Cafe Espresso in Exeter

Very small premises but wonderful cakes/ lunches - can get full (of people and cake) but well worth a visit when you're in town

I almost don’t want to tell you about this place in case it gets busy! It really is the most wonderful cafe. Great coffee. Gorgeous cake. Incredible views. Fabulous service.

Now take it from me… 25 years+ of customer service… this place is perfect… I mean you can always improve couple of things, but this place is a hidden gem: I felt at home. Food was fab (simple yet fresh and excellent quality), great coffee… superb customer service. Just lovely. Thank you 🙏

I returned yesterday after 18 months of COVID absence to the same lovely staff, excellent coffee and fab food. I’m not mad about Exeter but Cafe Espresso is simply the best cafe I know.

Lovely little cafe with relaxed ambience. Great sandwiches. Lovely coffee. Don’t have the pistachio cake please - leave it ALL for me…

Great coffee and hot chocolate served out of the window! Looking forward to going back when they reopen.

Firstly, this is the best bacon roll you can buy in Exeter City Centre. Fresh sourdough bread with crispy bacon and a good spread of butter! Recently tried a Bonbons coffee (think thats what its called) and was pleasantly surprised. Phil who works/owns it is super friendly and is always rushing around and bring up freshly baked treats. Ideal to sit and watch the world go by or visit the hatch for a grab and go!

Came here for some drinks this afternoon, we sat in the outdoor seating area, it had lovely character and I would strongly recommend.

Really lovely cafe. Delicious coffee and selection of homemade cakes. Friendly place and nicely tucked up a side street. Sat outside, clean tables.

Friendly place serving great homemade cakes, we had the Ginger cake and it was incredible. Coffee was good too.

Just off the beaten track this cafe is a rare treat, only 5 minutes from Exeter’s busy pedestrian shopping area is this haven of calm in the form of an independent cafe. Great food, super coffee and really friendly and professional staff, couldn’t ask for more. Next time I’m in Exeter I’ll be back, I’ve already recommended it to friends just follow the signs to Exeter Castle, you can’t miss it.

Really lovely and friendly place to stop for a coffee. Had some delicious coffee and very tasty pastries - definitely homemade! A great preference to the nearby pret!!

Had a wonderful garbanzo slow cooked soup. Well priced and really healthy and homemade. Lovely friendly service and a good location tucked away from the High St with views of Rougemont Castle

It's sad because this place does amazing coffee and the people who work here made my day on many occasions and I used to go here everyday, but unfortunately they do not do any gluten free alternative milks that are suitable for celiacs. After being told I had to be on a lactose free gluten free diet I was sad that they did not have soya or almond milk as an option and had to find a new coffee shop that did, where the coffee is not as good either.

This has become quite a regular location for Saturday lunch. Great menu, veggie Croque monsieur, breakfast bap and ciabatta omelette all excellent. Always have really great specials on menu too. Surprisingly good number of seats inside and out. Wonderfully just off ‘beaten track’. Great owner, very friendly and nice staff too. We love it so much we’ve introduced our daughters and now our very young granddaughter of three weeks to Cafe Espresso. Good coffees and cakes, neatly forgot to mention those!

Cute place to have a quick lunch. View of the castle included. Few tables to sit outside available. Food (pasta) was tasty and chef very friendly. Tables are available inside upstairs and on ground floor. 5 Stars for the owner!!!

We've been here many times over the years.Best coffee in Exeter,just as great as Italy.breakfast,lunch or just a cake are consistently good and service is always friendly.like that it's not a chain too.

Have eaten here a few times. Owner is very friendly and accommodating. Food is delicious, nice coffee and cosy atmosphere.

No hago reseñas en general, pero estoy sentado aquí, bajo el hermoso sol de marzo (¡quién lo sabía!) Y tomando el mejor café que creo que he tomado y comiendo una buena rebanada de pastel.Al final de una semana estresante, esta caída aleatoria ha demostrado ser la perfecciónGracias

We went Cafe Espresso during lunch time. Quite near the high street. The owner was pretty friendly, let us went to the higher floor. The food were tasty and people there having food,seemed like old clients.highly recommend the lemon nuts cake. Will come next time.

Lovely little coffee shop, Great coffee, Great food, Great staff. Smells of dandelions (interpret as you will)

Had lunch here yesterday with my husband. I had roasted vegetable croque monsieur served with side salad. Absolutely delicious with tasty cheese topping. He had buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto ham, served with side salad and bread. Also delicious. Clean, tidy place with welcoming staff. All freshly made on premises. Definitely worth a lunch stop whilst shopping in Exeter.

