The Elephant Bar & Restaurant

Torquay may once have been best known for the disastrous gourmet experiences meted out by fictitious hotel Fawlty Towers, but the seafront Elephant is helping put it on the map for all the right reasons. Head chef Simon Hulstone won a Michelin star in January 2006 thanks to his bold, flavour-packed cuisine: celeriac & pork belly lasagne with a cep and horseradish foam is a case in point, as is roast brill with clams, squid, chorizo & butterbean fricassee. Further reasons to be cheerful include the imaginative desserts (bitter chocolate terrine with salted butter ice-cream, say), & a very affordable wine list that starts at £12.95 & stays largely under £20 a bottle. Service is friendly, the atmosphere convivial & there’s a lovely upstairs bar with great sea views for pre- or post-dinner drinks.