Denleys, Essence of India in Exeter

Best Indian around by miles. Food is so well cooked and tasty and not at all greasy. Book early to make sure you get in. They also do takeaway if you prefer. Staff are excellent

Food here was great. Unfortunately it was a long wait for the food

We’ve been to Denleys multiple times before and have also enjoyed a few takeaways over the years—it's consistently been a favourite for its brilliant staff and high-quality food. On this most recent visit, the food once again lived up to expectations—flavourful, well-presented, and clearly made with care. The team at Denleys are always friendly and attentive, checking in to make sure everything is to your satisfaction. That said, this visit wasn’t without its hiccups. We were seated near the kitchen door, which comes with a lot of foot traffic and made the experience a bit hectic. We also found a hair in the mint sauce with our starter—but to their credit, the staff were quick to apologise and replaced it promptly without fuss. While the atmosphere was lively, it was also quite loud and busy, which makes it less suited to a quiet or romantic evening out. Next time, we’ll probably opt for a takeaway, where we can still enjoy their excellent food from the comfort of home. All in all, great service and food, just a little too bustling for a relaxed dine-in experience on this occasion.

The food was great. Their spicy curry Vindaloo is a must try for people who love spicy food.

We’ve been to Denley's multiple times before and have also enjoyed a few takeaways over the years—it's consistently been a favourite for its brilliant staff and high-quality food. On this most recent visit, the food once again lived up to expectations—flavourful, well-presented, and clearly made with care. The team at Denley's are always friendly and attentive, checking in to make sure everything is to your satisfaction. That said, this visit wasn’t without its hiccups. We were seated near the kitchen door, which comes with a lot of foot traffic and made the experience a bit hectic. We also found a hair in the mint sauce with our starter—but to their credit, the staff were quick to apologise and replaced it promptly without fuss. While the atmosphere was lively, it was also quite loud and busy, which makes it less suited to a quiet or romantic evening out. Next time, we’ll probably opt for a takeaway, where we can still enjoy their excellent food from the comfort of home. All in all, great service and food, just a little too bustling for a relaxed dine-in experience on this occasion.

First experience. Highly recommend superb food and service.

Excellent food, every time and service with a smile. Always a warm welcome!

Great new menu, we prefer takeaway so we can eat later at home but lovely restaurant too. King prawn jalfrezi is my favourite.

Having booked a table and turned up on time, it was well over half an hour before we were finally seated, and even longer before any food appeared. It really spoilt the evening. I appreciate you were busy, but what is the point of having a booking system when you simply ignore the time slots? I'll think twice before ever bringing friends here again.

What a lovely placed to have indian food!! I usully go for eat in lovely atmosphere , great staff. Best restaurant.

Excellent food, staff are amazing and really helpful and friendly.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Denley's , and I can confidently say it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment I walked through the door, I was greeted by the incredibly friendly staff, who made me feel like I was a regular, even though it was my first visit. The warmth and attentiveness of the service were immediately apparent, and I felt well taken care of throughout the entire meal. The restaurant itself has a cozy, inviting atmosphere — perfect for a relaxed, yet upscale dining experience. It wasn’t too loud, and the decor was both modern and traditional, which really set the tone for the authentic meals that followed. As for the food, I was absolutely blown away. I started with the chicken tikka masala, and it was honestly one of the best versions I’ve ever had. The chicken was tender, and the sauce had the perfect balance of creamy richness with a kick of spice. My dining companion had the lamb rogan josh, and I couldn’t resist trying a bite — it was tender, flavorful, and so aromatic. Every dish was packed with vibrant spices, but never overpowering. It was clear that the chefs at Danley’s take pride in their craft, and the quality of the ingredients really shone through in every bite. The service remained impeccable throughout the meal, with the staff being attentive without being overbearing. The waiters checked in just the right amount and offered great recommendations when I was having trouble choosing between the many tempting options on the menu. If you’re a fan of Indian cuisine or just looking for a place to enjoy a special meal, Danley’s is a must-visit. The combination of excellent food, outstanding service, and a welcoming atmosphere truly sets it apart. I’ll definitely be returning soon.

Fantastic place. 1st time we just turned up hoping to get a table, but we got turned away because the restaurant was full. A very good indicator of how good the restaurant is. We returned a few days later after making a reservation. The food was fantastic. I hope to visit again sometime soon.

