The Hole In The Wall in Torbay

Used this pub for many years when visiting Torquay , decided to eat here last Sunday evening we popped in to find out what time serving food till and was told 9pm so 7 of us went for food at 8.30pm , wish I never bothered clearly they wasn’t happy with us going so close to 9pm ! Waiter who served us could do with cracking a smile when you have a table spending £200 on food , I had the surf and turf as it’s now a very basic menu . Fresh prawns served in a little pot was like mush at the bottom and uncooked chips which I did tell the waiter who offered another bowl . Also the added pepper corn sauce was more like a packed mix gravy . Clearly food rushed as it was time for them to close so maybe change closing times. Even though the pub area had its usual happy vibe it doesn’t follow into the restaurant. Much cheaper and happy places near by . Sorry Hope in Wall I will not be returning !

Cracking little olde pub off the main drag, great selection of drinks, nice pint of Guinness and good selection of ciders with friendly staff. We’ve been a couple of times now, one time there was in the evening with a band playing which made a great atmosphere, the place was packed and everyone was having a great time. The next was during the day, much more quiet and plenty of room to sit inside or out, still a good atmosphere at lunchtime for a couple of drinks, will definitely go back.

First night in Torquay so we visited Hole in the Wall as we had been previously. Fish and chips and lentil cottage pie. Huge fish and a very tasty lentil pie, nice heat from the saag aloo topping. Well worth a visit, lovely old pub with friendly staff.

We ate here on both nights of our stay in Torquay. We loved the atmosphere; you can definitely tell that this is an ancient inn, dating back to 1540. Great service and good food - the Brixham Crab Bisque and Smoked Haddock Crumble were amazing. It's so good to eat local fish when you're at the coast and my husband also rated his Calves Liver, and Steak and Ale pie very highly. No room for pudding unfortunately. We will definitely make this our destination of choice when we're next in the area.

On a visit to torquay this weekend we found our selfs drinking here at the hole in the wall unfortunately we found the menu very limited with very little choice for food at lunch time it was busy and lots of people were drinking and there wasn’t any tablets left so our only option was to sit at the bar with sandwiches made with very cheap bread not the quality we expect for the price

Fabulous food! Dog friendly too!

Been in Torquay since Monday, found this little old quaint Inn up a side street,,, eaten here every night,,, food is amazing !!!!! Nowhere around the harbour beats this place on homemade hearty food !!!! Highly recommended if you in Torquay on your holidays 👍👌😉😀👏😊👍 First picture is the Slow cooked lamb rump and chicken in white wine and mushroom sauce... UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! XXXX

Lovely pub ideally located a very short walk from Torquay Harbour. The food was excellent (the braised lamb in particular) and it has a real old-fashioned charm to the place. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Torquay.

Best pub in Torquay, great food, ale and service.

Nice atmosphere and cool people

A great pub, very atmospheric, great food and drink. The staff were friendly, this 16th century building was a lovely place to eat and spend the evening.

Really enjoyed eating here on our first night in Torquay. A lot of history to this place. Built circa 1540, this is Torquay's oldest pub, and it's bigger than it appears from the outside. There are some original pieces inside the building, and the floor in the bar is grade listed! Staff were lovely, and the food was very tasty and filling! Would definitely come back again if we visit in the future.

Been coming here for years and it is always a wonderful experience. Food is great quality and served with a smile.

Surprised at the 5 star reviews on here. Came on a Thursday evening for food, had to wait 80 minutes for food to arrive, and it was only average reheated food, they kept people waiting while taking on extra orders from the bar causing extra delays. Will not be returning.

A wonderful old pub with a nautical feel going back to 1740, the food is the best I've ever tasted

Very cozy pub, delicious beer, nice service, good live music. We really liked it.

Oldest Pub in Torquay. Nice atmosphere food good

Great atmosphere, hard working friendly staff in a historic bar, definitely worth visiting when in Torquay.

Lovely pub, slightly hidden away. Made for a very enjoyable stop to grab a pint in the nice weather. Great atmosphere and lovely interior.

