Restaurant 1881 in Torbay

Met at dinning room personally to explain food arrangement & seating. Wide variety from Fresh Fruit Salad, to Full breakfast. I enjoyed the fresh fruit & juice. The full breakfast was all cooked fresh & kept covered, not over cooked or dry, Decent bacon slices & sausages cooked just right. & fried eggs had soft yolks. Soft pastries & endless coffee, with quick cereral fix if required. Staff considerate of seating arrangements, fresh air, opening windows to keep heat down. The food is not my main attraction to The Grand - its location, spacious rooms, including bar & dinning area & views are.

Our visit was excellent I have to say! My wife and I enjoyed our dinner immensely. For starters she had the terrine, I had the squid , which were both superb, my squid was melt in the mouth! We both chose the pork steak for main, the vegetables cooked ‘Al dense’ which is how I prefer my veg, and accompanied by a very tasty creamy potato mash. I chose a bottle of Chenin Blanc which was an excellent accompaniment. For pudding we both chose the apple crumble, which was served with either custard or ice cream, the lovey waitress Lumi brought me both! Speaking of the staff I have to say we received excellent service, and nothing was too much trouble for any of them. We retired to The Compass bar to wait for our taxi, and it was very pleasant to be serenaded by the pianist, who played a couple of my wife’s favourites, full marks! A lovely night.

I booked a birthday dinner in the 1881 restaurant, on arriving at the Grand we were told the restaurant was closed and dinner was being served in the bar area, this was a disappointment but as it was booked and already 7.30 on a Sunday night we felt we had little choice but to stay. The menu on the website was prolific but the menu we were presented with was extremely limited, my partner ordered a prawn cocktail starter at a cost of £6.50, to say the portion was small in an understatement, and also the few prawns there was were not all that fresh, I had the gravadlax costing £8.50, and comprised of 3 small beetroot portions again not very pleasant, for main course my partner had fish and chips, the black skin was left on the small portion of fish and the chips were flaccid disgusting at a cost of £17.50, I chose Chicken supreme at a cost of £19.00, the chicken was dry, the carrots hard and the sauce tasted out of a jar, awful, a very average bottle of wine costing £24, and a whiskey and lemonade costing £8, all in all for a total bill of £83.50 it was all terrible, I have emailed the hotel but have received no reply, I suggest you avoid the Grand at all costs.

I stayed 1 night at the hotel with my family and had dinner here. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. I had the sea bass with mash, veg which came with a yummy mushroom sauce…..this was presented beautifully and tasted delicious. My kids ordered from the kid’s menu and enjoyed the chicken and chips. The only let down was there was no chocolate fondant but I tried an alternative dessert which was good. Cocktails were FABULOUS! Dress code was smart/casual. Breakfast here was also good and my whole family ate a lot from the buffet. :0)

We stayed two nights in the Grand Hotel and had dinner both nights in the 1881. The chef really knows how to produce quality meals and has a delicate touch with fish. Breakfast was extensive and high quality. Thoroughly enjoyable and filling.

Fantastic night from start to finish. Slight hiccup that our booking was not acknowledged but table soon found. Restaurant was full so staff were darting everywhere trying to please certain ignorant customers. Food was very good, pate, liver, sea bass and good old fish & chips. Very good bottle of Malbec. A good night was spoilt by some rude and insulting customers towards the staff. This sadly ended in a free round of cocktails. The Restaurant Manager fell for this unscrupulous behaviour totally. Just because you are well spoken and have half a decent vocabulary doesn’t make you right. So sad to see the young hospitality team being reported for failings that are out of their control. You got your free drinks, well done. Hopefully the next blag you try will be declined.

Afternoon tea at the Grand sounds lovely , the reality is just a below average service with a nice view . We were sat at a nice table but were not offered the tea menu , had to ask for it , we had two traditional teas, we were not asked what type of tea and not advised if it was bottomless , we did request no salmon , so we were served salmon . This was rectified quickly but sandwiches we were given were ...... ham salad and cheese and chutney . Yep not much choice at all . The scones however were lovely . The cake selection could have been bought from Tesco.

Very well appointed but in need of a dress code to avoid those whose is shorts and tee shirt. Starters good, dessert good but the mains are pretentious and minute instead of being tasty are different for the sake of it. To get enough extra cost side dishes are needed.

Booked afternoon tea at the Grand. Was more like take away sandwiches in a cafe. This was obviously disappointing as you have an expectation. Restaurant was not plush (no table cloths) and tables scattered (for COVID). Order for drinks came wrong (1 out of 4). order for food came wrong (2 out of 4), and when corrected the panini wasn’t properly done (didn’t send back back again - chef obvious not bothered on quality). Cakes and scones were good, other food was ok, but not worth the price. I disappointingly would not recommend.

