Looking for a fancy restaurant, but also reasonable pricing...well you have come to the right place. I shall be taking you through a food and drinks review of The Ocean View at The Dome restaurant in Plymouth.
Going back to the start of the year, I got a late Christmas present from work which was a gift voucher to eat and drink at any of the chosen locations that were under the same branch where I work at. It was a £30 voucher (food only), and I decided that I was going to take myself out on a little solo date to one of the restaurants in Plymouth.
I was recommended The Ocean View restaurant, and I went away to have a look at it online and knew that I had to visit this place. My first initial thought before going, the interiors of this place were a 10/10 for me. I am an art deco fan and they not only decorated this place well, but the colour palette complements the location of where this restaurant is which is up on the Plymouth Hoe by the ocean, hence the restaurant and bar name.
I documented my restaurant trip over on my Instagram. I will leave the links to my reel and my photo series, for you to have a look through if you like.
Ocean View Reel: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZmEqnBjfzv/
Ocean View Photo series: https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3xGdHsQzS/
I think next time I go I will have a try at a selection of their cocktails and wines and see what their afternoon tea is all about.
This day was really sunny and clear blue skies which was great, made the experience even better and I could pop in town beforehand to pick up a book that I bought from Waterstones. I haven't read through this book yet, but I had a quick look through whilst waiting for my food and I am very excited about it.
I booked the restaurant online for around 12:30 pm which was an ideal time for me, fairly quiet and not too busy, during the week and not on any half terms. When I got there the restaurant was separated into two parts, the first part I went through was the main Dome part of the building which was the bar and where you can sit to have some hot drink and cake, then the other part of the building was more the dining area.
I was sitting in this cacoon blue seating, admiring the beauty of this place, and in an area where there were panoramic window views facing the Plymouth Sound, which on a good day are amazing I have to say.
If you are ever visiting Plymouth or near the area, you have to visit the Plymouth Hoe area, some lovely places to take photos, take in the sea views, and plenty of eating places around.
History
Now I won't bore you too much with the history behind the building, but I'll give you a little summary of this building's past and where it is now. It was originally purposed as a tourist information centre and local museum back in 1988 when The Dome opened up. It became part of the Mayflower commemorations in Plymouth. Tony Irish was the architect who designed the Dome-shaped venue. The museum closed its door in 2006 and then several restaurants were coming and going in this venue until The Ocean View at The Dome came about in 2021, very recently.
(The Ocean View at The Dome official website image)
Location
As I said already, the location is what makes this place what it is and is named after the views and the architectural feature. I think it is an ideal spot because on a sunny day, for example, you can then sit up on the Plymouth Hoe afterwards or go down by the waterfront, or even back into town and that doesn't take too long at all.
Atmosphere
The second I stepped into the restaurant, I was impressed with how well the layout and design of the place was, how everything flowed, and the colour theme that goes in with the ocean, it all linked up. The use of glass panel windows opens up lots of stunning natural light and makes the restaurant more spacious. The centre bar area that I absolutely love.
What I had on the menu
Starter
Tomato & Red Onion Bruschetta (on a sourdough baguette) - This dish was super yummy and had so many flavour elements to it, which left me wanting more. You just can't go wrong with putting any ingredients on some good quality toast. The crunchiness of the sourdough baguette against the sharpness of the red onions, and the juiciness of the tomatoes, oh wow what a combination. I loved the size of this dish, you had three thin slices of sourdough toast with some generous amounts of toppings on each.
Main
Dawlish Shimeji & Shiitake Risotto (with a poached egg - extra to the dish) - Now I do love mushrooms and risotto so this was appealing to me a lot when looking through the menu. I was deciding between this dish or the burger, but I usually go for burgers when I go out so thought I would try something different. Reading through what the risotto had in it was convincing me otherwise. When I tucked into this meal, all I could think of was how strong the flavours were coming through, the marriage in tastes, all so good. One thing I would say about this, the rice portion size was a little too much for my liking, so I ended up leaving a bit, otherwise, I would have polished the plate up. The poached egg element to the risotto was so nice, the runny yolk seeping through the rice and sauce, I loved it.
Dessert
Belgian Chocolate Mouse (with honeycomb, chocolate ice cream, and raspberries) - This dish came out looking spectacular, it honestly looked very delicate and elegant in the way that the elements were on the plate. I loved what they did with the crushed raspberries and honeycomb pieces, the scattering of them really made this dish come together. I went for this dessert mainly because I love honeycomb and seeing that was on the dish, I just thought that the flavours would be great. I can tell you now I am a lover of desserts, and this didn't last long with me, polished off to the point of not seeing a crumb in sight.
Drink
Mocha - I was feeling a hot drink this day so I went for a mocha (hot chocolate coffee), which came with a small circular sweet biscuit. So rich, chocolatey, and lush, and a drink I would definitely have again.
These meals that I had were back in January, so the menus have changed since as they come and go by seasons, but I shall leave a few similar suggestions below. The hot drinks are pretty much the same.
Starter: Dawlish Mushroom Bruchetta on a sourdough baguette.
Main: I can't find a similar one to the risotto, but there are a couple that I would go for with the menu as it stands. The first one is the Supreme of Chicken which is potato fondant, Dawlish mushrooms, and pancetta Madeira sauce. The other dish option is the Beef Burger because it is a classic, and it is shaved pepper beef, cheddar, pickled onion rings, barbeque sauce, and chips.
Dessert: Belgian Chocolate Mousse (with hazelnut brittle, chocolate ice cream, and raspberries) - pretty much what I had, but without the hazelnut brittle.
Summary and Would I Go Again
I rate this place overall a 9/10. I was sitting a little away from the window seating where I would have liked to have been sitting, but the place I was at was still good. I loved that the menu wasn't too much, there was a variety but it was also concise so it didn't take me long to pick out the dishes I liked, especially as I was going for a three-course meal. The ambience from the exterior to the interiors blew me away, I really enjoyed admiring the architectural details and chilling out in such a warm and vibrant place with the ocean features. The views were out of this world, so amazing! You couldn't pick a better spot in Plymouth to enjoy some food and drink. I highly recommend going to The Ocean View at The Dome.
To find out more following on from this, I will leave their social media and website links below.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanviewplymouth/
Website: https://oceanviewplymouth.co.uk/
The Ocean View Bar & Dining at The Dome is on Plymouth Hoe road, with the post code PL1 2NZ.
If you have any restaurant suggestions let me know in the comments, and also if this restaurant sounds and looks like your ideal place.
One to book. I've walked past this building many times in the past and, stupidly, did not realised it was a restaurant. I've been missing out, clearly. In my younger days, I worked at the Sunday Independent, when it was based in Burrington Way at Honicknowle. Back then, I loved going to The Green Lantern on the Barbican. When I am next in Plymouth, I will definitely visit The Ocean Bar.