What every American must think all British pubs are like. Busy, with traditional pub grub. It’s exactly what you’d expect. Low ceilings and pirate memorabilia. We spent £77 on a bottle of wine and a main course each. Quite pricey but good food. Service was ok, but they didn’t seem to have many staff on.

You have to experience it to be believed. Simply brilliant!

Was there last Sunday, all the way from Hull had a great meal, great Beer, great staff and a really good looking Pub, highly recommend.

Great pub with good beer and food Friendly staff as well

Excellent food in this historic pub with a decent choice for gluten free. It was very busy but the service was good with attentive waiting staff.

Lovely really old Torquay pub. Very deceptive size with a large restaurant. Music some nights,have yet to try food, but what I've seen looks good.

Had a couple of drinks in here. Lovely pub with a great atmosphere

Great pub, service, drinks, music and atmosphere! Thoroughly recommend.

The best food in Torquay. Everyone in our party thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our dining experience. My meal was the best Steak and Ale pie I have ever tasted, the lamb and the liver meals also went down a treat. The atmosphere in the pub was first class. We ate early which was a bonus as later diners had a bit of a wait. But I am sure worth it. Highly recommended look forward to my next visit.

This review is about the pub NOT the restaurant. The pub itself dates back to the 1500's and has lots of olde worlde charm. We use the pub every day of our 4 night stay in Torquay and had a great time each visit especially on the live music nights which I thoroughly recommend.Old,young, local and tourist all having a good time together. Our dealings with the restaurant on the other hand was something quite different. I won't go into details as I don't want it to reflect on the pub which as I say was fantastic and if your in Torquay is a must visit establishment.

Great old timber pub tucked up side, very good food has local beer selection with the added bonus of music great atmosphere well worth a visit.

Popped in for dinner but service doesn't start till after 5pm so had a pint and went for a wander. Nice atmosphere !

Visited recently on our Hols so glad we found it tucked out the way. Staff, Food, music all amazing, will be visiting again in October 🌟 🤩

We only stopped in for a pint but it's a lovely old pub

Lovely pub only went in for one really nice inside

Didn't try the food, but it looked good. Great old pub,with its low ceilings and stone floors. Really busy, with entertainment on ,local singers. Choice of 3 real ales, tried the Dartmouth IPA,it was good. Would recommend visiting if you are in the area.

Visited Torquay for a few days and found this little gem, the oldest pub in Torquay. Not only popular with visitors to the bay but locals too, brilliant atmosphere and entertainment twice a week, with a live band, didn't get chance to eat here but the food being served looked top notch. Definitely a must to visit.

SUNDAY LUNCH.... It's more like 3.8/5, not quite a 4. The Sunday lunch was good, but I could definitely of eaten more of it, they don't really fill the plate up much. Roast potatoes were good, you get a separate plate of sweet cabbage for some random reason. Beef was nice, it's the thinly sliced type. Would I eat a Sunday roast here again? Yes, I would, although not before trying some other places in Torquay first. Very pleasant staff....old fashioned-type pub, very cosy, right by the harbor. I can imagine this would be a lovely place in the winter, when it's dark and cold outside!!

If you're looking for a great place to unwind, look no further. The service, specifically, provided by, I think her name was Lisa, she took the time to engage with us, asking about our preferences and sharing suggestions The food itself was delicious, with a menu that boasts a delightful range of options Hole in the wall is a hidden gem Thanks to Lisa our experience was truly great. We can’t wait to return and enjoy another wonderful time and won’t be waiting for the next bank holiday

What a great place for dinner. Service was excellent, food superb and a really nice atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed our meal there. Will be back on a weekday to sample the other menu. Tried the weekday menu and must say food and service were yet again first class.

I thought this was a tiny, very old pub. It is, but it has a very nicely decorated restaurant attached. Fortunately, we booked in advance for Sunday lunch. All 4 of us opted for the Sunday roast. Three had beef and pork, but I went for the turkey. My wife said her vegetables were undercooked, but I had no issue. The service from the young lady was excellent and full of genuine smiles. The food was extremely tasty. My stuffing on the side of my plate was possibly the best I have tried. Thank you for "Hole in the Wall," excellent service, food, and surroundings.

