• Added: 23rd of August 2008
• Area: Totnes
• Category: Restaurants

Totnes TQ9 5RY

mirande said
Rumours
This is one of the busiest places in Totnes and attracts a range of people of different ages and lifestyles. I had been told that it is 'where everybody goes' so I was quite surprised when I saw how small it is. It has a long bar which stretches the length of the place and makes it quite narrow (you wonder whether a better layout might have worked) and is a wine bar/drinking establishment/restaurant. The walls are covered in original art, not all of which I think will sell but on the whole the place is nicely decorated. The food os good too and pizzas are something of a speciality at prices slightly above pub prices. The atmosphere is fine and it is in a good position in Totnes, being central.

• Added: 23rd of August 2008
• Area: Paignton
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Paignton TQ3 2HR

mirande said
Ship Inn
The Ship Inn is one of those Sizzling Grill pubs which you can find all around the country and I have to say that when the OH and I went there for a meal we were pleasantly surprised. The food was really quite tasty (better than wetherspoons type fayre, but priced similarly) so we were quite pleased with it. We ordered a roast dinner and a sizzling platter and honestly couldn't fault the food. The service was reasonable and the loos and restaurant were clean. There is an outside eating area which is quite good but it is small and near the road alhtough this is not a main road. I liked the range of choices on the menu, it is pub food but with a bit of variety and at a good price.

• Added: 23rd of August 2008
• Area: Falmouth
• Category: Restaurants

Falmouth TR11 2AF

mirande said
Da Vincis
This place does authentic Italian at a great price. There is a great choice of starters, antipasti pasta dishes and pizza and they are all cooked up for you in front of your eyes which is quite flashy. It gets very busy in the evenings but is never busy at lunch times, which I've never understood, except maybe to think that Falmouth doesn't have the kind of locals who support this kind of lunchtime trade and because it's so far up the high street, tourists don't come across it that easily. This must change because it's great and well worth it. Their Italian tomato and garlic bread is wonderful, the base thin and crispy and perfect. The meals are good value and in the evenings the atmosphere is buzzing. I would definitely recommend you give this place a go.

• Added: 23rd of August 2008
• Area: Falmouth
• Category: Restaurants

Falmouth TR11 3JF
01326 210759

mirande said
Bodenes
This restaurant is absolutely stunning in every respect. I have eaten here on numerous occasions and the food has always ben spectacualar. Whether you are dining from the tapas menu or whether the specials have grabbed your fancy, you are guaranteed a tasty feast. My OH once had skate which he said was divine - or he would have done had he been given to poncey language. It is more likely that he said it was 'top dollar'. What was nicer was the fact that the chef emerged specifically to ask him what he thought of it and my OH was only to happy to share the love.
The other great thing about Bodenes is the fantastic decor. Kind of boudoir Morrocan with loads of candles, glitter and mirrors, it's the sort of thing I would have designed age 17. I absolutely love it, of course. Go here and don't miss out.

• Added: 23rd of August 2008
• Area: Totnes
• Category: Hotels and Travel

Totnes TQ9 5DD
01803 862125

mirande said
Seven Stars
This Hotel does a great trade in food and drinks as well as overnight accommodation. It is probably the premier hotel inTotnes and certainly one of the ones with the oldest hstory, situated as it is on the mouth of the river Dart. It has a posh restaurant called TQ9 and a couple of bars which do bar snacks. One does fairly standard bar snacks and the other more fancy continental ones such as the platter variety which have olives, houmous etc.
The hotel also has an outside area which is pleasant enough but for the fact that the hotel is situated on a roundabout at the bottom of town (known as the plains) and is rather noisy. It's not exactly a tranquil place to sit and relax, though it's great for people wathcing, and believe me, Totnes has some worth watching! The food and the coffee are great and it is open throughout the day which is rare in Totnes.

