The Smugglers Haunt in Torbay

Mark welcomed us with a smile. The entrance hall was clean and fresh. He showed us to our rooms. The room was spacious enough for the weekend. Tea and coffee in the room. We also had a small fridge. Just right for keeping drinks cool. The bathroom was compact but enough space to move around. The breakfast area was clean and tidy. Breakfast very tasty, either cereals, toast or full English. Even asked for an extra poached egg. The location was perfect. I'd recommend booking car park via torbay website in advance although Mark did do this for me. Well done Mark and Arlene.

We were staying in Brixham for a short weekend break to visit friends. This hotel is walking distance from the harbour, where there are parking facilities for a long stay. The hotel has that quirkiness about it, and yet it is a comfortable and friendly place. The owner was very helpful, carrying my wife's bags up 2 flights of stairs where we had a very comfortable room which was clean and neatly decorated. The breakfast was very good with a selection of fruit and cereal, and the cooked English breakfast was delicious. Definitely a place we would stay in again.

The location was excellent. Our room was very good, with comfortable beds, teamaking facilities, and adequate storage, including 'proper' coat hangers; not the sort that require juggling skills to hang one's clothes on! The room was refreshed daily and the bathroom was spotless. The lounge, bar and dining areas were very attractive with comfortable leather furniture in the bar area that were very enticing. The breakfasts were great with a good choice and the main breakfasts were freshly prepared and served piping hot. Mark, Arlene and Sarah were very kind and helpful and we were made to feel very welcome.

I will definitely be coming back to stay here, friendly staff, lovely rooms, a good breakfast with warm plates and plenty to eat and drink, a great place to stay if you are visiting Devon.

Un lugar muy peculiar y sólo un minuto de la parada de autobús y a unos 4 minutos del puerto. El dueño y el personal era extremadamente amable y servicial, y las opciones de desayuno era muy bueno. Es obvio que el actual propietario ha invertido mucho tiempo y dinero en renovar el lugar a un muy buen nivel. Nuestra habitación estaba muy bien cuidado, con un cuarto de baño con baño/ducha. Bien vale la pena alojarse allí y volveremos a Brixham en un futuro muy próximo y este es el lugar donde nos hospedaremos. Bien hecho Mark por su hospitalidad! !

Was in the area this weekend and thought we would call in. Looks to be boarded up, although a hand written notice says bar and restaurant closed, but accommodation available.......presumably without breakfast! Looked derelict.

This is a great hotel and in a prime location

We've been visiting this place since Chris and Russell ran it.The interior has been changed a bit, but it's still basically the same.Honest food, served hot. Exactly as described on the menu. (What more could you want)?Rooms clean, and bright. Lovely 'Olde' feel to the place.No parking, but if you've seen where they are, you'll know why.If they could bring back Chris and Russell's Steak Pie they'd take over Brixham.Honest value for money hotel, with honest value for money food.

We ordered fish cakes to start and they were overly seasoned to discussed the lack of fish and burnt. I had plaice with was breaded on one side, overdone and dry.

Clean but It was like going back into the 1970's - main entrance door locked and remote control handed over on check in. Very narrow corridors so was concerned about getting out if there was a fire.

Visitamos el Smugglers Haunt en linternas noche, y esperaba que fuera muy ocupado. Sin embargo había solo un puñado de personas en el restaurante. Decidimos ir a comer y, como habíamos ido antes que pedí la culata bistec, mediano y mis socios de comedor tanto pedimos las salchichas y puré. El bistec fue preparado justo- tierna y un rico sabor. Las salchichas y puré, me dijeron que era también muy sabroso y llegó con puré 'real' (no hizo que a los extranjeros de estaño que cargarás todo a pedazos!!) y con verduras frescas, también. El servicio también era muy rápido y disfrutamos leyendo algunos de los antiguos carteles en las paredes, en alusión a los piratas y el Contrabando. También creo que el programa de televisión más embrujado, también ha sido filmada allí. En general, fue el final perfecto para una agradable noche después de mirar los Faroles Parade y unos magníficos fuegos artificiales. Sin duda volveremos de nuevo y sería genial para pasar una noche allí ... nunca se sabe, sólo podría cumplir con un par de fantasmal Piratas ARRGGGHHH.

