Places to eat in Plymouth

As you usually find with important global ports, exotic foods are imported from around the world to inspire the city’s food scene. The proof of the pudding is in the eating with Plymouth. The city is packed with innovative eateries, you can see a round-up of some favourites in a section dedicated to restaurants in Plymouth.

Let’s tick off a trio of fish and chip shops first – West Hoe Fish Fryers, Harbourside Fish & Chips, and The Harbour Seafood Restaurant. Even if you put a harpoon to our head, it’s hard to pick a favourite so you’ll have to decide for yourself. Just don’t overdo it on the ‘unlimited chips’.

Plymouth has some posher places too. The Artillery Tower is the best of the bunch – as a Michelin Guide restaurant it was always going to make the grade. Make sure you don’t turn down the chance to savour their belly pork – it’s delicious.

Our guide to restaurants in Plymouth also takes a look at Meze Grill and their great big portions of gorgeous Greek cuisine, Positano’s traditional and very tasty Italian dishes, the cracking curries of Mombay Brasserie, a new ramen bar so good it raises the hair on your neck, and plenty more.

Across Plymouth, there are all kinds of cafés to satisfy your caffeine cravings and treat you to a quick bite and piece of cake. Rhubarb & Mustard is a wonderful little independent café with great coffee and ingredients sourced from high quality local farms, and they serve up some stonking sandwiches, with genuinely great veggie options, too. Amigos Coffee near Victoria Park is another great independent café where the coffee’s well roasted using fresh beans. Oh, and their carrot cake is sooo good.

Monty’s Café is hard to miss; it’s the bright purple one in the Barbican. It’s a great place to go for breakfast, brunch and lunch, but be sure to check out the ever changing specials board that makes the most of seasonal, locally sourced produce. Overall, it’s an easy-going place where they won’t skimp on portions, and the prices are tough to beat.

The café with the best views of Plymouth Sound, and Drake’s Island, simply has to be The Terrace. Visit during the day for coffee, homemade cakes, or their crab Caesar salad. Don’t expect to be turfed out any time after lunch, though. The Terrace is open 9am–11.30pm and in the evening this lovely café turns into a lively fully licensed bar, with occasional performances from local bands and artists.

The Boathouse is another café on the seafront that boasts fresh food, a full bar licence and live music. The first of its kind to set up shop on the Mayflower Steps; if it were any closer to the harbour you’d be brunching with the fishes.

If you like your hot chocolate to be gargantuan in size and smothered in whipped cream, sweets, chocolate and biscuits, your only option is to go to The Flower Café. Honestly, their speciality hot drinks need to be seen to be believed. And then they need to be tasted! They’re the showstoppers, but The Flower Café does the usual suspects too – all day breakfasts, sandwiches, pancakes, and a lovely cream tea with fresh scones. Enjoy them inside the cute café, or go al fresco in the courtyard.

On the first Sunday of every month, make your way down to Royal William Yard to try, and buy, the tasty wares of local traders at Plymouth’s Good Food Market. There are all kinds of foods on offer, but here’s a flavour of what you might find. The pork pies and quiches from the Cornish Pork Pantry are seriously tasty. Hogs Bottom specialise in handmade small-batch jams, chutneys and dressings and The Insalting Pig’s incredible charcuteries use the Devon and Cornwall reared meat that’s putting fear into continental Europe. Meanwhile, Cheezeboard sells only the tastiest of local cheeses, including Cornish Yarg.

As if that wasn’t enough, you can also go to the Plymouth Farmers’ Market on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, with around 25 stalls selling venison, vegetables and everything in between.