There is no shortage of places to eat around Peterborough.

The harder job is finding somewhere that gives you a reason to remember it afterwards.

Here are three independents doing very different things.

Marisan, Lincoln Road

Marisan at 32 Lincoln Road is a Portuguese café-restaurant.

That matters in a city where Portuguese food is part of the local mix but rarely gets the same attention as pizza, burgers or curry.

Think of it as a place to go when you want a relaxed meal rather than a grand night out.

The appeal is the food culture: Portuguese flavours, café-style eating and a setting tied to the communities that make Lincoln Road one of Peterborough's most varied food streets.

Lotus, Westgate

Lotus at 53 Westgate serves Indian and Nepalese food.

The Nepalese side gives you a different route into South Asian cooking, particularly if you are interested in dumplings, grilled dishes and flavours that sit outside the standard takeaway favourites.

It is also right in the city centre, so it works for an evening where dinner is only one part of the plan.

The Feathers, Castor

The Feathers in Castor gives you the village-pub version of a meal out.

Instead of heading into the centre, you get the change of pace that comes with leaving town behind for an hour or two.

That is the real point of this shortlist.

One evening can be Portuguese café food on Lincoln Road, another Nepalese cooking on Westgate, another a village pub in Castor.

Peterborough's food map gets much bigger once you stop treating the city centre as the whole story.