The Kents in Torbay

We stopped in with half an idea to have dinner on the Saturday night after Valentines day, if the pub wasn't too busy... The bar area was heaving with happy punters and the restaurant was quite busy so it was decided to just have a drink and head home. At that point, superlative front of house operative Harry sensed we'd been thinking about something to eat and offered to find us a table in the restaurant. Over the course of many months, it became obvious that he had been comprehensively bitten by what I call the 'hospitality bug'; diddly squat gets in the way of him making certain that his paying guests are happy. I know this bug, having been afflicted by it some years ago. I came to view it as a curse, but happily was eventually cured. Soon settled in the dining room, we marvelled at the transformation new owners Jackie & Adrian have accomplished since buying the business several months ago. The lighting, hard & soft furnishings, and general interior design are without parallel for many miles around. It's a warm and relaxing space where it's a pleasure to pass a few hours while enjoying the delicious food and absorbing the atmosphere created by lovely people from across the social strata. An interesting quote from Hilaire Belloc in "The Death of the English Pub" (Christopher Hutt, 1973): "When you have lost your Inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England". Fortunately, this has not come to pass in Wellswood and the new Kent's is a shining example of why. We sampled the tail end of the Valentines weekend menu. Kudos to the kitchen team as both mains were outstanding: 1) Lamb cutlets beautifully cooked, dauphinoise potatoes, a gorgeous glossy jus, and (unusually in Torquay, perfectly cooked vegetables 😋). 2) Moules marinières, a huge plate of spanking fresh local mussels in a well executed broth of mussel juices, onion, herbs and thankfully not too much cream. Drinks menu is well thought out and refreshingly adjusted pricing from what it was under previous ownership. The pinot noir is a great choice by the glass and the Claret (only by the bottle) is very good value. A perfect evening which could only have been bettered if Tash had been on as well!

Great evening with friends and the roast beef was excellent. Harry was a brilliant host too . We were all delighted with our food and excellent service

We had Sunday Lunch and frankly it was appalling. The roast potatoes (x3) were in the middle of the plate, surrounded by the vegetables then covered with the meat slices. Then the whole lot had been drenched in gravy (what if I don't want/like gravy?). Result is that everything was soggy and wet. No crispy roasties as expected. Somehow the 'Pig in Blanket', 'Pork & Sage Stuffing' and 'Cauliflower Cheese' had gone missing between the Menu and the plate! Poor quality 'rolled pork' and no crackling. The whole plate was a disaster zone of soggy, sloppy gravy with everything else either floating in it or becoming a puree. Bizarrely, the waitress picked up our less than half eaten plates of food and chirruped 'Did you enjoy your meal'. We couldn't be bothered with a discussion so we just said 'Yes'; paid & left. We even left a tip ( it's not the waiteresses' fault that the Chef hasn't got a clue ).

My partner I have been here a few times for dinner and have always enjoyed our meals. So we booked a table for NYE, thinking we'd eat, then go to the beach to see the new year in. But we just couldn't leave - we were having too much fun! A class DJ with an absolute banging play list of 70s and 80s classics meant we just couldn't stay seated. We ate our delicious 4 course meal (amazing value), and then danced the night away in-between the tables. It was a great night! Lynn Bateman

Terrible service. Avoid at all costs!! My family and I will never visit this place again. After arriving we found a table in the restaurant so we sat at it & took our coats off and moments later a waitress appeared. Well that was quick we thought. Oh you can't sit here this table is booked she said. There was no reserve sign on it for a start hence why we sat at it. Another family were leaving there table so we asked her if we could sit at that one. Oh no the waitress replied you can't sit there either as it's all booked up here tonight. You also have a dog she said (yes we did a very small well behaved chihuahua). Dogs aren't allowed in the restaurant area she said but you can find a table in the bar area and eat there. So we got up and started to walk towards the bar area only noticing a Large DOG in the RESTAURANT area!!!! I turned to one of the waitresses and said I thought you said dogs aren't allowed in the restaurant, well what is that then? Ahh I see so it's favouritism in this place is it I thought.. We sat at a table in the bar area (which wasn't clean and full of dirty glasses) I proceeded to the bar to order some drinks and ask for the menu. The bar man then told me they weren't serving food in the bar area 😅 absolutely appalling service. Well we got up and left and thought it was an absolute disgrace... Never again

