Fletcher's Restaurant

2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

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).