exeter inn in Mid Devon

After postponing our wedding multiple times due to the pandemic we decided to get married with 3/4 weeks notice. For the evening of our wedding we booked the Exeter Inn with a small group our closest family (as restrictions allowed at the time). I was slightly nervous as we had never visited before but had heard good things, so decided to book. I told the manager that it was our wedding but as we didn’t have much time to plan I just said I wanted to book a few tables for food & asked to drop a couple banners out the day before, We arrived to find out that they had set aside the whole restaurant for us, so that we had the room to ourselves. The owner welcomed my husband & I and took us aside for the first 10-15 minutes whilst everyone was seated, allowing us time to reflect on the day just the two of us, with a drink on the house. They also decorated and arranged a top table off their own backs and introduced us to the room as Mr and Mrs! Every single one of our guests commented on the incredible food and service. Our evening was very different to our original plan and we were unsure what to expect, but we were both so overwhelmed at how much effort was put into making it so special. The staff went above and beyond & we truely appreciate everything you did to make our wedding evening so perfect, so thank you. We will be back!

Managed a lunchtime visit hours before lockdown.Sat in a lovely cosy little room at the far end of the pub. Excellent service.Good menu. I had the fishcake starter which was Fabulous, and my husband had the bacon brioche, which he thoroughly enjoyed.Will be coming back as soon as possible.

Absolutely beautiful keep up the good work guys , been and had before and will definitely be coming back thanku

We've eaten here a few times since moving to the area 18 months ago - which, most recently included a lockdown roast dinner takeaway, which was amazing! One of the best roasts I've had!Food and service has always been great, and we enjoy the overall ambience of the place when we visit.This will certainly be one of our regular places to visit after lockdown.

Stayed locally for a week in October and the Exterminates Inn was highly recommended by the owner of the cottage we stayed in, and for very good reason. Very friendly welcome, real fire, excellent food and good safe Covid compliant service. You could not wish for more, we visited twice during our weeks holiday, had to lovely meals and very much enjoyed our stay on both occasions. Highly recommended you could wish for no more.

Amazing! The service was amazing and the staff are lovely! The chef was absolutely amazing! The roast we had was PERFECT, i have also tried their kababs and they’re equally as good. I would 100% recommend this pub. It also has a lovely community!

Thankyou for a fantastic meal. The food was amazing especially our family favourite- rice pudding with pistachio and salted caramel. Friendly staff and great traditional pub atmosphere.5 star.

Spur of the moment visit- although did phone in advance. Been past here over the years and seen now open after having been closed for ages. ( mind you haven’t been this way for a while). Very friendly chap booked us in and met us when we arrived. Speedy and efficient service great food and choice ( even vegan). Great looking pub, cosy with log burners. Will definitely visit again soon.

It was a last minute Sunday lunch booking for six and the staff did this place proud. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they really went above and beyond. The menu isn't extensive but what is on there is really nice. If you go there and the rice pudding is on the menu - it's a must and the portions sizes, well - I'll leave you to find that out.

we were passing last night after a days motorcycling in the area and see it was open again. even though we had not booked the landlady found us a table in their very clean and covid secure premises. lovely wide range of gins and menu choices and service was excellent and prompt. thank you so much. we will definitely be back to book a meal in the restaurant. well worth a drive for a lovely meal any time.

Popped in for lunch and was very impressed. Had the Nachos and not what a good choice. Plenty to share, good flavours and a properly made chilli. We will be back

This traditional inn has been adapted to offer rooms and an individual cottage at the end of the property. We stayed in one of the superior rooms (Moorlands) which is in the main building. We booked for 5 nights but had a difficult journey getting there due to a car breakdown and subsequently lost our first day of the stay. However, the owner was very gracious and helpful when it came to dealing with our issue for which we were very grateful. The staff were also very helpful, friendly and very accommodating of any requests. The room was of a very decent size and well appointed with a very comfortable, large double bed, large TV, kettle and column fan that both heats and cools. The bar downstairs is very cosy with two other seating areas where you can drink or get a bite to eat and there is also a large restaurant area as well as outdoor seating if the weather is pleasant enough. The quality of the food is very good indeed. The menus can vary during this unusual time but both my wife and I were very satisfied with what we eat there during our stay. There is also a huge array of bottled drinks and a good selection of pump drinks. There is ample parking with a car park at each end of the property. We rarely stay in this part of the Westcountry but if we were to in the future, The Exeter Inn would be our first port of call.

Booked last minute for two nights away, me, my partner and our dog. What a find! Welcoming, friendly, hard-working, dog-friendly staff and clean, contemporary, comfortable bedroom. Covid-aware without being intrusive. We ate in on both nights and although the menu was more limited than usual, the food was plentiful, tasty and good value; there was even a vegan option- who knew jackfruit could be deep fried? Altogether a great couple of days away, enhanced by the atmosphere created by such lovely and committed staff. We would certainly book again.

Amazing evening meal had here to celebrate a joint birthday. 12 people! Staff could not be friendly enough. Food was great and delicious, nicely presented and everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Social distancing and keeping everyone safe in these current time to enjoy the small things like celebrating a birthday meal out with family was made even more so special at this friendly pub!

