Shoals Cafe On The Lido in Torbay

My wife and I agreed that this was probably the best seafood meal either of us had ever had in a restaurant. To put this in context, I'm a lifelong sea angler and she's a trained chef. Really fresh local seafood, cooked to perfection and with real flair. Add to that a commendably short, but well chosen, wine list and very attentive service (thank you Mia) and the result was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. One word of advice - don't use the third-party online booking system on their website which will offer you outdoor seating only on a cold, dark March evening! Phone them.....

I was very impressed with this small restaurant. It provides outstanding seafood dishes. Though pricey we went for the fixed price lunch at £25 for 2 courses. A small menu but unique dishes which I had not previously experienced. I would certainly recommend this place but it fills up quickly so book well in advance!

A big thank you to all at Shoals. We booked a table for 12 for a family lunch. The new set lunch menu was fantastic and provided great value for money. To top it off food was faultless.The monkfish and scallops would be my stand out dish

Amazing seafood, quality wines and great service. This is one serious fish restaurant. Out of season it is very small, with not a a hugh number of indoor covers , so would highly recommend booking. Our first visit was on a very wet Thursday evening. We got a very warm welcome and were faced with an amazing choice. I had the lobster bisque special, which was gloriously rich with the bonus of large chunks of lobster meat. Truly luxurious. Scallops were equally as good as was the torbay sole. Generous portions, so you won't go hungry. Service was excellent. We rebooked at the end of the meal to go back and try the famous curry, and were not disappointed, an excellent curry sauce with generous quality prawns and chunks of monkfish. We did book before we went on recommendation and were not disappointed. Everyone we chatted to in Brixham told us this was the place to go for good reason.

Second visit here - came for lunch previously. Really friendly team and efficient with it. Great choices on the menu. Fabulous food. We had scallops and fishcakes from the specials board to start and could have gone home happy at that point but the prawn & monkfish curry was exceptional and the hake was just as good. You won't be disappointed.

We enjoyed a memorable meal of beautifully cooked fresh fish including scallops, monkfish and seafood chowder in this simple and cosy restaurant. Compliments to the chefs for the amazing food and thanks to the hostess and team with their friendly and efficient service. All together a perfect evening! Highly recommended.

Came in the summer. Loved it so came back on a freezing December evening. Same chef. Same tasty seafood and fish. It’s a great place. Lovely staff, cosy and yet cool.

We came here during our first visit to Brixham to celebrate a special birthday and we had a fantastic evening. The wines were reasonably priced and the French Sauvignon blanc we chose was good. We shared fish goujons and prawn & chorizo starters and then scallops and monkfish for mains with crusty bread to mop up the sauce. All three plates were sumptuous and kudos to chef Charlie and Mia who gave us great service. Thank you for a nice birthday memory.

If you're looking for battered fish and chips, there's plenty of places to choose from in Brixham. However, if you're after something a bit more refined, then I'd highly recommend Shoals. We were two couples, three of us had the half shell scallops for starters and the other, the hot crab dip....all excellent. To follow, we had the prawn & monkfish curry, scallops and monkfish and from the specials board, gurnard fillet with roja sauce and I had the hake fillet with mussels and clams, again, all delicious and perfectly cooked. For a small restaurant, they also have a decent selection of wine including by the glass. Service was very pleasant and efficient(sorry I didn't get the waitress' names), nice chilled atmosphere and great views over the lido and the bay. Glad we came on chilly November day as I imagine this place would be mobbed when the weather is better. Limited interior seating, approx 18 covers which was very cosy plus further outdoor dining space. Very handy adjoining pay and display car park.

Small but excellent sea food restaurant, with a stunning views over Torbay. Friendly helpful staff. Well worth the effort to find it.

Amazing food with a sea view. Perfection! Eveyone loved the food and chilled atmosphere. Can recommend the Scollops and King Prawn with Chrozio as a starter. The Hake was sublime, as was the mussels. What's more its dog and child friendly.

What a fabulous restaurant to visit. We booked for 8 people including 4 older teenagers. Everyone loved their food and asked to go back. Cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Staff very friendly and welcoming. Thanks to the chefs also for a really fantastic meal and afternoon. A real holiday highlight.