Fantastic experience at Denleys. We went with our 1 year old who was a bit cranky and the staff were amazing with her. The food was so tasty and there was loads, plenty between all of. I can’t rate the staff highly enough, it’s so rare to get such good service. Special shout out to Rasheed who was fantastic with our little one and found her missing sock! Such a great experience, will be back 100%

Great food, especially the fish curry. Love this place

Incredible food, flavours delicious and service outstanding. We absolutely love coming here and rave about it to anyone who will listen! The restaurant is always busy which is such a great sign and rightly so as everything is excellent, takeaway is busy too. Staff can’t do enough for you! Thank you.

Amazing food and quite possibly the best Lamb dish I've ever had. Service was great and will 100% be back. Keep up the good work. 👌🏼👍🏼

The Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi was packed with flavor—spicy, tangy, and perfectly cooked chicken. A must-try for any spice lover!"""

The Pilau Rice was fragrant and fluffy, perfectly complementing the main dishes. A simple but essential side!""

Expensive but tasty food, presented beautifully

We visited and ate in the restaurant on valentines day. I had tried to book a table a week prior, only to get an immediate cancellation back from the restaurant with no explanation. After a telephone call it turned out that the booking system automatically rejects any times that are not available, instead of showing availability on the website or suggesting alternate times. Upon arrival the restaurant was quite chaotic, however we were seated after ten minutes or so. A note to anyone booking, ask not to be seated at the table right infront of the bar. You're constantly stood over by people arriving to collect takeaways. We were seated in a corner away from the hustle and bustle, and had a very nice meal. The food and service from all of the waiters was timely, professional and friendly. We were even offered an extra desert by our friendly waiter, on the house! The valentines rose for my partner when we left was a nice touch. We will definitely be back and we are looking forward to the Cranbrook restaurant opening soon.

If you love bold, spicy flavors, the Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi will blow you away. It's one of the best I've had.""

The Pilau Rice was cooked to perfection—fluffy, aromatic, and a perfect side for my curry.""

Fantastic food , well presented , fresh ingredients . Staff are professional and friendly . We travel a 70 mile round trip just to get a take away from here . Without a doubt the best Indian food I’ve tasted in Devon . Restaurant always busy and rightly so . Make sure you book in advance .

The food at Denleys is absolutely delicious and a little bit special. The service is also outstanding and all the staff are extremely friendly.

Consistently top quality food and service. Highly recommended...really excellent.

I have used Denleys for years, but have found the cost of a take away has gone off the scale! The meal I was about to order on Saturday showed not only a 20p bag charge but a service charge of £1.50. The cost of a basic meal for two was over £38. I bought the same meal from an Exmouth takeaway for £25.50. Sorry Denlys, you have over cooked it for me from now on. Even your papodoms are £1.10 each compared to 80p elsewhere.

The spices in the dishes are outstanding, you can try them again

Always excellent food and service. Tend to go for traditional curry’s which are very tasty and not watery. They do a loyalty card which comes in handy. Reasonable drink prices.

Don't book online. Booked a table via the website which was confirmed on the website but I didn't receive an email. Emailed them to check, only to be told they were fully booked. If that was the case, why was the website showing availability and why was I able to book. Good job I checked, or I would have been none the wiser.

Lovely food. Fab service. Cant wait for their new restaurant to open in Cranbrook so we can walk up and enjoy. We’ll def be visiting again. Prob best biriyani I have had outside of Indian.

A truly excellent Indian restaurant, not the cheapest but the food is excellent and the service is good, always applying their own personal touches to the presentation such as the plates being hand decorated with sauces.

Everything about this place is fantastic. The food is the best around and the service is just as good. Will definitely be returning!

I cannot recommend Denlys enough. Everything is perfect and the curries are unbelievably good. We have been over a 100 times and every time has been brilliant.

By far the best Indian restaurant around great service great value

Friendly staff and lovely food as always. A little noisy at busy periods which is understandable with the high number of customers.

I first tried Denley's two years ago, I haven't gone to or ordered from another Indian since! Each dish is full of fresh flavours, beautifully cooked and presented wonderfully. Service is always 10/10, very attentive waitors who consistently have smiles on their faces. I come here at any given opportunity, if you haven't visited or ordered from here before, I suggest you do so! An absolute asset to the Topsham community.

Staff are amazing as was the food

Amazing food staff and atmosphere 👌

Super fast service, high quality food and attention to detail all make this restaurant stand out from all other local "Indian" restaurants. After trying many restaurants in the East Devon area this is one of the few that we would definitely return to. Thank you Imran for showing us how a great meal can be cooked and served with style.

Sat in for a meal, staff were really friendly and the food arrived quickly. Had the set meal for two what was good value for the amount we had.

