The Elephant in Torbay

The food was excellent, extremely well cooked with lovely complimentary flavours. The staff were very nice and helpful. The portion size did seem small - the cod portion was much smaller than expected. That said the accompaniments enhanced the meal perfectly.

Fabulous meal at The Elephant! We had the tasting menu and every course was delicious and perfectly cooked. We opted to buy wine by the glass, (rather than the matching wines) and we were pleasantly surprised at how reasonably priced they were. A lovely evening.

Most probably the best restaurant in the area. I say that because we haven’t been to them all! The food was superb and the service was excellent. There’s even a vegetarian option. The restaurant is well presented and it worth the money.

Absolutely delightful lunch, excellent attentive service which wasn’t at all intrusive. Only disappointment was we haven’t visited sooner. Excellent value for money, you can go right off piste on the wine list if you wish. But for a restaurant of this quality there are reasonable options. In summary…..superb!!

This is a wonderful restaurant, this has been our second visit to try the tasting menu. Was delicious. I wasn’t keen on the dessert, however that a personal thing rather than poor quality. The staff are lovely and the sommelier was very knowledgeable and happy to field my often silly questions as I try to learn about wines. I highly recommend this restaurant for a “posh” night out.

Great food and service. Thanks to all the team

excellent value lunch menu. delicious tasting food - can see why the michelen star has been retained

Absolutely perfect in every way

Remember all of those articles about British cuisine having been ‘reborn’? A week of traveling around the UK might have suggested that this was misinformation. A series of boring, overpriced, badly prepared and served meals. And then you turn up at the Elephant. The first hurdle is the various menus that are on offer. No doubt in the future AI will enable you to analyze which choice provides the best value opportunity. Until then you are on your own. The simplest choice would be the 3 course menu. Not a huge amount of choice but excellent fare. The wine list - in particular by the glass - puts most others to shame. The food preparation is excellent, the serving staff professional. It doesn’t take long to realize that you are in a rather special place and that you have travelled outside of current day Torquay restaurants in your very own culinary Tardis. The cost for my rather boozy lunch? A hundred pounds. Was it worth it? Yes.

Everything was absolutely amazing, exceeded our expectations.

Understated elegance decor. Staff were friendly and all wished us Happy Anniversary. They even gave us a card! The service was a bit slow. I only got my aperitif after my husband had finished his. After an hour we had only had one course. We were surprised that there was a charge of £12.50 for the amuse bouches that are normally included on a tasting menu. Bread was included. The pigs' checks and beef courses were not in the mouth. They accommodated changes in the menu for items we didn't eat. The courses were heavy on fish. We enjoyed all the food.

Brilliant food, brilliant service, and special thanks to Tom for being a top sommelier!

Understated elegance decor. Very friendly welcoming staff. They all wished us Happy Anniversary and we even had a card on the table. They catered for the fact that there were a couple of things on the tasting menu we didn't eat. The service was a bit slow. My husband ordered a gin and tonic and I was then given the wine list to choose a white wine aperitif but that order wasn't taken until his g&t arrived and then it was quite some time before the white wine arrived by which tune he had finished his aperitif. After an hour we had only had one course. Was surprised to see we had to pay £12.50 extra for the amuse bouches which are normally included in a tasting menu - we declined to pay that. We did get complimentary bread The courses were all good - there was a lot of fish and some courses were a bit bland but generally we enjoyed the food

An amazing restaurant with superb food. The tasting menu is very good indeed and the wine flight was very well selected. That said, the Crab dish is out of this world!

The food could have been abit hotter. The menu could have more choices. Was a bit disappointed.

An extremely good quality meal, no wonder it has a Michelin star. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and wonderfully friendly.

Incredible!!! What a wonderful experience. Food amazing! Such flavours. Service fantastic so attentive. Looked after us from start to finish. This is a michelin star restaurant and deserves to be. Truly incredible experience. Can't thank you enough! We will be back. A must eat if you are down this way.

Contemporary decor - look out for the snakes in the ladies! Knowledgeable and attentive staff Excellent dishes and wine Justifiably a Michelin Star!