Frío, cerca de los pubs vacío. No hay fuego encendido todo lo que debería tener la que habían advertido de lo que estaba por venir. Asador - muy mala calidad de carne, pálido, y amargo en sabor. Apartamento pequeño comprado en número de Yorkies , comida apenas tibia, verduras sosa y sin sabor aunque brócoli rebozado y queso de coliflor era bastante agradable.

Hemos visitado Smugglers Haunt un puñado de veces durante sus vacaciones en Brixham durante los tres últimos años o así y hemos disfrutado de nuestras visitas. Nos han tendido a ir tarde en la temporada y durante la semana cuando ha sido muy tranquilo, pero siempre recibirá una cálida bienvenida. La comida es de buena calidad a un precio razonable y usualmente hay un par de cervezas de barril bien cuidado. Sin duda, volveremos la próxima vez que estemos en Brixham.

We recieved a super welcome here from all the staff. The chef was helpful explaining his dishes, which were delicous!!!Such a lovely atmosphere we throughly reccomend it!!!

Based on the excellent reviews on Trip Advisor, travelled 20 miles each way to 'enjoy' a meal there - only to find the Smugglers Haunt closed - on a Saturday lunch time! Apparently that is their custom, although they don't mention it on their website - but in 60 years have never before found a pub anywhere closed- on a Saturday lunch! Sometimes on a Monday - but never on a Saturday. All the other pubs appeared to be open - as is the norm nationwide on Saturday lunch - particularly in a tourist resort - in season! So be warned - wasted a lot of time and money for nothing - and still don't know if they are any good.

The Smugglers haunt is an excellent pub with good quality beers and an excellent menu, the food is good and plenty of it, as a good guide we locals regularly eat and drink there. You are always made very welcome by the staff.

I think it was swimming only two hours before it landed on my plate - thats REAL FRESH ! and real tasty

Thoroughly recommend The Smugglers. Despite the place being full of local people we were made to feel very, very welcome.Prices are reasonable and the food was excellent. Cooked just like your Nan's Sunday dinner!Decor is traditional 80s pub, but the atmosphere was warm - and that's what matters.

Great location, especially if arriving by car or coach. Querky building with lots of character.The owners are friendly and welcoming. Cosy rooms and a FABULOUS breakfast. Returned several times.

Great coffee shop and gift shop on the side of the main Smugglers building. Tasty milkshakes, coffee, friendly chat and good quality gifts. Loved it.

Choice of 2 Festive menus & both good value. We chose of both menus which gave us an idea of what was on offer.If you get fed up with turkey, try the pork in cream sauce .... Lovely.

My wife and I arrived in Brixham and following previous reviews we wandered down to the smugglers haunt to have Sunday lunch. we were not disappointed as the carvery was great with a choice of pork turkey and beef with a lovely mixture of fresh vegetables. I had a portion of all three meats and with the vegetables my plate was piled high. Restaurant was full of locals who obviously know a good deal.

Superb carvery friendly staff great pub and very good value for money will be going back again when were back in Brixham next march

We were absolutely starving when we arrived & after walking all day were more than ready for our food.We weren't disappointed, I had the fish pie and my husband had a steak, we were both impressed with the quality and quantity of the food, the vegetables served with our meal were fresh not frozen and cooked to perfection. My pie was absolutely delicious nice chunks of fish, very hearty and tasty, my husband is quite fussy with his steaks but he said it was one of the best steaks he'd had in a long time.All the staff were very friendly and helpful, especially the barman - oops sorry landlord who put up with our singing along to the piped music, we had a wonderful evening and were sorry to be moving on the following day so unable to go back for more!