Friendly, very small restaurant. Our party of 4 all enjoyed our dinner and wine choice, would go back.

Lovely lunch. Now that the tourists have gone home! The service was great, thanks Mia. Fish cooked beautifully, thanks chef! We won’t leave it so long next time

This cosy restaurant with great sea (and Lido) views serves outstanding fresh seafood. Service was very friendly and efficient. The waiter even brought a bowl of water for the dog! We both had dover sole which was cooked to perfection. We visited on a Friday, then returned two days on the Sunday! Outstanding; would thoroughly recommend it.

What a lovely find this restaurant is. Lovely view from the restaurant as well as exceptional food. Gurnard fillets, mussels and hake were some of the dishes we sampled. I can't praise the quality of the food highly enough and the chef was a real talent to bring out the flavours in all the dishes. Louise was a great host and made out visit very enjoyable(hope your cold is on the mend). Will definitely be coming again! 10/10

Very nice, as usual, and we are outside. It got a bit chilly so I would recommend booking ahead by quite a way if you want to sit inside. Very good food but pricey. Worth it, however.

Once again another amazing experience at Shoals! Great seafood, 1st class FoH and the views are just incredible! Best fish restaurant in the SW thanks to Sarah & Sean Perkes! 💯 Loved it, keep pushing team Shoals and looking forward to the next time already! 👏🏻

Delicious. Perfectly cooked scallops and Monk fish. The sauce was so good too. Great atmosphere and the staff were spot on. It's a fantastic location for a restaurant with food and service to match.

Stunning....staff were amazing and welcoming. Food was gorgeous and presented beautifully.... Thank you..10/10 .....😘😘

Came here again as enjoyed it last year, this year wasn’t quite as good, the food was still very good although not as many specials as last year and my scallops main was a little bit grainy but not enough for me to complain about. Main course said it came with crusty bread but it was just sliced brown bread. Service was lacking had to ask twice for water, I didn’t receive a spoon like others did for my main. We went for the later seating compared to the early one last year, the late one felt manic and on arrival a bit rushed but it did settle down. The prices had gone up significantly since last year so we did expect better. Overall good but not quite spot on.

Although we live fairly locally, we don't get to go here enough. However we did manage to visit 2 Mondays in a row with friends whilst out walking. What fantastic fish! Cooked beautifully, served with a smile and efficiency. Views of Torbay to die for. On both visits we were seated outside so enjoyed the sun and the sounds of the waves too. We all had something different to eat on both occasions. I had fish gougons and a huge Torbay sole the first time then prawns and chorizo the second, followed by bream. The fish is extremely well priced and knocks a certain nearby branded restaurant into the shade. Can't wait to go back :-)

Fantastic location in an intimate setting with great views. Looked after so well by Louise and the team. Tucked into a huge skate wing and partner had Yaya's famous prawn and monk curry. Both delicious.

A true gem - came here with friends (3 couples) and we can all highly recommend it. Food was amazing, staff attentive and happy, location just perfect. Book to avoid disappointment.

Despite the beautiful location the food and service is excellent. Super outdoor terrace. Views over the lido and Torbay. Excellent fish and chips which were perfectly cooked. An equally excellent prawn and monkfish curry. Seafood heaven. Doggy friendly. We shall return. 🇬🇧🇳🇿

My first visit to Shoals on recommendation of my friend who chose lunch here as her birthday treat. It will not be my last visit. Staff were friendly and helpful, the view is incredible from both the outdoor terrace and inside and food was delicious,...

JEWEL IN THE CROWN If I lived here I would go all the time! Amazing food, hospitality 2nd to none, setting you couldnt wish for more.... We had exceptional food and views with even a single dolphin to finish the evening accross the bay. Thank...

Small internal restaurant, although there is also a outside seating area too, a short walk away from Brixham's busy centre, Fabulous fish menu and good size portions with a great view of the bay, outside pool and sea ⛵

What can I say but wow! Quality of all our meals was 5star! Service was amazing the view just as great. I wish I lived closer as the choice of menu is fab! Having eaten at some Michelin star restaurants I would put this up...

Make this a priority visit if In Brixham. Food is great, service is quick and friendly, views of Torbay are super

We haven't been to Shoals for a while but we weren't disappointed with either the food or the service. You get some of the best fish on the Bay here , coupled with a beautiful view and good service, we had another great evening.