We, as a group of friends were going on our annual Christmas lunch and were looking for somewhere where the food and service were excellent and we found it with The Elephant, until we got to the end of our lunch. The cheese we were served was dreadful. They were not mature and tasteless. For a Michelin starred restaurant this was very poor indeed and it rather ruined an excellent lunch. The canapés, starters, main courses and puddings were excellent and the staff were friendly and easy going. But when we complained about the cheese no one came and said sorry and in our opinion they should have removed the cheese from our final invoice, but they did not. I would recommend to people to go to The Elephant, but give the cheese a miss!!

So, having a Michelin star, gives a restaurant an obvious credence, so when I wanted to take a special someone somewhere special, this was the obvious choice. We booked about 2 months in advance using OpenTable which was effortless and waited for the big day. We hyped it up so much in our heads so when the day finally arrived, we were positively buzzing. Neither of us had been before and so were very much looking forward to it. From the second we walked in the door, the experience was like everything we had hyped in our heads and so much more. The service was exemplary, the location and setting were beautiful but didn't feel formal or stuffy in anyway, it was all very relaxed. We were given the most beautiful sourdough bread and butters to start which just kicked off the next 2 hours of the most incredible food I have ever eaten. Every single mouthful was the best food I have ever eaten. Every mouthful was savoured and enjoyed before taking the next. The staff were attentive but never intrusive and every single one was friendly and knowledgeable. To say I would recommend The Elephant would be the literal understatement of the year. If you get the chance, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Is it more expensive on the face of it than other places in the bay? Yes it is BUT you cannot compare them. For what may possibly the best meal you ever experience, it is a small price to pay..

So, having a Michelin star gives a restaurant an obvious credence, so when I wanted to take a special someone somewhere special, this was the obvious choice. We booked about 2 months in advance using OpenTable which was effortless and waited for the big day. We hyped it up so much in our heads so when the day finally arrived, we were positively buzzing. Neither of us had been before and so were very much looking forward to it. From the second we walked in the door, the experience was like everything we had hyped in our heads and so much more. The service was exemplary, the location and setting were beautiful but didn't feel formal or stuffy in anyway, it was all very relaxed. We were given the most beautiful sourdough bread and butters to start which just kicked off the next 2 hours of the most incredible food I have ever eaten. Every single mouthful was the best food I have ever eaten. Every mouthful was savoured and enjoyed before taking the next. The staff were attentive but never intrusive and every single one was friendly and knowledgeable. To say I would recommend The Elephant would be the literal understatement of the year. If you get the chance, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Is it more expensive on the face of it than other places in the bay? Yes it is BUT you cannot compare them. For what may possibly the best meal you ever experience, it is a small price to pay.

Came here for a birthday meal with my 10 year old son. What an amazing experience. The food was out of this world. We had the set lunch. And what amazing value that is. The flavours are unreal. The restaurant has a really nice atmosphere and the service is second to none. The staff are so friendly and helpful and make the whole experience really worthwhile. I've wanted to come here for 20 years and now I have and it didn't disappoint. I can't wait to come back again.

One of the best restaurants in South Devon. Every time we come here we have the best experience. The service is impeccable, the setting beautiful, and the wine list impressive. Above all, though, it's the food that really shines. The set lunch is an excellent value for money way to get a taste of what the Elephant team are capable of and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Fabulous evening last night. Can’t praise the food and staff enough. A true gem 👍

Another most memorable and delicious dinner at one of our favourite restaurants. The service was both friendly and professional. Each dish we chose was served and cooked to perfection and overall it was a perfect evening.

Death Row Meal. One of the most memorable tasting meals we’ve ever eaten. A true mouth journey. This would be my last meal request if I was on death row. I would like your sourdough bread as coffin pillows and embalming in your mushroom butter. Thank you for an amazing meal.

Being in our 50,s and 60,s, best flavour,s of food we have ever tasted, amazing.We travelled an hour and a half to visit here , 2nd visit, will return!!! Better than luxury cruise food, fab service.Perfect.

Our second visit to The Elephant and our second wonderful evening. This place isnt just about food, which is excellent. It is the wine, the Tom Collin's, the atmosphere, the service, the food. Every box is ticked. See you the next time we are in Torquay.

We had a superb meal here. We chose the tasting menu and it was wonderful. Outstanding cooking and service from Simon and his amazing team! Thank you and we will be back!

We came to The Elephant for my friends Birthday. From entering the establishment, the service was excellent. Warm, friendly, knowledgable yet professional. We were made so welcome and relaxed. The food, from the Tasting Menu, was of a very high standard. The quality and skill were not in question. There was nothing that either of us didn’t like. The meal was complimented by a lovely bottle of wine. A great evening. Thanks to all.

