Orange Tree Restaurant in Torbay

Superb food stopping two doors away for a break ,staff very nice.thankyou

Expensive for what was delivered. Old fashioned and unimaginative menu. Outdated decor. The steak was OK, but the vegetables were bland and tasteless. And certainly not reflective of the prices being charged. The service however was friendly and attentive

A very pleasant evening enjoyed by all. We will be back.

Decent enough food if slow service...the Hake left a little too long under heat. Uncomfortably cold dining room and had to ask for our drinks twice before they arrived. If the Orange Tree strives to be a top class restaurant they should improve their tiny toilets...the size of a small cupboard!. No room to stand up and open the door at the same time... a no toiletroll holder! its the little touches.... A pleasant enough meal with perfectly polite waitresses.

Fantastic dinner for two at The Orange Tree last week. Never been before but had heard good things and was pleased to see reviews were correct. Food was excellent, great wine list, very attentive service, would recommend

Most amazing staff working here. The food was spectacular and we really felt cared for. We were invited for a drink on the house as we left due to it being so quiet but we were driving so had to decline! Also they did a lovely little platter for our anniversary. I'm so sorry I didn't get the name of the woman who waited on us, but she was a star and so lovely!

Dated restaurant, but great food, and some different dishes. We had the tasting menu with wine pairing, amazing. £270.00 for the both of us, expensive but for a special occasion perfect.

It's always a pleasure to dine at The Orange Tree, and Tatjana, Vittorio and their team work hard to make the experience an enjoyable one (even the simple steps from booking a table to arranging a taxi at the end of the evening). The menu is excellent, each dish attentively prepared and presented, and the extensive wine list surfaced some new favourites. Highly recommended for lovers of quality British and European cuisine.

We had a lovely meal with tasty seafood starter, wonderful Tournedos fillet of beef followed by a a great trio dessert selection! A great menu selection to suit most tastes! Thanks for a great meal out!

The food was mediocre for the price point, extremely disappointed with our visit. The veg sides looked and tasted like they were microwaved supermarket veg bags. The mains also lacked quality and attention to detail. The folks at the table next to us sent their mains back 2 times and at the end decided to leave without eating.

Outdated decor, mouldy water bottles. Food orders confused, poor quality food, vegetable sides were abysmal. Royally overpriced. Great way to break the bank and a waste of calories. Waiting staff were lovely and apologetic about the food.

With some great reviews we were looking forward to eating there with two friends last night. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!! The service was poor (they brought some water to our table then forgot to come back to take our drinks order!, we had to ask!!) when my friends gin & tonic arrived they had poured all the tonic into the glass drowning the gin! when we questioned this we were told ‘that’s what we do here!!’ but they did replace the G&T. The waiter passed plates across the table and didn’t serve the ladies first (training issue!), the plates were cold as were the side plates of vegetables. The bill wasn’t itemized and we didn’t leave a tip and won’t be going back.

Fantastic dining experience with amazing food, the service was fantastic, worth every penny

Lovely ambience, soft music playing in the back ground. Staff were very polite. Wasn't rushed at all which was nice. Food was absolutely amazing , the flavours were out of this world. Will definitely be going back. Thank you so.much for making our evening with you memorable.

Fantastic food and friendly staff. Great meal out for my birthday.

Very nice evening of food and wine. Warm, friendly service. Will definitely be returning.

They gave us a vegan tasting menu (which I had booked well ahead) with a matching wine flight. The food was really good, 2 of the 6 courses were sublime. The courses were all like reasonable starter portions, so we were truly full afterwards, so don't worry they aren't stupid tiny portions. And the wine really complimented the food, and it was lovely that the waitress would explain what it was and what it would taste like (like a mini wine tasting!). The downside was the physical restaurant itself: it's right next to the road so you can easily hear all the cars driving past, some parts of the decor are in need of sprucing up, the toilets aren't great (men's soap was falling off the wall, and they're super tiny), all of this is not the fault of the staff, who were clearly working very hard. There was also a couple of staff being trained at the time, who didn't know how to serve properly - it's not their fault either but not a 5 star service. It's just that we spent over £200 for 2 of us, which is by far the most ever spent on a meal (it was our honeymoon, so they did give us a little pretty plate of fruit at the end, which was really sweet) and we would had expected it to be more classy than it was. Vegan friendly is quite hard to find in torquay, so I would still definitely recommend to a fellow vegan.

A realm of culinary marvels, presented me with an extraordinary dining experience. The starters showcased pan-seared scallops with pea and avocado purée, a harmonious fusion of tenderness and vibrant flavors. The main course featured tournedos accompanied by wild mushrooms and shallots, an impeccable balance of succulence and earthy richness. The amaretto crème brûlée, a sweet finale with a hint of sophistication, left a lasting impression. Orangetreerestaurant is a culinary sanctuary where attention to detail and remarkable flavors converge. The chef's selection of wine was a spot-on accompaniment, enhancing the overall experience. A visit is highly recommended for those seeking a captivating gastronomic revelation.