A varied menu that has meat dishes and a good choice of fresh fish. Prices are really keen but the quality of the food is superb. A nice atmosphere in this tucked away pub with the staff and licensees being very friendly and having a great sense of humour.

excellent place to visit the food was brilliant and very tasty, the staff were really friendly and very polite and went out of their way to help as we had a child in a wheelchair, it was very good value for money and would definitely visit again

Have just spent an excellent two nights here as a spur of the moment visit booked by the wife.Rooms were lovely, clean , spotless and comfortable after a 4.5 hour journey to get here how relaxing the beds were.Managed there full breakfast and that set me up for the day.Staff were very helpful and cheerful we tried to book a further night but they were fully booked by a golf club!! This must be a plus for the owners.Will definitely go again and will try for a longer stay?..Overall.. they tick all the right boxes

This is such a friendly restaurant with amazing food everyday. We came here on several occasions during our holiday and were impressed by the standard of the food. The service is very Quick and the staff are very friendly. Certainly willing to have a chat with you. This restaurant is out of the way a bit as it is not on the seafront but this means that it does not get noisy like the others sometimes do. Many do believe that this hotel is haunted and it sure is to me! I always feel the chills in one particular spot and as I am only young I never sit alone....Hope you enjoy your stay at the smugglers....

My mum & myself dropped in un-expectantly, we were waited on like royalty, fantastic food & service, would dine at this establishment again & again. Have already recommended to friends & family..

probably the best carvery i have visited with perfect cauliflower cheese , the chef nige was very obliging and told the odd joke we took my 87 year old mother and she is still talking about the wonderful food and wants to visit again soon , the staff were very friendly and the portions were of a good size terrific value for money. give it a try next time you visit brixham

For the third year in a row, we ate here and were really surprised the restaurant was so quiet.Such a shame but there is a lot of competition around the harbour.The food, wine and service was first class. Will eat and drink there again next time.Keep up the good work Jean and John.

My daughter and boyfriend took us out for fathers day evening meal and having not been to the Smugglers Haunt for ages decided to go there. What a lovely suprise Jean and John have always been polite and lovely hosts and food has always been good. They have done a great job on redecorating and refurbishing the bar and restraunt area. The food was excellent and a varied menu all cooked fresh and was one of the best meals we all had in Brixham in a long time.Good selction of wines and sparkling wines etc at decent prices unlike the Old Market House.Lovely atmosphere will be going back soon.

Very friendly owners.The meals we had were plentifull and tasty.Very comfortable and nice atmosphere.

Decent pub food at a reasonable price. Good choices and friendly staff. Was quite quiet for a Saturday night for some reason so no atmosphere, and the restaurant part was empty,so we ate in the bar. It is slightly away from the harbour area, so doesn't get much passing trade. I would eat there again if in Brixham.

Good food, great value! Comfortable and friendly atmosphere. My Ten Year old son loves it here but we are still waiting to see one of the resident ghosts

This is my favourite pub in Brixham! The staff were so friendly and it is very clean. There is a great choice of food and it is steak night on Thursday! 2 steaks and a bottle of wine for under £30! I would definately come here again because it is not very expensive and it is a friendly atmosphere. By the way, the ghost stories are amazing! You might want to book a table as it can get busy.Thankyou for some lovely meals!

Lovely place just off the road, staff were nice and friendly but the young waitress could tell us nothing of the pub's history, so I would work on that! Reasonably priced for the area and the baguettes were delicious!

A large group of us went from church for a meal in this lovely pub. We cannot fault the meal at all - excellent value, piping hot, very tasty, fresh vegetables and all served very promptly, which isn't easy with a large group. The staff were all very attentive, and even gave us a bottle of wine towards our raffle. The only gripe I have is that one of the waitresses was continually chewing gum.

If you want good pub food at a reasonable price, this is the place.Food came out very hot. Recommend beef and ale pie and the fish pie. Nice house wine. Lovely olde worlde.