We had a takeaway on a Saturday evening. I am coeliac, so required a gluten-free meal. They were clear in what they could/couldn't offer. As they were busy, our takeaway was slightly delayed, but friendly staff sat us in a quiet spot to wait. The meals were all delicious. Great venue, only problem can be finding somewhere to park.

Wow! I just had what is quite probably the best Indian meal I've had the pleasure of eating, and I've had a lot of them! The lamb was so tender it fell off the bone and the sauce was so tasty. I'm here on business so can't make Denley's my local but I'll be certain to visit them next time I'm in the South West. Awesome guys, thanks so much!!!

That was cracking, top marks guys

We had a fantastic delicious curry tonight. The service was outstanding and super friendly, I highly recommend! I had the Goan fish curry and my husband had the chicken pathia! We had tasty starters to begin with! And whilst we were waiting, I got lucky and got some Oasis tickets! Happy days! 👍

Fantastic food! Really good service too, staff very responsive and keen to make it an enjoyable experience. It's quite compact so we did have to hear the table next to us discussing how big their businesses were and how many times they play golf all night long, but food was really good, we will be returning!

Once again, Denley’s didn’t dissapoint at all. Everything we ordered came fresh and lovely and the service is just the best. The kindness of the waiters is proportional to the quality of the food: simplu superb, we’ll be back again very soon :)

The curry I have ordered is dead cold. The onion baji was overcooked. The cook was flaat I ask the boss but didn't get any response. Don't bother

By far the best Indian meal I've had hands down. I highly recommend this place!

Went here on a limb with my as we were not sure where to go. Ended up having one of the best curries I’ve ever had. The waiter recommended some great choices and we loved it!

No quality control. Didn’t get the order I ordered.

Absolutely amazing food and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Will definitely be going back. A******* in our book, had a free drink for myself and my partner as it was my birthday. Thank you so much for an amazing evening.

Great restaurant. Food is excellent and presentation is impressive. Staff attentive. Denley's in not located in the 'centre' of Topsham, its about five minutes slow walk on the main road towards Exeter, almost at the end of the town, but well worth the walk!

Was coming back from Exeter and wanted to get a quick takeaway, fast service and great quality food would definetly recommend

phenomenal service also delicious food.All of staff very friendly as well as professional.

Very nice food, great service would highly recommend!

Brilliant restaurant, friendly staff and above all amazing food. Would highly recommend!

I went to dine in denleys last week. The food was excellent, service is outstanding!! Would highly recommend this place to everyone!!

Yet another superb meal at Denleys last night. This place never disappoints. The food is wonderful and beautifully presented, the staff are friendly and professional and the service is quick and efficient.

The food was cold and I asked for replacement but they denied. Any when I got the bill the boss was rude and abruptly rude. Anyway I asked another waiter they said they dnt get the tips as boss takes it so guys don't put any tips or ur card

The best Indian restaurant we have been to for years. If you live anywhere between Exeter and Exmouth or a visitor to Topshom, Lympstone, Exmouth( all in easy distance) definitely worth a visit.

We love curry,, I prefer a vegetable hot curry but am usually disappointed, always feel they are thrown together,,,but not tonight,, wow had a vegetable pathia from Denleys,,full of interesting veg, great flavours,,will definitely have it again,,,thanks

Outside appearance is nondescript but don't let that put you off, the atmosphere inside is very good. The service is good and food is excellent. I've been before and will certainly go again.

We had a fab meal here and we were there when Steve C below came in with his party. The staff apologised multiple times to you and acknowledged it was their fault completely. They offered you another table and a 20% discount. One of your party said "make it 50%". If you didn't want to take their offer, what else could you do but leave? It's a real pity you missed out on a fantastic meal.

Turned up without a booking but the staff found us a table without a wait. Very good menu with lots of choices from old favourites to house specials. The food was perfect as was the service.

Excellent range and quality of food (if you eat in), service spot on, just a bit difficult to hear when busy. But truly excellent food, probably the best Indian along the eastern Exe valley.

I've never been in an establishment with more polite staff! I was in a large group (12) and the food came out all at the same time and was piping hot which is very impressive. It was all very tasty and I ate too much, a very good sign. Thank you, Denley's.

Best Indian restaurant in the Exeter area. Always good food and a friendly front of house team. Last visit was a business evening and everyone enjoyed the food and we were well looked after with a plentiful supply of ice cold Kingfisher!

We were entertaining friends down for a working event and heard that this restaurant was great. Our food was delicious, came out hot and thoroughly enjoyed. Well worth the trip.