Excellent 3 course meal and excellent value for money. Lovely service and happy to oblige slight changes. Home made bread really lovely. Wine waiter very helpful and knowledgeable. Went twice in December with different people and all enjoyed it.

Firstly this hotel is very old and most rooms need refurbishing. Any way i am here to review the restaurant. When i went there was only 1 couple in the huge restaurant. The waitress was nice enough but had no knowledge of what was being served. The presentation of the food was good but even though the food tasted ok, it didnt feel great. Hard to explain! I wouldnt eat here again.

We decided to go to this restaurant on their steak speciality evening as a birthday treat. All choices were very good including starters and sweets We had The fillet steak and it was really good. The service was excellent and staff could not be faulted in any way

We were part of a large party of Rotarians attending our annual District Conference. It was the first evening and and we had traveled from all corners of our District (from Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the north, from parts of Wiltshire in the East, Gloucestershire either side of the Severn, Chepstow in Wales, and down through Bristol into part of North Somerset). After an afternoon at conference and a couple of drinks in the Compass bar we were ready to eat. Mass catering is always a nightmare because the food really needs to be on all tables within minutes and not hanging about getting cold due to table service latency. The staff managed to get the food onto our table retaining some of it's heat but probably not as hot as those fortunate to be served more promptly. I can't blame the staff and the management can't afford to have a waiter per table for just one meal for 20+ tables. OK I'm a foodie, that's apparent from my reviews here on TA. The meal was as good as I could have reasonably expected because it just had to be simple and really I like a more complex taste for my meals and for it served hot. The starter sort of passed me by a bit. The chicken main was OK and retained good moisture, the veg were simple but the lack of a sauce was disappointing. The stuffed tomato was good and added a lot of taste, but the veg was otherwise a bit unimaginative. The dessert was for the ladies really - a rich, but too cold chocolate torte. The service was good and the Australian Sauvignon Blanc wine was more than adequate and reasonably priced. The cost of the meal was rolled into the hotel deal we had so I don't know what would have been charged if we had ordered it à la carte. If it had been priced at £12-15 it would have been about right, but much more and it would have been poor value. This would not have been my choice of eatery and the meal I would have eaten at a restaurant wouldn't have been roast chicken breast.

He vuelto a este restaurante y ha hecho honor a lo que recordaba. Todo muy bueno y para remarcar el arroz de gambas. hay que probar las croquetas de jamón, las mejores que he probado en mucho tiempo

Been here today for Sunday Lunch -it was great to see it busy and more staff in restaurant than on previous visits. omg the quality of the food has vastly improved since our last Sunday lunch in the autumn. It was amazing and the banoffee cheesecake was out if this world. 4 very happy diners. We were using our Black Friday offer excellent value for money. Please keep this up.

Treated by the stafe like everthing two mooch trouble food rubbish just cheap bread with the crust cut off not homemade I mean look at this picture plan sandwich with crust cut off no side sale no crisp wow may as well go two Greg’s and tack the crust off

If the Trip Advisor reports this restaurant closed (which it did today), telephone to verify I did so and was delighted to learn it was open. I was not disappointed. Lunch was a nice duck terrine followed by leg of lamb. I was too well fed to enjoy one of the desserts although it was included in the prix-fixe three course lunch. All in all, excellent.

We stayed at the hotel and the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous. The food was excellent. Like fine dining and really lush. Very well presented and service excellent.

My wife and l had dinner here and the salmon stater followed by the lamb was a good choice. My wife had the Raspberry Souffle although it was expensive she enjoyed it . I settled for three scoops of ice cream. The only problem was the diet coke, as l am a non alcohol drinker, it had an unpleasant musty smell and although a replacement smelt and tasted the same I was assured it was fresh but diet Pepsi diluted with soda (made from a concentrate). Still not convinced and had no heart to argue a fight Impossible to win. I drank the water and left the coke.

The restaurant was very quiet when we visited but the food was delicious and well priced. The service was particularly wonderful and definitely the best we've experienced anywhere the Bay. We'll be returning!!

It’s a lovely old Victorian Dining Room. Breakfast was 1st class, except on one of the mornings. We went back up to the self service to get toast only to return to our table and it had been clear away. We did feel embarrassed just stand there. The table was relayed and finished our breakfast.

We dined 5 nights in a row & each 3 courses were excellent, although I have am awkward palate ( classed as very fussy because I do not like sweet/savoury together & dislike a lot of the currently favoured vegetables) I still managed to pick & enjoy each meal.

Having stayed at the Grand on a number of occassions I have preferred eating in the 1881 dining,however on our last stay we chose to eat in the brassiere.

Excellent breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner we recommend half board option. Great staff very friendly and very helpful.

