If you have been following the Plymouth food scene, you have likely come across Fletcher's Restaurant. It is a family-run, Michelin-recommended place in the middle of the city, and it has built a reputation for being both relaxed and sophisticated. The owner and head chef, Fletcher Andrews, describes the experience as feeling like dining at a friend's house, which is a fair summary of the atmosphere inside.
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On the awards front, the restaurant holds two Rosettes from The AA Guide and a Devon Food and Drink Gold Award, so it is not just riding on name alone. The menu leans on local produce, starting with award-winning Jacka Bakery bread served warm with homemade whipped butter. From there, you can go for glazed crispy chicken bites with a sticky, spicy, sweet glaze, the Devon Ruby Red fillet of beef with shallot, green peppercorn and pancetta bordelaise, or pan-fried cod with confit artichoke, a smoked cod roe taramasalata tartlet and roast artichoke sauce, served with clotted cream roasted potatoes. For dessert, there is a salted caramel tart with miso and white chocolate mousse, coffee ice cream, a miso tuile and walnuts. Prices are spread across several options: a two-course set menu at £25, a three-course version at £30, an à la carte menu that goes up to £55, and a taster menu at £90 a head. A pre-theatre menu runs daily from 12:00 to 14:00, which is handy given the location.
Behind the scenes, the place is a family affair. Fletcher Andrews is 28 and cut his teeth at the Michelin-starred Treby Arms in Sparkwell under executive chef Ryan Marsland and head chef Paul Doidge. His fiancée, Jess Harkom, runs the front of house, and his parents help out in the kitchen at weekends. The kitchen team stands at four people, with 20 staff in total across the business, and the restaurant has put a fair bit of money back into the building over the last five years, close to £100,000 to extend and re-equip the kitchen and add a large, light extension. The dining room is a 50-cover space with an illuminated arched entrance, a relaxed feel and a ceiling with at least 22 lamps, with flowers on every table.
Location is one of its strengths. It sits at Gill Akaster House, 27 Princess Street, a short walk from Plymouth Hoe, the Barbican and Theatre Royal Plymouth, so it slots easily into an evening out. The nearest parking is at the Theatre Royal car park, about a two-minute walk away, or Western Approach car park, which is closer to ten minutes. The restaurant is licensed and takes groups, so it works as well for a proper dinner as it does for a more casual catch-up. It is open all year, though it shuts on Mondays and Sundays, so it is worth planning around that before you head down.
