Torquay finished near the bottom of Which?'s annual ranking of the best and worst city breaks, placing just above last-planned Bournemouth and making it the lowest-ranked Devon destination in the survey. The seaside town received two stars out of five for cultural attractions, transport links and parking, and three stars for shopping, value for money, attractiveness and crowd levels.
Wells topped the list, followed by York and Liverpool. Despite the low ranking, a weekend visit to Torbay left one travel writer questioning whether the town's reputation tells the whole story.
A Mediterranean feel on the English Riviera
Torquay sits on the shores of Torbay, part of the English Riviera, a comparison dating back to Victorian times when visitors likened the mild climate and scenery of this 22-mile stretch of South Devon coastline to the French Riviera.
Standing on the promenade in good weather, palm trees sway in the breeze, waves roll onto the sandy shore and white Art Deco buildings overlook the bay. Closer inspection reveals the familiar seaside staples: fish and chip shops, buckets and spades, and 2p arcades.
The weather is a reminder of where you are. A typical July day in Torquay brings temperatures of around 20C and some cloud, rather than the French Riviera's 29C sunshine.
Criticism and a vibrant food scene
Torquay has attracted more than its fair share of criticism. A previous Which? survey named it Britons' least favourite seaside destination, while The Telegraph placed it 13th among its worst coastal locations. One taxi driver described the high street as a "dump".
Yet the writer's experience was different, leaving charmed by a resort unlike any other in the UK, with a particularly good food scene. The 7 Chefs event on October 4 offered a seven-hour tour of independent restaurants, with a different chef preparing a seafood dish at each stop.
The itinerary included braised octopus at the Michelin-starred Elephant, lobster thermidor at Ollie's, oysters at No. 7 Fish Bistro, katsu-style mussels at Offshore, diver-caught scallops at The Yacht, fish and chips at Pier Point, and cheese at Twenty1 Lounge. The event cost £120.
Beyond the seafront
Torquay is often called 'the Queen of the English Riviera', a description that feels fitting on a sunny day with its Art Deco buildings gleaming above the bay. Torbay lies just beyond the western edge of the Jurassic Coast, with Devonian limestone and red ochre deposits shaping coastal formations and natural caves, including the wave-cut platform at Berry Head.
A 30-minute drive around the bay leads to Kents Cavern, a prehistoric cave network with stalactites, stalagmites and significant scientific finds, including an enormous bear skull. The hotel that inspired John Cleese's Fawlty Towers has gone, replaced by an apartment block and a commemorative blue plaque.
Local resident Sophie Ellis-Marsden expressed frustration with the high street: "I avoid that end of town. I don't have much nice to say, to be honest. The waterfront is lovely, and that's the only thing that is. It's nice, don't get me wrong, I moved here from Milton Keynes for the sea, but it needs more work. More shops just seem to be shutting down. Everything's gone, and I don't really know why."
Those concerns deserve to be heard, but so does the other side of Torquay: its waterfront, fascinating caves and independent restaurants that made the weekend memorable.