Thoroughly enjoyed lunch at the elephant today with friends…beautiful food, beautiful service, a beautiful setting and fantastic value…absolutely nothing to fault…we live locally and and couldn’t be happier to have such gem of a restaurant on our doorstep.

We have been to The Elephant many times, having moved to Devon from London a few years ago. The food, service and general ambience of this establishment is first class. I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially the tasting menu.

Great food and service. Impressed by delicious and superb food, great wine matching , perfect service. Thank you

Michelin star dining on the Riviera. The English Riviera ,that is. A relaxed friendly restaurant overlooking the beautiful Torquay harbour. Run by chef proprietor, Simon Hulstone and his wife Katy, it was the first restaurant in Torquay to be awarded a Michelin star in 2006. Which it has retained every year since then and you can see why. They offer ever changing menus based around fresh, local and sustainable ingredients. It's also known as offering the best value Michelin starred lunch in the UK,£32.50 for two courses. But we are not here for that, as it's the evening. At dinner there's options for a set two or three course. Or the tasting menu,which we chose £98.50. We started with a couple of Aperitifs of the month. Port & Tonic and Limoncello Spritz. The meal starts with Sourdough and a pretty Citrus butter & sesame hummus. This was quickly devoured and we were offered a second helping. Then starts a procession of beautifully plated dishes. With each one surpassing the previous. All our favourite seafood,scallops,bbq lobster and stone bass. The star of the show was juicy tender South Devon Beef served with Artichoke and Tacos on the side. The cheese course was Baron Bigod with a delightful Lemon Tyme Focaccia & strawberry,apricot chutney. Pre-dessert of Raspberry granita. A plum lemon posset for the finale. As we gaze out of the window from our table at the sunset you could be anywhere exotic. Well we were,The English Riviera. Dining at a lovely restaurant in a beautiful location. With exceptional service and the most devine food. What more could you ask for?

Amazing food and service. Excellent quality and great to try something different .

An incredible dining experience and perfect for any foodie

This was indisputably the highlight of my weekend getaway to Torquay and something my companion and I were looking forward to when visiting. We went for the tasting menu accompanied by the wine pairing, and there was no doubt that produce used was top notch. However, the overall menu felt a bit safe, and we both agreed we would have loved to see a bit more creativity with the flavour profiles of the courses. But that being said, the food was great, as you would expect. With that being said, it was a bit disappointing that the white wine (which were the main pairing, seeing as we were by the seaside) was chilled to the degree of loosing most of its flavours and having close to no finish, making for a pretty flat tasting experience. Although warming it in our hands once served helped and made for a great pairing, it still felt a bit disappointing (we contemplated in hindsight whether it was intentional done to better suit local preferences); we mentioned this upon leaving, which was received very appreciatively and professionally. Finally, the service left a little to be desire. The madam greetings us when we entered was absolutely fantastic, but throughout service, the younger servers gave an impression of being a bit uptight and formulaic; only reciting what they had been trained with from a cue card, and when we asked any follow-up questions, they had to leave us in order to check what the right answer was. In short, a good evening that just fell short of being great based on our expectations when sitting down. However, the ice cider and beef dish were phenomenal!

Does exactly what a Michelin starred restaurant should. Exquisite food served by attentive courteous staff. Had a wonderful birthday dinner.

An anniversary lunch to perfection; food and service. Classical cooking and having lived in Paris for many years, it’s taken a while to visit and it surpassed all expectations. Thank you and look forward to our next lunch.

This is a Michelin star restaurant and met all of our expectations, the food was first class, delicious and inventive. The staff were friendly, informative and down to earth. We loved our visit.

We ate here following a recommendation from my son and daughter in law. The decor was simple and smart, the seating was extremely comfortable. We chose the Tasting Menu, and so so glad we did. The food was superb, very cleverly put together and displayed. Every course was a delight for our taste buds. Our next visit is being eagerly awaited.

Very enjoyable return visit for lunch with the family (4 adults and 2 kids) on a Saturday afternoon, food overall was of a very good standard.