We stayed for 4 nights midweek and the staff, service, room and food were fantastic. Would highly recommend. The family room was very clean and comfortable.

Simone and her team looked after my awkward gut and dietary restrictions whilst at the same time giving us four such a warm welcome and not making me feel as though I was a nuisance. Food was great too! Lovely people, lovely pub, (also clean, not sticky tables!) The Exeter Inn is highly recommended by my family. Can't wait to return.

These have been strange times recently, and it's so nice to that the Exeter has reopened after the lock down. At the moment the pub hasn't reopened their kitchen, we're hoping that they will by the next time they visit, but all the staff were incredibly welcoming and pleased to see us, while managing to run what feels like a very safe (but still friendly) environment. It's still early days after pubs have been allowed to reopen, but they are doing it well at the Exeter, and deserve to do well. As other reviewers have mentioned it's a dog friendly pub, and while the restaurant hasn't fully reopened yet, the accommodation already has, and the night we were there the people who were staying overnight were tucking into a lovely looking roast that the chef had cooked for the staff, but there was plenty left over to offer to the couple that were staying even though they hadn't re-opened properly yet. Once the food is on fully again, you're in for a treat.

Just had Sunday lunch for my birthday amid Storm Dennis. Food and service were excellent. Pub is beautifully decorated and presented throughout to create a very cosy atmosphere. Will definitely be frequenting far more than we have before.

First rate hosts. Very comfortable rooms. Excellent breakfast. Pet friendly. Highly recommended. On the edge of Exmoor. Ideal for walking and I shall certainly be visiting again.

We thoroughly enjoyed an overnight stay and evening meal at the Exeter. The fish pie was hot and tasty and the fruit crumble excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful, making for an enjoyable stay. Our room was clean and spacious - great value, thoroughly recommend

Lovely traditional style. Very festive with cosy fires. Was told roast turkey meal was gluten free. However, this involved taking the gluten items off the plate and giving it to my husband. No gf alternative provided. Food not good. Warm veg, cold turkey and old yellowing broccoli. We were told the turkey was like that because it is sliced in advance and heated up with warm gravy. Very disappointed with meal. Shame because it's a fab old pub, great interior.

Having read the most recent reviews i would think i was in another pub! Sounds like extremely picky people as i have visited this pub on three occasions and can find no fault and I've visited at various times in the year.So just had our Christmas eve meal and it was amazing. Fabulous food - piping hot i may add - great drinks all served with a happy welcoming smile.I love this pub and will be returning abd recommending to others.

Very poor vegetarian choice, especially as I don’t eat mushrooms. Had to have all 3 courses, no choice available on normal menu, staff very unaccommodating on requesting another veggie choice. Suet pudding, mash and carrots - stodgy! Won’t be going again.

We were a party of 12 booked in to celebrate my sister’s birthday. My brother in law had been asked, when booking, if any of our party had dietary requirements and he had said there were vegetarians amongst and was told that was fine. I had checked the menu prior to going and, although there was a very minimal veggie choice between a mushroom pasta or homity pie, there was something available so all appeared well. Imagine our surprise therefore when, on arrival, the only choice was a roast dinner with no veggie choice at all. When questioned about it, the staff said no problem, you can have the roast with no meat for £2 less!!!!! Oh, and extra stuffing! Ok, so, not ideal but we still lived in hope! I might add this actually applied to six people - half our party!!! When the roast arrived it was very poor, over cooked Yorkshire pudding, cold purée of something unidentifiable, over cooked and only just warm potatoes and the stuffing was bland and not very hot at all. The final insult for me was being charged full price for one of our lunches because my daughter in law had two slices of halloumi!!!! She was the only one of us who did because they didn’t have enough for anyone else as they needed it for another party of 42!!!! Just as well I think as an extra £12 for the addition of halloumi would just about have finished me off!!!! So, in summary, unless you eat meat, don’t bother!!! I certainly won’t be going back!!!!!

Very disappointed with our second visit here. The menu was very limited with a number of things “off”Ok if you like burgers but I do not! The staff were pretty frosty on arrival and there seemed to be quite a few hanging around not doing a lot ! It was certainly not busy yet we had to wait to be shown to our table which was nonsense. With so many good places to eat in nearby Bampton, I’m afraid we won’t be rushing back here

Me and my sister came here for a lunch on Tuesday, me and her really enjoyed the meal.For the starters we had the salt and pepper squid and the fish cake and for the main course she had the halloumi burger and i had the chicken burger, i was expecting one peice of battered chicken breast but there were two good sized peices of chicken i also added cheese and bacon to it, in my opinion that made the burger if i didn't have the cheese and bacon it would have been abit dry. The desserts i had churros and my sister had the lemon posset, its like a moose its so light in texture and very lemony it tastes amazing.The staff were nice and the value for money is good, all in all a good experience

We had a great little lunchtime meal at the Exeter in the summer. Recommend it ; it's so on the route from Exeter.