Amazing place!!! Caters amazingly for people with allergies. The cocktails are spot on and the food is incredible. Cannot recommend enough. Euan and the staff were incredible

We had a delightful dining experience with a lovely atmosphere and delicious food, and were pleasantly surprised by how accommodating the restaurant is for children. They have baby changing facilities, a children’s menu, and the food was served at a perfect temperature for my daughter. The staff were mostly lovely and attentive. However, we did encounter a minor issue with our waitress, who was not particularly polite and didn’t inform us about the children’s menu, despite us having a child with us. We only discovered the children's menu when another staff member suggested bringing over some coloring activities for my daughter. Although we didn’t raise this issue at the time, as we had to leave quickly due to needing to free up our table (we had been there for nearly 3 hours), the staff were extremely polite and even set up another table for us in the bar area. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and we appreciated the restaurant’s family-friendly approach. -l

What has happened to this delightful pub ? We arrived for our booked table and was seated in a very small table , a lady gave us water for the table quite quickly , however it took them a long time to take our drinks and food orders . We waited a few minutes for our drinks and over 45 mins for our food . Which was tepid in temp and the beef had more fat on it than meat, roast potato’s were hard veg tbh was really nice .New chef ?? The table was far too small for the dishes ,plates and glasses so was a squeezed on . Great new decor but sadly we were disappointed .

Homely feel. Local people with dogs inside. Generous roast beef dinner, lots of veg too. Nice Malbec wine. Recommended booking a table to avoid disappointment.

We went here for a roast dinner one day a few years back and we couldn't believe how good the food was! We then came back the next time we were in the area and spent ages desperately trying to remember where this place was where we had the best roast of our lives! We luckily remembered what it was called and found it and omg the food is so damn yummy!!!! And the staff are so nice as well, we tipped them 7 pounds and they were so unbelievably grateful bless them. The pub itself is lovely, clean and a great atmosphere with a nice happy team. Thanks for the best food ever!

lovely roast dinner in a nice friendly atmosphere Good service lovely staff We ordered cauliflower cheese to go with it but this wasnt very nice the rest of the dinner was lovely

We paid £55 for a 5 course meal prepared by an ex Masterchef contestant. The food was gorgeous and the really busy staff worked hard to keep us topped up with drinks. Unfortunately our night was completely ruined as we were sat next to a large table of some of the most obnoxious people we've had the misfortune of meeting. They screamed and shouted their way through the entire night. It was terrible.

Table was booked, on arrival we were told there was a table for 9 so we would have to wait. What we didn’t expect that to mean was an hour to eat! Pork Belly was like it had been microwaved. Hard on the bottom and the crackling had gone to a chewy mess! Not pleasant. Kids burger was a disgrace, as were the ribs. All the food bar Pizza was cold. No idea what was going on as we have been before and it was miles away from this disaster. New chef? What ever it was sort it, very poor and simply telling us “you are busy” is not good enough when we commented on the food.

Friendly staff. Foos amazingly good value. Hot and freshly cooked. We missed the sunday roast, but the plates from the main menu did not disappoint. We will be back.

Firstly, only one fish was available at 18:30. Out of 8 meals only, the fish was acceptable. When a 9-year-old asks where are, the juices in the burger you know there is a problem. All burgers were undersized, cooked to the ends of their lives (Overcooked), and in two, 75mm diameters,3mm thick burgers, and only covered approx1/2 the bun. The bun was toasted to dark brown and dyed out. I had a supposedly grilled small chicken breast, which was extremely overcooked, I had to ask for a steak knife to cut it up as it was that tough. My son tasted the child's pasta bake and said it was a Dolmio Bolognese Sauce Pouch with cheese on the top. The 6-year-old who had garlic bread commented ''where is the garlic''. The pizza base was ready-made, nothing like the photos. The person, (cannot describe him as a chef as the food was so bad) who cooked the meals, I would describe him as he knows ''how to spoil good food''. I can not give zero stars, so I overmarked it as one star, the service was ok. Tourists avoid and do not believe the description of the food quality as extremely poor, the Kents ''see you coming''. The meal and experience was a completely disappointing overpriced meal.

