|
Dining in Europe > Plymouth With so many centuries of maritime exploration behind us, its not surprising that Plymouths restaurants cover a wide spectrum of international cuisine. You'll find an Indian restaurant not looking out of place in a 16th century building and a Chinese restaurant hugging the waterfront. Tucked away in old cobbled streets or magnificently modern edifices you will also find Canadian, Irish, Thai, Greek, Spanish, Mexican, French, Italian, and Malaysian food, as well as American establishments so familiar we regard them as our own. But top of the list of local favourites has to be those serving fresh fish and seafood. From pubs and cafes to elegant restaurants you will find seafood galore. Take your choice from lobster, shrimp, crab, prawns, mussels, sea bass, lemon sole, halibut, trout, salmon, monkfish, swordfish or John Dory; all available on local menus. In these days of mass produced food, a fresh, naturally fed fish remains the epitome of culinary delight. At The Brasserie you can enjoy views of the marina as you eat; Piermasters will make you feel you are dining beside the Mediterranean, while Platters is as jolly and busy as any fishing boat. Even if your proud boast has always been that you 'hate fish', please don't leave Plymouth without trying a local crab sandwich at the very least. The Queens Arms make these sumptuous enough to change the habits of a lifetime. I believe that in China people greet each other with the expression, 'Chi fan le mei you?', which literally means 'Have you eaten yet?' I think that shows just how important food is in their culture and lifestyle. Having eaten in many Chinese restaurants I know why. Chinese food is very popular in Plymouth and there is a good variety to choose from. Why not dine on the waterfront at the Wet Wok, admiring the boats on Plymouth Sound as you eat? Deep in the historic Barbican is the Crystal Dragon, while the Ocean Palace has wonderful Dim Sum at lunchtime. The Wah Tin Garden is one of the few places in Plymouth that specialises in Malaysian cuisine as well as Chinese, while the delights of the Hoe Cantonese restaurant are a healthy as well as a tasty choice. Thai restaurants, like the Thai House, add an exotic touch to our local seafood, while the Thai curries there and at the Thai Palace have to be tried to be appreciated. Talking about curries always brings us back to Indian cuisine, which is alive and kicking in Plymouth - especially those vindaloos! The Indian mastery of combining spices to perfection cannot be surpassed, so be sure to sample it here. The Taj Mahal is the oldest Indian restaurant and well worth a visit, while the Moghul, situated in 400-year-old New Street, does wonderful duck. The name Veggie Perrins may not immediately conjure up the idea of Indian food, but the excellent vegetarian Gujerati cuisine is as authentic as you'll get anywhere. Italian delicacies like pizza and pasta are now as common on our tea tables as Yorkshire pudding and fish and chips. But nobody does them better than the Italians themselves, so its well worth visiting a few Italian restaurants to try the authentic versions and find how much more there is than the two Ps. The Positano is where all the local Italians go to eat, while Bella Napoli serves superb fish dishes. The Pasta and Pizza Bar will give you exactly that, but so much better than at home. Elegant French cuisine can be had at the Café Rouge, which also has an excellent wine bar. Dining at Chez Nous is like being in rural France, while Chambers Restaurant serves classic French dishes. Several excellent restaurants also include French cuisine in their repertoire. Bistro Bene produces international dishes of high quality, while the Arts Centre Restaurant has many themed evenings, serving food from all over the world. They are also the leading establishment for vegan and vegetarian dishes, although many restaurants have vegetarian options. The Greeks have a superb way with fish too, and the Village offers a magnificent mixed fish grill if you cannot choose between all their specialities. The Grecian Taverna will feed you authentic Greek dishes until the early hours, while the Athenian specialises in Spanish food as well as Greek. Fast food can be found at the youngsters' favourite sites of McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, but there are hundreds of smaller restaurants and cafes that can rustle up a good meal in a short time. O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bar also serves excellent Italian coffee while the flame-grilled food at the Gorge Cafe is delicious as well as fast. Cap'n Jaspers is a unique, al fresco establishment, much loved by Plymothians and visitors alike. If you haven't much time to eat, try the traditional Westcountry fare of a Cornish pasty, or oggie, at Ivor Dewdneys or the Oggie, Oggie Pasty Co. If you like to lounge on the sofa while you drink your coffee, Hobbs Chocolate and Coffee House is the perfect place, or if the weather is kind to you, go al fresco at the Boulangerie-Patisserie Francaise or Carwardines Coffee House. Traditional British