Mystic Palace

Mystic Palace is the Chinese takeaway on Central Avenue in Gretna, the long residential spine that runs through the township a short walk from the Old Blacksmith's Shop and the famous border-marriage anvils. Gretna grew up around the First World War munitions factory and the post-war planned-village expansion, and Mystic Palace serves the residential heart of that population rather than the tourist High Street.

The menu is a standard British-Cantonese list — chow mein, fried rice and noodle bases with curry, sweet-and-sour, black-bean, satay and Cantonese-style sauces over chicken, beef, pork and king prawn — and adds a side list of English-takeaway items including chips, pies and burgers for households where not everyone wants Chinese. Pakora, prawn crackers and crispy aromatic duck feature on the starters, and set meals bundle starters, mains and rice.

The shop runs a late-evening service Wednesday through Sunday and is closed Monday and Tuesday, which is a typical Chinese-takeaway pattern for a village-sized catchment.