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@ANGELA’S
38 New Bridge St, Exeter, EX4 3AH Tel: 01392 499038, web: www.angelasrestaurant.co.uk
• You can rest assured about the ethics informing the food at @Angela’s – they’re committed to fair and eco-friendly produce that’s as local as possible – but it’ll probably be the delicious things they do with those ingredients that bring you back to this small, friendly place. Whether it’s locally caught sea bass with caramelised fresh ginger or wild mushroom & walnut strudel, the food combines fresh flavours in interesting ways. Lunch menu is excellent value (2 £18.50).
DINOSAUR CAFE
5 New North Rd, Exeter, EX4 4HH Tel: 01392 490 951
• At first glance this is your average greasy spoon – and indeed you can get bacon, eggs & chips or whatever if that’s what you want – but it’s the Turkish mezze that brings people flocking to this unassuming family-run cafe overlooking the Clocktower roundabout. This undeservedly overlooked treasure is great for vegetarians, with the fresh, herby salad choices of particular note, but even the rice has regulars singing its praises.
EL BOCADO
36-37 South St, Exeter, EX1 1EE Tel: 01392 678445, web: www.elbocado.co.uk
• If you go for a main dish menu at El Bocado, the sea bass with chickpeas and chorizo comes highly recommended, but it’s the tapas selection that’s made this place a big hit locally. With over 50 meat, fish and vegetarian dishes (including desserts), the permutations are endless but the quality is always good and the flavours authentic, thanks to a policy of combining real Spanish ingredients with local produce at reasonable prices.
GALLEY FISH RESTAURANT
41 Fore St, Topsham, Exeter, EX3 0HU Tel: 01392 876078, web: www.galleyrestaurant.co.uk
• Sitting on the quayside at the Galley, you can imagine the fish being landed at Exmouth and Brixham. Every mouthful of new chef Ed McLachlan’s superfresh crab salad, fish chowder or crisply grilled monkfish reminds you how close you are to the sea. Whether fish, meat or vegetarian, the food at this relaxed restaurant lives up to their claim of bringing ‘the best of Devon on a plate’. Lunch menu is great value (2 £15).
JACK IN THE GREEN
Rockbeare, nr Exeter, EX5 2EE Tel: 01404 822240, web: www.jackinthegreen.uk.com
• They make much of their ‘fully traceable’ local ingredients at the Jack, and even offer a ‘Totally Devon’ three-course meal for £25, but it’s the quality of the cooking that persuades Exeter citizens to come five miles out of town to Rockbeare. Head chef Matthew Mason is Devon reared, too, and under his guidance the Jack has achieved inclusion in the Good Food Guide, two AA rosettes and the Michelin Bib Gourmand, reflecting a pub where even the bar menu is eye-openingly imaginative.
LA PETITE MAISON
35 Fore St, Topsham, EX3 0HR Tel: 01392 873660, web: www.lapetitemaison.co.uk
• Since 2000 Douglas and Elizabeth Pestell have established this small, friendly restaurant as a fine dining treat that saw them rated at ‘4’ in 2009’s Good Food Guide, with even Time Out noticing them from some 200 miles away. The secret is a classically simple approach to top-quality ingredients, with Douglas’s classical French training bringing out the best in everything. At £36.95, it’s a definite ‘special occasion’ destination that guarantees a memorable evening.
MC CAFE BAR & GRILL
Abode Hotel, Cathedral Yard, Exeter, EX1 1HD Tel: 01392 319955, web: www.michaelcaines.com
• It stands for Michael Caines, and the Exeter homeboy brings a taste of his great cuisine to his ABode Hotel. Whether you choose the pub grub at the adjoining Well House Tavern or ALC in the cafe-bar, you’ll find the stamp of a master on everything here. With a ‘Divine Dining’ special menu at £14.95 for three courses, it needn’t even stretch the wallet.
NOBODY INN
Doddiscombsleigh, nr Exeter, EX6 7PS Tel: 01647 252394, web: www.nobodyinn.co.uk
• Just six bucolic miles from the city centre, the old-world charms of this place are an Exeter favourite, especially when warm summer days offer alfresco dining. Bar menu is stuffed with local delights (Brixham fish, Devon duck, artisan cheeses), while evening choices include pheasant & apricot pie and kiln-roasted salmon on bubble & squeak. Pick your designated driver early, mind - the range of wines and whiskies on hand is awesome.
ST OLAVES HOTEL & TREASURY RESTAURANT
Mary Arches St, Exeter, EX4 3AZ Tel: 01392 217736, web: www.olaves.co.uk
• The Treasury Restaurant lurks within the secluded St Olaves Hotel whose Georgian walled garden offers an alfresco dining opportunity that feels miles away from the surrounding city centre. Indoors or out, food lives up to the elegant surroundings, with classic English seasonal fare given a stylish European twist – steamed sea bass comes with braised little gem and a langoustine bisque, while ham hock terrine gets piccalilli sauce and brioche. Great-value lunch menu (2 £14.95).
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