La Scala Restaurant

Head down Queen's Road towards the seafront and you'll find La Scala doing exactly what it should: serving honest Italian food without pretension. The place has clearly got something right if nearly 300 people have bothered leaving reviews, and the 4.7 rating speaks for itself. It's the kind of neighbourhood restaurant where locals actually eat, not somewhere you'd feel awkward popping in alone or bringing mates for a midweek dinner. The cooking's straightforward and confident—think proper risottos, homemade pasta, seafood done simply. Paignton's not exactly short of Italian restaurants, but this one's got staying power for a reason.