Called in for an unplanned late lunch, warm welcome from friendly staff. Busy midweek at around 2pm, but still choice of tables, Very pleasant surroundings,

Rude landlady, appalling service - 1+ hours to serve pre arranged group, too few staff, cold food, Very limited choice - indeed some guests went because given no options. KEEP AWAY FROM THIS PLACE - trafic because recently well renovated, just appalling owners and staff

Booked via Booking.com (no longer available - Book Direct) so in arrival wrong price passed by booking.com This caused some stress but was resolved next morning on check out, paying correct price.

Mussels alfresco on a Friday night with a couple of pints of Doom Bar. the mussels were in a cider and cream sauce served with chips. They are always good here and they did not disappoint.

With having my in-laws running this pub from 1982-86, today was a nostalgic trip back in time for all of us to see how the place has changed over the decades. I had heard that it had been closed for a while, but has since recently reopened so thought it would be a good run out to show my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law (who lives in Australia) their old pub. We were all in very good spirits when we arrived to see how it had changed - the lady behind the counter, Jodie, made us feel very welcome and was very interested to hear of our ties with the pub. We found a huge variety of drinks to choose from, and so was the menu. Our food was very delicious and plentiful, so much so that we are not having any supper tonight. Thus, we can all honestly say that The Exeter Inn in Bampton, Devon is well worth visiting - you will not be disappointed.

Decided to go because we heard it had reopened and had new owners, however went with my carer got there slightly earlier than 12.00, and the welcome we received from the owner/lady wasn't good, said 'that we don't open or serve until 12.00' which we knew already, thought we would have a drink first, asked could we sit in the bar and have a drink, no one came, so we got and left and went somewhere else with better attitude. Would not go again.

My wife and I have been going to Bampton for about 15years and on odd times its been open have eaten or had a drink in The Exeter inn, But this time the present owners have done an excellent job in decor and atmosphere.We visited on 19/06/2019.

We visited the Exeter Inn after it was recommended.

We ate in the Restaurant yesterday 29th May, the 4 of us. The food was superb, very, very delicious. The menu varied with a lovely choice for everyone including gluten, dairy and vegan food lovers. A good meal out is not just about the food but for me, the service. The family that own the place are smiley, happy people and hugely welcoming. We had such a lovely evening, thank you so much.

Just got back from a visit to the Exeter inn, bampton.AMAZING!! I didn't want to leave!! The inn itself is absolutely beautiful, open fires, lovely furnishings, everything you could wish for! The staff are fabulous, so friendly and make you feel very at home.The food is absolutely amazing! Lovely produce, cooked and presented beautifully. Would highly recommend crabcakes, scallops and sapphire, also the surf and turf ( the chips are cooked in beef dripping, which is heavenly) and you must try the homemade peppercorn/ brandy sauce! Wow! The rooms are beautiful, great nights sleep in feather quilt and pillows, beautiful linen etc...well, i think you get my drift, this is the loveliest place to stay and I can't wait to go back!! Book now! You wont be disappointed!!!!

Visited the Exeter inn on Saturday evening with friends first time since it reopened. The place looks great, service and food was excellent will definitely be heading there again!

Had a lovely sunday lunch at this recently taken over pub. Pleasant surroundings and attentive, sincsre hosts made this a good experience. The meal was beautifully prepared and very well cooked. Even though the pub was fairly full and we hzd no booking, they found some space and lokked zfter us. Excellent and well worth a visit. Many ghanks.

We came here twice while we were in Devon, once for a family get together over Sunday lunch, and the next day for a light lunch over a quick pint. Both times the food was yummy, well presented and generous portions. Other people have already said how good the roasts are, but we have to mention the whole roast chicken that we shared, and how it just tasted so much better than any other chicken I’ve had and also the home made chips ( try them - you’ll be amazed how good a chip can be!) but the light menu sandwiches were equally good - and the best sandwiches I’ve had for as long as I remember. The refurb has really blown away the cobwebs this pub had before, the team in the pub are friendly, deliver great service, but above all they are passionate about the pub and the surrounding countryside. If you’re passing by give it a try - you’ll be glad you did.

Just been to the Exeter inn and had a beautiful lunch.i had the steak and chips and my wife had beetroot risotto both beautifully cooked and both very delicious.service was very good and portion sizes perfect will definitely go again 5stars

Four of us went to the Exeter Inn this evening for a meal. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. We each had something different and it was all very good and tasty. It consisted of tow starters, four mains and two puddings, as I said before all excellent. Cannot comment on the beer as I was driving. The only criticism we have is that the décor is rather gloomy. We will be going there again and have no hesitation in recommending it.

the new owners have only opened the referbished inn 25 days to a very good standard the staff were very friendly and polite the food was quite nicely presented and tasted good, only fault people should learn how to park tidy as the carpark is long and narrow, when full there is no room to park on the road as the inn is on a busy junction

We went there for a meal on Wednesday 27/3/2019 and it was a great surprise, the pub was warm and welcoming, very friendly staff and the food was amazing. It was great to see this pub up and running again and I highly recommend a visit. Will definitely go there again

Occasionally we drive past this pub which was closed for a while. Last night as we were looking for a place to eat we noticed it was reopened and looked so inviting. Deciding to eat there we were not disappointed. Loved the character and warmth that we found inside, fabulous woodburners and friendly, welcoming staff. The food was excellent. They are so wanting to do a good job as a new team and they have made a very good start.