Mi madre y yo nos alojamos en el Grand Hotel por 3 noches, con desayuno y cena en el restaurante 1881 incluido. La comida era absolutamente espectacular, realmente no pude encontrar ningún defecto. Los productos se producen localmente y trabajadas en platos de una manera emocionante y muy deliciosos, en especial el ruibarbo. En la parte superior de esta, el servicio era de primera clase. Nos gustaría darle las gracias a Ina y Felix para tomar tan bien de nosotros, y hacer nuestro viaje un poco más relajante y especial! No podría recomendar este lugar.

Una buena comida con un servicio muy amable y competente.

El Grand es un lugar fabuloso, con magníficas vistas y un ambiente elegante, sin embargo, que faltan en su estilo. La comida no es ni de lejos tan buena como cabría esperar, aunque el personal es bueno parecen ser menos capaz de hacer demasiado. Table d'hote en 35 libras no es buena. El desayuno está bien, pero pudo haber tenido mejor en otros restaurantes.

Nos alojamos en el hotel y en el paquete se incluía la cena en este restaurante. 3 cursos de 35 libras es tan buena relación calidad-precio para la calidad y variedad de la comida y el servicio atento. El menú cambia todos los días, pero era un poco bien equilibrada e imaginativa. La carta de vinos es bastante amplia y los precios muy razonables. Lo recomiendo encarecidamente!

Not as much selection on the menu as we had anticipated therefore we ordered the Mushroom Risotto which was excellent.

Pasamos tres noches en este hotel en febrero de 2017 y estaba muy satisfecho de que comí aquí cada noche. La comida era magnífica. Los camareros eran muy agradables y Teri la camarera era un excelente anuncio para profesional y servicio al cliente, tales como el Jolly buen ejemplo establecido por ella, un crédito para el hotel.

Un gran servicio y una muy buena vista al mar. Aunque estaba lleno, el personal se las arregló bien en servir a todos sus clientes.

We spent a few days at the Grand last month for our anniversary. We booked a table here on the special day after a spa day and afternoon tea earlier ( very good aswell). The menu is a very good selection of 3 course fine dining at £30 per person. We were also given a complimentary aperitif for the occasion. The service was excellent and the husband and wife team on duty could not do enough for us. I had the ham hock terrine for starters and hubby had the soup. Both were excellent followed by chicken for me and steak for hubby. For dessert we both chose the deconstructed rhubarb and custard which was to die for as all the photos attached can demonstrate. Overall, a memorable evening and the best meal we have had for a long time and the best we had in Torquay during our short stay. Definately recommended for special occasions.

The food was wonderful, well presented and portion size just right. The staff were lovely especially Felix and his wife, who were present if needed but not hovering as some do. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend everyone try a meal at Resturant 1881.

The food in this restaurant is amazing lots of choice and good service the food is a little more expensive than some of the local places but well worth spending that little extra

Stayed in hotel, had dinner for 3 nights, first night not very good we didn't like the starters or the main. The other 2 nights was good. Not large portions but rich food, a bit hit and miss, and cold dining room.

Words cannot express how grateful we all were to the staff at The Grand Hotel on the evening of my Dad's 70th Birthday party on Saturday 15th October 2016.The Restaurant Manager pulled out all the stops and changed our reservation from the restaurant to the conservatory - so that my Dad could enjoy the sea view.All the staff we encountered were polite, courteous, very professional.Unfortunately during the meal, my Dad became very unwell (nothing to do with the food I hasten to add!!!) - resulting in him being rushed to hospital. Thankfully he made a full recovery but wasn't too pleased about spending his birthday in hospital!All of the staff were amazing. They couldn't do enough for us and my poor Dad. We all wanted to express our sincere thanks to everyone at the Grand Hotel who were on duty that night, for looking after us all so brilliantly

Food here is good and the servers do their best, they just lack that bit of polish and training. Excellent menu and high quality ingredients. They have an AA Rosette, and the food is deserving of this. Prices are fair. Excellent wine list, very reasonably priced and good selection by the glass. Will be returning.

We thoroughly enjoyed our food in Restaurant 1881, at The Grand, Torquay. Selection was very good.Five or six different choices in each section of starter, main and dessert and cooked very well.

I booked and indicated that I was a business traveller. I have been given a room without WiFi not alot of use for a business traveler. I would normally ask to be moved but as I'm only here for an evening I just resigned myself to a quiet evening. Went to the bar where I noted plenty of staff but after standing for 15 mins in a quiet bar without being able to get a drink... I gave up and went for a walk. Thankfully found a Costa Coffee just 5 min walk. However this hotel has an olden day charm with great reception staff and impeccably clean rooms... I will come back but I will ask for a room nearer the WiFi!

Had dinner on our last day here. Service was good and the staff efficient and friendly . You must book as it is a reservation only establishment . Works out at about £30 a head excluding and drinks you order. Food was good.