Excellent lunch with some great specials, the red mullet was to die for, and great service and view. We will be back for an evening meal in the very near future.

Recommended by our hotel we took a bus from Torquay and then walked the remaining 20 mins to find this restaurant (There is a car park right next door and so a drive or taxi is an easier method). From initial sighting you’d be forgiven...

The building is unassuming but the views across the bay are great. The menu is compact with a “specials” board. This is a fish restaurant and delivers what it states on its website. I had the Spicy Prawn starter followed by a whole Mackerel with...

Simply the best fish restaurant in Torbay and there are plenty of them. Coming direct from Brixham fish market, you can guarantee both freshness & plenty of flavour, which is enhanced by the lovely cooking. FoH is relaxed, attentive and nothing is too much trouble.....

Food was great, thoroughly enjoyed it. Waitress was really rude, took the shine off what should have been a nice lunch out.

We recently ate at Shoales Restaurant and we were very impressed!! My husband and I ordered the Torbay sole which was extremely delicious!!! Our friends ordered crab sandwiches and the filling was very generous. We loved the atmosphere and wonderful view of the sea ....

Came twice over the weekend - beautiful fish, unusual flavours, super atmosphere, great wine - would thoroughly recommend.

Unfortunately living in the Midlands means getting to Shoals more often isn’t possible, but we did manage to get there last week for a really enjoyable meal. Although we arrived 20 minutes early, we were immediately shown to our table .. I quickly decided that...

An excellent meal , exceptional service going again without a doubt. Mackerel pate , skate wing, prawns and hake done to perfection. Free use of binoculars. A great experience

Exceptional fish restaurant, family owned and run, very locally sourced, always a must book when in Devon I had the Chilli scallops always a favourite, my partner had the Crevettes off the special board followed by the skate wing, I had the Pan fried hake,...

This was our second visit to Shoals and it definitely did not disappoint. This hidden gem overlooking the lido has amazing views and great food. Visited with my daughter and chose garlic king prawns and scallops for main course which were both amazing. Finished with...

Seven of us dined here and all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The fish was super fresh and tasty and sauces to die for! Polite, attentive and courteous staff. Could not fault a thing. Would throughly recommend to anyone considering and we will most certainly return.

Absolutely brilliant. We ate a snacky lunch on the top - this bit is only open when the weather is ok. We ordered fish tacos and scallops - £10 ish a dish. Three large scallops in the shell, perfectly cooked. And the fish tacos were...

Lobster Linguine and Torbay Sole. Delicious. Fifth visit here and everything was as fab as ever. Great staff, great location and lovely menu.

Upon arrival not quite what we had expected tbh and thought would we even stay here to eat? Very casual bench style seating (we had the dog so obviously had to eat outside) plus the students from Brixham College were having their end of term...

Went for lunch after a swim in the Lido BEST Fish and Chips I’ve ever had. Don’t know how they get the batter and chips so crispy but whatever you’re doing keep doing it. Lovely service too Thanks everyone

Great place. Visited again and took mom (91) years young. She loved it . Little bit loud (music) but we enjoyed it so much as it'll prob be our last meal out with her together with 3 daughters. A massive thankyou to Mia. Her friendliness...

Fabulous food, excellent service and a stunning location. So glad we visited and was a highlight of our stay in Devon. Faultless fish and a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc; just perfect!

Got the last table for a late weekend dinner slot. Being locals we walked to the location on a windless, clear summer evening. Very busy with all tables full. Were seen to by attentive busy staff and given our seats inside. Dont let the outdoor...

Fabulous food in a beautiful location. Best scallops ever - great cooking. Had a lovely experience with my vest friends on a happy, sunny day

Excellent fish restaurant, with a view to match. Skate wings were beautifully cooked, and the lobster linguini was to die for, rich and creamy with plenty of meat.

Had a meal at this place had prawn and monkfish curry, sadly they ruined lovely seafood by cooking it in a fiery curry sauce which killed the flavour of the seafood! Won’t be returning there I explained how a fish curry should be but it...