The Kent’s is a great place for Sunday Lunch. There was a choice of roast meat all served with roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and plenty of vegetables. There was a friendly welcome and the service was excellent. There was a reasonable selection of deserts, as well as ales and other drinks, all reasonably priced. Don’t be put off by the exterior, which looks a bit drab, it is lovely inside.

Well we was very impressed. Sat in the restaurant area. Service was fast and spot on. Food was amazing. I had a very tasty BBQ pulled pork burger. My friend was extremely happy with his meal which was a ham hock with cider sauce and wholegrain mustard. Will be returning to try more on the menu for sure!

The meal was cold and unappetising I have never had a cold Yorkshire pudding before it was awful . Unfortunately its our local so want be going back.

Great night it was Boxing Day night and service was fantastic the young ladies who served. Us were delightful Food was very good basic but well cooked and just what we needed there was no rushing us out or pressing us to pay up and go I cannot recommend this pub restaurant anymore than 5

Came here for a works Xmas do, excellent food and service was pretty much spot on, all the staff were lovely. There was a slight issue with our pre order but theu went out of their way to sort it. Well done guys, food was incredible and priced very well.

Great location and lots of space outdoors. However, the staff can be rude and the place has become like a dog shelter, with dogs all over the place and barking and whining. Not relaxing and no good if you don't like a lot of noise and barking.

Great place, great food…!! Never been before and only live nearby so will definitely be back for more.

Love this place, great atmosphere, lovely staff and brilliant menu, lots of choices. Never disappoints, will be back soon xx

We went as a family of 4, we all really enjoyed the food, staff very helpful Will definitely be coming back soon

The Kents is such a lovely, cosy place. Staff are warm, welcoming and freindly, and the food is delicious. Highly recommend the brownie and the Sunday roast 🤩

One of the best roasts I’ve had in ages and excellent value for money! The staff were all great - very attentive and quick service. Definitely worth a visit!

An excellent pub catering to a pleasingly diverse clientele. Clean, tidy, friendly staff, and the food is quite good. Wednesday is burger night special offer so we decided to give it a try. The burger with mushrooms & stilton was seriously good. Looked after extremely well by Harry. Thanks to a great team in Wellswood!

Booked for evening meal for 13 people. Had to prebook which wasn't a problem. Very busy on a Friday night. Drinks were very slow to come, but the poor waitress was so overworked, but she was brilliant. Food came quickly and was good except for the fish that had a funny taste. We did let the chef know. Mussels came in fresh on Thursday and were some of the best we've had. Would have been a 5 * if it wasn't for the fish. The poor waitress deserves a pay rise! She was great

Went to the Kent’s for Father’s Day and we all had a very pleasant time. Wonderful food and filling roasts. My grandad was very pleased with his food. The staff are all very friendly and helpful, makes for a very wholesome vibe. 10/10 would go again with the family

A lovely welcome to this pub. Friendly and helpful staff. All four of us ordered pizzas and we all said that they were the best pizzas we’ve ever had and we’ve had pizza in Naples! I can definitely recommend the mushroom and stilton pizza (see pic!). Great choice of drinks, especially the gin choice. We will definitely return.

I've been past this pub so many times whilst on holiday, and I always wanted to visit. We booked in for a Sunday roast. Choices of Beef, Lamb, or Gammon. I had the Lamb, and my partner had beef, such a good portion of meat, and very flavoursome. I have to admit this was the best roast I've had, and so good for the price. The sides were delicious also! I will definitely be booking here now when I come down for holidays! The pub it's self was very nice, and the staff were friendly.

Very good Burgers, but the chips weren't fully cooked. But that was the only thing that wasn't perfect. Great location, great waiters, great food. A little hint: If you want to choose the homemade chilli sauce, do think twice! It is hotter than you think. But great restaurant!

Expensive and terrible! The food was cold and the meat was so tough you could not eat it. Would not recommend.

Five of us went to the Kents for my Wife's birthday, what a disappointment. We wanted Ribeye steaks but were told they did not have any so we had sirloin steaks instead and ask for them to be tenderized, one Medium and one medium rare. They were inedible and burnt to a cinder and could hardly cut into them. The peppercorn sauce was like water and tasted like bisto, even the front-of-house staff admitted that you could not smell any peppercorn. Finally, only cheap draft lagers are available, with no premium lagers on draft. We will definitely be visiting The Kents again.