Booked for Sunday lunch last weekend. Was a bit concerned as two friends had gone for lunch on the Friday reported that they had to send the lasagne back and the monkfish tails were bland and would not return. Two others visited for Saturday lunch and also felt it was poor and would not return. However, four more went on Saturday night and were happy with what they described as good basic pub grub and would go again.

Popped in to see the Exeter Inn after the extensive renovations. We both had fantastic Ham, Egg and Chips, a simple dish that so many places get wrong! Not here....and the home made chips were awesome. Bampton is becoming a bit of gastro paradise....

What a transfromation to this lovely building tastefully decorated throughout, The sunday lunch was outstanding, full of flavour,beautifully presented and excellent service Will definetly be returning in the future.

Stopped in after a trip to Knightshayes mid afternoon. The full lunch menu wasn't available as it was about 3pm but the chef offered to cook us a burger and the bar snacks were all available. The portion sizes of the bar snacks were incredible! Ordered the dirty fries and the aptly named 'ultimate chip butty'. All freshly refurbished with new owners who were quite rightly proud of the new look. Will be returning, maybe tomorrow!

The boss is so pleased to see the fire going again while we sit and have a lovely home cooked meal and a nice pint Good luck to Jeff the new landlord it seems a friendly welcome already. We shall be back !!!!

The last 3 occasions I have been in here, it has gone from bad to worse. When it first reopened I gave it a good review, because I had a good experience, but on the first of the 3 occasions of which I speak, my wife wanted a sandwich for lunch, but they had run out of bread, (anyone think of nipping down the road to Tesco)? On the second occasion, we were the only ones in there and were clearly in the way. Our sandwiches were not delivered with grace and then the chef and the barman proceeded outside to smoke, right outside our window. We ventured in today because I read a review on Google which said they had a new chef. We arrived at 12-30 and I ordered a glass of dry white wine for my wife, only to be informed by whom I presume was the manager, that they had completely run out of all wine! This is just incompetence of the highest order. Again, what's wrong with going to Tesco in the morning and buying a case of wine to keep you going until the delivery arrives? We just turned around and left. Didn't fancy being in there anyway, it was cold and again we would have been the only ones in there. We will not be going here again. It is destined to failure with such utter incompetence.

Terrible we went in open we where the 1st customers of the day and I don't think we where wanted my partner ordered a pint I would have like a cup of coffee waited and waited and waited when after asking if the coffee was on it way it came so strong as there has just dumped in the cup filter coffee granules as they slipped the water in I didn't have the coffe and we didn't stop to have a meal. Won't be going there again and will not recommend this place run by a bunch of youngsters that's not trained in any aspect of hospitality. Don't want to rate this place but I can't submit until I do.

My wife and I live locally in Cove but work away a lot. We often arrive home late and just feel like popping down to our local for a meal and a drink. We were so pleased when the Exeter Inn opened again. However, we have now dropped down to the Exeter Inn during a weekday evening on THREE occasions in the last four months to find it closed.

My wife and I visited for a meal on a Friday evening. The pub is very nicely presented, with numerous rooms, though we chose to eat in the bar as the restaurant was empty. There were still several tables with customers eating in the bar. Alex, who has apparently rescued this delightful pub from ruin after a forced closure, was very welcoming and helpful.

This is our local and we were pleased that it had re-opened a little while back after its long closure. We had got out of the habit of going so when family were coming it was our first choice for a meal out. We were looking forward to taking them to the cosy friendly local with beer served from casks behind the bar, comfy armchairs and settee by the fire and excellent menu including a plethora of specials on the blackboard.

The Exeter Inn has recently taken on new owners and we decided to pay the Inn a visit with friends. We received a very friendly welcome but after several minutes of table conversation we had to ask if the loud music could be softened as we were finding it difficult to talk,. this was done but only slightly. The food arrived and my curry was excellent but my wife and friends complained after leaving the Inn that the food was not hot and cold before they could finish. I would normally send food back for this reason but they decided not to complain. So overall our visit was not great but we will probably give it another try sometime.

Would strongly advise you to think twice about visiting this establishment. We visited tonight with our neighbors for a meal and drink to start the weekend. We rang ahead and was advised that a table would be available for a 7:45 arrival. We had a drink in the bar and moved to our table. Menu sounded great and we all happily ordered - 2 belly pork and dauphinoise potatoes, 1 beef wellington and 1 sea bass. We then ordered wine to go with dinner. Dinner took approximately 40 minutes to arrive. The food on all 4 plates was luke warm. The dauphinoise looked like potatoes with cream poured over and did not appear to have been cooked together. The beef wellington was a piece of beef that measured 1 inch x 2 inch with a 1 inch square piece of puff pastry on top. The beef was grey and tough, not edible. The gravy sat solid on top of the belly pork and did not run off even when the pork was cut. This is possibly the worse meal I have been served in a very long time. We laughed about it and tried to make light of the situation. When the manager walked past my husband advised him of all of the above and how unhappy we were with the quality of the meal. The manager said yes sorry about that it isn't our regular chef tonight so it's not like our normal food. Another member of staff then asked us if we enjoyed it. We advised him of the key aspects. We then asked for the bill to which the manager said yes. Approximately 20 minutes later we still had not received it and some members of the party were seriously considering leaving without paying. We asked again and the manager then said he must not have heard us. With mains averaging at £17 per head this was a really disappointing night out in what could have been an addition to our local repertoire.