A fabulous experience! Can't fault the food or the brilliant service. Many thanks 👍

Having lived in Devon for 3 years having moved from the midlands I can can this is the best Indian food I have had. Lush

Excellent food. Shambles of a table reservation. So loud I couldn't hear people on my own table.

Everything you could want from a top Indian restaurant! The atmosphere was buzzing, food exceedingly good and the staff were efficient and attentive.

Sneaky service charge applied to my bill. Would be ok if the service was spot on. But £7 for two people think that’s a bit of a pi££ take very greedy.

Great experience all round, staff looked after us well, food tasted great and as a bonus they have a loyalty card so I will be returning

We loved everything about this restaurant. Great food with an amazing menu served by really friendly waiters. Highly recommended 😆

We went this evening and the whole experience was brilliant. The food was amazing, the best Indian we've had. The staff are so welcoming and look after you as soon as you step foot into the restaurant. Such a good atmosphere! We will be back very soon.

Fabulous food Amazing staff Great service Great value Love love love this place

Really lovely restaurant, friendly service with good presentation of food, also a good selection of drinks. I would come back and eat here no question.

This was the first time I've ever been to an Indian restaurant. We went with friends from overseas. I was concerned about the food being too hot for my taste. But it was absolutely perfect. Right from poppadoms, to the onion bhajis to the curry and desert. Some of the tastiest food I've ever tasted. Service was great with a smile and a great sense of humour. Would recommend to anyone. We'll certainly be going again.

I love my Indian food to have lots of flavour and not be spicy or hot, I visited for the 1st time as it was recommended by a work colleague, I decided to go for the chicken tiger plain rice and a paswari nan, the tiger was very lovely full of a friuty flavor, it did have a little spice to it but I really enjoyed it and like I said before I do not eat spicy food, the nan was perfectly cooked, service was very good with the staff being very friendly, the prices were a little pricey compared to back home, the say a Chicken Korma being £13.95 compared to around £8 back home, highly recommend

I went here as part of a large group celebrating a colleagues leaving do. The service from the staff here was very good, very friendly and welcoming. The food was incredible. Very tasty. I had the chicken passanda with a cheese naan. Looking around at the others on my table, there were many empty plates in the end.

Not even got to the food tried to order on line for collection and wanted a service charge outrageous

Just waited almost two hours for delivery, all the food is cold. A couple of free limp popadoms for the trouble… Very disappointing given the hype about this place. 👎👎👎👎👎👎

Just go there! I was visiting the area and it was recommended even though it was 30 mins away. Well worth it

Denleys was totally as per the expectations. The food, highlighted by the chicken biryani and chat, was truly delightful. The staff's politeness and helpfulness added to the positive experience. The ambience complemented the overall enjoyment, creating a pleasant dining atmosphere. A fantastic choice for those seeking a delicious blend of flavours in a welcoming setting.

First time at Denley's, and I definitely will go back. great food and friendly staff.

One of the best curries I've ever had,can't rate this place highly enough..consistently delivers..another great night

Fantasic gluten free currys, being a ceoliac always concerned about eating out, was given confidents they knew what had gluten and what didnt and even gave a steer on what was safe through cooking methods. No sideeffects and was awesome to share in a takeaway with my family

Great take away, one of the best curries I have ever had. Will return when back in the area.

Excellent food. This place stands out for the quality of its food. I will be back!

Would highly reccommend Denleys essence if india , one of the best meals ive had in a very long time. Very tasty and flavoursome food. Well worth the walk or short drive from countess wear premier inn. Great service, great food.

Excellent food and great service. Well worth a visit.

Birthday Meal. First time of eating here. Highly recommend a visit, made to feel very welcome.

My husband and I can’t stay away from Denleys. The food is phenomenal, with a great atmosphere and service. It is consistently 10/10!! We can’t recommend this place enough.

I had almost given up hope of finding a decent Indian in Devon; now we drive up from Exmouth once a week for a take away and sit down at least once a month. Simply the best food, atmosphere, and service; a little dearer than your average, but absolutely miles ahead. Highly recommended and worth the journey.

Exceptional food and service Simply the best

Fantastic food, great staff and definitely one of the best Indians in Exeter with generous portions and reasonably priced.

WOW WOW WOW! We have tried a lot of Indian take aways over the years.. we are visiting family in Woodbury Salterton . We are ALL blown away by this food! We lived in South London for 12 years and moved to Farnham. This place is absolutely INCREDIBLE! We have never ever eaten such delicious spices , loads and loads of Meat ! We can’t wait to visit again!

I've only been once, but what a fantastic place to eat 😋 👌