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Torquay
Mulberry House

Situated in the heart of Torquay, just a short stroll from the town centre and the sea front, the Mulberry House hotel and restaurant provides a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle. The elegant, listed Victorian corner house is rated as an AA five-diamond premier collection building and is home to an atmospheric venue, which offers a welcoming and personable service to locals and visitors alike.

Arriving on a particularly wet and windy evening, it was a real treat to sink into a comfortable leather sofa next to a beautiful, open, wood-burning fire in the cosy reception area and chat to new owners Mike and Jeni James. Having taken over in August 2007, they have retained and restored the building’s original features and added their own touches to create an informal and cosy space. The three double bedrooms, all en-suite, are individually decorated with an eclectic mix of furniture, giving their guests an ideal base from which to explore the delights of South Devon.

The licensed restaurant – with its lovely crisp white linen, fresh flowers and dresser adorned with Victoriana – seats 20 and offers a great value lunch and dinner menu to non-residents, as well as breakfast for guests. The Victorian theme is reflected further in the traditional British menu, which uses seasonal produce, locally sourced and made to order. The dishes available could include rabbit, venison and game birds alongside seafood specials, but the main, unvarying element is that diners are always assured fresh ingredients. Jeni is a vegetarian, so a good selection of dishes are available for those looking for an alternative and Mike bakes all the breads and pastries, and makes all the desserts – including his own ice creams.

Of the three starters available on our visit, we decided to go for a smoked haddock fishcake with a black peppercorn dressing (£4.95), and the house special mushroom tart (£4.95). The fishcake was very light with big chunks of smoky fish and a zesty dressing, while the mushroom tart combined layers of flaky pastry with mushrooms cooked in rich red wine sauce. There were eight main courses on offer, including two delicious-sounding vegetarian dishes (£8.95 each) and an ever-popular steak bar serving either rump (£9.95) or fillet (£15.95), with all the trimmings. We opted for whole roasted rainbow trout with an orange sauce (£8.95), and Mike’s savoury faggots with mashed potato and rich onion gravy (£7.95). The man-sized portions came with rosemary-roasted potatoes and a good selection of vegetables, but we still managed to squeeze in a dessert – the house chocolate sponge with amaretto and chocolate ice cream (£4.50).

Whether you choose to enjoy a sandwich at lunchtime (from £3.95), an evening dinner or an overnight stay, Mike and Jeni will endeavour to take the time to get to know you and to make you so comfortable that Mulberry House will soon seem like your very own home from home.

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