Seems to be a different restaurant I.e. not the usual thing. Bit expensive

Took my partner here as it was one of the best rated in the area, and it definitely didn't disappoint. After speaking to someone on the phone before they opened, I was able to visit and drop off some flowers to be brought out after our food. I requested a song to be played as we finished our meal. After I proposed to my gorgeous girlfriend, and got the answer I wanted. The staff were very accommodating making the night extra special with the little touches they added. Food was really nice and the presentation was.something else. Would definitely go again for a special occasion. And I would like to thank the staff massively for making the visit and proposal extra special. You are all amazing thank you so much x

Shamefully there were no shows and we ended up the only ones in there. Kids upstairs running around ruined the remaining atmosphere of just the right background music at the right volume. Pity, as the food was excellent, and obviously, being the only ones in there, the service was excellent. Nice touch at the end, bringing petit fours on a Happy Birthday plate for my wife.

Nice food and when we went there wasn't too many people. This restaurant is a top fine dinning restaurant as the prices show, but well worth a visit. Plan to return.

Waitress was excellent service is brilliant and the food was superb best in the world

Unfortunately this restaurant was an absolute let down. With the food, decor (especially the carpets) and the staffs attitudes. Don't bother!!

Dine in Christmas Day after fire closed the hotel. Food was absolutely amazing ! Staff wonderful , look forward to eating there again soon x

Husband surprised me with the most wonderful evening here for my birthday! The Orange Tree is a beautifully decorated intimate restaurant with real old world charm - for one thing it's quite rare these days to be greeted and chatted to by the restaurant owners but here Vittorio and his wife, Tatjana go out of their way to make you feel welcome and it does make you feel valued. And as part of that old world charm, Vittorio brings a wealth of experience and knowledge not just to the food but the wine as well - the Orange Tree's wine selection is second to none. As for the food, it was absolutely delicious. I would say that I'm not usually a big fan of goat's cheese but the Skyla Goat's Cheese with Charred Fig was amazing - I could have had that as a main! The Risotto had the best flavour and garnishing I have ever had in a risotto, even in Italy. Just divine. Husband had the Tornedos with blue cheese sauce and it was cooked to perfection - clean plates from both us I can tell you. And desserts - Creme Brulee and Pannacotta, mouth watering so compliments to Martin the chef! Another really important part of any dining experience is the service and I have to say, all the staff are excellent - Mila, Phoenix, Anna and Carolina were so professional and pleasant to chat to I had to know their names! All in all a huge thank you to everyone at the Orange Tree for making my birthday dinner so special. I love the Orange Tree so I recommend this restaurant to everyone - it's perfect for couples but suits bigger groups too!

A lovely birthday and great food

Will be definitely coming back. Thank you

The food yet again was phenomenal. The only slight criticism is that I wasn't keen on the wine you get with the taster menu(the red wine and port) and would of liked two bits of bread with the parfait. I only gave a 4 star on the atmosphere because it was a really quiet Saturday night and there was only a small amount of customers in. The people are so lovely as well!

The food was possibly the worst I’ve ever had. The staff rude and the food fake.. totally overpriced. Feel so disappointed as it was for my boys birthday.

Table booked for a birthday celebration. Unfortunately the food was cold, portion sizes small and service rude. Won’t be returning. Save your money.

This review is relative to the positioning of the restaurant, i.e as a high-end fine dining experience. For me it was decidedly average- after dinning at "the elephant" the night before this was a disappointment and is not in the same league. We had the tatsing menu with wines. The wines were "french" and " from the middle of Spain" I did request more detail but non was forthcoming. The food was uninspired with the exception of the chocolate granola with the duck parfait (although neither of us could discern any truffle). I had to reject my steak, as it was served VERY well done despite ordering it rare. They were very apologetic and made good - BUT this is a school boy error, one I could ignor in a chef and brewer - but in a high-end restaurant is unforgivable. The venue is tired and in need of redecorating. All in all I would encourage you to save your money and go to a local gastro pub or treat yourself to The Elephant for a treat

Our only disappointment was not to have been hungrier as we only had a main course and it was fabulous. I had the Fillet steak & my husband had the Duck. Our waiter helped us with a wine choice after listening to what we were debating and recommended a great Red that we could have drank all night! Thank you 😊

I have been traveling to Torquay for around 30 years. This is the best restaurant I have eaten at. Come here. You won’t regret it.