This little cafe is always top notch.

What a wonderful cafe! The coffee so tasty that I went back for more and my cooked breakfast was just the ticket on a chilly morning. The staff are some of the best I have encountered and their clientele really friendly and interesting. Looking forward to trying lunch and their delicious cakes.

This is a magical place tiny but brilliant. Staff are so friendly and fun. Some other customers are clearly regulars like me!!! Coffee is good. Food is superb and wholesome particularly the soups. Cakes and cookies amazing. So good to find an independent coffee source. I just love it.

Visited on Saturday for coffee. Busy cafe but with seating outside, and over two floors inside. Happy greetings on arrival, very good coffee and we enjoyed a couple of shortbreads with it. Good selection of freshly made foods, haven't eaten here for a while but previous visits have always proved worthwhile. Friendly clientele too.

Excellent fresh and tasty food, served by friendly competent staff. I think it serves the best croque monsieur outside of France - it's so good! This is a lovely small independent cafe which is perfect for coffee and cake, or a light lunch.

An absolute must if you are looking for a quintessentially authentic cafe. Overlooking the castle gate - upstairs is best. Fantastic service and food and an absolute pleasure to listen to people talk!! Such a rarity these days. You won’t be disappointed.

I’m super fussy when it comes to coffee so what a joy to be served a perfect latte. The cakes looked utterly amazing too, if only they were gluten free! I shall try some food next time I visit which should be equally as impressive judging by the reviews on here. What a find!

The food at Cafe Espresso never disappoints, the service is always friendly and fast, and it’s cosy in the winter and a super sun trap in the summer. Love Cafe Espresso! Their warming stews in the winter are excellent, and in the summer I choose from their lovely salads and dishes like delicious garlic mushrooms served on super tasty sourdough bread. Yum and more yum.

I visited this awesome little coffee shop today, my second visit. This time we decided to order food. We tried the veggie croque Madame' (toasted cheese and roast vegetable sandwich, with a fried egg on top). This was absolutely sublime, the best toasted sandwich I have ever tasted. We plan to visit this place on a monthly basis, as a treat. The coffee is rather nice too! I have lived in Exeter for 4 years and only discovered this little gem a few weeks ago. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Lovely little cafe in a splendid location, friendly staff. Great selection of drinks and food. The special mushrooms with garlic on sourdough toast was delicious and filling, than you

Nice little cafe off the beaten track, only stopped for coffee and cake, nice gluten free pistachio cake. Small outside seating area with friendly staff .we will visit again perhaps to sample lunch next time

Sweet friendly caffe, great coffe and the smells coming from the kitchen where very tempting. Pity it was just a coffee stop.

Best coffee and lunching venue in Exeter! The food is always delicious and the service friendly. Whether it's coffee and cake or lunch, you will not be disappointed.

A lovely little cafe just off the High Street. There is always a friendly greeting and often the customers chat to each other. It's nice to see the staff greet one another with a hug. The coffee is good and it's always worth looking for the latest homemade cakes and biscuits. It's a nice place for a light lunch and there is usually something a little unusual on the specials board.

My Wife and I met here for lunch during the week and absolutely loved it. Between us we had scrambled egg on toast with bacon, and a prosciutto, rocket and parmesan sandwich. The food was fresh, reasonably priced (given the apparent quality of the ingredients) and delicious. Staff were friendly and the service was prompt enough - seeing as they were quite busy. We had the table on the first floor, by the balcony, overlooking Rougemont Castle gate and it was a far more pleasant and relaxing environment than any of the chain cafés in the high street. Absolutely delighted with our visit. Highly recommended.

Enjoyed fantastic breakfast in this bijou cafe near Exeter castle. Sat upstairs in window seat with French windows open to view of castle. Sun streaming in and excellent service really set the day up well. Good coffee and varied range of hot and cold food for breakfast. Shame couldn't stay for lunch as the menu looked very exciting.

Had a Saturday lunch break here. Great food and friendly service just the perfect stop for a lunch break.

Proof that good things come in small packages is Caffe Espresso. This independent establishment, with friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere, is the place to go, whether you want breakfast, coffee and cake or lunch, all of which are top quality.

