The Old Market House, Brixham

There can’t be many restaurants where you can watch what you’re about to eat coming in off the fishing boat. But with its prime position on the quay at Brixham, that’s exactly what happens at The Old Market House.

The good people at St Austell Brewery have lovingly restored the listed 19th century building in which this pub-restaurant resides, exposing the original limestone walls and painting the window frames and doors a delicate shade of blue. Diners have a choice of outside or inside, with the upstairs terrace undoubtedly the best place to admire the little boats of all colours bobbing upon the water.

History surrounds you, yet the menu itself is decidedly 21st century. Hover your iPhone over it and you can download the recipe to try at home – although it’s undoubtedly better cooked by Torquay-born head chef Robin Boothroyd.

The emphasis here, as you’d expect from St Austell Brewery, is on produce sourced in Devon and Cornwall. Fish is naturally a feature (try the catch of the day – its crunchy beer batter gives way to tender fish), but meat eaters and vegetarians are well served too in dishes such as chargrilled chicken breast with a grain mustard cream sauce and wild mushroom risotto.
At this lovely quayside pub, children can be overheard asking, ‘Where does my fish come from?’ The answer is a mere stone’s throw away.