It was alright the front of house staff were good with delivering service but the food from chef side was the a let down my mozzarella sticks not on par and a lack of variety when coming to the tapas because half of it was unavailable main course comes around and finally something to look forward to as it looks and tastes as it should which was perfect I finished the chicken and chorizo BBQ which was good enough for me.

Sorry Kent's but if you plan to serve up a cheap budget wholesaler's burger instead of your chef homemade one then you need to either tell your customers and charge a lower price on the day! Today's, 13 December 2022, was rubbish, virtually inedible and you have the cheek to still charge nearly £15!! Sad to say but you've lost our business again now due to your inconsistent offering. Readers beware.... you might be pleased but the danger is you'll feel as ripped off and disappointed as we were!

I visited with my wife and our 4 year old daughter after seeing Santa at the caves down the road. The staff were very helpful and made sure our daughter had things that she liked with her roast. The food was delicious, well cooked, good portions and good value for money. The service was faultless and we will definitely visit again.

I was part of a group for a family birthday. Majority had burgers which went down well. I had Sunday roast which was disappointing. Standard size is far too much so maybe could label the children's as a small portion. Potatoes OK but undercooked and by the look of other finished plates I wasn't alone. Perhaps a smaller option for the fish and chips would be helpful. Mostly good... Just too much.

I took my fiancèè out for a surprise meal at a pub claiming to be a restaurant and classy. For starters we ordered Fish Gougons which came out pink and raw, were immediately sent back and struck off our bill. Furthermore, my fiancèès appetite and...

Nice pub, nice beer garden, friendly staff, great choice of drinks. An overall very good experience. We'll worth a visit again

A nice friendly place to stop for a drink. They have lots of offers. Make sure you book if it you want food, it’s very popular

Visited this lovely pub for Sunday lunch while on a short break to Torquay. The food was fabulous. Hot. Fresh vegetables, perfectly cooked meat and all really tasty. Lovely friendly staff. Lovely modern but cozy feel with a lovely outside seated area if you’re lucky...

Looking at the menu, and preferring starters over deserts. The option for starters was the tapas. Pork Belly was really tasty. Then came the steak. It left the kitchen made it halfway to the table then was called back. Came back again and sat on...

The Kent’s was a nice pub when we first arrive on the Saturday the food was amazing,both my husband and son had Bacon and Brie in a roll and l had the curly fries which were lovely,later on in the week l had the steak...

Paid a visit early evening. Superb service from the bar staff and well done and thank you to the chef for serving up lovely food in what was a very hot evening.. always wonderful food and service.

Went for lunch with hubby on a Monday afternoon. Been dying to try the tapas here and as we have eaten here before and the food was great we were really looking forward to it. Hubby wanted the philly steak pizza but dough was apparently...

Booked a Sunday lunch after a recommendation from our B&B. Oh my, this was lush. Choice of pork or beef or both. Everything was cooked to perfection. Such a lovely pub and worth a visit. Not far from Kent Caves.

I was on holiday with my Jack Russell Pip and was given a very warm welcome by the lovely, attentive staff. Amazing Burgers, good quality beef, well cooked and nicely presented. The chips were lovely too, golden and crispy on the outside and soft and...

Stopped at this pub between babbacombe model Town and kents cavern. Lovely young man served us just a sandwich snack lunch but very well presented very nice food would recommend this pub for lunch to anybody

Ordered a coleslaw side and received a spoonful of coleslaw; apparently that's the standard. Most people drinking not eating.

We arrived in the restaurant, the waitress brought menus and took a drinks order, we asked for a plate of olives to nibble whilst making our selection from the menu. My husband ordered the special fish dish, I ordered the offer of £3 tapas for...

enjoyed a very pleasant meal at the Kents, good and varied menu, great staff and service!! burgers are delicious, definatley returning!!!

I attended The Kents today with 7 other friends. We wanted coffee and may have stayed for lunch. However, the very unhelpful barman said ‘Well I’m alone and you’ll have to wait a long time.’ There were only five other customers in this big public...