Second visit to The Elephant on my second visit to Torquay. It’s a treat to visit a Michelin Star Restaurant and once again it did not disappoint. The same waiting staff were still there, really helpful and attentive. The restaurant has a lovely relaxed vibe, the food was excellent, we both chose dishes out of our comfort zone and were very happy with our choices. A lovely way to round off a break in Torquay. It will be worth returning just to eat here.

First time I've left a restaurant starving The main course servings are pathetically small

I am blown away with other reviews for this restaurant. Yes it’s a Michelin star so you would expect a high level of service & to pay for quality. But our experience was the feeling of being rushed, over serviced we just wanted to be left alone for 10mins to enjoy each other. The constant refolding of your napkin, pouring, readjusting was off putting. The food is beautifully presented although I found the young mumbling staff attempting to serve & explain the dishes not fitting to the environment. The dishes are minimal even by fine dining standards.. we left 1hr 10mins after arrival £200 pound lighter for two courses, hungry & disappointed. Shame.

Went for our wedding anniversary while camping in Devon. The Elephant was a true dipole of the muddy field we left. Service was exquisite, ambience relaxed and sophisticated and the food was both beautifully presented and delicious. We had the amuse bouche to start with a trio of mouth sized treats, beef tartare on a perfectly crisp (prawn like) cracker, unctuous lamb croquette and a deliciously tart muddle tart. We then shared the start of chicken wings with wonderfully smoky BBQ Hen of the wood, a sate style peanut sauce and Raspberry El Hanout. I then had the line caught sea base which followed on with the Thai flavouring with a side of amazingly meaty crispy sushi rice with mushroom (think unagi don). My wife had cut with a spoon soft duck with duck leg on the side. To finish we had the strawberry pudding, the stand out delicious bay leaf flan and refreshing strawberry sorbet. To drink I had had a beer, while my wife (not driving) had prosecco, a smooth glass of red (pinot noir) and to finish a (not too) sweet Greek desert wine. All delicious. I finished with a macchiato which came with an ending trio of treats, caramel filled wafers thin chocolate, jelly sweet with raspberry coulis, fudge. All in all a wonderful way to celebrate 3 successful years together married.

Honestly such a difficult review to write for myself, as me and my girlfriend has a wonderful experience doing the tasting menu at lunch, but sadly I came down with horrendous food poisoning. The courses, wine and cocktails were excellent on the way down but much worse on the way up. I have no allergies that could cause this, and the reaction was extreme, but my guess is that it must’ve been the fish main course. I called and informed reception but they said nobody else had let them know they had experienced the same. We spent ~£80 each and this ended up leaving me in bed for a couple days, so was quite underwhelmed with their response which didn’t feel genuine. I don’t think I’d dissuade anyone from visiting, but don’t think I could come back. Edit: someone from the restaurant called saying they hope I felt better but questioned whether I really got food poisoning from their restaurant 👌🏻

Loved the food here, the jersey royal starter was sublime, hats off to the Chef for that one although to be fair everyone enjoyed their various dishes, my wife loved the lobster.

Best restaurant in Torquay , having been many times never fails to disappoint . 5🌟

Great experience and sophisticated food. Outstanding attention time details and very friendly staff. Highly recommended

Food and service was amazing, had the lunch tasting menu and enjoyed every course

We went here on a rainy evening for our wedding anniversary and were lucky enough to be given a window seat. Staff were very friendly and took our coats before showing us to our table, with an anniversary card from the staff which was a lovely touch. Nothing was too much trouble, water and wines glasses were refilled regularly from bottles on the table, even napkins were folded whilst at the loo. The food was amazing, especially the beef. We also opted for the petite bouche and Limoncello Spritz as extra starters, so glad we did as both were lovely. It was a great evening and will definitely return to try the lunch or a la carte menus.

A wonderful experience with quality service, delicious food and great wine recommendations. You feel like you could ask for anything in terms of drinks advice, random questions and you’d be met with a friendly and informative response. Lunch menu with bespoke wine choices was an excellent choice for us.

This has to be the best restaurant in the south west. Food is amazing and a work of art without being pretentious. Staff are fantastic and attentive and a 2 course lunch for just over £30 is a bargain. My favourite place!

One of the most amazing place we have eaten. From start to finish the experience was incredible. The food, the service, the staff, the restaurant its self, I can’t recommend this restaurant enough. 5 stars just doesn’t seem enough. When we visit Torquay again, I know we will be booking in here! Do not miss out on an amazing experience!