and local food can be found in abundance in Plymouth too. Combine sumptuous food with buildings steeped in history by dining at Tanners in Plymouths oldest building, the Prysten House. Or try a 500 year old waterfront fort, the Artillery Tower. You can even get an Elizabethan Banquet at the Tudor Rose Tea Rooms, complete with fire jugglers, mead and serving wenches. There are many excellent restaurants not far from Plymouth, on Dartmoor or the South Hams. The Old Ship Inn and the Terrace Restaurant at the Kitley Country House Hotel are well worth a visit, and if you've never eaten in a thatched cottage, Old Mother Hubbards is the real thing. If you want to combine the beauties of Devon with first-class food, board the Riviera Belle for steam propelled gourmet travel. While if you drop in to the Spice Bazaar, you can stay or take home some delicious Indian food to eat in front of the TV. If you are intent on drinking rather than eating, or want to combine the two in a more informal manner, then you have masses of choice. Wine bars, bars and pubs abound, with many varieties of Real Ale. In the city itself there is every variety of drinking establishment possible, from the spit and sawdust' and lively Irish music of Kitty O'Hanlons to the sophistication of the Union Rooms. The Deck, The Bank, Yates Wine Lodge and the Significant Half all offer good drinking within the city centre for the youngsters. Barbican pubs like the Dolphin, the China House and the Maritime suit all ages. But if you'd rather see ghosts than pink elephants, head for the pubs of Dartmoor and the South Hams. Here all the spooks have taken up residence in the ancient hostelries. The Brentor Inn and Pilchard Inn both have resident phantoms, while the one at the Rock Inn is so life-like that one of Mrs. Thatchers bodyguards is said to have shot at it! You can buy a large pasty for pound, or an Elizabethan Banquet for £20. If you look hard enough you'll be able to find something in Plymouth to please everyone, at a price you can afford. Don't hesitate to explore the streets away from the city centre. With a bit of luck you'll find a gem that the locals are trying to keep to themselves; a cosy, friendly pub or a breakfast café that serves enough to feed an Olympic athlete. Don't hesitate to go in and try it out for yourself. You'll be very welcome. Entertainment in PlymouthWhatever your taste in entertainment, Plymouth has something to offer you. Here you can find drama, opera, classical and pop concerts, musicals, comedy, pantomime and dance. There are nightclubs galore, pubs featuring live music, a casino and bingo halls, a choice of at least 18 general cinema screens, not to mention the art house films on offer. The Theatre Royal is a real asset to the city, staging top class entertainment in drama, opera, music and dance. Every year the Royal Shakespeare Company brings its Autumn season here; the Glynbourne Touring Opera and Birmingham Royal Ballet are also regular visitors. Well known for outstanding musicals, it was chosen to launch the national tour of 'Les Miserables', which has done exceptionally well. This millennium year saw a superb tribute to Plymouths own Union Street, with a cast of many hundreds of local people, another of its outstanding successes. The Drum Theatre is renowned for the new and experimental productions that work so well in its smaller venue. They even offer free tickets to the public sometimes. One such this year was members of the Royal Shakespeare Company reading American poetry, a fascinating and enjoyable afternoon. Its always worth getting a copy of forthcoming productions so you don't miss any such gems in future. The Athenaeum is home to many of the local amateur theatrical companies, all of whom do excellent performances of very high calibre. Parents and other adoring relatives of young performers also beat a path to its door at regular intervals to watch offspring, gifted and otherwise, display their musical, dancing and theatrical talents. You can also see art house films here and attend fascinating talks in the lecture hall. The Barbican Theatre is another small community theatre with unique youth involvement. This is the base of Rent-a-Role, who use drama extensively with young people in education and therapy. There are also many community performances based here, including an annual pantomime. The Pavilions has a host of activities on offer. With room for more than 3,000 people, it is an ideal venue for concerts, comedy shows, international singing stars and pop groups, as well as symphony concerts and classical music recitals. It is also Plymouths favourite venue for spectator sports such as the British Open Snooker Championship and matches of our own Plymouth Raiders Basketball Team. If you are visiting with children or partners who may not share your love of snooker, Steps or Shostakovich, let them enjoy the other activities on offer at the Pavilions, like the Alpine style ice rink or the leisure pool with flumes and wave machine. Concerts, mostly classical, but some contemporary, are also held weekly at the City Museum and Art