This tiny cafe never fails to impress with its friendly staff and excellent quality food. They have a good basic menu and a daily selection of specials, all freshly prepared by their passionate chefs. Whether you want coffee and cake or lunch you won't be disappointed, unless you can't get a seat! In our view, nowhere else in Exeter compares.

Have been to this tiny but lovely cafe just off Exeter's main High Street twice now for lunch. The menu offers some difficult choices, three different soups today for instance, and the delicious smells wafting around don't make it any easier to choose. We went for the Garbanzo (Spanish for Chickpea) soup with vegatables in a tomoato base and weren't disappointed. Really delicious and the bread that accompanied it was so fresh and tasty too. The staff are very friendly and the atmosphere relaxed, especially upstairs, despite the lack of space. There was jazz playing in the background, including my favourite Stanley Jordan version of Eleanor Rigby. What's not to like. In fact cannot see the point of ever going anywhere different for lunch when out in the City!

Not the most spacious inside but cosy, both efficient and friendly and the food is consistently good. And the coffee is excellent - which is not the case in many places. It has a lovely location and the ambience is nice. In many establishments there is the distinct impression that the accountants have been through the menu since one last visited but this is a local enterprise with a carefully thought out menu with first rate ingredients. They deserve to do well.

So no surprises here, lunch today was blooming awesome as always.

Spot on. Best café in Exeter. The coffee, cake and food are always delicious and the staff friendly.

Had lunch today 4/11 with mother and yet again the food was just amazing.

Enjoyed a wonderful lunch at this lovely independent restaurant/cafe in the heart of Exeter today. I had the veggie croque monsieur which was excellent with a very generous helping of roasted veg, far better than the usual bland slice of ham at most outlets and I'll definitely be returning for the same again. The service and ambience were great.

As a past regular of Artigiano who has got board with the pretentious shambolic style over substance kind of attitude they give finding cafe Espresso is a very welcome little find.

My wife and I discovered this place by accident whilst wandering up the back streets of Exeter. It's just below the castle, at the joining point of two roads. Happily the roads carry very little traffic so you can sit on the tiny bit of pavement outside without too much disturbance.

This is my favourite place in the city for coffee. Great, freshly-cooked food, great coffee, great staff - both friendly and efficient. Lovely atmosphere to meet friends or relax with a newspaper.

After pottering around the town centre we found this place tucked away. We ordered a Caesar salad and a Brie and grape ciabatta roll. I suffer from food allergies and the chef came to check with me what I could have on the salad. Everything was fresh and well presented, he even made me my own dressing for the salad from scratch. Very happy and would highly recommend. Good selection of cakes and very friendly staff too.

Wonderful coffee, food and atmosphere. A place to escape the hustle and bustle or the world outside. A great place for breakfast, mid morning coffee or lunch. A little hidden away up by the castle but a hidden secret worth discovering.

Always great ambience, lovely food and friendly staff. We always miss this place if we go away anywhere

I can't guarantee you will have the same experience, but first impressions I was a bit dubious, as it looked tiny and difficult to assess from the outside, what you might receive, once inside. I am so glad I took that side street and ventured away from the main street, and took the risk. The coffee is the standard, but nice Lavazza, I tried the Pistachio (Gluten Free) Cake, and it was gorgeous (with a Cappuccino). But the thing that gave it that extra enjoyment, was the ambience. I am not local to Exeter, but I felt welcomed, and had some great conversations with a couple of visitors and the Italian Waiter, who was very helpful and clearly had great pride in his job and enjoyed talking to and serving customers. In fact I could have sat there for much longer enjoying the company and food. So glad I tried it, and would seek it out again without hesitation. The food looked awesome too !

Our lunches were fantastic: We both want for the baked mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto with pesto aioli, toasted bread and a small salad. This really is fantastic food!

Can't believe I've not been in here before. Tiny little cafe, tucked away near Exeter Castle. Friendly staff & relaxed coffee shop atmosphere. Excellent food, nicely presented and inexpensive considering the quality. I'll be going back.

Most delicious tuna melt with a touch of chilli sauce. Too good! Great staff, great atmosphere. A gem.

lovely little place up a little side street in front of the Castle. Looked very inviting, lots of people already eating so decided to give it a try. Two soups on offer for lunch (served with fresh bread), a wide selection of sandwiches/baguettes, cakes and drinks. Thoroughly recommend the soup and PRP (Prosciutto/Rocket/Parmesan), fast and friendly service, a real gem!!

