Best restaurants in Plymouth Published 17 May 2025
Plymouth’s coastal setting has always played a central role in shaping its food culture, and its best restaurants continue to draw from land and sea with equal confidence. Whether it’s fresh seafood cooked with Mediterranean flair, modern British plates served with polish, or casual dining done well, this Devon port city has plenty to offer.
From lively bistros to smart, ingredient-led kitchens, Plymouth’s restaurants showcase a commitment to quality and a laid-back approach that suits the setting. Explore our guide to the best restaurants in Plymouth and discover where to eat in one of the South West’s most characterful cities.
On the first floor of the Plymouth gin distillery, the walls cast in ancient stone, is Chris and James Tanner’s excellent value restaurant where on-the-ball staff keep everything motoring, from ordering to cocktail productio… Read more
On the first floor of the Plymouth gin distillery, the walls cast in ancient stone, is Chris and James Tanner’s excellent value restaurant where on-the-ball staff keep everything motoring, from ordering to cocktail production. Expect the likes of fillet of grilled mackerel with a ‘rather delicious’ Peruvian green sauce, pork belly with crisp crackling, ‘heavenly’ apple purée and ‘moreish’ creamy mash, and a perfect crème brûlée. Global wines come by the glass, carafe or bottle.
On a quiet but central street behind the Theatre Royal, Fletcher Andrews' self-named restaurant has enlivened Plymouth's culinary scene virtually single-handed. Launched in 2018 after a stint with Anton Piotrowski (in his Treby Ar… Read more
On a quiet but central street behind the Theatre Royal, Fletcher Andrews' self-named restaurant has enlivened Plymouth's culinary scene virtually single-handed. Launched in 2018 after a stint with Anton Piotrowski (in his Treby Arms days), Fletcher's radiates youthful enthusiasm. An elegant front extension with well-spaced tables supplements the main dining room with its outsize light fittings and pale wood floor, while staff are on point. Food is in the modern British vein, underpinned by bright ideas and versatile technique. Diagonally sliced scallops come with layered baked celeriac and diced smoked eel, or there might be Devon crab with the assertive accompaniments of compressed apple, yuzu gel and candied walnut. Main dishes are complex but comprehensible – from a serving of brined brill, herb-crusted and served with kohlrabi fondant in shellfish bisque with mussels and sea-purslane to tandoori-glazed pink duck breast alongside a pastry cup of shredded leg confit (with a hint of Peking duck to it), a ball of sesame- and honey-laced pak choi and plum sauce. At dessert, variations on a cereal theme produced pear and popcorn jelly in a chocolate shell with buckwheat custard and grain ice cream, or there might bergamot parfait in Italian meringue with fennel pollen and raspberries. A short wine list makes up for what it lacks in amplitude with confidence-inspiring quality, from Cottonworth Classic Cuvée (a Hampshire sparkler) to Matetic Pinot Noir (from Chile's Casablanca Valley).
A little out of Plymouth city centre, along the route to the international ferry terminals, this is the latest venture from David Jenkins and the team behind Rock Salt (now closed). It's a place that's determined to demonstrate it… Read more
A little out of Plymouth city centre, along the route to the international ferry terminals, this is the latest venture from David Jenkins and the team behind Rock Salt (now closed). It's a place that's determined to demonstrate its versatility, with an outdoor area as well as a warren of indoor spaces on different levels – plus regular music nights to add to the gaiety. Jake Hardington cooks a fairly mainstream brasserie menu, with filled bagels (a speciality), a good-value fixed-price lunch and a roster of pedigree Devon suppliers proudly credited on a wall-board. Presentations aim to be eye-catching – witness a broad earthenware dish of gently flavoured smoked mackerel pâté (looking like a bowl of creamy soup), dotted with diced pickled veg, hazelnuts and dill, accompanied by seeded stout and treacle bread. For main course, there could be duck confit with a pork and shrimp 'baozi' or Thai pork curry, but also appealingly tender Dartmoor lamb rump with pommes Anna, roasted asparagus and black garlic purée. Desserts will push most buttons with cheesecake, toffee pudding and the like: our hefty sundae-glass serving of raspberry trifle came topped with chunks of honeycomb, alongside a beautifully intense raspberry sorbet. The flair and finish of the cooking deserves much better wines than the short, perfunctory selection, but there are tempting cocktails too.
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