Went for the Steak Night which has been reviewed as being recommended. Friendly welcome which was somewhat marred by the ale not being as good as it should. Speedy delivery of the steaks, the presentation of which was first class. Once into the steak it was more gristly that it should have been - right on the border of "Is it bad enough to send it back or bearable to continue"? As the staff were so nice I decided to continue. My partner's was very fatty and she felt the same as I and continued. So disappointed and I hope for anyone else that this was a one off. The cynic in me asks if the steaks were bought in especially cheap (For Steak Night) hence the below standard offering? Hope not. Pity really as the atmosphere is nice and relaxing in this old traditional pub.

We were told this pub was dog friendly ?, its not even human friendly we turned up at 8.30 pm after going out of our way to find this reccommended food pub only to be turned away as they were closing (8.30 pm) , the four of us plus dog were very dissappointed to say the least , passing by several times during the week that we stayed we noticed the doors were always closed so perhaps they only open when there is a blue moon lol, waste of time sorry to say.

We patronised this excellent pub restaurant because we had read that it was a dog friendly establishment and an dog friendly it certainly was. Our little jack russell terrier was welcomed with a bowl of water and a dog biscuit while we enjoyed selections from their excellent menu. The service was impeccable and while there could be a bit of a wait for for our meals to arrive the food was obviously freshly cooked to order. The first evening that we ate there we had a curry and it was the best curry that I have eaten outside an Asian restaurant

Good food at a traditional pub. Very friendly landlord and landlady. Would definitely reommend the steaks - very good and cooked exactly as requested.

Very friendly Landlord & Wife withgreat sense of humour. The food was very good & fresh especialy good was the fish pie the best we have ever had. Well worth a visit.

after our 1st visit while on holiday we went back a few more times as the food was lovely especialy the steak as it was very tasty. the service was excellent and the landlord/lady were nice for leting us bring our dog in. the staff were also nice and pleasent, will definatly go there again if holidaying again in brixham

We looked at Trip Advisor to look for quality pub food and agree with previous reviewers that the steak was lovely. We went on a Thursday where they are doing steak night for two with a bottle of wine for £22 so great value too. More of a restaurant than a pub which was a bit of a shame. Mr & Mrs C

Calli in for a drink on our way to eat in another restaurant. We liked it so much we decided to eat there . What a wonderful decision that was. The atmosphere, service and food was superb. The place was heaving. The restaurant closed for more diners at around 8.30 as it was impossible to find room for any more. It was the chef's first night in her new job and as another customer put it "What a baptism by fire" But she coped magnificantly. We will most certainly be returning when next in the area.

Visited the Smugglers Haunt for a Sunday evening meal in April 2012. I cannot fault the service and the landlord was very friendly and knowledgable on the town. The food was well presented and tasted great with large portions. I would reccomend this place to anyone looking for local atmosphere and food.

We are a little group of friends who live in Brixham & go out for lunch every week in the Torbay area & the "Smugglers Haunt" is one of our watering holes & we recommend this hotel for good food at a reasonable price & the staff are helpful & friendly. "The Bus Pass Club"

An old-fashioned town pub with real ale and a comprehensive menu. Recommend the steaks! It's away from the harbour, but worth the effort. Quieter than the harbourside pubs, but will undoubtedly start to fill up as people discover it.

The service was ok, the food was OK! thats all I can say, however, things may have changed as its been over a year.Nice place to have a drink, and apparantly if you love ghost stories then this is the place to go to and stay in!

We chose this pub after reading reviews on Trip Advisor and weren't disappointed. Despite being a little old fashioned the meal and service was great. We had the burger with cheese and it was delicious, probably the best burger I had had. It was an 8oz burger which came out as 2 4oz burgers in a bap with cheese and chips and a salad garnish. My daughter had the rump steak with chips and salad. The portions were quite big, I struggled to finish but well worth the money. A pint of beer, glass of wine and 2 soft drinks and food came in under £50. I would certainly recommend it and would go back again, it had a homely and welcoming feel to it.