This independent coffee shop is just delightful. The service is excellent and it has a friendly informal ambience which is perfect for a catch-up with friends or relaxed business meeting. The coffee is brilliant and offers freshly ground decaff alongside a full range of coffee options

This is a small cozy place to have coffee or lunch. Coffee is the best in town. Food is delicious as well as pastries and cakes. It is a charmy place to rest, well located and everyone is friendly.

Orange tart tastes very good。Tomato chili pasta served with salad tastes very good and value for money. We chose the balcony seat facing the Exeter Castle - very good view. A really enjoyable afternoon and a good memory of Exeter.

Let me start by saying I like my coffee, oh boy do I like my coffee! So much so that I bought my own espresso machine two years ago & haven't looked back since! I'm always on the lookout for small, independent places that continue to defy the big coffee cartels (Costa, Starbucks, etc) and always tend towards the more personal, friendly, unique places such as Cafe Espresso.

Se volete un vero caffè allora non avete scelta, questo è il vostro posto. Macchina da caffè espresso italiana e buon risultato, non la solita acqua sporca.

This cafe just beneath Exeter Castle is a great retreat from the busy high street. Friendly staff, great coffee and food, worth a diversion from the High Street

If you're in Exeter and want a great cup of coffee in small, friendly surroundings this is the place to go. Situated up by the castle it's a little off the beaten track, but that only adds to its allure, and the slight incline of the road thankfully seems to deter a large proportion of the Costa Brigade. Sidestep the chains and the other self-styled independents who rave about their own coffee on pavemented A-boards before a bearded weirdo presents you with a cup of mud - this place let's quality speak for itself.

We've been to this little cafe many times, usually just for coffee and cake but also for lunch. The food is great, as is the coffee and the service friendly and efficient. The muffins are to die for! This little cafe is a real find in busy Exeter and streets ahead of the chains. It's small, which means that space is limited downstairs, but it's well set out, and upstairs is spacious and light. There is a small outside area on the street, which is lovely when the sun is shining

Have visited here twice now and have enjoyed the food both times. The standard menu offers just the right amount of choice plus there are plenty of specials available on the board, in fact everything sounds tasty that it is hard to decide what to pick. Unfortunately I don't live in Exeter so it will take me a while to work my way through the menu. Vegetarian croque madame is delicious and the pasta dishes are full of flavour. Staff are welcoming and helpful and the prices are good too. I will definitely be visiting again. A great little find!

I have just moved to Devon and had just had a job interview and needed a cup of calming camomile tea and scrambled eggs, as I hadn't had any lunch. The staff were very welcoming and friendly and the scrambled eggs were done just right. I had mine with granary bread, but you could have sour dough instead if you wish. Would definitely return there.

Had the fortune of visiting this cafe today for quite a while as the other half had shopping to do. Lovely coffee (I normally avoid lavazza brand places but these guys really know their stuff), great food (try the pistachio cake) and a properly warm welcome with wifi to boot. Couldn't be much more impressed.

This was recommended to us as we had no idea it existed. (We don't live in Exeter, but visit family regularly). What a lovely surprise. It certainly is 'quirky' but we were given a very warm welcome and managed to grab a beautiful table by the window upstairs. View over the castle.

Friendly helpful staff, delicious soup and plenty of yummy bread to go with it, followed by excellent cake - a perfect lunch served by friendly staff in a convenient location. We will be back!

Delicious soup and plenty of yummy bread, followed by excellent cake made for a really nice lunch. The service was friendly and it is a convenient location when shopping in Exeter. Having just discovered it, we will be back!

I moved to Exeter 3 1/2 years ago and began the search for top quality, independent coffee shops (don't do the chains!). Cafe Espresso is the first one that I found and remains a favorite to this day.

After a walk around Rougment battlements this little place offers really good coffee and snacks, and a nice selection of soups and light meals with great vegetarian options. Try it.

Really enjoyed delicious lunch here yesterday. It was cold and bright outside, but the minestrone was a joy, along with tasty fresh white roll. We'll be back!

We have visited this cafe on numerous occassions, and the food, coffees and service are excellent. My only complaint is that they are quite inflexible with regard to meeting special requests for food, for children. I wanted a plain toasted sandwhich or plain cheese sandwich for my son, but was told that could not be done. This will put parents off.

This little cafe over looks the gates to the castle. Not only does it serve the best coffee in town (do try the bon bon), but the freshly prepared food and fabulous specials board which changes weekly if not daily, is some of the best value food in town when it comes to lunch.