Was the worst tasting menu I have ever had. Was looking forward to going there for a special occasion . Thought I'd have the taster menu which I expected would showcase the best the chef had to offer. I was bitterly dissapointed . The bench mark was set low with industrial part baked bread rolls. Better are to be had a hundred yards down the road at the local supermarket the coop . 2 big bowls of soup were served which I thought was a bit heavy for a taster menu. The 2 slices of duck breast were a little dry .the presentation was fair enough although a bit dated by today's standards with decoration consisting of flowers and pea shoots. The main course (beef)was stuck to the plate although the taste was good .the sauce had been reduced so much that it was like super glue (not that I've tried eating super glue) I over heard someone else in the restaurant complaining that the meat was stuck to the plate. The vegetables were very poor and poorly presented for this particular menu. The beans were very underdone not even cooked to al dente and the dauphinoise potatoes the driest I've ever had. For pudding they had run out of what was mentioned on the taster menu so my freind had a melange of whatever was left over. I had the cheeseboard this was nicely presented . Came with olives although unless I was prepared to pick them out with my fingers no cutlery was offered . As far as decor is concerned quite intimate although dated. But the carpet was noticeably sticky underfoot not so good. When it came to the bill no discount was offered and in fact I could hear the chef complaining that I had underpaid by £100 . This was not the case .the waitress collected the credit card to process leaving the cash on the table .I heard her calming him down assuring him the balance was on the table. (Not really a discussion you want to be hearing ) the front of house manager said that they had a problem with the ovens which is why the bread rolls were poor. However a week later freinds visited and were given the same rolls so makes you wonder ? I thought this was a Michelin star recommended restaurant. I might be mistaken 🤔 there are other restaurants near by charging maybe a nominal amount more for a taster menu but so much better and worth the extra. Needless to say I won't be returning. I really think that if they didn't have the provisions in place they should have simply warned us at the beginning and asked us to choose from the al a carte instead. . Also I paid £10 more than the price advertised without explanation.

Food & service excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and would wholeheartedly recommend here for dinner if you are in town. Only one sitting per evening is a lovely touch, makes you as a diner feel special. I’ve read the other reviews, we are also from London and having the same quality meal & dining experience in zone 1 would cost double. There are a couple of things the restaurant could do to elevate … maybe add focaccia or olive bread to the choices of bread / add olive oil & balsamic with the butter on the table / m ditch the white bread rolls that are out of place and look cheap vs. everything else) in the establishment … but I’m picking as I want them to succeed. This place isn’t hip, but classics done well with great wine - big 👍🏻

Outstanding! Superb food. Superb wine. Superb service. A lovely, smart, relaxed atmosphere with attentive and friendly service. A faultless evening. We’ll be back, as soon as possible!

Pienamente rispondente alle aspettative. Ambiente raffinato, menù vario ed originale, carta dei vini molto ricca. Buon rapporto qualità prezzo

This is a must visit, we went for anniversary and was not disappointed. The food is exceptional and the staff are really friendly and helpful. The food takes a little time to come but you soon forget when you eat it. It is a little expensive but I would definitely pay it again. Thank you orange tree!

Wonderful. Great service and food. Our second visit and would definitely recommend this restaurant.

A memorable experience. The tasting menu with wine flight was superb. Well balanced thoughtful matching. Loved every bite from start to finish…still able to move afterward! Staff informative,efficient and friendly. Coped brilliantly with customer on crutches. Looking forward to going again. .

Very disappointing. I’m not sure where the reviews have come from on this but they don’t reflect the actual food. As you walk into the orange tree you are immediately thrown back into an early nineties Italian Restaurant - plinkety plonk Musac playing and pictures of Italian scenic views etc… The starters priced at £14:50 were not great. The crab bisque was watery , over salted and probably not homemade. The Parmigiana was adequate. Bread was also offered and this was the little part cooked rolls you buy at sainsbury’s - I should have walked at this point. The main courses were worse ( if that’s possible ) - I had the chicken supreme , cheap cut chicken which was watery and definitely not free range or even of any decent quality. The sauce was tasteless and runny again. The asparagus was undercooked. My wife had the Hake - she said it was ok but it was missing both the Samphire and Spinach which were described in the menu. The menu says the restaurant offers the best of the South of Devon - yet it serves Scottish bottled water when other restaurants offer local Devonshire bottled water. The petit fours at the end were delicious - laughably we were told that the petit fours were actually baked by the chef - insinuating nothing else was 🤦‍♂️ The waitress was excellent. The Orange Tree is a failing restaurant , with a chef who is either under qualified or just doesn’t care. The owner is buying very cheap ingredients and is either deliberately not noticing how sub standard the fayre is or is deluded into thinking it is wonderful.

Had the tasting menu with wine. We were really impressed. Left feeling full and the variety if flavours was impressive. Great service too.

Celebrated our wedding anniversary with dinner here. Fabulous food,fabulous service and a portion of celebratory petit fours to finish

Excellent food and service, the menu left us with more choices that we wanted than we could eat. Good varied wine list. The restaurant is very comfortable and the staff bent over backwards to make it an enjoyable experience. Well worth a visit.

