The Boathouse

Park yourself at Marine Drive and you've got the full Paignton seafront experience without the tourist trap vibes. The Boathouse pulls the local crowd who know their way around a decent drink and aren't afraid to splash out on a proper meal. Windows facing the bay mean you're eating with the water as your backdrop, and the kitchen takes pride in straightforward cooking—grilled fish that tastes like fish, steaks with proper char, the kind of place where a cocktail actually comes mixed to order rather than from a gun.