A regular haunt of ours when we are down to visit Smugglers Cottage. Our guests are reccomended to try Shoals too and the guest book mirrors what we find each time. Staff exceptional and friendly. Food to die for (Never take the monkfish and scallops...

Dropped in there today and I must say that the lady there was quite rude and unaccommodating. There was no one in the restaurant but we were not allowed in as they were ‘fully booked’ We also had a dog with us and again told...

Good, fresh fish - beautifully prepared - attractively presented - excellent red berry posset - crisp, white wine. Experience enhanced by the wonderful view across the bay, the fun of watching the historical Lido fill with the rising tide and the glorious sunset across the...

We thank our friend that took us here last night. We really hit the jackpot. Superb menu , lovely engaging staff, incredible views, fairly priced and beautifully cooked and presented seafood. Last to leave and not in any way rushed out. The picture is on...

Once again Shoals was brilliant. The view, the service and the food were excellent. Such friendly staff and although the prices gave gone up a bit which is to be expected, it was still a lovely experience.

Had a beautiful meal, sat outside, views stunning. Tables and chairs are very rustic but definitely recommend

We’ve been here several times and never had a bad experience - the food is gorgeous! The place is tiny and doesn’t look like much from outside but don’t judge a book by its cover - the fish dishes are amazing!

Visited on 2 occasions firstly just for a drink and light lunch. Fantastic setting and great welcoming staff. Crab sandwich a little disappointing as very spicy with cayenne pepper or something similar, lost taste of crab, disappointed as presented well. Re booked based on dining...

We visited twice in one week. The food was amazing as always. Mia was fantastic. Saturday night staff not so good. Food and view excellent

Another perfect meal at our favourite happy place. Great food, great views & great service just perfect.

Excellent choice of mainly fish based meals(cooked to perfection). Very good service and excellent pricing. Best to book in advance.

Set above a seawater lido and wonderful sea views, the restaurant had a small interior with a lot of outdoor seating, which proved very popular. Decent menu with a lot of daily specials so I was spoilt for choice of food, beers and wines on...

Great setting with lovely sea views. Food is superb, two people chose scallops to start, the other chose the fish soup. For main courses two people chose the hake and the third chose scallops and monkfish in a glorious creamy sauce. Atmosphere is really good...

This place is my new happy place. The location and Lido was an absolute surprise. Shoals has a fun, cool rustic vibe with a big personality. The sun was shining as we sipped fizz whilst admiring the breath taking panoramic views from the outside terrace....

I've wanted to visit this restaurant for years and this visit didn't disappoint. It was a stop for lunch therefore I ordered fish soup and my mum had a crab sandwich both were delicious. The staff are very friendly and the restaurant had a lovely...

We can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. From being greeted at the door to the cheerful goodbye, we had an amazing culinary experience. The hot crab dip for starter was absolutely sublime and could have easily eaten 2 or 3 more before my main and...

Incredible food & views. We even had the pleasure of dolphins swimming by whilst eating. Fantastic service. Thank you

My partner and I chose this restaurant for a birthday treat after reading Tripadvisor reviews. We weren’t disappointed the views from the restaurant across the bay are superb along with the quality of the food and service. I had the King prawn linguini and my...

Once again Shoals delivered in excellent standard of food and service. It is the first time we've been in 2023 and took some friends who were visiting us. They said it is one of the best meals they've had since they have been the UK....

Delicious food with a fantastic view, priced reasonably, good wine, friendly service and cook, a great birthday meal.

What a find! The food was superb. We were a party of 6 and every plate of food was absolutely delicious. I had the hot crab dip as a starter and it was insane. Something different and really tasty 12/10. Definitely recommend it. It was...

This is a genuine review and attended pirate weekend on the Friday. Our evening started with a party causing quite a scene that their table was not large enough. Clearly a mistake had happened with whoever took the booking the previous day and it was...

Lovely setting. Been a few times as live locally Definitely need sunglasses at night Lights very bright and need dimming Food good but monkfish curry was very small portion.Attitude of staff not that great Probably wanted to go home as only 6 of us in...

Delicious food freshly prepared. Specialise in offering the best local fish hand picked from Brixham market. Highly recommended.

