Apple & Parrot

You'll find the Apple & Parrot tucked right on the Strand, that stretch where Torquay's seafront charm actually feels lived-in rather than polished. Step in and you're met with the sort of pub that doesn't need Instagram to justify itself—dark wood, worn leather, and the comfortable smell of a place that's been doing the same thing properly for years. The crowd's a real mix: locals nursing pints at lunchtime, visitors who've stumbled away from the seafront chaos, and the kind of regulars who have their own pint glass behind the bar. Food's straightforward pub fare done without fuss—think fish and chips, pies, that sort of thing—and the drinks list actually respects real ales instead of just pumping out lager.