Excellent food and great service

Great hidden gem This pub/ restaurant has lots of history Food 5 star Had the special crab bisque Drinks reasonable priced Service excellent Booked again and would definitely recommend booking as it’s very busy Atmosphere was great Mind your head when going to the toilet

I really like this restaurant and pub. The food is an interesting mix of pub classics and really nice daily specials, the staff are lovely, the price decent and the portions generous. It always seems popular so book ahead.

Not many proper traditional pubs left in Torquay, and this is one of the best. Loads of character, friendly service, good selection of local ales, extensive pub menu. Please keep doing what you’re doing. Thanks 🙏

Fabulous bar and restaurant. All of the staff were friendly and efficient, wonderful food and atmosphere. Live music which was a bonus, not too loud so able to have conversation.

What an awful experience when we complained. We went for a meal three of us and had standard meals. We asked for new potatoes rather than chips. When the meal came 30 minutes plus after ordering the request had been ignored and we were charged for things we didn't have. When we questioned the bill we were told we hadn't been charged enough. The owner was , in our opinion rude and the staff lied. Won't be going again. The customer commitment is lacking. We would say that all previous visits have been good. We note that all the old staff had left and new staff were chatting and eating food and didn't seem bothered . Be warned.

Oldest Inn in Torquay. Great pub not to be missed.

Stunning old pub full of character,stone floors and low ceilings with exposed beams.

A charming seaside pub falls short due to the poor quality of its bar food. The quaint cubbyhole seating, unfortunately, seems to be infested with small flies, which might have been tolerable if the food had been better. However, the food was disappointing. The pub classics, like fish and chips—especially in a seaside town—should have been perfect, but the fish was tasteless and unrecognizable. The homemade chips were soggy and subpar. Overall, it was a very disappointing dining experience, which is unfortunate because the place has the potential to shine. It's evident that the management is cutting corners.

If in Torquay, visit this pub. Lovely staff and the pies are to die for. Great selection of beers. Just pop in and soak up the history. Highly recommended.

The food was delicious although the wait was a little long (40 minutes). Very friendly staff too. Mind your head as it's very low ceiling

Food was fabulous and staff were really friendly and efficient. Would recommend booking to eat in the restaurant. Went twice in the same week we loved it so much the first time

Not a good place, we were turned away although there was loads of space and another member of staff said we could get in. I would not recommend !

Absolutely loved this 16th century place such wonderful history the food was delicious will definitely return , the staff were so welcoming

Visited this pub lots of times. Really nice oldie worldy pub Have eaten in the past the Lasgne was delicious Always a friendly welcome.

Only called in for a drink as the pub had been recommended to me so can't comment on the food. Wasn't disappointed though, love old pubs like this. Lovely atmosphere. Great service & very friendly staff. Would definitely visit again!

spent £50 on 2 meals witch turned up almost a hr late and food was freezing cold and small enough to feed a toddler will never order again

Went for a friend's birthday and we all loved the food

Did not try the food but the guest draft beer was well kept, lunchtimes not busy but the evenings can get very busy when live mudic adds to this gem

Lovely historic Inn and food is really good too

food cold and not great quality

Had the beef with chips and peas, Daughter had fish& chips, went out the way to cater for a fussy teenager who had chichen, so nice ,

Lots of dogs here which I prefer not to have whilst eating .Staff extremely friendly. Food okay..nothing wrong ..but nothing special for the price .

Wonderful old world pub lots of history well worth a visit food good as well

Charming old place, definitely worth a visit! They had live music on but it was lovely and not too loud!

Super pub! Delicious food and gluten-free possible wonderfull evening great admosphere

Lovely pub and pleasant atmosphere. We had Sunday lunch which was more than enough without starter and desert. The one thing that disappointed was service was very slow, the waitress forgot to take our order and we weren't offered more gravy which we noticed other tables were. They were polite but this doesn't warrant a 5 Star review.

Great atmosphere would definitely recommend a visit ☺️

We had a really nice starter and main. To start with local mussels and chicken patches, Then we had tasty homemade burger and trio of fish from the special board. All very well cooked and very tasty. Highly recommended.

Great little cosy old traditional boozer serving good beer and food. Friendly staff and a good place to chill for an afternoon pint.