We visit early evening on a week day and it was quiet. The menu was typical pub grub style but there was plenty of choice.

We (three of us) ate here on a Saturday evening and due to the mixed reviews were not sure what to expect. The menu is well thought out and tempting but some items seem very expensive, others more reasonable. It is a bit inconsistent. Our choices (fish and chips, lamb and mint pie, braised pork belly) were all good, rather than memorable. The pub was quiet which meant it was easy to chat and overall it was an enjoyable experience. The staff were friendly and helpful and although there was a long wait for our food, it was worth waiting for and freshly cooked.

My Wife & I ate here two nights running. Sea Bass one night and deliciously fish and chips the second....

Friendly bar staff create a warm atmosphere to this pub, which has previously been a place I wouldn't have considered frequenting due to the fact that the previous owner wasn't very welcoming and the food wasn't very appetizing. Although it retains its old character/charm, it has been newly decorated with nice tables and chairs added. We called in for a drink a week ago and after perusing the menu decided to come back to eat. I'm pleased we did, my husband had steak which he thoroughly enjoyed and I had a beef burger, cooked exactly how I like it (quite pink in the middle - well done on the outside). Once again the young lady behind the bar was smiling, friendly and helpful. My husband was impressed with the beer which he said was ''kept'' extremely well and the wine I drank was good quality. I would definitely recommend this Pub for either drinking or meals. I won't hesitate to return for another meal.

A good position, easy to see by the junction and plenty of parking. There was a warm welcome from the new owners (they told us, hoping we'd understand any problems!) and our sandwiches were well prepared and nicely served, all at a reasonable price.

My grandmother took me and my partner here today for a treat after travelling from plymouth to take her home, We were greeted by bar staff that weren't very experienced and frankly didn't know that they were doing/saying in regards to the meals. We ordered our food and patiently waited at our table outside, 10mins or so later another waitress came out and said I'm so sorry we have no more gammon steaks, that was fine I had chosen something else any way. Our meals came out well presented until we had started eating, the curly Kale was raw and cold, my grandmothers beef was so awful, she couldn't cut it with a knife let alone chew it. The waitress came out again, we asked for some crackling, off she went to get some for us and came back with spuds! "I'm sorry we don't have crackling are roast potatoes ok"? Grandmother couldn't finisher her meal so she headed off to see the staff inside to witch the bar maid said "I'm sorry but unfortunately the chef is on his last legs of working here and this is the final straw" We asked what deserts there were to have (hoping that they would be better than the main course) we were told what was on the menu, we chose what we wanted and returned to our table again, another waitress came out and said she was sorry but what we ordered wasn't available and offered us deserts that weren't even on the menu, she said "if I was you I'd go somewhere else" then left us gobsmacked! We then thought we would leave and go and pay, to witch we were greeted by three bar staff/waiters, my grandmother got asked not to shout in the establishment (she wasn't) she expressed her concerns regarding the Service we had received along with the poor quality of food, the gentleman behind the bar soon asked us to leave without payment, he said that my grandmother was aggressive (bare in mind she's in her late 70's).All in all our experience today was awful and I'd advise others to choose carefully when eating out, we shall not be going back here ever again.

We'd stopped at The Exeter Inn as it was right on the main road and had a good sized carpark for our car and trailer. There was a warm welcome from the barman who we later found out had recently taken on running the pub. We found a good choice on the menu and several veggie options. Both the cod and chips and the spicy beanburger were excellent. The chips were to die for! We wish the new manager all the best in his new venture and recommend The Exeter Inn to everyone.

We visited for a family dinner, great food really good service. We hade the steak which was cooked to perfection. new owners are really helpful and friendly could not do enough for you. Good choice of drinks. We will return and highly recommend

We went for sunday lunch dissapointed they had no lemonade and the lunch was nothing special although nice and hot far too muchWe will not go back

Three of us visited for lunch today: each having a different main meal. Pate and Melba toast starter was unseasoned with the "homemade" chutney not really tasting of anything. All the main meals were tepid when they were served. Sausages that were apparently locally sourced tasted like your average Morrisons pork sausage. Not at all like the locally sourced sausages we're used to here in Devon! And the worst example of onion gravy we've ever experienced. The chickpea & halloumi fritters were delicious, but would have tasted better hot. The dish would have been improved if it had been served with peas rather than salad as the warm tomato & basil sauce didn't go with it too well. The third meal was inedible. The chicken was pink in the middle, and was not Cajun, as per the menu. The burger was still cold. The advertised "chunky" chips were certainly not that, and the peas must still be growing, as they were certainly not on the plate. When we complained initially that the food was not warm enough, my husband was offered one free drink. When we came to pay and I commented that we would pay, but were not happy to be paying for the Beast Burger, a man - presumably the manager/owner said "I can assure you that every meal is temperature tested before leaving the kitchen and would not come out raw or cold". Surprised by his aggressive attitude, I asked him to look at the meal we had left, and he disappeared into the kitchen with it. We paid and left, telling the very polite barman how disappointed we were and that we would not be returning. The other man(Manager/Owner) then followed us into the car park and agreed that we were right the food was raw and cold. He said if we went back into the bar they would refund the cost of the burger meal, but we just wanted to get away from the place. Customer service is definitely bottom of the list here, with the food not being much better.