Food was presented beautifully and waiting staff very efficient and friendly. It would be better if there was more choice as after 7 days you have gone through the whole menu. This hotel is much improved with the quality of this restaurant

We chose the three course menu which was reasonably priced. There was a good selection of food to choose from and we went for the Duo of Lamb as our main course. The portions weren't large but were perfectly cooked, seasoned and very tasty. The food and service were excellent.

We booked into the restaurant for our final night in the Grand Hotel and was really disappointed having had previous good experience. We had the Table D'Hote menu & £29.95 per person. I ordered crab starter followed by Lamb rump, both contents were very minimal contents "nouveau do cuisine" style, which I don't mind as they usually have superb fusions of taste. Both dishes was totally lacking this element. Also the first serving of the lamb had to be returned to the kitchen as I ordered it pink it came medium well!My wife's soup and fish were OK. The cheese course to finish was also good.Both the table waitress (Roumanian) was excellent and too the wine waiter was faultless, but the overall experience left us less than enthusiastic.

Dette var en hotell-restaurant med kvalitet. Maten var svært god og betjeningen var hyggelig. Riktignok lot det drøye en tid før vi fikk vinkartet.

Went here with my boyfriend last Saturday. Great value 3 course meal at £29.95 per head. The food was just beautiful, I'm not used to fine dining so it felt like a real treat. The service was impeccable, special mention to the assistant manager Joshua. Thanks for making the last night of our break in Torquay so fancy!

Ate here one evening and couldn't fault the service from the staff or the quality of the food. Whilst a little on the pricey side, it's worth it. Enjoyed all courses and happy with the selection on the menu. Would return without hesitation.

Feeling slightly under the weather I decided to have a sandwich in the bar. I had a great smoked salmon and cream cheese on toasted bread which came with olives, and crisps (potato chips). Not knowing what came with the sandwich I ordered chips (French fries) extra crispy. It was enough for 2 but they were delightful. The bar offered a great view.

La comida muy bien, el servicio muy correcto, el personal muy servicial y super simpático. La carta carecía de precios y no saben hacer café.

Lots of staff, very attentive and an enjoyable experience, not cheap but very good. Some quite fancy menu choices in excellent surroundings.

This restaurant is excellent and I just can't wait to visit it again. A group of 10+ of us all agreed that this is one of the best places we have eaten.

We had the £30 for three course meal deal built into our hotel package but we didn't feel it was value for money. The soup was lovely but everything else after that was bang average! The wine at £23 a bottle was not good. How can a Chilean Merlot disappoint so much? On a positive notice, the service was good and the staff were very warm and welcoming but I feel that they were let down by the quality of the food.

No vegetarian choice although they do have a meat-free carbohydrate option. Sandwiches dry and unpleasant. Eggshell in food. Pasta overcooked. Cold Kale.

1881 trumpeted as the main restaurant-- except for breakfast-- closed to residents during our stay and used for functions only. 1881 resident diners shunted into small adjoining room with only one server having a tough time. Food was poor and not much of it!--family really disappointed. Spoke with management at the time- but told there was "no problem and did we want a gratis coffee or tea!"

Had dinner in restaurant excellent service superb starters mains and dessert wine by the glass was reasonably priced and very enjoyable Due to a Christmas function, the 1881 had moved into the Cavendish room so had a lovely view of the lights on sea front. bearing in mind the large amount of people that he kitchens were catering for we did not have to wait for our meal. will definitely be going back again. Thank you to all the restaurant staff who made our meal so enjoyable.

Everything you need in a breakfast! All fresh and hot. Full cooked breakfast, cheese, meats, fruit, pastries, breads, conserves. Fab.

Everything about this restaurant, the menu, the decor, the prices etc, suggest that it aspires to be a fine dine establishment. However, I do not feel the it meets these aspirations. The dishes appear good on the menu, but often the food on the plate doesn't match up to the description on paper. The service is patchy and the prices are too high for the end product. So the overall experience of dining here is disappointing.

We bought a Groupon Voucher for a Cream tea, but the service was dreadful, we had to book a time slot, we were sat down in a window seat which was lovely, but the window sills were dirty with dead flys and dead leaves.We waited awhile and a waiter brought over 1 cream tea, but we had no plates to eat it from, we waited a while by which time the scones had gone cold, then we were given a pot of tea and had to ask for plates, which we were given, and were told they would bring the 2nd cream tea over, we waited over 10 minutes for this by which time our tea was cold, we were given a second pot of tea, but the whole experience was spoilt it was meant to be a special afternoon for us, which it just wasn't.I don't know if it was because we had a groupon voucher but I do think the service should of been much better than this for a 4 star Hotel.

On a Sunday breakfast finished at 10. At 9,40 they stopped cooking anymore food! Went to hot buffet and waited 10 mins for bacon. Gave up in the end! Just ate what was available. Scrambled egg swimming in milk !For what we paid - it wasn't worth it.

have stopped at the grand every year for the past 11/12 years including our 40th anniversary and never had any issues. But this year we went for our 50th anniversary and we were very disappointed, booked executive room which was great but that is where it ends. The evening meal was the same for all the three nights we were there(no change in menu) while we do not mind pea soup but not three nights in a row. The rest of the menu was the same for the three nights. very disappointed for a special occasion and will not be visiting again next year.

