Exeter

CONSERVATORY
18 North St, Exeter, EX4 3QS
Tel: 01392 273858
Enjoy Mediterranean ambience and culinary delights at this award-winning restaurant that’s stylish, but with a relaxed atmosphere. The cool art-deco interior is the backdrop for an exciting dining experience. Chef Alan Loman draws on influences from Italy, France and Thailand, creating dishes to tempt the most discerning palate, using first-rate local produce such as diver-caught scallops, line-caught sea bass, and West Country fillet steak, rack of lamb, wood pigeon and cheeses. The menu changes daily, ensuring that only the best, freshest produce is used. Singled out in Waitrose magazine for the Best Homemade Desserts in the West Country. Two-course lunch menu (currently £13.95) offers a choice of four or five starters and the same number of mains.

EXESHED
18 Bedford St, Princesshay Square, Exeter, EX1 1GJ
Tel: 01392 420070, web: www.shed-restaurants.com
From the people who brought you Bristol’s Severnshed, this is their first foray out of the city. Housed in a contemporary glass pavilion building decorated with reflective scenes of Exeter Cathedral, the restaurant is surrounded by an outside terrace ideal for dining or drinking. Inside, on the ground floor, is a large cocktail bar and dining area; on the first floor is a modern restaurant and separate glass-covered terrace which can be used for private parties. As with the Bristol ’Shed, food is modern European in style, the 925 menu is a real bargain (two courses with glass of wine or soft drink for £9.25, available all day Sun-Thur, 12noon-7pm Fri-Sat) and the new weekend brunch menu (10am-12noon only) is well worth a try.

JACK IN THE GREEN INN
Rockbeare, nr Exeter, EX5 2EE
Tel: 01404 822240, web: www.jackinthegreen.uk.com
Over the past 16 years, this place has grown to become one of the best freehouses-cum-restaurants in the South West. Enjoy consistently good food courtesy of talented head chef Matthew Mason and his team, along with outstanding service and warm hospitality, all in superbly comfortable surroundings. The same chefs and staff provide the same extensive menu and attention to detail during lunch, and on Sundays serve food right through the day: a mouth-watering range of a la carte dishes or light snacks to match the occasion. The restaurant has garnered a slew of awards over the years: two AA rosettes, Taste of the West Food & Drink Awards (Gold, 2006 and 2007), South West Chef of the Year 2007, an AA Regional Food Award for commitment to using local produce. New for 2009, in addition to the £350,000 kitchen refurbishment, is a fantastic bar menu (with several choices under a tenner), an irresistible a la carte selection and the Totally Devon menu: three courses of locally produced goodies for £25.

MICHAEL CAINES AT ABODE
Cathedral Yard, Exeter, EX1 1HD
Tel: 01392 319955, web: www.michaelcaines.com
Located opposite the city’s magnificent 11th century gothic cathedral, ABode Exeter combines quality and tradition with striking contemporary modern design. Exeter is the hometown of Michael Caines, and ABode is something of a spiritual home - his beliefs about hospitality, food and wine were first developed and put into place here. Central to this is Michael’s philosophy that good food is inclusive, not exclusive, and must be accessible at all levels. The building houses a stunning restaurant, champagne bar, fabulous deli (the MC Boutique), more informal cafe-bar and, next door, the rather excellent Well House Tavern. There are a couple of decent offers to tempt you, too: two courses £14.50 (three £19.50) at lunch and, for early evening diners, two courses £14.95 (6pm-7pm only).

PASSAGE HOUSE INN
Ferry Rd, Topsham, Exeter, EX3 0JN
Tel: 01392 873653
Fantastically popular pub located in the village of Topsham, just a few minutes by car or bus from the centre of Exeter. Great, traditional British pub food, with an emphasis on locally caught fish, served indoors or, when the weather allows, on the patio overlooking the River Exe. Great, homemade fare served up in huge portions with no frills. The steak pies and the fish and chips come highly recommended.

RIVERFORD FIELD KITCHEN
Riverford Organic Vegetables, Wash Barn, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0LD
Tel: 01803 762 074, web: www.riverford.co.uk
OK, so it’s a bit of a trek outside Exeter, but boy, is it worth it. The Field Kitchen, established in 2005, has just bagged itself top prize of Best Ethical Restaurant in the Observer Food Monthly’s 2009 awards, beating off competition from renowned restaurants including our own beloved Bordeaux Quay. The public-voted award will no doubt help raise the profile of the Field Kitchen, which serves local, seasonal produce straight from the farm, cooked up by chef Jane Baxter and her team. Jane previously worked at Dartmouth’s Carved Angel and London’s River Cafe. Her no-nonsense, gutsy dishes have earned the Field Kitchen quite a reputation, garnering rave reviews from Gordon Ramsay and the Guardian.

ST OLAVES HOTEL & TREASURY RESTAURANT
Mary Arches St, Exeter, EX4 3AZ
Tel: 01392 217736, web: www.olaves.co.uk
The two AA rosette-winning Treasury Restaurant, named to mark the fact that Charles II’s coins were minted close by, is open for lunch (set lunch brings you two courses for £14.95) and dinner. Offers a short, interesting snack menu as well as two/three-course meal options, with original dishes like black pudding ravioli with confit of belly pork, apple fondant and calvados cream. The small, intimate bar offers the usual range of beers, lagers and spirits, plus some interesting local wines and unusual dessert wines including Canadian icewine and smooth vintage ports.

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