Enjoyed an excellent meal here with my husband and 4 friends on Friday evening.The staff are welcoming and friendly, they were also very accommodating when we asked if we could tweak the starter menu slightly.The menu is varied and we thought very good value for money. Between us we ordered a varied range of starters, mains and desserts all of which were of a high standard and very tasty.Definitely some of the nicest food we've sampled recently in the area, it far exceeded our expectations.We're all keen to return in the near future and will also be recommending.

Highly recommended, delicious home made soup and friendly warm welcome. Service was prompt and helpings generous. We turned up on a Sunday and were pleased to find there was plenty of choice, including vegetarian options. A pleasant change from the all-too-frequent compulsory carvery served on Sundays in lots of places. And the Inn is open every day, even Mondays, when many restaurants/cafes are shut. We are local and this was our first visit, but we will definitely be back.

Decided to take a friend here who had traveled down from North Devon as has heard it had changed owners and was very good! I was quite frankly embarrassed by the experience and won't be going again. Yes it has been nicely refurbished and is light and clean, the staff are also friendly. The beer was good so thumbs up for this although as a pub you have to drive to it will never be a drinkers pub really, surely it needs to rely on good food and reputation and sadly this is where it fell very short indeed! The menu can only be described as extremely limited and bland, literally the choice of fish and chips, ham,egg and chips (except they had run out of ham) or hommity pie and chips or sandwiches (there may have been one or two other options).This really was a disappointing menu indeed and we could have had this at home, in a cafe or a take away really. My friend had the Hommity pie which was dry, heavy pastry and not a lot of filling, I had the fish and chips which in fairness was okay but not something I would normally go to a restaurant/ pub for. I really wish there was a more extensive menu perhaps with local produce, steak, burgers, fish dishes etc and also some homemade desserts perhaps? If this place is going to survive and attract sustainable custom it needs to improve its menu rapidly.

I have been a local here 'on and off' for the past 24 year and have seen it change hands a few times. No one has quite 'cracked the code' of how to make it successful. It opened again recently under new ownership and today I took the family for lunch. The refurbishment is excellent and creates a lovely ambience. I had a pint of Exmoor Gold and it was lovely, my wife also commented that her dry white wine didn't taste like the vinegar you are served in some pubs. For lunch, my son ordered Cod and chips, I sampled the ham egg and chips and my wife had a ham sandwich and there were no complaints, the food was excellent! The young barman who served us was enthusiastic and helpful without being intrusive. I think my Sunday afternoon hike on Exmoor has found an old, but a new watering hole at the end of it. Superb job, we really enjoyed ourselves.

We were holidaying in the area after a six year gap and decided to re-visit the Exeter Inn as it was excellent when we were here before.A light lunch on a Saturday was absolutely brilliant, exquisitely made and delicious. The landlord is very enthusiastic about his beers and keeps them extremely well.We returned the next day for Sunday lunch. We knew it wasn't a carvery, so expectations were high. The roast lamb was a huge portion and the accompaniments generous, but sadly it wasn't a fantastic meal for the money. I chose the sea bass, and it was very tasty and nicely presented, but a very small meal. There was nothing to complain about the meals as such but Sunday main courses are £13.50, probably on a par for this area. However, the whole experience sadly fell below our expectations. Not to be outdone, we returned on the Wednesday for a meal, only to be told there was no food on Wednesdays.Really? The outside chalkboard in the picture shows food is served every day.Sorry, but our experience this time will not tempt us to return, and we shall in future be holidaying in this area every summer.

The Exeter Inn had he recommended to us so we decided to see what the fuss was about. The member of staff that served us, bent of the bench to serve the food, even though he could have actually walked around to the table instead of being lazy which I believe was unprofessional. The bar man had said there was a change in chefs, but I did not think the food that came out of the kitchen was made by a chef, it was lousy and could have been made by a four year old. I'll will defiantly not be recommending this to anyone for lunch.

This place is now re-opened and what a change! Great refurb , yummy Sunday lunch- especially the sea bass and Guinness cake! :) Delicious and fresh. Great atmosphere with awesome music - finally a gastro pub that plays great music while you eat ! Definitely recommend and we'll be back for sure!