Super service and first class food

This place feels straight out of the 70's it just missing napkins rings, foil butter and a bread basket on the table. Food, starters and mains very uninspiring, I ended up with Gnocchi in tomato sauce which was more like something for a toddler, terrible. Service excellent. A Vegan chocolate slice was totally amazing, desserts here seem very strong.

Good food but pretentiously overbearing for what it is

The food is amazing, as is the wine selection. We had the famous tasting menu, and it was delicious, each morsel a perfect combo of beautiful to look at, with tasting like heaven. Highly recommended, we will be back in a year, hopefully.

For Londoners probably not "fine dining" but it may be so for the West country. Irrespective, the food is excellent and service very good. The Torrnedo fillet steak & lamb with all its accompaniments and the vegan dark chocolate dessert were excellent. House malbec was ok..needs to be better for fine dining. Didn't like the choc fondant. They kept talking about creme brulee without shortbread....to me that's how it should be anyway and it was good.

Fine dining at it's best to celebrate thirteenth wedding anniversary, friendly waiting staff.

I don't believe it is right for a restaurant owner to lie in response to an honest review, so I am here to provide receipts. (Update: There should be 3 photos attached to this review, unfortunately 2 don't seem to show for anyone but me -reported perhaps?- they show an email exchange between myself and the restaurant as described below. The 3rd shows a screenshot of the original restaurant response. I have tried reattaching the images to no avail which is why the review has been updated a number of times.) I booked our table at The Orange Tree in mid August. My original request was whether they did a vegetarian tasting menu - I did not ask if they could make us one specially. Vittorio confirmed that they did and asked for details to book. I responded to prebook 2 vegetarian (not vegan) tasting menus for early Sept. My email was received and confirmed by Vittorio himself. The photos added to this review clearly show this. Further to my original review I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Original review: Disappointing vegetarian tasting menu. In short the food was not bad, but not great and ultimately not good value. I would not recommend this restaurant for vegan /vegetarian diners wanting a tasting menu experience. I'm writing this review because I think it could easily be better and I hope the restaurant will consider these points as constructive criticism. I'll begin again with some good points - the restaurant was cosy if a little tired and the staff seemed nice. Service was relatively quick too. Now the more unfortunate points - I booked weeks in advance online, pre-booking 2 vegetarian tasting menus (£70 pp) with wine flights (£25 pp) £95 per person in total. When we arrived we again requested the vegetarian tasting menu, and were given a brief rundown of the courses. The courses were all vegan despite them having vegetarian options on the menu. Our tasting menu it turned out was just the vegan menu from top to bottom - however we had cheese as our dessert rather than the chocolate. It felt lazy, unimaginative and added together the cost of all these courses ordered separately is only £67.50, and the wine £22.50. I think they realised this, as the drinks we had on arrival were given on the house at the end of the meal. A nice gesture, but if we'd realised we were just getting the entire vegan menu we would have ordered different courses separately. Now on to the courses - the overwhelming flavour of most courses was salt. 3 out of the 4 cooked courses were topped with pea shoots and truffle oil. Unfortunately we both dislike truffles, not the restaurants fault but it's a pervasive smell and it would have been nice to taste a range of flavours across the courses. The roast parsnip looked the best, but was ultimately not very exciting or tasty to eat. The gnocchi was quite stodgy. We left full but not excited by the experience. One final point - we didn't complain about the food or ask for no truffle oil. The main reason for this is because when experiencing a tasting menu we choose to trust the chef and enjoy stepping out of our comfort zone to try ingredients we don't usually like. We chose the restaurant based on it's inclusion in the Michelin guide and inclusion on several lists of best places to eat in Torquay. While it might be great for meat eaters, for vegetarians it is currently not.

My partner and I booked this restaurant whilst we were on holiday based on excellent reviewsWe were welcomed warmly and shown to our table,we had decided to have the tasting menu with the wine flight and we weren't disappointed.The staff were very efficient and we really enjoyed our meal and the experience.Well done

My wife is currently suffering badly from long covid, coupled with an MCAS diagnosis, which means she’s on a low histamine diet. Whenever we’re in Torquay we eat at the orange tree, so I emailed them in advance to discuss my wife’s dietary requirements. The owner phoned me and arranged to prepare specific vegetables to accompany her mains. When they took our order I reminded them of my wife’s diet needs and he immediately recalled our discussion and said that they’d prepare a specific terrine of vegetables. We had an amazing meal, as always, fantastic service and we were incredibly grateful for them going above and beyond to support my wife.

We booked a table well in advance but made a mistake with the date but they accommodated us without any fuss despite being fully booked . The whole experience was fantastic from start to finish and the prices were very reasonable considering the very high standard of food and presentation. We were not rushed and were made to feel at home. I definitely recommend this restaurant as its first class ! We will be back next time we are in Torquay!