I visited The Grand Hotel for afternoon tea this summer and have been meaning to leave a review for some time... unfortunately not for positive reasons!We paid for use of the swimming facilities and afternoon tea. The swimming pool, although small was adequate, but not really big enough for an exercise-swim. However the afternoon tea fell below expectations. The lounge in which we were served tea felt extremely dated, and whilst I can appreciate this holds much of the appeal for the older generation, the furniture on which we were sat was very tatty and there was woodworm/rot in our corner of the room. One couldn't help but feel that a little bit of an update was in order.The tea itself, when it arrived, was not the correct afternoon tea, but instead was a cream tea. It took me 10 minutes to get this sorted out at the front desk which detracted from the whole experience.When the afternoon tea did finally arrive, the sandwiches were nice but the cakes were some of the most disappointing-tasting cakes I've ever had the displeasure of eating.All-in-all, a sub-standard experience :(

nice choice of food at good quality but small portions. Staff were friendly and water top ups were appreciated.

Slow service, we tried to order drinks but they did not come to our table until after 30 minutes. The starter was quite tasty but the chicken we ordered was bland and overlooked.

We went in for a drink to decide whether or not to come back for a stay. My husband tried to order but was told that it was table service only. We sat for 15 minutes waiting and watching other people get served at the bar before deciding to use the basically OK toilets then left. Rubbish service, rubbish staff, will find somewhere else to stay in Torquay.

We recently came here for an evening meal with our 2 grandsons. Menu choice was very limited and the potions were ridiculously small. I had a prawn starter and was given 4 prawns. I couldn't believe it. Our main courses were also very small portions. It was like rationing. Don't get me wrong i'm used to fine dining and I don't expect huge portions but honestly this was beyond a joke. Definitely not worth the high prices. On a positive note the service was good

Evening meal, four adults, I ordered king prawn starter, was charged £9.00 and received the three smallest prawns you could ever see. All the starers and main courses were children's portions, for example, my guest was served a lamb which was one inch square!!! Complained to waiter who arranged for another piece of lamb ( which was also one inch) and guess what, water said he wouldn't charge for additional portion!! One bottle of wine, two gin & tonics, one sort drink, besides the service being mediocre at best, the bill came to £185.00. We left not only feeling ripped off but also very hungry.

Excellent food and great staff nothing to much trouble had breakfast there as well great selection of well cooked and well presented food.

After travelling down from Wales to take my mother as a treat, we were bitterly disappointed at the quality of the afternoon tea!For 2 people it consisted of 4 very slim oblongs with a different filling in each (dry on top)2 scones ( one with 2 raisins and one plain) both very stale.Top layer consisted of 3 small cakes (should be 4 for an even split).Service was very poor.At £15 per head this was unacceptable!

So, I went here for high tea with my partner. I was really looking forward to this as we love having high tea. We have been to some really nice places. I was not expecting the Ritz level of food or service, but I was most certainly expecting more than we got!The outside of the hotel should have been our first clue, it was shabby and looked really run down. Inside started things looking up, the inside was much better as we walked through the lobby. Then it went again. We sat down on some comfy chairs with a table between. The table was old and jaded which matched most of the rest of the decor. We had a pot of tea brought over to us. Not only did we not get a choice of teas (despite this being advertised on the website when we booked) the tea was tea bags rather than loose tea. Seriously! Tea bags? That was our second clue. Unfortunately things just got worse. The sandwiches were really thick finger sandwiches on multigrain bread. The fillings were OK, but they were clearly all cut with the same knife. The smoked salmon sandwich had mustard from the ham and piccalilli sandwich which was also on other ones. Next the scones which were quite dry and clearly no-where near freshly made. The jam was the smallest portion I’ve ever seen and the clotted cream had clearly been left in the fridge portioned up as it was too solid and was dried out. The fruit cake for the top tray was good though, I must say that and my partner really liked the Battenberg slices. When paying and asked if everything was OK I said there were several ‘issues’ to which I got the reply “hopefully you’ll have better luck next time”. Not exactly the way to improve the customer experience!Overall, I would not recommend this place for afternoon tea. It need a lot of small touches to change. Just a few suggestions below:Get better tables or a nice plain white tablecloth to cover the tablesLinen napkinsChoice of teas as advertisedSmaller sandwiches on white bread, or a choice of breadUse different knives for cutting the different fillings of sandwichesBigger portions of jamFreshly portioned clotted creamFresher sconesSomeone bothering when issues are raised

Aconchegante lugar para desfrutar uma refeição de frente para o mar neste antigo hotel em Torquay. Bom lugar para passear em família.

