General - we hadn’t visited Lanterns Restaurant for over 10 years so we weren’t sure what to expect although the last time we ate there the food was delicious. We were glad to see that the restaurant was practically full on a Saturday lunchtime which meant it was probably still doing well, and we were very pleased to find out that the food was still as delicious. We had a three course meal and each course was excellent! The staff were all polite and brought our food and drink to us very quickly, which was great. If you ever want to go out for a meal in Plymouth, Lanterns Restaurant would come very highly recommended. We couldn’t really fault it at all.
Food and Drink - the food we had when we visited Lanterns was top quality! We had a full 3 courses and each course was delicious with the main course being probably the best Garlic Steak my wife and I had ever had, it was that tasty! For our starters we had Prawn Cocktail and Melon which were very nice and we both had the Garlic Steak for our mains with potatoes and vegetables, which were all cooked to perfection and leaving us wanting more. For Dessert we had a Banana Split and Strawberry Pavlova (both home made I believe) which were also of the highest quality. The cost for the food was maybe on the slightly higher side, depending on where you would go to eat, but it was well worth it and we would highly recommend anyway visiting Lanterns Restaurant. We went on a Saturday lunchtime and the restaurant was very busy then, which is always a good sign, so I would assume that it would be bookings only in the evenings. Drinks wise, my wife had a glass of Rose wine and I had a couple of bottles of Strongbow. Both drinks were of the usual quality although a bit on the expensive side. But due to the quality of the food and the restaurant itself, we didn’t mind this in the slightest. We were in and out of Lanterns within about an hour and a quarter, which seems quite quick, but we didn’t feel rushed at all with there being enough of a gap between each course.
Disabled - the restaurant eating and drinking area is all on one level apart from maybe a small step to get in the entrance, so there should be no issues for those with wheelchairs or walking sticks etc. The seating itself is fairly close together but shouldn’t cause any issues although I am not sure where a wheelchair would be kept although I expect they could find room somewhere. As for access to the restaurant, there is a road nearby outside where you can be dropped off without too many problems and then there is only a pavement to navigate to get to Lanterns. I am unable to comment on the toilet facilities as when we visited we didn’t use them, however, they were right at the back of the restaurant, through a door, but I don’t know what was behind it and whether you would have to go up some stairs or whether there was a dedicated disabled toilet.
Toilets - the toilets were situated at the back of the restaurant but, as we didn’t use them, can’t comment on what they were like and the cleanliness of them.
Children - children are welcomed into the restaurant and there were a couple of families in there during the period we were eating. There was plenty of choice on the menu for all the family however I didn’t notice specific children’s meals or portions, so this may need to be checked out before arrival.
Car Parks - there is no specific car parking for Lanterns, however there is a large multi storey car park behind the restaurant (called Mayflower East or West I believe) and plenty of other car parks nearby. We parked in the multi storey above Toys R Us as you pay on exit there, so we weren’t limited to the amount of time bought on the ticket. If you park there it is only a 10 minute walk to Lanterns, which takes you by the market entrance and past several other pubs and restaurants at the Frankfurt Gate end of Plymouth town centre. Car parking costs are quite expensive in Plymouth at the moment so you need to take this into account when visiting.
Review Date - 2013-02-19