Popped in here for lunch on the way back from a weekend away just had roast beef sandwich and mackerel sandwich with cheesy chips lovely roast beef good luck in your new venture

We called in at the Exeter Inn yesterday, 25th May, when we noticed it had reopened five weeks earlier having been closed for 18 months and were warmly welcomed by the young couple who are keen to take this Inn forward. The food was excellent, plentiful and well presented. There is ample room to cater for all so my advice is do call in when when next in the area and spoil yourself.

Popped in for Sunday lunch, roast beef was cooked perfectly, roast spuds were ok, good variety of seasonal veg, tasty gravy (though I prefer thick gravy and this was a tad watery). Friendly staff, and great welcome from Colin the pub dog.Good luck to the new team here, we'll be back :)

Popped in to see newly reopened inn -really sympathetic update with sympathetic yet a modern twist. We were heartily welcomed and immediately felt comfortable in these surroundings. The menu is not vast yet it is varied enough to suit most tastes and we both really enjoyed our meals. Great service and homely atmosphere.

Popped in today to check out this newly opened Inn . It was delightful refurbished very well.My Husband and I were greeted exceptionally well by a young gentleman who gave us an overview of the Newly opened inn.The menu was very responsible priced with a good choice.Hubby expressed that they keep a good beer.Will be going out again for sure.Well done all

The Exeter Inn has newly re-opened . It has been fully redecorated, refurnished and is now run by an enthusiastic young team who have in place an excellent chef. The lunchtime menu offered a good range of 'restaurant' choices: the rump steak melted in the mouth. There is a large dining room and a number of smaller bar areas in this traditional Devon inn. Plenty of parking and very convenient if you are looking for somewhere to stop off.

As a local, really pleased this pub is up and running again and being managed by a team of people with the right attitude.Only open since Easter but give it a go. Have enjoyed a Sunday roast - excellent and yummy gravy, hot plates! Great chef. Staff attentive - friendly service.Manager and staff really trying to please and providing a friendly, relaxed environment. Happy days!

Ein Pub, wie er schon vor Jahrhunderten existiert hat. Ein tolles, jahrhunderte Altes Gebäude, eine urige Einrichtung, sehr freundliches Personal und leckeres Essen - ebenso wie leckeres Ale.

Such a shame as this pub used to be good. Must have changed hands since our last visit. Staff were unfriendly, restaurant was grubby and food greasy. Will not be re visiting !

A nice, cosy pub. Friendly, helpful, youthful staff.We had the Sunday roast - not a good experience. Tasteless meat, overcooked vegetables, all swamped in pub gravy. A shame, but we will not be back.

New Year's Eve closed.New Year's Day closed.It is so disappointing that such a lovely pub is closed up again. It seems as if there is a complete lack of interest in local custom.The Quarryman's in Bampton is still closed but the beer and food at the Swan is excellent, the White Horse is open again and the pub at Staple Cross is as lovely as ever so make plans accordingly.

We have eaten here before on quite a few occasions. It has changed hands this year and still provides good food and beer. But the toilets are not wheelchair accessible - I seem to remember a year or two back they were but have been "modernised". I am surprised it is allowed not to have accessible toilets! So I don't think we can come back. We met friends there for lunch - I had a very nice beef pie with slightly soggy chips and good veggies, our friends had lasagne which went down very well and turkey with bubble and squeak which was nice but the potato was a little under cooked apparently. We could not manage pudding as the portions were generous. Staff were friendly and it was clean and warm on a wet day.

Our group of five visited on a Monday evening but restaurant still busy. We were given a table in the bar and all went well until a very noisy group came in for drinks. Unfortunately their loud voices echoed around the room to the extent that we could not hear each other. The food was excellent. I would recommend the pate and slow cooked duck leg. Both delicious. We didn't stay for dessert but hope to return on a quieter evening!

Poor Sunday roast served as a evening meal. Lovely hosts and surroundings. My roast was served on a cold plate! Portions were tiny and certainly not worth the money I paid. I can not see the local folk coming here during Winter to eat.

Finally popped in today after a few times of just passing by and admiring the exterior with its fabulous willow sculpted sign and animals. We went in and the interior and welcome was even better a proper traditional pub with a warm friendly welcome. Had a few drinks in the beer garden out front in the sun then ordered some food, not expecting anything special just good ol fashioned pub grub but what we got was of a much better standard and so reasonably priced. I have eaten in some top restaurants and this could give them a run for their money! All the veg was so fresh and the meat top quality.Fantastic service, friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend to anyone! Looking forward to our next visit already, Thank you :D

We visited the Exeter inn on our way to bampton for lunch and the owner and staff are really welcoming and dog friendly .The beers were straight from a cask so no gas which was great and the ex moor gold was nice.On our second visit we had lunch which was really good and well presented. I think the people are new here but they are really trying so it deserves support.

A comprehensive dinner menu comprising of many favourites, all freshly prepared. The Beef Wellington was superb and at £16.95, very well priced. This restaurant is a must if you are visiting the area and I would advise booking to avoid disappointment.

Food is above average as is the service and the prices are good. A solid customer experience. Dog friendly too!

Staying overnight in the area our B&B host suggested this pub as a good place to eat. The menu was not completely typical pub style but quite varied with reasonable prices. The food was tasty and hot, the staff friendly & polite.We would happily recommend this, based on our single visit. Unfortunately we live too far away to make use of it again.