A few years ago I reviewed this hotel, in particular the afternoon tea ( I did not stay)I gave what for me was a rave review, it has had many readers and a number of helpfulvotes, I have visited this venue a number of times since then and have to report that the afternoon tea is no longer worthy of my original review.The small cakes have virtually disappeared what was there was I am afraid was generally unappealing, on my visit i took a guest who had read my original review and it wasa high spot for her stay in Torquay, unfortunately her assessment was the same as mine, standards have fallen, the afternoon tea is no longer on my list when I return to Torquay. Sorry readers if you took my original advice and were diiappointed hopefully the management will see this and once again start serving the very special afternoon tea that I had so enjoyed.

reinvented gainsborough, same old rubbish rebranded, not worth the money and not worth my visit ever again. total ripoff

We visited the Grand for a cream tea. We were told that the seats with the sea view were reserved although at no time during the visit was that particular area more than 30% full. We ordered our cream tea, as well as the 'three cheese platter'. As one or two reviewers have mentioned, the experience was 'unhurried'- the numerous staff seemed to enjoy a rather leisurely existence while their supervisor was running around with the weight of the world on her shoulders. The pianist was excellent and added to the slightly olde-worldy ambiance. Eventually our cream tea turned up and it was excellent- and good value for money. I wish the same could also be said for the 'three cheese platter' which arrived on a trendy wooden board- and had three ungratefully slithered mini-portions of very nice cheese, four small crackers and an egg-cup of chutney. The walnut bread and quince had clearly gone awol. Eventually four bread rolls appeared after my wife complained to our very pleasant waitress. Overall, a pleasant morning, tainted a little by the astonishingly small portion of cheese. The staff were pleasant, the cream tea good value.

We had bought a group on voucher which I assume they are trying to get locals in to boost revenue? The reception staff were lovely as were ladies at the spa all was going well until we went for our cream tea, we explained we had a groupon voucher and the waitress literally rolled her eyes and tutted at us! We had a table booked but we weren't felt welcome. We weren't allowed to sit in a certain area. I immediately wanted to leave but we sat down and had our cream tea which was fine, service very very slow considering there were only a few couples seated. Another waitress took over as previous one seemed uninterested in us, unfortunately the rudeness of this one particular member of staff has put us off.

I was a little concerned by some of the other reviews on here but as it turned out, there was nothing to worry about. 4 courses for £15.95 each and a very nice £19.50 bottle of wine. Service was awesome with sometimes 3 waitresses queuing up to either top up water glasses , offer bread rolls or take the order for the next course. Good selection of choices for this set menu lunch with 4 starters and 4 main course including excellent vegetarian/fish choices. I suppose lunch could have been called 'leisurely' at a couple of hours but we were there to enjoy ourselves - and we did!

service terrible and the food pathetic amounts, no sides with the main and the quality was poor. The dining room was dirty and we waited half an hour for one pint of beer so didn't bother ordering any wine with our meal!

A lack of choice as we expect from a 4 star hotel. Most of the staff were from Eastern Europe and they English at times was below average. Most of them willing and eager to please but again there was little supervision on the running of the restaurant. There was a meet & greet at the door and another person taking the order but the staff were left on their own to service the tables.

An embarrassment to the hotel industry Very bad management and professionalism of the staff at a wedding we attended on Saturday the 16th , poor food and nowhere near enough in fact they ran out with 1 table still to eat ,which we were told they only paid for 100 people , luckily this didn't spoil the happy couples day , drinks prices very strange pints very reasonable whilst spirits very expensive Would not recommend

The menu was good, lovely food presented well. Service was very slow, they didn't have all of the wines on the wine list available

We took our elderly uncle to the hotel for Sunday lunch. They had no record of our booking in the restaurant so we were seated in the conservatory restaurant instead, which to be honest is less formal and much brighter. The staff were friendly but agonisingly slow, even 2 glasses of wine and a glass of water took an age. The starters turned up in reasonable time but the main came an hour and 15 mins after we were seated. I'm all for a leisurely non rushed lunch but we were all hungry by this time. Our elderly uncle requested well cooked vegetables and not al dente as he finds it hard to chew them. They came al dente... We asked for them to be cooked for another 5 minutes... This took at least 20 by which time it was too late. The roast beef was served with the tiniest amount of gravy, again we asked for more and by the time it arrived at our table everything had gone cold. We did mention our gripes to the restaurant manager who apologetically gave us 10% off the bill. Overall a disappointing experience from such a prestigious establishment.