Staff friendly, service was good. Didn't wait long for food and it was good

We were really looking forward to our visit here, but were sadly disappointed. Monday early evening, so fairly quiet, but we were placed next to the kitchen where we could hear staff moaning to each other. Had a basic meal of fish and chips, which was the worst we have eaten in Devon 🫣 could not finish as was over cooked, such a shame but the positive …..our waitress was lovely.

Lovely place to eat with amazing food. We loved our evening here.

Loads of character. A genuinely historical pub. Mind your heads, its got low ceilings 😀

Fabulous experience home cooked food, wonder Ales we didn’t want to leave Many thaks

Lovely old pub. Traditional landlord, very smartly dressed , hands on and aware of everything that was going on. He saw me waiting at the bar just as he was popping out and immediately came back, took of his jacket and served me. First class!

Lovely old pub with polite staff nice to sit outside, and excellent food, well worth a visit

Much loved place Great food and service,,, Lovely friendly staff

Good food excellent customer service fine ale, the whole package in s superb contemporary setting,we kept going back.

I just stop to see this amazing piece of history and had a drink . Loved it.

My favourite pub in Torquay. It being a very old pub, you'll have to duck in a few places if you're above 5'10, or so. The place has quite a few items of interesting historical facts along with bits and bobs of maritime exhibition. The food took a little while to arrive, though we'd expected that at a time when it was really crowded; it made up for it in quality though! Highly recommended! The photos were taken the previous day to the time when we had our meal, hence it was just after opening.

Lovely pub in Torquay, full of character with very friendly staff. The food was lovely and we loved the entertainment so staued there for more drinks after our meal. We were a large group, with kids, a disabled nan and we had a dog to top it off. the staff were so helpful with all our needs. A real gem of a find!

My second visit here, and I wasn't disappointed. I had the carrot and coriander soup and braised lamb, and it was delicious. Great food, polite staff all in a 400 year old pub and restaurant. Quickly becoming a favourite.

We did enjoyed this traditional place, just a little overcrowded for our company, but I understand, it was Saturday evening (live music there without announcement). Service could be a little quicker. But that food! We were group of 15 and nobody said any word of compliance (we had lumb, steak, duck, fish...) - everything was great!

Tried here again and it was lovely. Did not disappoint at all. Great meal as usual. Not as busy as before but a really good meal and smashing place. Will go back.

As a pub: absolutely✅ As a restaurant: would NOT recommend⛔️ we tried the most popular dish being Sunday roast with lamb leg. It was chewy, bland and dry⚠️

Lovely old pub tucked away from the bedlam of Torquay harbourside. It was packed out when we went lots of people eating and there's a restaurant too, we only had drinks on this occasion.

Great atmospheric pub. A little tucked away but well worth the detour up the hill. Friendly staff, good drinks selection and amazing decor. Very cosy little corner of Torquay which exudes history and charm from every corner. A must on anyone's list.

Quaint hidden away pub near Torquay's harbourside. Good value tasty lunch

Was a pretty neat place. Managed not to bump my head! I only had some drinks, so not sure about the food. Lots of people knew each other, which is always a nice vibe, and there was live music. A bit of an older crowd. The staff seemed a bit stressed. But otherwise nice!

Oldest pub in Torquay historic with loads off past famous people.Real ale and gourmet menu.

Proper ales! A rarity these days. And a good choice, too.

Brilliant absolutely brilliant, staff friendly and atmosphere welcoming. Food, 2 of our party had the medly of fish with dauphinoise potatoes and the other person had the lamb. Both dishes were to die for, so tasty and very generous portions. We couldn't unfortunately manage a pudding. Going by other diners they too looked delicious. Highly recommended.

Great traditional pub with great live music

Great little find in Torquay lovely atmosphere

Had it all going on with good level of pub grub, great service and lively atmosphere without being over the top.

Love The Hole In The Wall, its huge and steeped in history!

Excellent pint and the live music was great. Very friendly staff and also allow dogs.

Absolutely excellent food & drink. Special mention to the bar manager Richard, made us feel really welcome

Fantastic food, amazing service, lovely staff. I had the spiced baked cod, which I highly recommend. Staff go above and beyond.