute great meal fantastic service 👌 Well recommend this restaurant 👍🎺

Wow what a hidden gem 👍 Staying in Paignton on business & came across this beautiful restaurant. So cosy & inviting the most amazing welcome plus amazing food. Highly recommend you book because of the limited tables but I can honestly say you will not be disappointed Thank you 😊

Max was lovely. Food excellent and great service. He even decorated our table for birthday and had a lovely card.definatley will return. Thank you

We had a lovely meal here last night for my birthday. Great food and service. Thank you so much. Lucy

What a fantastic discovery. Max was so attentive. The food is stunning. Absolutely fantastico

Had a lovely meal with my husband for his birthday.

Incredible food and very friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Perfection everytime, highly reccomend. Max is very attentive and always goes above and beyond. The quality and the presentation of the food is fantastic!

Beautiful food, very attentive service, authentic, family run. Could not have done enough for us and our birthday party of 12. We will be returning soon. Many thanks.

Lovely meal perfect atmosphere friendly service could not have asked for more.

Well done Max 👏lovely night as always

AMAZING!!! service was the best, but the food is incredible, we have had lots of Italian meals but this was so tasty and authentic we were blown away. Carbonara is stunning as is sea bass and all the veg. Can't say enough about this place and the family are so welcoming too x

Fantastic food, very Italian atmosphere

Superb food and service to match. If you're in the torbay area then definitely dine here. Wonderful.

Fantastic little place, the food is amazing!!! Honestly the nicest meal we have had in a very long time. A real taste of Italy!! Great place for a birthday celebration, card and banners on the table on arrival which is a lovely little touch and the dessert and happy birthday song topped it off 🥳 fantastic, amazing & beautiful!!

Fantastic meal, lovely venue and a really leisurely experience, a wedding anniversary meal made special by Max, even gave us a card.