Amazing tasting menu with super friendly staff. Expensive but you get what you pay for!

Lovely restaurant. Quite a relaxed vibe - you didn’t need to dress up too much. But great service and wonderful food. Recommend the tasting menu

Wow! What a fantastic place. Great service, wonderful food, and fantastic experience. Some of the best food I have had in a long time. It's worth every penny . Beef tartare and dessert where amazing.

Expensive but delicious can't wait to go back..Had the taster menu was incredible. Such a lovely relaxed atmosphere too, no waiters hovering over you, but someone always appeared if you needed them. Best to book.

Excellent food and presentation, as expected from a Michelin starred establishment. Would recommend for a special occasion

You have to go here!... Run by chef proprietor, Simon Hulstone and his wife Katy, it was the first restaurant in Torquay to be awarded a Michelin star which it has maintained for 17 years. And it deserves every accolade. Food is perfection, relaxing atmosphere with unbeatable service... if you want to treat someone to an unforgettable date...it has to be here ‼️

Celebrated my husband’s birthday here & had the taster menu. Oh my, absolutely perfect! The food was just sublime, the whole experience was gorgeous, from service to food to drinks to atmosphere, the whole beautiful lot! Highly recommend & definitely returning for our 1st wedding anniversary!

Fabulous birthday dinner for my partner. Could not fault a thing. Will definetly be back.

Incredible food, service and atmosphere! Despite being a Michelin star restaurant, The Elephant is the epitome of class in an unpretentious and very understated way. I went with two friends to celebrate my birthday and there were several thoughtful touches including a card and an exquisite little pudding. Amazing!

My 8 month pregnant wife booked a table here during our baby moon. She was super excited to treat me to a nice Michelin star meal. She called ahead to tell them she was pregnant and can't have shellfish, to which they said not worries. We came in and we're greeted by friendly staff and sat down, so far so good, but unfortunately that was the only positive part of the experience. Firstly I'd like to say we've been to at least a dozen Michelin starred establishments in the past so this certainly isn't a new experience for us. That being said my wife was given the non seafood menu as it contained shellfish which she obviously can't have. But she is allowed fish so asked for the fish course to be swapped in as all they did is remove the fish on the non seafood menu (same cost mind you which is cheeky). The chef Simon Hulstone himself, flat out refused to make any adjustments. We then asked to speak to the manager who again was told by Simon that no adjustments could be made as he wanted only 4 variations of menu and wouldn't budge. I asked to speak with the chef directly as refusing a pregnant lady a swap a Protien felt absurd, but sadly the cowardly man refused. 1 star, I've never experienced something like this in fine dining. I'm sure the food is decent but I can't comment as the head chef is a rigid, stubborn, heartless fool.

I decided to go to The Elephant in Torquay after seeing it had a Michelin star. On a baby moon expecting our first child, I wanted to surprise my husband with a delicious meal and great dining experience. The restaurant called ahead to ask about dietary requirements - when I said I was pregnant and could not have shellfish but was an avid fish eater. Upon arrival the staff gave me a tasting menu for a no seafood experience. I asked if I could swap the vegetarian dish for the fish dish - the head chef and owner of the restaurant refused. Never have I ever been to a restaurant listed in the Michelin guide and been so poorly treated!! And I have been to a fair few of them. I felt worthless. There was no room for negotiation, no understanding, no love for the customer. The chef even REFUSED to talk to us, leaving me with no choice but to either have shellfish and risk poisoning my child to be, or not have fish and stick with a menu that I would enjoy less. The cost of both menus are the same. The dishes I asked to swap are the same (one just doesn’t have fish). His decision is irrational, selfish, and rigid. If you really love your products and cooking for people, then you should surely show flexibility for those with MEDICAL RESTRICTIONS. Ultimately we decided to leave as I refuse to give my money to thieves and they ruined the experience for us. This restaurant should not be allowed a star from the most prestigious restaurant rating company, and guests should indulge in other local restaurants up and down the street that are far cheaper and make you feel welcome regardless of your food choice. I hope the head chef reads this and feels horrible about the way he made me feel.

Really enjoyed our 2 course meal delicious 😋 have recommended to all our friends!Thankyou to all staff hope to come again .

Excellent atmosphere and service, amazing food 👌 👏

Amazing, highly recommend, the food, service and whole experience was outstanding.

Enjoyed a lovely lunch, excellent food and a lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended.