I would highly recommend this lovely restaurant. The food was delicious and extremely well presented. I had scallops, which were divine followed by fillet steak with a tasty sauce and it was melt in the mouth superb! The cheeseboard completed our lovely meal. . The service was impeccable and we were even asked if we needed a taxi as it had started to rain. Will definitely visit again when in Torquay 😁 Jenifer and Lisa

Best meal I've had for a long time. Excellent well cooked food, good attentive service, and a nice restaurant. Highly recommended.

Celebrated our Anniversary here and glad we did. Food was delicious, beautifully presented and service was good. Would highly recommend for a romantic dinner for two.

went here as part as a weekend away , absolutely beautiful meal very nice food would highly recommend this restaurant nice friendly staff to

Wow! I had the most beautiful night at the Orange Tree, with exquisite personnel. I had never been to this restaurant before, this was my first time here, I came for a surprise birthday meal with my partner who had phoned up prior and organised it (in which they were very accommodating) we sat in the conservatory which was just stunning and I was overwhelmed with the night I had! I am Gluten Free, and the owner/manager was so lovely coming over to our table to tell me what they could do to make a dish Gluten Free for me, to make sure I could have what I originally wanted to, which I really appreciated. The waiters/waitresses were exceptional, super professional but really friendly which created a welcoming and warm atmosphere. The food was absolutely stunning! My partners a chef and he was very impressed! They even topped the night off with a special dessert dish with a ‘Happy 21st Birthday’ written in chocolate on it, which I just loved! I really appreciated it! The owner even offered to take photos for us! Making our first ever dinner out a memory that can be cherished! Everyone really excelled, you have a beautiful restaurant, and I can’t thank you enough for making my night so special. It was a perfect meal and we will definitely be returning! Thank you again, Devon and Lucy x

There’s very much a traditional feel to the Orange Tree. The sort of traditional feel that is long gone from most of the restaurant industry. There’s much to like – a short menu that reads well and service that is generally fine (although a glass of wine ordered to go with the food didn’t arrive until it had been chased twice).A smoked duck salad was a light, summery starter. Three thin slices of duck breast sat on pea shoots and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. Dabs of carrot and orange puree were really nice but the orange and horseradish cream needed more of both to make an impact. The other starter was a red pepper and butternut squash soup that moves you from summer to autumn and had a nice texture contrast from sunflower seed croutons.Fillets of John Dory were accurately cooked and were served with a nice saffron and pea risotto. A squid ink tuile was a dramatic bit of decoration. Game and ale pie was a bit disappointing. Not really a proper pie, with pastry fully enclosing the meat but really just a stew with a puff pastry topping (which was still a bit raw in places). It was served in one of those metal pie dishes you might find in pound shops or on a market stall. It’s the sort of dish my local pub serves and at much less than the £25 price tag here. It comes with decent mash and a red wine sauce. Main courses also come with your own individual dish of vegetables – something we’ve not seen in a restaurant for many a year. It’s another nod towards the traditional feel of the Orange Tree. There’s also a dish of potatoes to share – both dauphinoise and new. It would have made for a carb heavy meal (as both plates already had enough carb in the form of the risotto or pastry) had we eaten more than a taste of them. We’d had enough to eat by then so didn’t order desserts.

In short the food was not bad, but not great and ultimately not good value. I would not recommend this restaurant for vegan /vegetarian diners wanting a tasting menu experience. I'm writing this review because I think it could easily be better and I hope the restaurant will consider these points as constructive criticism. I'll begin again with some good points - the restaurant was cosy if a little tired and the staff seemed nice. Service was relatively quick too. Now the more unfortunate points - I booked weeks in advance online, pre-booking 2 vegetarian tasting menus (£70 pp) with wine flights (£25 pp) £95 per person in total. When we arrived we again requested the vegetarian tasting menu, and were given a brief rundown of the courses. The courses were all vegan despite them having vegetarian options on the menu. Our tasting menu it turned out was just the vegan menu from top to bottom - however we had cheese as our dessert rather than the chocolate. It felt lazy, unimaginative and added together the cost of all these courses ordered separately is only £67.50, and the wine £22.50. I think they realised this, as the drinks we had on arrival were given on the house at the end of the meal. A nice gesture, but if we'd realised we were just getting the entire vegan menu we would have ordered different courses separately. Now on to the courses - the overwhelming flavour of most courses was salt. 3 out of the 4 cooked courses were topped with pea shoots and truffle oil. Unfortunately we both dislike truffles, not the restaurants fault but it's a pervasive smell and it would have been nice to taste a range of flavours across the courses. The roast parsnip looked the best, but was ultimately not very exciting or tasty to eat. The gnocchi was quite stodgy. We left full but not excited by the experience. One final point - we didn't complain about the food or ask for no truffle oil. The main reason for this is because when experiencing a tasting menu we choose to trust the chef and enjoy stepping out of our comfort zone to try ingredients we don't usually like. We chose the restaurant based on it's inclusion in the Michelin guide and inclusion on several lists of best places to eat in Torquay. While it might be great for meat eaters, for vegetarians it is currently not.