14 oz Sirloin (Medium Rare) with a pepper sauce. Wow, the steak was perfectly cooked and melted in the mouth. There was such attention to little things, for example the mushrooms were scored to give a spiral look and weren't cooked to death, nor soggy, but firm and hot. The bar and restaraunt are undergoing a face lift at the moment, which makes the fantastic quality even more amazing. Very friendly service from the hosts and the waitress. Top marks. Much better value for money than some of the more pretentious places in Brixham.

This is "oldie world but no complaints in any way, New chef (we are told) works wonders.Extensive menu to suit any..One to find

I entered the pub and it was empty due to it being a midweek early half term date and getting towards 9pm. I was greeted by friendly staff, one being the chef. after informing them we had a party of 10 people to feed he opened up the recently closed kitchen (due to not being busy) to cook for us. Prices were usually just under £10 per course and we were given bowls of chips, vegetables, salad and potatoes to accompany our main courses. Everybody enjoyed their meals and would return for another next time we are in Brixham, overall a nice family atmosphere and we felt it was higher quality food than you would expect typical pub food to be.

Well worth a visit - the food was amazing and very reasonable well worth visiting.

Fine food at the smugglers we enjoyed our meals on both occasions we dined there, ..they are pet friendly and offer conversation to guests, and Murphy is a lovely dog but only approach him on owners discretion...nice pub would definitely re-visit Lin Richard and Katie our collie

Finally on our last day we found a proper pub in Brixham. Me and my son had desert, I had a Homemade Tiramisu which was to die for...Good service

We always make a point of visiting the Smugglers Haunt while staying in Brixham because the food is excellent & the service is also very good & reasonably priced. The restaurant is part of the hotel which is also open to none residents which is slightly away from the main drag so it doesnt get too over packed in main meal times. It also has a cosy bar area where you can have a friendly banter before or after your mealThe Smugglers is definitely worth a visit, well be back again for sure.Gary & Lesley Richards

We ate here twice on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. The steak was cooked to perfection and the attention to detail in the presentation was excellent. Portion sizes were good with a lovely vegetarian selection. Good service and a friendly welcome, will definately return when next in Brixham.

We visited smugglers haunt last night and found that it was a nice quiet pub which is run by a lovely husband and wife. Food is abit more expensive than chain prices but well worth it. All the food came out fresh and steaming hot good quality local produce. We had a vegetarian in our party who was very pleased with his spinach and ricotta cannelloni all in all very nice great service and we will make site to come again whilst we are.here!

We went tonight 21 July after the 5* recommendations and was disappointed. My paella was overcooked and seafood like rubber. Son had steak burger and chips and both were the usual frozen pub fayre. Ordered onion rings and again they were frozen. Husband had steak and jacket potato which he said were reasonable. Ok for a lunch time, meal about on a par with usual chain pubs but don't expect 5* and definaitely don't go if you want something special. Must say the staff were lovely and very helpful though.

Superb place to eat, if not the best in Brixham, very very friendly and welcoming to children (unlike some of the places in Brixham!!) The Paella is quite possibly one of the best sea food dishes i have ever tasted, and the childrens choices dont all revolve around chips, which was very refreshing.Overall, superb food and service with a lovely welcome, and a great little bar area to chat to the locals while you work your way through the whisky selection, fantastic, come on Brixham, we need more places like this!

You do not have to stay at the Smugglers to eat there.There is a restaurant area and you can also eat in the bar area.The food is excellent and the owner is very friendly and accommodating. The locals never seem to mind us tourists turning up either.We stay in Brixham each year and found this place a few years back and have now eaten there many times. The meals are substantial - you will certainly not leave hungry. The menu is varied - we have eaten as a group of 8 and everybody has been able to find something they like. When we were there in October, they were just introducing a mid week carvery as well as the Sunday carvery. I can truly say that the roast we had was one of the best I have ever had and the beautiful desserts were delicious and huge.We shall definitely be back this coming October!