What a treat. Beat expectations. Thank you to all the wonderful staff and chefs for a superb Anniversary Lunch. Will definitely be treating ourselves again at the Elephant.

We did something rather special, earlier than planned this year for our annual Family Day. While in Devon we visited Simon and Katy Hulstone's The Elephant 🐘 This was an absolute bucket list experience and their team treated us phenomenally. Stunning customer service, stunning food and a complete relaxation afternoon. The restaurant manager Tom, is exceptional. Tom's communication with me via email prior to our visit was swift, informative and helpful. On the Day we were hampered by a split level step and a lack of ramps for the wheelchair, Tom, ever the problem solver, assisted in lifting the wheelchair over the steps, to his own injury - not a word, just a limp off into the back of house to assess the damage. Tom deserves star of the decade for his etiquette, customer service, and management of ensuring we could access the restaurant. The entire team are knowledgeable, helpful, polite, courteous, attentive and kind. Ulrike, Tansy, and the rest of the team on the day offered exceptional customer service.

Fabulous tasting menu and amazing service. Thank you

I enjoyed my dinner here. Relaxed and friendly staff. Halibut was my favorite. Good wine options as you expect.

Wonderful lunch time tasting menu. Lovely restaurant to eat, impeccable service and terrific range of tastes. Many thanks, we look forward to coming back. Chris and Sheila

Beautiful food and lovely location

The tasting menu was amazing. The halibut was the best of my life. It’s also nice to see how they value and praise local producers. Definitely will go again try their poetic food.

Just spot on with e everything all I can say

An evening for my wife's birthday and a dining experience on a different level to anything we've had before. Absolutely faultless from the moment we walked inside to the moment we left. Food, service and the restaurant itself truly stunning and we look forward to going back.

We visited to celebrate my wife’s birthday with our close family. There was six of us. From the moment we walked in the door through to leaving the staff were very attentive and we really were looked after. We had the tasting menu with the accompanying flight of wine. The food was out of this world and we enjoyed our evening. Compliments to the chef and his team for an exceptional menu and selection which certainly set our taste buds alight in nothing but a good way. We will be back.

5 of us dined here for my big birthday, the tasting menu just wowed us all. We had the matched wine which was an education. A brilliant night, lovely atmosphere, lovely staff and amazing food and wine.

Truly amazing lunch and service. We have not had such a wonderful lunch in a long time. The flavour, presentation attention by staff is absolutely on point. Well done to you all. We will return for sure xx

Thoroughly enjoyed it. We went for our wedding anniversary last week. Lovely food and A1 service. We'll definitely go back again for a special treat!

Another great meal, never a let down.

We had an exceptional three course meal in a welcoming environment. The dishes served were all of a very high standard, and the service was smooth and professional. Our evening was memorable.

Four of us went to dinner for my Dad's 80th Birthday, I booked the wrong dates and the manager was great and amended for me. The food was fantastic as usual. The staff made it even more special communication and information was top, a special mention to Amy ( not sure if spelt right) who served us, a perfect host with humour, lovely personality and pride in her job. Thank you all. We will be back, I always recommend this restaurant. Paul

Outstanding experience, delicious food from start to finish, interesting combinations ,beautifully presented. Impeccable friendly service. Amazing value set lunch

A beautiful restaurant hidden in plain sight just off the SW coastal path. The decor is both superb and striking. The staff were excellent, attentive, knowledgeable, charming, friendly and helpful. The chef was busy sending out stunning plates for quite a lot of lunchers - many, like us, had gone for the very reasonable (£55 pp) 6 course taster menu. We treated ourselves to the wine pairings too (extra £40 pp) which was simply splendid with many very tasty and unusual matches. I couldn't fault the food - there was not a thing that was anything other than perfection.. I don't know why but the pork tenderloin with harissa croquette was my favourite. I would like to meet Simon Hulstone (chef) one day.

Extremely nice greeting on arrival. Staff were very knowledgeable and attentive Spoke with the chef 🧑‍🍳 simon. The taster menus with the wine pairing was spot t on

Taster menu - and it was lovely. The food was delicious and the service spot on, attentive, we were made to feel special, without being over the top. Definitely had enough to eat, and delighted with the cheese course - which was extra yes, but special and different (not just tiny pieces of cheese, which we can do at home, but a thoughtful interesting cooked dish), the halibut course was my favourite. The pricing was reasonable for what we had, but still puts it into 'very occasional treat', but we shall be back next time we have a special reason.

