Former Royal Navy chef Lee Calver and his partner Chloe Lillicrap have opened a ‘relaxed fine-dining’ restaurant in Plymouth. The restaurant, Thirty One, has taken over the site of the well-known Rock Salt Cafe and Brasserie, which closed last year.

Lee spent seven years in the Navy and cooked his way through upmarket hotel kitchens in the Cotswolds before returning to Plymouth, where he and pastry chef Chloe both worked at the Greedy Goose and the Croft.

The couple saw the site advertised online and “fell in love with it” as soon as they visited. Ahead of this week’s opening, Lee said he was “excited for Plymouth to see what we have to offer”.

“We aim for Thirty One to be a relaxed fine-dining environment, where we’re going to have good food, cocktails and wine.” The menu will feature ingredients from Devon and Cornwall.