Had looked forward to our booking this evening as I love Crab bisque (which was on the menu). Both my husband and I ordered it but were terribly disappointed. It was so incredibly bland with no flavour of crab whatsoever and unseasoned. My husband had the turbot with seafood risotto which he really enjoyed but I had the sea bass with the pea risotto which, sadly again, was so bland. The fish was cooked beautifully but the risotto was so tasteless. I was then offered a chance to re-order to which I had the lamb which was perfectly cooked. The owner did speak to us but basically said he thought the bisque had so much flavour……..not really the right response to a complaint! Don’t think it is worthy of the Michelin recommendation based on our experience tonight I’m afraid

Great food . We had our anniversary there every year.

It’s such a shame I couldn’t give the Orange Tree 5 stars as the food and the waiters were amazing! The only problem is management.The minute we got to the restaurant the manager was extremely rude, claiming we hadn’t booked a table and that because they hadn’t rung us earlier that day, that the booking wasn’t confirmed (even though I booked months in advance and had had several email communications with them to confirm) - which I definitely don’t expect when I’m paying over £200 for a meal!After going off for a phone call, he came back and ushered us to a table saying nothing at all.The food was brilliant, we had the 6 course tasting menu paired with wines. It’s such a shame that as soon as you walk through the door you’re greeted in such a disrespectful way as the rest of the experience and the team were amazing. However it did put a complete downer on what me and my boyfriend were expecting to be a wonderful meal. Sadly, purely because of management I wouldn’t ever consider returning.

We booked a last minute weekend away to Torquay for 2 couples. Due to our late booking we struggled to find availability when trying to book restaurants. I emailed the Orange Tree who were originally fully booked, but left my details and requested they contact me should they have any cancellations. I was pleasantly surprised when I receive a phone call on the Friday morning to offer me a table for 4. This really was a stroke of luck on our behalf as when we arrived on the Saturday, the restaurant and it's staff exceeded all our expectations. We opted for the taster menu with matched wines and weren't disappointed. It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for and every course looked beautiful and you could taste the quality of the ingredients and care that had gone into the preparation of every dish. We were served by a variety of staff members and everyone was polite and friendly. At the end of the meal they brought out a decorated plate with some complimentary chocolate brownies and coconut macaroons to help us celebrate a birthday. They had asked when booking if we were celebrating something and I said its was a belated birthday for one of our party as they had had a big birthday during lock down, but they noted the age and occasion and surprised us with the treat at the end which was unexpected but appreciated. All in all it was a lovely evening and I would highly recommend.

Myself and my carer visited Torquay from Brighton for a short break and this restaurant was recommended to us. Luckily one night I had rang up earlier and managed to get a table for 8.45pm. When we arrived we were shown to our table by 1 of the friendly waiting staff who offered us a starting drink while we looked at the menu even though I had looked at it online before we went and I knew what I wanted. I ordered the scallops, torrnedos and trio chocolate dessert. Every course was excellent especially the torrrendos which I had medium rare and it just melted in your mouth. It was 1 of my best steaks ever. The waiting staff were attentive throughout and I have a disability and all the staff tried to accommodate my needs as much as they could. This restaurant is definitely getting a return whenever I return to Torquay.

We went to the Orange Tree for our wedding anniversary and it did not disappoint. Superb food, beautiful restaurant but what really makes a restaurant special is the service and this was superb. Some high quality restaurants have staff who are professional but aloof, but here they were engaging, genuinely interested, and also warm and welcoming. Professional and friendly. The timing between courses was great. Too many restaurants rush things, but here it was a relaxed evening. And the food was excellent. Portions generous but not so big that you couldnt' indulge in three delicious courses. Thank you Vittorio and team for a wonderful anniversary dinner and an extra special thanks to Mia who looked after us so well.

I booked this restaurant for my husband’s birthday dinner while staying in Torquay based on reviews. It did not disappoint. Lovely atmosphere, friendly professional staff and amazing food. We enjoyed the whole experience.