Booked for the Sunday Lunch. Good ambiance, seating distanced. Food smashing. Choice of pork or beef, generous portions with separate veggies including cauliflower cheese, carrots and red cabbage. Service was excellent, food came in a timely manner, waitress was attentive and friendly. Cost £12.95 but...

Great food and value as always seemed very short staffed the service not as good as normal. Great local pub with Great Food and superb value for money.

Visited the Kent’s after arriving in Torquay for my husbands 50th Birthday, as we were staying just along the road, so we arrived at about 3-30 had a couple of drink had just got another and was looking at getting some food, When the bar...

Sat having a quiet drink and about four pints in. We were thinking about having some food and one of the bar staff came over and told us we’d have to leave as the table was reserved!!! I’m 50 years old and never experienced anything...

I have been visiting The Kents for the past eight years and generally enjoy the food, especially the burgers. Today I had Ribeye steak with fries, fennel gratin and a tomato and garlic sauce. The steak was cooked medium rare as requested and all the...

We visited with family on Tuesday 5 of us, 2 of the party had burgers which were very good ( these never disappoint) , one of the party had Skate fish cakes ( which was how it explained on the special page) when the food...

Very pleasant, quiet eating atmosphere. Attentive staff and prompt service. Tasty, good value food with special note for the amazing Crème Brûlée. 👍😀

I attended the Kents with a group of friends between Christmas and new year 2021. We had a table booked for the evening and were very ably looked after by Tasha and the staff. There was quite a few of us, but felt very welcome...

Nice place, very attentive staff and reasonable menu. Had the beef burgers but very disappointed by lack of taste! Came with good chips and coleslaw but meat was disappointing. Waitress was very prompt and attentive but stretched.

Very nice food and larger and cider 🍺 we were looking for a nice pub on the outskirts of Torquay and we were not disappointed potato hash and beef was lovely 🍾

Went for Sunday lunch absolutely stunning cooked to perfection service and ambiance is good excellent food and service at exceptional price would recommend.

The food was really good and ample portions! The only downside was the noise from the bar. Also the lighting was a bit bright and lacked atmosphere. Having said that staff were great and would be happy to go back again.

Nice pub with good beer, but I must give a special shoutout to their burgers. Most locals would agree that the Kents' burger nights on Wednesday are good, but the Truffle Shuffle burger is just immense, couldn't recommend it enough! Thanks

A great local pub. We went for the burger Wednesday deal but returned on the Friday as we had such a great evening. The staff were great but Tasha was brilliant. The gin tasting boards were great, a chance to try different gins and use...

We had a nice evening catch up with friends. The staff were friendly and very attentive. We would return and recommended. The lady doing live music was superb.

We popped in for a drink before going down the road for dinner. Staff were friendly and lager was good, not always a given. My wife had a gin and tonic and had about a hundred to choose from! We will definitely be back to...

We always eat here for our Mussel treat on our breaks, great service and drinks and tasty food. There is seating outside with partitions, its on a bus route and stops just outside if youre in Babbacombe or Torquay.

While driving around looking for a bite to eat on an early Saturday evening, we stumbled across The Kent’s. Hungry, we stepped in & were greeted by a lovely waitress who looked after our needs for the meal. A new menu had app started the...

Booked this for a family lunch. Meet and greet quick and friendly, food delicious and staff are lovely. Everything is clean including the toilets- very important. I had ratatouille macaroni cheese which was really well cooked with salad and warm bread. My husband had the...

We went here several times during our stay - food is amazing and the ambience is lovely and relaxed. Excellent choices for me as a vegetarian and hubby who is a meat eater - we both came away happy!

Had booked in advance prior to staying in Torquay. Wasn’t disappointed. Shown to table immediately, asked if we were on holiday, very friendly staff. Shown menus told about specials. Ordered drinks food arrived was piping hot very fresh and served well. Very upmarket burgers 10/10...

Visited on burger night(Wednesdays) for dinner in the restaurant. Have been here before so knew the burgers were the best. Absolutely lovely burgers and opted for them in ciabatta buns which glad we did. Fish and chips states large on the menu, seemed the same...

