The Elephant Restaurant

Exceptional food, exceptional service. Highly recommended. We had an assortment of starters; Guinea fowl, crab, sea bass - all delicious. Most of us had the halibut - which was dreamy!! Dessert was also very good.

I liked it here. The room is bright and airy, being nicely furnished and decorated. The staff are both pleasant and efficient. I thought the food had some unusual combinations. These were skillfully combined to provide a super tasty meal. After all you go to a high end restaurant to experience something different and The Elephant delivered for me. I had a most enjoyable lunch with a relaxed vibe. I also think it's really good value for money.

Consistently stunning food, great service and nice environment. What's not to like. (Do be careful not park roadside. This is a no parking zone, there are no road markings and the restrictions sign is very difficult to spot, especially in the dark) Additional: Looking through other reviews, I notice some refer to a slight deficiency in service. Our most recent experience was excellent. Staff were welcoming and very relaxed, friendly without undue informality, well informed about the dishes, a credit to the restaurant and certainly enhanced our experience.

Not our first time. Everytime it is always topnotch! The service is beyond amazing. Very attentive crew. Patient and with sense of humour. They do work hard too. The food is even better. The chef have some magic in him or her without a doubt. Our starters were Brixham crabs and it was beautiful. We also had a complimentary sourdough with mushroom butter (probably, the best in the world) and home made humous. Our mains were pork (very delightful and full of colours) and Dartmoor aged wild venison (beautifully prepared). The mains were out of this world! We had carrot cake and Pistachio to finish and they were great too. All in all an amazing dinner!

As you'd the food was excellent at this Michelin Star restaurant. We had the tasting menu which didn't disappoint. We selected our own wine which was delicious, a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. The seating and decor is well done and stimulated a good conversation at our table. The restaurant service was excellent and staff friendly, apart from the front of house person who was not very welcoming.

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.

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!

Was quiet for a Saturday afternoon which wasn’t a bad thing. Food fantastic service brilliant decor lovely. We had the tasting menu which was great. If you are in Torquay EAT HERE. We will be back.

This restaurant clearly earned its Michelin Star, both for food and presentation. I started with crab crumpet, fresh local crab on a crumpet with two other unique elements. My daughter started with beetroot samosas and they were gorgeous. For my main, went with the duck and it was also exquisite. Sliced thinly with a great jus and again several other elements on the plate I could not identify but added many great layers to the taste. We also shared green beans and zucchini (courgettes) and they were great. Fresh from the chef's garden and tasted that way. I normally pass on dessert but had to try it. I had strawberries with pistachio sponge, while I would have like more pistachio flavor it was also quite enjoyable. Service was efficient and I liked the pace of the meal. Pretty quick between courses (what I'm used to as an American), with the nice touch of asking whether we wanted the next course yet. They do not put on airs like many starred establishments, a family in shorts was welcomed, and the food is as good as you can get.

We ate at this delightful restaurant the night before our departure from this beautiful and fun Devon playground. The food and service were superb as well as good value for money. We ordered a fixed price three course meal. The fish was so fresh and superbly prepared. Many local diners head for the 7 Restaurant a few doors down. We had no reservations and the 7 was full so we tried The Elephant. The ambiance was delightfully quiet, dignified and somewhat reserved. The dress should reflect that type of venue. We were definitely under dressed but were welcomed anyhow. We recommend this restaurant without hesitation.