Our first visit to this restaurant and from putting our first foot across the door there was a warm welcome.The whole staff team are first class, nothing is too much trouble as they support each individual diner to have a first class experience. Knowledge and understanding of their menu was brilliant as was knowledge and experience of the wine list. We asked for assistance and this was given willingly (yes, we enjoyed the Gavi enormously!)Food presentation was of the highest quality and simply beautiful. We chose the duck as our starter and for our main dish we went for the John Dorey fillet and the Chicken. Everything we had was stunning and exquisite in presentation, quality and flavours.We cannot rate this restaurant highly enough, it is a gem of a find as far as we are concerned and so much so we are trying our best to fit in another visit (with friends) before we depart for home.The hard work and investment by the owners has clearly paid off. Our message to anyone reading this review is that you miss/overlook this restaurant at your peril. One of the finest restaurants we have visited over many years and is a complete credit to the owner and his brilliant staff team. Well done!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lovely restaurant with lovely food and staff

The service and food were excellent in every way. We were made to feel very welcome from the start.The food was out of this world. My favourite desert until now was creme brulee but now it has been surpassed by the panacotta, mouthwateringly good. Will visit again without hesitation.

Excellent service followed by excellent food. This did not disappoint. Highly recommend the lamb and fillet steak meals.

Excellent meal enjoyed by our party of 3. We all had different dishes, Ravioli, John Dory and Lamb. All agreed that theirs was one of the best meals they had ever eaten.

From the way we were greeted on entering the restaurant I could tell the service was going to be attentive and that proved to be the case throughout the evening. My wife and I were sat at a pleasant table in the conservatory and chose from the a la carts menu. Drinks were served without delay. We both had an excellent smoked salmon roulade to start and then my lamb was cooked to perfection, pink on the inside as requested. My wife was praising of the John Dory on saffron risotto. Overall we felt we enjoyed a very spoiling evening and have no hesitation in recommending this restaurant.

A delightful restaurant offering in abundance what other restaurants strive for but fail to capture. Hard to articulate but this place has the right "touch" on every front-delicious food, gentle warm ambiance and atmosphere and proper hospitality. Excellent in every way !

Booked a table here glad we did as very busy . The food and service was amazing . Defo highly recommend - staff very attentive .

The Orange Tree is our restaurant of choice for special occasions, most recently a number of birthdays in close succession. The food is exquisite and the tasting menu the perfect way to sample a range of their dishes. This changes seasonally but tends to always include the fillet steak and scallops - stand-out dishes! The staff are extremely attentive and Vittorio is the perfect host. He made our night very special by bringing out complimentary petit fours decorated with 'Happy Birthday' and candles.For an exceptional dining experience you must visit The Orange Tree. Make sure to book in advance - you won't want to miss out!

Arrived early and was showed to our table. The food was outstanding however the place itself was tired and dull. The senior staff were little stand offish but the waitresses were very pleasant. We were asked to use track n trace and also the hand sanitiser on our table was empty. I couldnt use the ladies loo as i cudnt get in it using my crutches and it seems the mens were about the same. very dated. Considering its a Michelin star restaurant i feel its time it was brought into the 21 century. But once again the food was outstanding.

Excellent service providing superb food in a very nice restaurant. Nothing seemed too much trouble to ensure we all had a great meal. A requested variation from the menu was catered for to meet dietary needs.

We ate at this restaurant twice recently while on holiday in Torquay .Excellent customer service ,staff very friendly .Very good menu.Would definitely recommend.

Disappointing and not at all what we were expecting. The restaurant had a slightly tired feel to it. The food was very average - although I should add that I had the game pie which was very tasty. One of the group had turbot which came with risotto both of which were cold. The other main we ordered was John Dory and that was also cold and was completely lacking in seasoning. We opted for the cheese board which was badly presented and literally looked like a pile of cheese thrown in a plate. The waiter asked if we had enjoyed our meal but then appeared not interested in hearing our view.We’ve had some great meals on our stay in Torquay but this was not one of them.

We had booked a table for 5 of us on Thursday, we were greeted by the owner Vittorio and shown to our table. We all had the taster menu & were not disappointed! Each course was exceptional and beautifully presented with exactly the right time left between each. The prosecco, I can honestly say is the best I have ever tasted! We had a wonderful, relaxed, unhurried night and thoroughly enjoyed our conversations with Vittorio and were made to feel so welcome. The waiting staff were smart and professional & really looked like they enjoyed their work. It is so nice to see an owner so very passionate about their restaurant & to have such wonderful high standards. I would recommend The Orange Tree to anyone looking for something special.

We had a lovely friendly welcome on our arrival, the staff were professional and friendly. the food was amazing, I had my steak well done and yet it was so tender that I didn't need my steak knife. that's a chef who understands food. thank you for a fantastic evening..

The chef is obviously good and the food was tasty BUT as a celiac I am really fed up with restaurants pertaining to be of a certain calibre but even with advance notification of one diner being gluten intolerant are unable to provide gluten free bread. The gluten free choices from the menu were limited to 2 starters, one main (the fillet steak at £30) and one dessert creme brûlée minus the shortbread biscuits. My husband ordered turbot and was looking forward to a whole fish , not a 2” square!A disappointing, expensive evening, I do question establishments who think it’s acceptable to take ingredients away from a dish and charge the same price for it then being gluten free. It would be so easy to replace the removed items with something equally delicious!

