Plymouth’s West End is the place to go for something completely different. Chrissy Harris looks at how this once forgotten part of the city is now one of its finest assets
Finding lunch in Plymouth used to be a very straight-forward affair. It was either a pasty in town or the Barbican for fish and chips. Nowadays, things are much more complicated, thanks to the incredible array of street food, cafes and restaurants that now fill the city’s West End.
This part of the city centre, often rather unlovingly referred to as the ‘bottom’ of town is very much at the top of its game. There are more than 200 independent businesses here, many selling food from across the globe. Kurdish chicken shawarma, Jamaican goat curry, Vietnamese banh mi, you name it, you can probably get it to eat in or take away.
‘That’s where the change been,’ says Steve Hughes, chief executive of Plymouth City Centre Company. ‘The West End is now the place to come for people who want to eat and drink something different and try new tastes. There’s just this incredible food and drink scene.’
There has been a gradual but definite shift in perceptions of this once overlooked part of the city.
Any local will tell you that not many Janners (the affectionate term used to describe a Plymouth resident) would venture past the sundial and towards the ‘other’ end of the city.
‘Now, on a sunny say, it’s absolutely packed with people sitting outside and enjoying different food and drink,’ says Steve. He and his team have been instrumental in helping to create a sense of identity for the West End, building on what was already there.
‘When we first arrived and started talking to traders, they felt a little bit left out,’ says Steve, describing the general mood when he was appointed to the role at Plymouth City Centre Company five years ago. ‘The most important thing to come out of those early meetings was that the business owners felt this was a vibrant place and there was this great sense of community but that this wasn’t reflected in people’s perceptions of the area.’
And so began a drive to show that this wasn’t the bottom of town, this was a thriving independent quarter. The West End now has its own branding, its own website, an annual carnival and a growing reputation as a cosmopolitan high point in a changing city.
The area, anchored by the rapidly evolving Plymouth Market, is flying in the face of the struggles seen by the rest of the chain-heavy centre, where, like many areas of the UK, it’s proving hard to fill empty units.
‘People are still trying to get in here, though,’ says Ray Robins, affectionately known as ‘Mr West End’. Ray, who owns Robins Brothers jewellers in Cornwall Street, has been chair of the Market Traders Association for more than 30 years and agrees the area’s regeneration has been helped massively by its food.
‘We’ve got one of the best multi-cultural food offerings outside of Covent Garden,’ says Ray. ‘If you look at the Trip Advisor reviews of the best restaurants and cafes in Plymouth, number one or two are always in the West End.’ (At the time of writing, it was Kawaffle and Tantuni, both in the market).
Ray believes the secret of the West End’s success is the entrepreneurs who choose to set up shop here.
‘Everybody’s got their tale to tell,’ says Ray, describing the ‘retail how it used to be’ feel. Visitors can come and chat to the people who know their trade inside out. Ray adds: ‘There’s real magic in the West End but unless you come down and have a look, it’ll pass you by.’
SHOPPING AROUND: Where to eat, drink and visit in the West End
On a busy weekday lunchtime, Plymouth Market is full of students, visitors and locals grabbing a Banh Mi from @Kitchen or Turkish street food from Tantuni.
There’s also a Taste of Thailand, Nepalese delights at Everest Flavours, Mauritian cuisine at Maurish, The Pasta Hut and the Vegan Lunch Co. plymouthmarket.co.uk
Elsewhere in the West End, try the family-run Lisbon Bakery (Frankfort Gate). A recent dish of the day there was Portuguese pork and clams and octopus à lagareiro.
Bamo (Cornwall Street) serves authentic Kurdish Arabic and Middle Eastern food, with a great range of dishes to choose from. They specialise in grilled meat and shawarma.
The Rise Bakery (Frankfort Gate) for sourdough, pasties and cronuts (a sweet spot between a croissant and a doughnut).
SoulFood Vendor (Market Avenue) has a mouthwatering menu, including jerk chicken, goat burry and a ‘jammin’ beef pattie.
Wonda African Food (Frankfort Gate) sells all brands of Afro-Caribbean food and drink.
Food and More (Cornwall Street) specialises in halal meat and international food products you can't find anywhere else in the city.
The longstanding Steak and Omelette (Cornwall Street) has been here for more than 50 years, serving delicious Angus steaks and seafood.
Greek restaurant Zeus (Cornwall Street) is also a well-established family favourite.
Atkin’s Farm Shop (Cornwall Street) for fruit, veg, cheeses, chutneys and more.
Fresh Flower Scent (Cornwall Street) for some truly beautiful floral arrangements.
The Hive Mind Comics (Frankfort Gate) is a ‘a totally independent hive of geeky awesomeness’.
The Tool Shed (Frankfort Gate) is an independent, family run firm that’s been in business here 1997.
Body piercing, alternative fashion, accessories, plus music and tv merchandise can be found at Tribal Voice, New George Street.
