The Outsider

A city-centre favourite with a wide-ranging menu and attractive lunch offering.

The 2019 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

There is no online booking and the Outsider’s limited website shows screenshots of handwritten menus. But that clearly doesn't deter customers: the large but simply decorated dining room, with a mezzanine floor and great views of the castle, is frequently packed and staff look as if they're enjoying their work. The range of diners spans all ages and types. There are tourists plotting their sightseeing programme, students eating between classes or regulars drawn by the variety and attractive prices of the ever-changing daily specials – choosing from one soup, one meat and one fish for little more than a tenner when washed down with a glass of something from an entertainingly written wine list. A wide-ranging evening menu includes starters such as a complex pigeon dish with carrot and nutmeg purée or a straightforward goat’s cheese salad. Mains cover similarly broad territory, featuring perfectly moist hake with pea velouté and vegetables that lend further texture. To finish, a light coconut panacotta or a substantial chunk of chocolate and espresso pavé offer more reasons for regulars to keep coming back.