Firestone Bay, Plymouth
Dinner inside a Tudor gun tower, with the Sound at the window
Seven tables, one sitting, two nights a week. Peter and Debbie Constable have cooked here for more than twenty years, in a building that has stood on this sea wall since the early 1500s.
We take reservations by telephone only. Please do not email a booking request – we need to speak with you first.
- Open
- Friday & SaturdayDinner only. Closed Sunday to Thursday.
- Arrivals
- 7.00, 7.15, 7.30pmDoors close 10.30pm.
- Dinner
- £69.50Three courses. Two courses £65.50.
- The room
- Seven tablesMaximum six per table.
Before you come
We open two evenings a week, and that is the whole of it
It is a small kitchen and a small dining room, so the week is narrow and the detail matters. Everything you need to know is on this one card.
How an evening works
- NightsFriday and Saturday, dinner only. We are closed Sunday to Thursday, and at every lunchtime.
- ArrivalChoose 7.00, 7.15 or 7.30pm. 7.30pm is the last arrival of the evening.
- Doors close10.30pm.
- The roomSeven tables. The largest table seats six, unless your party has pre-ordered.
- BookingBy telephone on 01752 257610, or send an enquiry and we will call you back. We do not take email or online bookings.
- DepositCard details are taken to validate a deposit of £30 per person on all reservations.
- AllergiesWe will ask when you book. We know our dishes intimately, so please talk them through with us. We do struggle with dairy-free.
Since the early 1500s
One of the oldest complete military buildings on Plymouth’s sea front
The tower was built to guard the deep water passage at the north of Plymouth Sound, between Drake’s Island and the waterfront. Its lowest gun-ports – now blocked – were set low so the defenders’ cannon could do the most damage to the hulls of enemy ships.
- 1539Piers Edgecumbe, who had acquired most of the land of the then City of Stonehouse by his marriage to the estate heiress Joan Durnford, is granted licence by Henry VIII to fortify it.
- 1588The tower would have been the only permanent defence here against the Spanish Armada.
- 1660sCharles II builds the Royal Citadel on the Hoe, and the tower’s role begins to diminish.
- 1884Worth’s The History of Plymouth records it briefly named “The Winter Villa”, when it was a police house.
- LaterA coastguard station, a Ministry of Defence store, and – briefly – a public convenience.
- 1983Converted to a restaurant.
The tower, the room, the plate
Gallery
Our local suppliers
Good food needs great ingredients
These are the people we buy from. Most of them we have bought from for years.
- Gribbles Butchers, IvybridgeBeef, lamb and pork from farms in the area
- Howells Butchers, TavistockButchery
- Otter Valley Organic PoultryNewton Abbot
- Real Veal Company, LooeWelfare friendly rose veal
- Gara Barton, BodminVenison
- Ocean Harvest, LooeAndy Trust’s day boat fish
- Britannia Shellfish, BeesandsNick and Anita’s hand-dived scallops, crab and lobster from their own boats
- Trewithen Farm Dairy, LostwithielMilk and cream
- Country Cheeses, TavistockLocal and regional farmhouse cheeses and butter
- Crebers, TavistockRare malts and cognacs
- Christopher Piper Wines, Ottery St MaryWine
- DevoniaSpring water
What guests say
Plymouth’s worst kept secret
4.7
Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice 2025
“Superb. Lovely historic location. Amazing food. Friendly service. Limited menu and reasonable prices. Highly recommended.”
“If the good people of Plymouth don’t know about this fantastic restaurant then you are missing a treat. Atmosphere incredible, service incredible, food incredible. It really is a gem of an experience.”
“The quality and flavour of the dishes were exceptional, and each of the courses was perfectly sized. The passion for quality was evident from our time talking with owners Debbie and Peter.”
Finding us, and a few warnings
Getting here
We are on the sea wall at Firestone Bay, a hundred metres from the Royal William Yard and a few minutes’ drive from the city centre. Read the notes – the last two are not a joke.
- Parking. There is plenty of free parking nearby. Do read the signs where you leave the car.
- Taxis. If you need one you must order it in advance, including the return trip. Taxis can be very hard to find late in the evening in Plymouth.
- Coats. Wear something sensible for the walk to and from the door. It is safe and not in the least frightening, but the weather out here can get wild.
- The stairs. It is a five-hundred-year-old tower, and the staircase is part of the experience. Please tell us when you book if stairs are difficult.
- The view. On a winter night you may see nothing but your own reflection. In summer you get the Sound, Drake’s Island and Mount Edgcumbe.
The Artillery Tower
- AddressDurnford Street, Firestone Bay, Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon PL1 3QR
- Plus code9R6Q+HF Plymouth
- Telephone01752 257610
- OpenFriday and Saturday, dinner only. Arrivals 7.00 to 7.30pm.
Reservations
Ring us. It really is the only way.
With seven tables and two people running the place, full online booking is not an option for us, and email bookings have not worked. A two minute conversation gets it right first time.
Call the restaurant
01752 257610Please allow us 24 hours to come back to you if we miss your call. If your evening is less than 48 hours away, telephone rather than leave a message – availability may be limited and we will need to talk it through.
Have ready: the date, how many of you, your arrival time (7.00, 7.15 or 7.30pm), any allergies or dietary needs, and a card for the deposit.
- Deposit. Because of no-show bookings we ask for credit or debit card details to validate a deposit of £30 per person on all reservations. The card is charged once we have confirmed the reservation.
- Cancelling. Free of charge up to 36 hours in advance, and your card is credited. Cancellations must be by telephone, and you must be given a cancellation number – an email or a voicemail is not sufficient.
- If we re-book your table. Fully re-booked, we refund the deposit in full. Partly re-booked, we refund in part: book for four, turn up as two, and two deposits are retained.
- Closures. We take holidays over Christmas and New Year, and for a few weeks in the summer. Ask us for this year’s dates when you call.