Gallery. There is a whole range of lunchtime concerts as well as the usual evening ones, where you can hear choral performances by famous singers and musical recitals by artists of great renown. While you are there, be sure to take in some of the wonderful exhibitions there, particularly Peoples' Plymouth. Another place popular for concerts is the historic city church, St. Andrews. Its vaulted ceiling lends itself to great acoustic performances, particularly organ recitals and large choral works. Phone the church office for details of performances. If its films you are after, you're spoilt for choice here. The Warner Village Cinema is a new multiplex at the Barbican Leisure Park, which has 15 screens to choose from, showing a full range of all the latest releases throughout the day and evening. Within the same site you can also enjoy ten pin bowling and Quasar at Megabowl. While the ABC Cinema has only three screens it has the advantage of being right in the city centre, and also very reasonably priced. If you're over 50 and have Wednesday mornings free, you can get in for only £1.50! They also show the latest films. Plymouth Arts Centre is the place for foreign and cult films, with a good selection showing every week. They are also showing films from a new project, 'The Archive'. This is the largest of the regional film archives and they will be showing films on the year-long Coastlines project until May 2001. While you are there, be sure to visit the exhibitions of art and sculpture in the gallery and the restaurant. This is also a popular venue for poetry readings and other literary workshops. Excellent music can be heard on the streets for free, or a possible donation to the talented buskers you will find everywhere. Although most are local Plymothians, you will also find colourful African drummers or South American pan pipers. You may also see fire jugglers, mime artists or magicians. You will find them everywhere in the pedestrianised centre of town. Local bands and orchestras also play regularly in the specially created space just up from the famous Sundial. There are many music festivals in and around Plymouth, including a Jazz festival every year at Saltram House, in the east of the city. You will often find pop concerts or radio roadshows on Plymouth Hoe, and also in Central Park. Plymouth has first-rate live music in its pubs and clubs. The Britannia is one of the top venues, with many international names performing here. It is also the closest pub to our local football team, Plymouth Argyle, so it gets lots of custom. In the city centre, Kitty O'Hanlons has live music most nights, while Monday night at the Hyde Park pub is the venue for the Plymouth Folk Club. If you've a song to sing or just enjoy listening, you'll be welcome here. The China House, the Maritime, the Bank and the Thistle Park Tavern all have good groups playing. Plymouths Union Street is infamous worldwide for its nightlife. It used to be renowned for having more nightclubs, pubs, bars - and probably fights - than any street in Britain. It may be a little quieter now, but it is still thriving, and the place to find roaring nightlife until the early hours of the morning. Such is the reputation of Union Street that my elderly mother, who lives in a sheltered housing complex at the far (quiet) end of the famous street, refuses to include 'Union Street' in her postal address, in case people who don't know her take her for a 'lady of the night'! Nightclubs come and go, but you are sure of a good time at the Millennium, JFKs, the Dance Academy or Jesters. The nightclubs are also the place for energetic dancing, as are some of the wine bars, while salsa dancing is all the rage at the Club Fandango. But for the older or more sedate, you will find regular sessions of Latin American, Sequence and Ballroom dancing at the Wharf in Tavistock. If you are partial to a flutter you can wager your money until the early hours in the Grand Casino, or put your 'eyes down' at the Gala Bingo, and possibly win more for less! Both establishments have refreshments of all kinds on offer to ease the parting of you from your money. There are many good entertainment venues not far from Plymouth, which are really worth visiting. The Sterts Arts and Environmental Centre in Cornwall has excellent al fresco performances of drama and music, but don't worry, the venue is well sheltered, although taking cushions is recommended! If you need a laugh - and don't we all - a drive to Exeter will take you to the Timepiece Comedy Club, where you can enjoy original material from a host of celebrities more often seen on TV. The Wharf Arts Centre is about twenty minutes drive from Plymouth, in Tavistock. Here you'll find a wealth of musical experiences of all kinds, as well as literary gatherings. They've got a good bar too! So, whatever form your idea of entertainment may take, the new, improved Plymouth is sure to have something you are guaranteed to enjoy. With its wealth of top theatres and entertainment venues, it is definitely the cultural and entertainment capital of the Southwest. Dining in Europe > Plymouth
|