Service and reception is what you would expect from this class of restaurant, so no problems in this area. Hovever if you are talking about the food from a Michelin star chef then something is clearly missing. We had the taster menu and although the food was cooked well it lacked taste and variety. The starters were the best but I couldn't see the value, the mains quite simple but lacked flavour (more vegitable taste required) and the deserts very disappointing, no taste whatsoever ever except chocolate. I have eaten at many restaurants globally and having spent 2 weeks in Italy and a week in Sweden in the past month this restaurant is extremely disappointing. Pretentious as you walk though the door expecting exceptional food but it didn't deliver for us. If you want this type of food go to Orleston Manor, its exceptional quality and at half the price. Note to Elephant: fancy presentations dont necessarily make good tasting food. Europe is way ahead of the restaurant business in the UK, take a trip and taste the basics and then price your food accordingly. Extremely disappointed and won't be going again.

Disappointing that a restaurant of this quality in 2024 can't offer a single vegan option. I had been a few times before becoming vegan and it was always of an high standard. I hope they change their policy of "no vegans" in the future.

Very nice place eat, fresh and well balanced.

Family night out in, what has to be, the best restaurant in Torbay . The 5 star reviews on Tripadvisor are well deserved. The food was exceptional with service to match.

Had the most amazing lunch here. Exquisite food at a brilliant price, exceptional service & such a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. We'll be back!

I’m not going to embarrass myself by claiming to be a food expert. But our recent experience at this amazing restaurant blew both my wife and I away. I hope this review can do it justice. The restaurant itself is amazingly clean, warm and so incredibly inviting. They have managed to create a dining experience that’s both private and personal whilst at the same time welcoming and friendly. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable without being condescending and despite this being our first visit we were immediately put at ease and made to feel as though we were regulars. Now for the food! I’m sure Simon and his team receive compliments from people all the time. But I didn’t want to let this opportunity pass so personally thank him for the food he served to us both last night. Never before I have wanted to take my time and appreciate all the different flavours that every single mouthful bought. Not only was the food presented as though an artist had created a masterpiece, the tastes that followed were amazing. The subtlety of the different tastes left us both speechless. We personally both had the Mullet to start followed by mains of Lamb and the Duck. But I’m sure if we’d of chosen anything from the menu it would have been met by the same gasps of WOW !! 🤩 Thank you Simon and his excellent team for this incredible experience.

I’m not going to embarrass myself by claiming to be a food expert. But our recent experience at this amazing restaurant blew both my wife and I away. I hope this review can do it justice. The restaurant itself is amazingly clean, warm and so incredibly inviting. They have managed to create a dining experience that’s both private and personal whilst at the same time welcoming and friendly. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable without being condescending and despite this being our first visit we were immediately put at ease and made to feel as though we were regulars. Now for the food! I’m sure Simon and his team receive compliments from people all the time. But I didn’t want to let this opportunity pass so personally thank him for the food he served to us both last night. Never before I have wanted to take my time and appreciate all the different flavours that every single mouthful bought. Not only was the food presented as though an artist had created a masterpiece, the tastes that followed were amazing. The subtlety of the different tastes left us both speechless. We personally both had the Mullet to start followed by mains of Lamb and the Duck. But I’m sure if we’d of chosen anything from the menu it would have been met by the same gasps of WOW !! 🤩 Thank you Simon and his excellent team for this incredible experience.

We have an annual visit to this amazing restaurant. It never disappoints great food lovely atmosphere and good value. A special treat and would highly recommend.

Another fantastic eating experience at The Elephant. Every dish was delicious it is difficult to choose a favourite. So much thought has gone into every element to give such amazing flavours throughout and the presentation is art on a plate. Shoutout to the front of house staff too who do an amazing job, are friendly, welcoming and professional with a fantastic knowledge of the food and wine they are serving. We have eaten in Michelin starred restaurants in London and The Elephant is up there with the best and in many cases is better. We are so lucky to have this restaurant on our doorstep that we return again and again. For those complaining about the price, it is worth every penny and is cheap compared to London.

The perfect end to our perfect wedding day. The elephant NEVER disappoints. The food is simply out of this world, perfect in every way. The service and warm, professional and above all welcoming.