Nice atmosphere, good food and a nice beer garden. The waiter was very friendly and accomodating. Overall a great night out with friends. Would definately recommend.

We had tapas and some drinks. The team were very efficient and friendly. A thoroughly enjoyable meal.

Popped in after a visit to Kents Cavern. Friendly staff were very welcoming. The pub is light & modern with good music. We were lucky to visit on a Thursday where there was a special on Tapas & Cocktails. My partner ordered the vegan mushrooms...

Six of us were here for a birthday meal. This is a large pub which appears to have been extensively refurbished and looks good. Our tapas were excellent, service was very good from the smart waitresses, and prices were reasonable, The pub is located on...

Family lunch while they’re down visiting. Clean nice pub. Great location. Good food and drink. Will definitely recommend and return

Brilliant came here by accident absolutely amazing can’t wait to come back staff so friendly .Really good food excellent quality . Really friendly staff.

Fantastic traditional pub food with gastro burgers and much more. Tapas are great and so is the selection of Gins. Highly recommended. Does get a bit rowdy at times outside.

Please allow me to add what I witnessed. A lady and accompanied guest came raging into the bar area shouting and screaming with all I can say is red mist in her eyes. The manager was trying to calm her down and even showing bank...

Live local to the Kents and have only ever received wonderful service form the waitress/bar staff whether stopping for a quick drink after a walk or having a meal. Always cheerful and so helpful in these tough times. The food is good value and great......wonderful...

From the start we entered the pub we weren’t greeted well at all. It was like they didn’t want us there. The Manager who we first spoke to said we had to order from the app from a smart phone. We were trying to order...

Not at all what we expected. The choice was very limited and the beef was chewy. The food was not even hot. Would definitely not recommend

Had two meals at this pub during our stay - Sunday lunch and an evening meal. Service was really excellent and very quick, and the food was well-cooked, tasty and reasonably priced. Would thoroughly recommend for anyone in or near Wellswood.

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Kent’s we thought the food was exceptionally good for ‘pub’ food and gave some of the more expensive restaurants we visited on this trip a run for their money. Great food and staff would thoroughly recommend.

The food here is amazing. Stunning chips huge portions and the brisket burger was out of this world. The most tender brisket I've ever had. The club sandwich was also huge triple sandwich with fries. We couldnt finish our meals as so generous. The staff...

We visited last night and most things on the menu weren't available (which we were not told at the time of booking), we then tried to visit tonight for just a drink for 4 of us and were turned away despite there being many empty...

when we got to kents was told food was going to be an hour which was strange as pub not busy after waited an hour food came and was average too much mustard on burger and onion rings burnt to a crisp staff unfriendly and...

Saturday night, 8.15. After lockdown we were surprised at being made to feel so unwelcome, so sorry we were ten minutes early and no, we didn’t want to stand out in the cold, on the street to wait like naughty children. Amazingly after being told...

We were seated outside under a heater, ordered through the app, easy the use. Servers were more than happy to help with the over head heater to keep us warm whilst outdoor service was the only option. Loved the dumplings!

We arrived at lunchtime and signed in ok. We were seated and the lady helped us order on the app. The second drink I asked the lady if she could take the order and she did. Both members of staff were busy they didn’t stop...

Lovely set up outside with marquees and heaters. Great app to order food and drinks, lovely atmosphere and fab food. Great start to unlock down 😍

This is a very nice friendly pub but it is very expensive for the area. I presume this is because it is the only pub within a 15 minutes walk. They charge more than the pubs on Babbacombe Downs with the wonderful views for both...

Great food and friendly, welcoming staff. The set up was great and felt really safe regards to social distancing etc. Dog friendly too which is a bonus! We come every year when we are on holiday and we will definitely keep visiting! Thank you 😊

Walked out to The Kents from Torquay on a bit of a whim as fancied pub food for lunch and this place had some nice reviews. Big old pub out in a suburb – quiet, but well worth the visit. Ordered a bacon and brie...

Visited during covid whilst on a weekend away. Service was great food amazing. Definitely worth a visit if in the area.

We had 2 meals in the Kent's last week the food was exhalant would highly recommend , The staff are really pleasant was really impressed at the work they had put in place for the safety of there customers against the covid situation well done we felt really safe .