A restaurant with a difference! (Cuisine Spontanee (Plymouth))

Member Name: Claribella

Product:	Cuisine Spontanee (Plymouth)
Date:	23/06/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: all you can eat

Disadvantages: queues

Cuisine spontinee is situated on the Barbican in the City of Plymouth and overlooks one of the may boat yards in that area. It is easy to find and is around a five minute walk from Plymouth City Centre. The restaurant has an 'all you can eat' policy with a slight difference to anywhere else I have eaten.

The restaurant has a unique selling point in that you check out the menu which is vast and explains lots of different styles that you can have your food made into, you go up to the counter and choose your meat which is labeled with coloured dots to make it clear what you are picking up. Next to the meat are big bowls of fresh uncooked vegetables which you add to your plate. Finally you speak directly to your chef telling him or her in what style you would like your food cooked and they will do it right there in front of you. You also get to choose whether you would like chips, rice, noodles or new potatoes with your dish.

You can request how you want your meat cooked, if you want garlic or not and they can make certain suggestions which they think may make your dish better. Unfortunately the restaurant can't cater for people with nut allergies but everything else can be adapted to suit any other needs.

The actual restaurant is light and airy with huge glass windows at the front of the room which makes the most of the wonderful views that look out onto the sound. The place is stylish and clean with various picture on the walls which support local artists. The tables and chairs are comfortable and basic but fit in with the light theme that radiates throughout.

The prices are very reasonable and at the most you will pay just under £20 for a Saturday night and during the week you can expect to pay just under £16. This not only includes endless trips to feed yourself but you are also offered a vast amount of Starters. There is a dessert menu but that is extra and regardless of what you choose, you will end up paying £3.95 each.

My favourite dish is Dijon which is made with garlic, cream, Dijon mustard and herbs. It's really creamy but the mustard gives it a nice kick at the end of each mouthful. I tend to eat this dish with white onions, chicken or prawns, mushrooms and celery.

The worst dish I have tried is the Japanese style. I tried it with beef and an array of different vegs but it was just too dark and strong for me.

My hubby really loves to try something new and will always opt for venison or squid as his meat and he particularly likes the Texan style.

There are so many great things about this place:

You can eat as much as you like.

If you don't like your dish then you can get rid of it and try again without feeling too guilty.

The staff are really friendly and cater to most of your needs.

The chips are amazing! They are really thick and cooked to perfection!

The only down sides are:

I tend to eat so much because I have a 'get my money's worth' attitude. Normally I would eat something like a ham salad for my tea but when I go here I tend to consume four or five different dishes plus a starter and sometimes a dessert.

It can get really busy so some nights you end up queuing for you dishes.

There are so many flavoured dishes on the menu that it's impossible to try them all in one go. I suppose that's all the more reason to go back again.

If you have too many dishes in one go then your palate becomes a mish mash of flavours and you don't get the full flavour of each dish and they end up tasting the same.

The service is sometimes a bit slow. The staff seem to get over run with emptying the many dishes off the tables and sometimes you need to go and ask for a fresh fork because they have forgotton to replace it.

Verdict

This place is such a wonderful restaurant but I wouldn't recommend going there if you are wanting a romantic, easy evening. The fact that it's self service means that you can't fully relax but I think that, that's all part of the experience and adds that X factor to the night out. If you want to try something a bit dofferent then I would recommend paying them a visit next time you are passing through. It really is a restaurant with that little bit extra and will leave you with a warm feeling inside and wanting to go back for more!

Summary: A great eating experience