I took my partner to The Elephant for a birthday meal. Having looked at the Brasserie and the Tasting Menu, we opted for the latter which had the following courses. Amuse Bouche 'Risotto' of squid and cauliflower Hand dived Bay scallop with Cornish air dried ham and apples Pan roasted fillet of halibut on parsnip puree with a spring onion and verjus butter sauce Fillet of pure bred South Devon beef fillet with cepe and artichoke mousse, (beef is served pink) Light blackcurrant mousse with liquorice and creme fraiche or The Westcountry's finest artisan cheese selection (£7.00 supplement for cheese as an extra course) Chocolate, coffee and caramel mousse with vanilla ice cream Guatemela Estate cafetiere coffee or tea and petit fours It was recommended that we both ate from the Tasting Menu as it meant all the courses could be served together. Having never tried a tasting menu before, we were at first amused by the size of the portions presented and at one point joked that we would have to stop for a takeaway to fill up on. However, as the courses kept on coming, with just the right amount of time in between, by the end of the meal we were both quite happy. The ambiance was just right and the service was friendly and prompt throughout the evening. The food was superb and we could not find fault with a single course. This is fine dining at it's best and though some may consider it an expensive night out, expect to pay more in a big city. The Tasting Menu is £45 per person and it's worth it for a special night out. Judging by the quality of the food, we're definitely going back to sample the Brasserie Menu. Two minor points however: I was disappointed that The Room wasn't open, contrary to the website and I wasn't told this when I made the booking. This has a different menu from the Brasserie but seeing as the Tasting Menu was on offer, was not an issue on the night. The option cheese course has a supplement of £7, however the amount on the plate was again of a small portion. I would suggest missing this unless you really like cheese. These two point did not detract from the overall the dining experience at all and I have to say it was the best meal we've ever had in Torbay since moving here 6 years ago. Congratulations to Simon Hulstone and the staff who have brought in sophisticated culinary delight to a part of England that can be found lacking.

What a Surprise! A smart place (and no punn!) They gave me the BEST Fish and Chips I have ever had!! Well done them. Staff were attentive and informed. The menu was as Gordon Ramsay would suggest short but good. 9/10 I would recommend

First Impressions go along way in my book, so when we walked into this quite empty restaurant at 8.45pm and after a couple of minuets waiting was met by the waitress who on asking if they had a table for two, the waitress then proceeded to look at her watch and in an indignant manner said oooh yes. I was on the verge of waking out but I am pleased to say I didn't, because the food was excellent. I had Scallops followed by Venison (which was cooked perfectly) we finished of with a selection of cheese's, my partner had Mussels followed by belly pork, to finish she had ice cream and sorbet. The waitress throughout our meal seemed to want to rush us which when you are paying over £80.00 for a meal I do like to take my time. We didn't leave a tip for her so unfortunately if you share tips at this restaurant blame the waitress Natalie (that's the name on the receipt) for this. I would recommend this place for a nice romantic evening providing this waitress is on a night off.

The Elephant is a really good place to eat. Michelin star and plenty of awards. It's not cheap but you get what you pay for with food made from quality ingredients prepared and cooked to a high standard. There is a Brasserie and an upstairs restaurant but the Brasserie is smart and atmospheric and there is an overlap on the menus. The standard is high and consistent and there is a decent selection of wine with some reasonably priced bottles from the old and new world. Service is friendly and efficient. Last meal involved quail egg salad and smoked trout starters; sea bream and halibut mains well presented with good fresh flavours. An excellent lemon tart with nicely sharp passion fruit sorbet and creme brulee with rhubarb and rhubarb sorbet rounded things off well. Set price dinners and a good place to go for lunch too. Parking on Beacon Terrace if you are lucky otherwise there is a public car park a short walk away.

REALLY NICE RESTAURANT.... EXCELLENT SERVICE Before visiting this restaurant I was a little bit concerned about some of the reviews so we booked a table at The Orange Tree. However, I booked our reservation on the wrong day so when we arrived on Saturday 26th February, THe Orange Tree were unable to seat us due to my mistake. Fortunately The Elephant had space to seat us at the last minute. I am so glad that we chose to dine here in the end. Food was superb, service was excellent. They even take note of who has ordered what, so when the food arrives your order is placed in front of you without you having to say 'thats what I ordered etc' Food was fantastic, ambiance was superb, service was great. Host was a little hostile at first but she soon turned out to be friendly. Me and my partner live near London and always dine out at places such as THe Ivy, OXO Tower, Blakes, Gaucho etc and this restaurant was just as good as the London restaurants. Cant wait until we can go back.

I have tried the Elephant several times and have been disapointed on each visit.I did give the benefit of doubt as the first time was its opening week some years ago . If you want a much better meal and cheaper try No 7 just up the road.

We ate upstairs which is a lovely restaurant with delicious food and a great atmosphere. Tis quite expensive but well worth it. A table for two by the window overlooking the harbour would be the perfect romantic meal.