Exeter

ANGELA’S
38 New Bridge St, Exeter, EX4 3AH
Tel: 01392 499038, web: www.angelasrestaurant.co.uk
● Deliberately having space for just 20 places, Angela’s successfully keeps the feel intimate and friendly. Menu is simple, filling, delicious and ultra-fresh: “There’s nothing like fish and shellfish that you can taste has come straight off the boat,” say the owners. Reasonably priced dishes include panfried scallops with roasted sweet potato, and best end of mid-Devon lamb with tomato & sage crust. Lunchtime menu is also good value, with two courses for £10. Finish everything off with a classic vanilla creme brulee.

NEW
EL BOCADO
36-37 South St, Exeter, EX1 1EE
Tel: 01392 678445, web: www.elbocado.co.uk
● New restaurant and tapas bar El Bocado (‘the mouthful’ in Spanish) serves authentically Mediterranean food in a warm, modern, candlelit setting. Extensive menu includes beautifully presented tapas, great vegetarian options, and mains like slow-cooked cod with tomato, and homemade meatballs. The ice-cream is to die for, and the service warm and friendly. Reasonable prices round the genuinely Spanish experience off very well indeed.

EXESHED
18 Bedford St, Princesshay Square, Exeter, EX1 1GJ
Tel: 01392 420070, web: www.shed-restaurants.com
● Chic and ultra-stylish, and housed in a glass pavilion decorated with gothic panels inspired by Exeter Cathedral, with a large outside terrace for summer. Truly fabulous cocktails in the downstairs bar. First-floor restaurant forays into modern European cuisine - beautifully presented and reasonably priced. Two courses and a glass of wine for £9.25 all day Sun-Thur, 12noon-7pm Fri-Sat. Recently taken over by the Coal Grill & Bar chain, who’ll be adding their fresh chargrilled cuisine to the Euro-inspired menu.

NEW
GALLEY FISH RESTAURANT
41 Fore St, Topsham, Exeter, EX3 0HU
Tel: 01392 876078, web: www.galleyrestaurant.co.uk
● A tranquil spot on the quay in Topham for this pleasant fish restaurant run by masterchef Paul da Costa Graves, serving up mainly local fish from Exmouth and Brixham: seaside chowder, kiln-roasted salmon, Exmouth white crab. An impressive band of regulars delight in the cosy feel inside, where various little rooms create an intimate atmosphere, as well as in the beautiful views of the river and the Haldon Hills beyond. A warm welcome and good service, too.

JACK IN THE GREEN INN
Rockbeare, nr Exeter, EX5 2EE
Tel: 01404 822240, web: www.jackinthegreen.uk.com
● Jack at the Green says that it’s “for those who live to eat”. Officially the Best Restaurant in the South West of England in the Taste of the West Awards 2009-10, this charming eatery is big on using raw ingredients from neighbouring fields and sourcing simple stuff from local suppliers to create something exceptional: their free-range chickens, saddleback pigs and fresh salad leaves all travel less than six miles to reach the kitchens. Mains are hearty and desserts are warm and comforting.

MICHAEL CAINES AT ABODE
Cathedral Yard, Exeter, EX1 1HD
Tel: 01392 319955, web: www.michaelcaines.com
● Enjoy a glass of bubbly in the champagne bar, pick up eclectic ingredients in the MC boutique deli, have a relaxed coffee in the cafe or down a pint in the well-stocked Well House Tavern. But what most people flock here for is the fantastic food on offer in the stylish restaurant. With lunch and early dining at two courses for £14.50, three for £19.50, you’d be well advised to join them.

NOBODY INN
Doddiscombsleigh, nr Exeter, EX6 7PS38
Tel: 01647 252394, web: www.nobodyinn.co.uk
● Hidden down winding lanes, but well worth cracking the map out for. Over 700 wines and 200 whiskies on offer, and the bar food is imaginative, reasonably priced (three courses around £20) and appropriately toothsome, especially the duck confit with roasted figs and balsamic vinegar. For a real treat, the restaurant choices include roasted salmon on brioche, ostrich fillet with cranberry sauce, and some sinful desserts.

PASSAGE HOUSE INN
Ferry Rd, Topsham, Exeter, EX3 0JN
Tel: 01392 873653, web: www.passagehousehotel.co.uk
● Perennially popular pub in the hamlet of Hackney, on the banks of the river Teign. This cosy country inn with fabulous views and a welcoming atmosphere serves healthy portions of traditional pub grub (with freshly caught fish a big feature), which can be enjoyed outdoors if it’s sunny. Daily carvery serves a fine selection of West Country meats.

RIVERFORD FIELD KITCHEN
Riverford Organic Vegetables, Wash Barn, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0LD
Tel: 01803 762 074, web: www.riverford.co.uk
● Situated on a bucolic farm where some of the first vegetable boxes started to be sent out to delight kitchens around the country, the Riverford Field Kitchen has been cooking with all that fresh produce since 2005, garnering praise and awards aplenty. ‘The lunch of my life,’ said The Times. And the experience is definitely one to remember: you share your table with other diners, partaking of a set menu of one meat and five vegetable dishes. Yummy sides, irresistible puddings, and an informal, friendly atmosphere. Lunch is £17.50, dinner £22.50.

ST OLAVES HOTEL & TREASURY RESTAURANT
Mary Arches St, Exeter, EX4 3AZ
Tel: 01392 217736, web: www.olaves.co.uk
● The small, intimate St Olaves hotel in the heart of the city is a little oasis inside its own walled garden, and accompanying restaurant the Treasury echoes the feel of the main building. Food is simple, elegant and delicately flavoured: Brixham panfried scallops with hogg’s pudding, spinach and apple & cider sauce, and roasted loin of venison with pomme puree, braised red cabbage, figs and dark chocolate & raspberry sauce. Set lunch £14.95.

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