We visited The Orange Tree on the 14th July this year for my birthday during a 10 day visit to Torquay from Sheffield. Although the food was good the overall customer experience wasn't the best. During the meal we wasn't once asked if everything was okay, no interaction at all, it was only at the end when we paid (after asking twice) for our meal that the girl taking our money actually asked how was everything and how was our day, no one ever asked if we wanted a dessert menu but others around us (possibly spending more money) were asked these questions. The overall experience left us feeling ignored and somewhat a little intimidated, no matter what you spend all customers should be treated the same, well... as a caterer myself for some 45 years that's I treat my customers anyway..

Visited The Orange Tree for the first time on Sat,and can definitely say it will not be the last.. Wow, is all I can say,from the minute we walked through the door it was first class all the way. The service,the Fillet steak was to die for,and the chocolate fondant was amazing.. Thankyou all for making our Anniversary a meal to remember. We can't wait to visit again the next time we're in Torquay.

Superb meal, service and experience. Went for the taster menu with wine flight and it was worth every penny. Highly recommmeded.

Very welcoming atmosphere, amazing friendly service. I had the Tournedos with Wild Mushroom and Shallots nicest steak I’ve ever had! Amazing!! Highly recommend☺️

We were very fortunate to get a "walk in" table as we were just passing.I certainly wasn't dressed (shorts and T-shirt) for a restaurant as classy as this. However the maitre d' was very accommodating and found us a table in the conservatory.It was very warm in there but it was difficult with the heat outside to find anywhere that wasn't.The food more that made up for the heat. It was truly superb.Smoked salmon roulade to start, fillet steak followed by Baileys and white chocolate bread and butter pudding.My wife's meal was equally as sumptuous.Service was excellent and attentive.If we're in Torquay again we will book to make sure we gat a table.Recommended.

Lovely restaurant first class food and service would highly recommend. Book in advance as very popular

What a gem of a restaurant, excellent food, fantastic service. Would highly recommend. All the staff including the proprietor took time to make sure everything was just ad it should be

You must do the taster meal with the wine flight

Excellent food, fantastic staff, extremely attentive, would hi GN hly recommend

What a lovely dining experience! We thoroughly enjoyed our evening here; the food and drinks were wonderful and the service was excellent. Definitely the best panna cotta I have ever had! Would have no hesitation in recommending The Orange Tree.

A very much less than efusive welcoming to this supposedly top class restaurant would be hard to achieve (left standing by the door for 5 minutes). We were shown into a greenhouse at the back where it was as hot as hell, a fan displayed 30C (the butter dish was a liquid puddle), said no way immediately and ended up in the main room where a tired old air con unit was doing nothing to keep the temp below about 26C. The menu is old and tired, limited choice. Even the chairs are old and tired, no stuffing, you sit on the wooden frames. The dishes are small too (I had a about a 3rd of the amount of scollaps I had at Ollie’s the night before). The crab bisque was too watery with little flavour. Service is slow to glacial. We had to ask for both olives and butter, the bread arrived with the starters for example. Main course of turbot was OK but the room by then was so hot we paid and left. Talked to another patron taking he air outside, who was also too hot. Avoid this place in warm weather. In fact avoid it all together till it gets modernised. The men’s loo is the smallest I have ever seen, you practically have to stand on the loo to open the door. God knows when this place got its Michelin recommendation but its not deserving of one now. Go to Ollie’s where we went the previous night, they want to see you and the food is so good.

An excellent find in a busy tourist destination Service is excellent food is wonderful. The characterful wine waiter was informative and helpful All in all a wonderful meal and enjoyable atmosphere

Food was good, but not exceptional as would be expected. Service was atrocious, waitress forgot 3 customers with soup needed spoons. No one offered to refill wine glasses, when required. Waited over an hour to not be offered the desert menu. All in all a very average, disappointing experience.

The food here was great and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Clearly the chef knows what they are doing. The lamb was absolutely divine, and it’s nice to have touches like olives and a selection of bread for the table.The service was slow, though the youngsters providing it (especially the lady) were obviously anxious to be polite and get everything right. They were acting under the watchful eye of the proprietor, who made us feel from the moment we arrived that we had annoyed him somehow.Overall excellent food but we enjoy friendly conversation with waiting staff, and that sort of thing appears to be in short supply here.

A pleasant place trying hard to be fine dining. The taster menu was ok but not brilliant. A number of courses were well presented and the staff pleasant enough. The wine was very poor - as if they’d emptied their back cupboards. The price was very high compared to the quality. Probably best to go for the standard dishes. £110 per person was really stretching it especially given the big standard wines.