I have been going to the Exeter Inn for 15 years , Never again. Sat at the bar and ordered some chips , it was 8.45 pm, I only wanted a snack, the chips were vile . They seemed to have been blanched, then fried , but there was still a raw bite to them. Asked for some salt & vinegar, twice, STILL never arrived and no cutlery or napkins were offered . All the staff were stood behind the bar , having their own conversations, as soon as one asked for something they were like rabbits in head lights , none of them new what to do .Such a shame that people think they can come in and run a pub then make such terrible mistakes,I sat watching other guests at their tables , wrong food was being served to the wrong customers.That happened three times in the hour and a half I was in the establishment.However we are fortunate enough to have very decent establishments very close us, and worrying for the management team of the Exeter Inn , very close to themselves too.Train your staff, get rid of some too , or loose more customers.

Having been a regular of the Exeter Inn for many years this is now the last time that we will be visiting there. Having changed hands again recently, the time has now passed to put our awful experience down to "settling in" or 'Getting the hang of things". We have tried the pub 3 times since the new owners and only one of those times was bearable. God knows why we have tried again! The food on the first time was inedible- being that we had only ordered whitebait to share as a starter- this is pretty hard to get wrong. Yet somehow they felt it was acceptable to serve it so burnt it was black and all stuck together. Being our first experience was so bad I'm not sure why we went back but being a local and long time supporter of the Exeter Inn we didn't want to "abandon ship" completely! The second time we all ordered steak and this came out fine. Hence why we came back a third time. What I haven't mentioned before Is that they will not allow you a tab when you arrive and order drinks even though you ask for menus and say you are eating! You have to pay as you go! We only wanted 2 drinks but this has to be paid for by card, not put on a tab. From our previous experience with the food I was also not happy with paying for the food before eating!! Especially if it was all going to come out black and burnt!The staff are not very helpful they look as clueless as they act, there were so many staff standing behind the bar doing nothing - yet getting served took an age! When finally WE ASKED to be served the girl behind the bar said she couldn't help as she wasn't 18. So yet again had to wait for someone older to serve us. The third (and now final) time that we went in one of the pints of beer that we ordered was off and They made us feel so unwelcome that we finished our drinks and went into Tiverton for an Indian! Didn't even stay for food as we had planned. We have now abonded ship and won't be going back. This is a real shame as its a lovely pub to go to.

We were actually lost when we called into this pub on the road into Bampton! We decided to sit outside and have a glass of beer and some lunch before trying to find out exactly where we were? It is a Camra pub and they had a good choice of well kept real ales and have Guest Beers as well from time to time. It is a typical country pub with low ceilings wood burning stoves and a really warm welcome. Having changed hands recently I think they were still sorting things out a bit? We ordered. A Ploughmans mixed platter of meats and cheeses and it was very good. I was not so pleased with the Chicken Liver Pate from the starters menu however. It was served in a separate pot with a tasty onion chutney but was very cold, straight from the fridge, which took away most of the flavour. Alongside this were 2 slices of ready buttered toast which in no time at all was cold and soggy! Not a very good presentation either. But what you could not fault was there helpfulness. They even printed off a Google map for us to try and help our situation and get us on the right road? This area is outstandingly beautiful, lush green fields and rolling hills and of course it was a sunny day and we enjoyed the tables which were outside the frontage. They were busy setting up a Hog Roast for the evening which promised to be very good. They have 10 ensuite Bedrooms and can cater for large parties. You cannot miss this Pub, right on the roundabout , lots of parking and a Willow Stag standing on the grass verge. I wish them well.

The food was amazing, service was prompt it was a family meeting of 15 of us. I would recommend the Exeter Inn. What a wonderful time we had.

We visited the Exeter Inn having read a selection good reviews on trip advisor. To say we were rather disappointed is an understatement! On arrival we met with two disgruntled guests how had left their food... Worrying! We sat down and were given three menus to share between eight of us. Having ordered we then waited TWO HOURS for our food. Half way through the time the waiter bought out a plate of fish and chips. We cheered (thinking the food was ready) but quickly realised nobody had ordered it. He took it away and did not return with food for another hour. There were only three occupied tables in the pub so we could not work out why. This was not explained to us so one of the party went to ask. We were told that they were having issues with the fryer... As we were about to leave we were offered a round of free drinks and our meal half price which is something. Unfortunately the food was not worth the wait. The chips were raw and things were burnt and rather unpleasant. They then tried to clear the table as people were still eating. One of the party had to stop the waiter from taking her plate twice as she had not finished! I'm hoping they were just having an off day because the other reviews read well but I don't think we will be visiting again. We were staring to think we were being set up for some strange TV show! Very weird experience!!!

We were a group of about 15 and were looked after beautifully. There is a good varied menu and everyone was happy with their meal - very good value, and better than expected going on price alone.

Stayed at Bampton the Exeter Inn was a few yards away so that was good. Had 2 great meals in there. Plentiful and good value. Puds were nice to. Caters for adults and children. We will return thank you Diane and Paul