We have dined at the Grand Hotel for Sunday Lunch on many occasions over the years. Sadly our last visit was such a disappointment that we left having refused to eat our food and a special family occasion for my mother's 82nd birthday was ruined.We enjoyed our pre dinner drinks and enjoyed the surroundings of the 4 star Grand Hotel Torquay, sadly food and standards in the restaurant have significantly dropped. Our first course was a simple soup, which we sent back as it was stone cold. Bread rolls appeared to be on ration. The sorbet was fine.Having had to wait for some time for our soup to be re heated, we had expected that the message would have been noted for the main course. Sadly it was not and the 3 roast potatoes hidden underneath 2 unappetising grey slices of meat were cold. We were provided with one terrine containing two types of veg only - red cabbage and mashed swede, very unexciting and not a green veg to behold on the plate for Sunday lunch. On previous occasions we have been served a variety of veg , boiled potatoes and roast potatoes which were served separately from the plate.The waitress service was also disappointing and not what 'one' normally expects from a 4 star hotel, that makes an occasion that much more special. It’s the little things that makes the difference. We will never be returning to the Grand Hotel not sure if standards have dropped because corners are being cut, but we would rather have paid another £10 a head and enjoyed our meal, than left feeling hungry on an elderly ladies special birthday. We were not expecting fine dining, we just wanted a simple Sunday Dinner, how difficult it is to serve up hot food for a 4 star hotel. Sadly a never to be repeated family occasion was ruined . We have attempted to contact Mr Richardson , we received a response yesterday from some random manager that died a death today - message not bothered.

This was a special birthday for a 82 year old lady and sadly we left hungry having sent back our cold soup starter and uneaten main course. Totally speechless its not fine dining its Sunday lunch , cold soup? followed by cold main course , two slices of cold meat, 3 same of potatoes yorkshire pud plus uninspiring red cabbage and mashed swede for veg. No sight of a green veg on the plate. Poor service by waitress , will never eat at the Grand again.

I attended Sunday lunch, organised by Torbay Old Wheels Club, having been assured that we would not suffer the indignities that we suffered last year. Our treasurer had worked hard with management to ensure good service, hot food etc.Well, you failed him!, Why only 3 waiting staff for 77 diners? The girl from the bar helped out, not trained to serve mint sauce!! The Front of House Manager left the room when things went wrong!, long waits between each course, sorbet was ice cream!!, there was no co-ordination in the service, part of one table served, then another table, the main course was served, this was cold, the meat dried up, and not enough veg for the whole table, we asked for more!,To add insult to injury, after a long wait, coffee was served before the sweet course, soggy biscuits on the cheese and biscuits, this all took so long that members who had parked for 3 hours had to go and move their cars!! What a joke - we always regarded you at one of the Bay's' top hotel , not any morePlease respond to my e mail, thank you

Really looking forward to revisiting this xmas as had lovely experience last xmas,Ordered cocktails terrible,service appalling bar manager I'm presuming was very rude unapologetic bar full of dirty glasses will never be returning awful

Super dinner with great selection for fine dining . Good wine list, too. The service was excellent and a view over the bay made it special.

Staying in the Grand Hotel in Torquay, we decided to eat in their renowned restaurant.Arriving on time, we were met by a very friendly member of staff and shown to our table.Our order was taken, and the starters arrived shortly after. Unfortunately it then took nearly an hour before our main course was served, and likewise the dessert was also delayed. The reason given is because they had a large function.This really was a shame because the quality, taste and amount of food was delicious and one of the best meals we have ever had.

Came for celebratory meal and were disappointed.First the good points. The waiting staff were very good and attentive. The food was disappointing. The starters were average or poor, we ended up sending one of the starters back as it was so bland. The mains were average for the price and the puddings were good. For the price we were quite disappointed and would be unlikely to return.

Excellent service and very fine food, not the cheapest but value for money considering just how good it is.

Service a bit slow, but compensated for by the quality of the food - the guinea fowl was sublime. The hazelnut and hiney dessert with clotted cream is unsurpassed. Lovely decor and starched white tablecoths!

My wife and I had Sunday lunch here on 28 September. Four courses for £14.95. Delicious and great value for money. Service here is always attentive and excellent (we've stayed at this Hotel and eaten in its restaurant before). Good choice on the menu. We had sous-vide roast beef for our main course. Pink and tender. Great accompaniments. Seaview of Torbay added to a delightful meal.

A little dated but the food was excellent quality, tasty and good portions. The service was great too and if you like a bit of old fashioned charm this will suit you well.

Good food spoilt by poor service with a very long wait for each course. Oh and don't expect a range of vegetables....broccoli,cauliflower and carrots were served on all 3 nights that we ate there. If we hadn't pre booked dinner we would have eaten elsewhere after our first evening.

Excellent menu, food well served and presented , but service can at times be a little slow. All bread is baked in Hotels own bakery and is excellent.

Very average food not what i would expect from a 4 star . On the plus side very helpful staff , who need some training , for example wine waiter had no knowledge of the wines stocked .

We had duck patè to start and it was gristly. For mains we had steak, which was average. Dessert was nice though.

