A foodie's guide to Plymouth Market

If you have not spent a lunch hour at Plymouth Market, you are missing one of the most rewarding ways to eat in the city. Tucked into the West End on Cornwall Street, the market has been in its current spot since 1959, though Plymouth has had a market on the books since 1253 and the Grade II listed building itself dates back to the early 15th century. Today it holds somewhere between 140 and 150 stalls, and a good chunk of them are independent global eateries, which makes it an easy place to graze your way around the world without leaving the building.

A good place to start is Everest Flavours, run by Biraj across stalls 114, 121 and 122 on Market Avenue. It is Nepalese street food at its most unpretentious, with rice and momo dumplings at the centre, the Everest Spicy Special chilli momo as the one to know, and sides like pani puri and samosas to round it out. Prices sit comfortably between £2 and £8, and there is gulab jamun for dessert if you have any room left. From there, a few steps take you to KIKU, the Japanese stall run by Anne and Phoenix, where udon and soba bowls, sushi and bento sit alongside a Tokyo curry with crispy chicken, onigiri and yaki udon. They have also built a Christmas sushi party pack you can order in advance, which is handy if you are planning ahead.

For something more familiar, head up to the mezzanine floor. PJ's Diner, run by Tracy and Keith, leans into American and British comfort food with pancakes, gut-buster breakfasts, burgers, homemade cakes and pizza, while Pete's Place, also theirs, keeps it firmly British with English breakfasts, steak pies and roast dinners. If you want to keep moving, Maurish brings a Mauritian mix of African, Indian and Chinese flavours, with its chicken curry as the most popular dish and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options on the menu. And for something you will not find anywhere else in Plymouth, Kawaffle, run by Sophie and Kieran for three and a half years, does savoury waffles in vegan and gluten-free versions, with the Choc-a-bloc and the Chilli Cheese Fiesta as the bestsellers, plus American pancakes.

Beyond those, the market is deep. There is @kitchen, A Taste of Thailand, Apollo Snack Bar, Compadres, Down Town, Friary Mill, Gabriela's Chimney Cakes, In Seoul, Irene's Pantry, K-Street, Kelly's Cafe, Pasta Box, Sandwich Emporium, Sobe Burger, Tantuni, Tasties, Tea & Bun, The Curator, The Pasta Hut and Yasmin Al-sham, so the options really depend on what you are in the mood for on the day. It is worth noting that Coronet Engravers & Jewellery has been here since the market opened, so the place is as much about the long-standing traders as it is the food.

A few practical notes before you go. The market opens Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm, with a slightly shorter day on Wednesdays when it closes at 4.30pm, and it is shut on Sundays and bank holidays, so plan around that. Trader hours can vary, so a little flexibility helps. Parking is easy enough, with the Plymouth Market car park off Cornwall Street giving you up to an hour for £1, which is about the price of a side of momos. It is a cheap, easy lunch that rewards a bit of wandering.