Pleasant evening walk along the harbour for a lovely early supper watching the incredible waves crash over the swimming pool. Food very tasty , prawn and monkfish curry and scallops in brandy sauce with chips . Staff attentive and friendly , shame we don’t live...

We met friends at Shaols for another lovely meal. The fish was fresh and beautifully cooked, the staff were friendly and the views over Torbay are stunning.

Went for lunch. Absolutely delicious as always. Fish soup for starters lots of fish and shell fish. Monk fish and prawn curry for mains again, lots of fish and prawn. Staff are really pleasant and attentive. Views are superb. Thank you. See you again soon.

A nice stroll through Brixam from the ferry to shoals along the bay coast line, approximately 15mins, friendly people, great food, music and beautiful views.

The starter was a little disappointing considering it was a 'special' The main course was superb. Service was friendly and attentive. We sat near some locals who only had a main course so we took this as learning for a future visit.

Fantastic meal as expected again at Shoals! Been for dinner tonight with my family and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Food was absolutely gorgeous and reasonably priced too. This restaurant is only tiny and is very popular so you need to book in...

Where do I start with reviewing this amazing restaurant? Obviously the food is the star but so too was the great personal service and ambiance of the place. We went with friends and we would be straight back again if we didn’t hail From Portsmouth!...

Fantastic restaurant in a perfect location. Our second visit in five days,the food ambiance and staff were faultless. The freshness of the fish was absolutely second to none with the chefs working in full view of customers. This is a restaurant we have visited over...

The most amazing food and what a fabulous experience with views to die for .Due to go Xmas Eve 2021 but they cancelled due to covid so 16 months later we finally made it and well worth the wait Staff were fabulous especially Mia who...

Excellent food and wine. View unbeatable so long as you have the weather. My veggie friend was pleased with options. £10 + for 3 scallops us a bit steep but restaurant costs gave spiralled

Our experience was excellent. The food was delicious. All our group of four people thoroughly enjoyed our lunchtime visit. I would like to have given 9 out of 10 if that had been possible. My only comment was that it would have been nice to...

Great Fresh Fish. Booked (essential) a late lunch in this (seemingly) rickety wooden structure beside the Lido overlooking Brixham Harbour. Fatastic selection of fish receipes. Soups/Chowders, scallops, crab, pawns, whole and fillted fish, all beautifully cooked. Generous portions. Good selection of reasonably priced wine. Dog...

I would HIGHLY recommend this Restaurant my daughter took me for an early mothers day Louise the waitress was so lovely and very helpful and yaya the chef is just amazing, I will definitely being going again I love seafood and this was amazing some...

Mussels, monkfish, scallops…. Fabulous fresh seafood, beautifully cooked , presented and served. It was wet and dismal outside, so no view today but a great welcome inside from Sarah and the team. Thanks again. We’ll be back!

We went as a family for New Years Eve, what a memorable night. We all had the hot shellfish plater wow absolutely beautiful, keep up the good work guys.

Just wow - amazingly tasty fish dishes, we had squid and scallops to start followed by traditional fish (catch of the day) and chips with salad /peas. We love this little place, not what you expect when you see it, really sweet inside, friendly staff...

Fantastic food in a wonderful location... beautiful meal and something for everyone... thank you for a wonderful evening. Highly recommend

Another fantastic meal at Shoals tonight - awesome selection of the freshest fish imaginable, beautifully cooked. Must be the best restaurant in Brixham

A group of friends went for 60th Birthday celebration. The staff are so friendly. We had a wonderful meal. The fish dishes are excellent, a few options if you don't like fish. It was so good some of us went back again. The views are...

We had a fabulous meal this evening, the dishes were amazing and the fish perfectly cooked. Our daughters food allergies were dealt with without problem and our dog made welcome.

If you want an outstanding predominately fish based dinning experience this is the place to come. We’ve had an evening meal here, but yesterday was all about the lunch. Mackerel pate shared as a starter. Monkfish done in a scampi style and mussels in a...

We loved this restaurant so much we went twice in our one week stay. The service was top notch and the food was just amazing. We will definitely be going back when we visit next year

Our 3rd time here and again didn’t disappoint, from the moment we walked in to the moment we left couldn’t fault it & the had the most friendly waitress nothing was too much trouble. Food again was perfect you really don’t leave here not feeling...