Service great...food fantastic...what more could we want ..the views from the dining room ...wow super

The food was good. The service was superb. The wine list was very decent. The Restaurant Manager was just so friendly.

Title say it all! Check out my review of the Hotel. Waited half hour for the Starter: Cold "Cat-Food" like Ham Hock served with a bit of lettuce. Maybe not heard of Melba toast! 2 Other dishes off the menu by 8pm. Further half hour for a bland steak to turn up, under cooked without seasoning. Shame can't be more positive. Poor staff bear the brunt of a badly managed Hotel.

As we were staying at the Grand Hotel, we decided to try out the restaurant. At first everything was going well, and we got a large table near the window. We ordered our drinks and started looking at the menu. We waited for about 15 minutes before the waiter turned up and he came without our drinks. He apologized and said that he will bring them right away. When he brought us our bottles, he didn't even bother opening them! We asked for water with lemon and no ice, but the waiter brought us water with ice and no lemon. We had to ask another 5 times for the slices of lemon, but when, after an hour, the waiter brought us a single quarter-lemon piece we gave up. They also kept forgetting our orders and mixing stuff up.The menu in this restaurant was quite small, and didn't offer much variety. Luckily, the waiters let us order from the Brasserie menu, which had much more to offer.As there was a massive tourist group in the restaurant with us, we got barely any attention from the waiters, and frankly the group didn't get much attention either. We had to wait a very long time between each serving and the waiters took a long time to clear the table.Don't believe the stuff about the Rosettes. They were given in 2001, 2002 and in my opinion, they should have been withdrawn since then.

This gets poor because the breakfast was good, otherwise it would be terrible, it's very expensive, the food we got was barely lukewarm and £28.00 for a 2 inch square of overcooked monkfish is ridiculous. Quite a nice dining area though, but the food lets it down massively. Brings to mind Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

My Family and I took my mum here for her birthday lunch on Sunday. And from start to finish i have to say it was a very sub standard and disappointing affair. Despite its Grand title i would say that is where anything grand stops.. The massive dining room which does offer lovely views across the bay looks and feels like something from the 1970s its stuffy decor and heavy white pulled tight table clothes that cling to your legs combined with the keyboard player half asleep at his instrument as he plods through another lift music classic is almost unbearable. Decor and atmosphere aside where 1881 really comes apart is its Service. Our waitress could not have been more grumpy if she had tried. From her first approach to our table there was no smile no friendliness just a few grunted words which after asking her to repeat we established meant. "do you want some bread rolls first". Instantly the atmosphere of the day had started to decline because of her approach as her surly nature became the main topic of conversation.Things declined rapidly from this point with few good points throughout the service. Our set menus were delivered to us but at no point we were offered any drinks whilst we looked at the menus. My sister having to attract a servers attention so we could orders some drinks.. This they could not seem to get right either.. One bottle of white wine. one diet coke no ice, One jug of water and some ice please.... What we get is one diet coke (with ice) and some water. So we ask the waiter can we have the coke without ice please, we also ordered some wine and some ice.. some time later the coke was corrected and a bottle of wine which none of us were offered to taste first was delivered un chilled to our table with the now expected grunt and misery of the staff. Although service failed to improve the first course itself was of a pretty decent standard although the rather large chunk of chicken liver pate far outweighed the area of toast we were able to spread it on. Upon asking for another couple of slices we had 4 rounds of normal best of both looking toast brought to us.. comical at best... Main course was a mixed bag. Myself having the leg of lamb which I found to be over cooked and under seasoned. The others having the Sous Vide Top side of beef were initially impressed by what looked like a beautifully medium rare bit of beef only to discover it was cold with lukewarm gravy. The roast potatoes were mostly overdone to burnt, and the veg selection (carrot suede mash, cauliflower and red cabbage was of such hugely epic proportions that i wondered if they thought we had another 6 people hidden under the table to feed. that said the red cabbage was probably the best part of the main course and very tasty and nicely cooked. Again service and standards were at rock bottom on main course which meant us having to ask for a salt pot that actually had a bottom to it and therefor salt inside, some more gravy (preferably hot) some horseradish sauce and some mint sauce. Pretty standard stuff for lamb and beef dinners you would think.. The gravy arrived in a tiny milk like jug. the horseradish full to the top of a gravy boat that was mid course taken away from us. the salt we stole from another table as failed to arrive. At this point we had also mentioned the the beef was cold and the only response was sorry sir that's not meant to be like that and then the waiter walked off.Dessert despite waiting 40 mins for it was good it has to be said with no complaints other than the wait for it. The final straw was when coming to pay the grunting waitress "card or cash? question then pointed vaguely at some area in the corner with the instructions of "card payments there!" this despite witnessing a couple of other waiters attending other tables with a mobile card payment machine.. Needless to say we did not leave a tip with my only tip being here.. DO NOT GO TO RESTAURANT 1881 for Sunday lunch.