• Added: 23rd of August 2008
• Area: Paignton
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Paignton TQ4 6ED
01803 555000

mirande said
Spinning Wheel
I love the Spinning Wheel principally for the great music it puts on. The live music is varied, up to date and retro and really great fun. The bar itself is huge with a big outdoor seating area which gets full, especially in the summer months. I have seen some great bands here and the sound system is really good. I even love the cheesy disco music they play during the band interval. Beer is reasonably priced for a live venues and the food is ok. In the daytime plenty of people come here for a lunch and, though Paignton is not the most attractive seaside town, it is fairly pleasant to sit outside with your food at lunch time.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Totnes
• Category: Restaurants

Totnes TQ9 5SN

mirande said
Cafe India
I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. I go there by choice for every birthday, anniversary and special occasion that I persuade my OH that we need to celebrate, including his own. Well, when one person gets so much pleasure from a visit, it seems churlish for the other to try to dictate their own choice!

The food, firstly, tastes exquisite. This is not the kind of Indian Restaurant which serves pilau rice all the shades of the rainbow due to the toxic colours it has used. This is not the kind of place which serves up its tikka Masala in a nuclear reactor red greasy sauce. No - this is Indian cuisine of the highest calibre and not only is the food gorgeous to the tastebuds, it is gorgeous to the eyes, with a great deal of care taken over presentation. The service is also exceptionally attentive. Yes, there are other, cheaper Indian restaurants in town, which have their own merits, but this is simply streets ahead of the competition. I won't go anywhere else (even on hubby's birthday.) But I said that already, didn't I?

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Ashford
• Category: Restaurants

Ashford TN24 0GA

mirande said
French Connection
This place is one of those Brewers Fayre things. However, unlike most family pub restaurants these days, which are trying to get the families in and spend their money, this one does actually offer some great facilities for kids. There is a big outdoor play climbing frame which keeps them busy for ages and means that Mum and Dad can actually get some 'me time' while the kids are kept happy. As well as proper meals, this place also offers the snack type food like chips and garlic bread, so should the kiddies get hungry while you are on your bender then they don't need to starve. The food isn't great, of course, but hte service is friendly and the beers are fairly good although they are certainly not cheap. Nectar points can be used, which is a benefit. The place gets a fair bit of bad press but for families within walking distance, I can recommend it.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Falmouth
• Category: Nightlife

Falmouth TR11 3DH

mirande said
Club I
Being of an innocent disposition, it was years until I realised that Club International was also the name of an artistic magazine. By that time, as though it too had realised, the Club had also changed to being called just 'Club' and also 'Club I'. There was no need for the subterfuge, though, since I reckon that sharing its name with that kind of publication drew a fair few punters through the doors. (Falmouth is, after all, a port)Whether they were disappointed when they got in, I don't know. I remember a fair few nights there queueing for ages on the stairs to get in, and it was usually livelier than Shades. That was in the days of a 1am closure, though, how the youth of today are spoilt with Remedies in the picture and out til 3! I think for a bit of salt of the earth Fakmouth, you can't beat a night in Club and unlike Shades it is huge enough to find yourself a corner that appeals to you and the DJ is a legend!

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Falmouth
• Category: Nightlife

Falmouth TR11 3HG

mirande said
Shades
I am biased about htis place, I admit since it was on its beer encrusted carpet surrounded by the mirrored walls that I met my husband. I hope, in fact, to stave off the giddiness at that memory long enough to write this review! I've been coming here for years though, since I was 15 on and off and throughout my student days and beyond and it's kind of grown with me. That doesn't tell you much about the place, though. How about this cheesy, glittery staircases, loads of mirrors, tiny dance floor, seemingly useless upper deck, three little bars, a variety of different nights with different themed music, but essentially the mainstream pop kind of thing ( and yes, other than at a family wedding, it's the one place you are likely to hear 'hi ho silver lining' (and dance to it too) In short, the place is a legend and no trip to Falmouth is valid without 'walking right in'!