Old Firehouse in Exeter

Great bar bouncers are horrible

This is in a lovely old building with a lot of character. They have a lunch and dinner menus served at particular times and serve pizza all day. The pizzas are huge so definitely for sharing and delicious. The only thing that let it down was it took 40 minutes to come to us and they didn't bother to tell us there would be a significant wait until we chased.

Fairly nice oven style shop-bought vibe pizza, however not at all worth waiting one hour for. Many many many better pizza and food spots in Exeter where you also don’t have to pay astronomical pint prices. Pretty cool interior though.

It could be lovely place, I went there with a friend and ordered a pizza (which it was decent) but the lady was being a bit weird (seemed angry that she was taking my order at the bar). I was waiting for a long time when everyone was receiving their order so I went back to ask after 45-50 minutes. A curvy shorter red hair woman started shouting at one of her colleagues…as they missed my order … then I went back as they didn’t bring a knife and fork, the red lady was shouting at the blonde girl again …saying she was supposed to bring us the cutlery. Her eyes rolled and gave me the Karen itch. Why do rude people work in this kind of environment? She seemed to hate everyone. Belluno is far better place for pizza…it is a bit far away, but they have great service, atmosphere and food.

My girlfriend and I have been going here about once a month recently as the pizza is nice and it's fairly priced. Last night they got my order wrong which I'd totally fine, I asked to replace it and at the bat they said yes. I offered to send back the wrong pizza and they said they couldn't take it back. Somebody then came upstairs and said it works be a 45 minute wait for a new pizza. In that time I was quite hungry so ate some of the pizza they said they didn't want back. My girlfriend didn't have any of it. The next time I spoke to the staff an hour later they said that I had to order again because they thought I was going to have this pizza instead. I asked to talk to the manager about this, who is one of the most miserable people you will ever meet and she refused to bring out the pizza I initially ordered unless I paid again with a 20% discount applied. She claimed that I had infact ordered the pizza which was the wrong pizza, and for some reason in her mind the receipt was proof of me ordering it despite the fact that the same person who misheard me in the loud and noisy bar also processed said receipt. Such a shame as apart from that manager who always seems to be in a peculiar mood I really liked coming here.

Brilliant pizzas and overall great vibe later on as a pub, but would give the roast a miss. Small portion and the chicken was dry, not worth the nearly £20!

Great pizzas, the place to go for a late drink.

perfect service from Arby couldnt have asked for more, thank you

Lovely rustic eatery/pub with amazing pizza!

1st visit to this great pub. Extremely busy which is always a good sign. Nice outdoor seating area. Guinness is very smooth as was their hand pulled Ale. Try one of their square pizzas. Terrific and very tasty. Huge portion for 2 people, better shared with 3. We'll definitely be back.

This is definitely one of my favourite places to come on the weekend. Staff are always very friendly, the atmosphere is great and most of all the beer taste amazing.

We had a pizza, it was soggy in the middle, very salty and a lot really thick base. We were really hungry, but left over half. We tried to catch a member of staff, but they seemed so busy, we just left. On an aside, they only offered 1 kind of bitter, but a variety of lagers etc

L’ambiente è confortevole, il personale è molto gentile, il sunday roast è ottimo e le porzioni sono abbondanti. Must try se siete di passaggio ad Exeter

Pizza is phenomenal!!!! Nachos are so nice!! And good value!! Good beer options but maybe a little spenny. Overall FAB

Nowhere to sit yet balcony closed due to 20% possibility of rain later in the evening - management should apply common sense to risk control measures to maximise use of available space.

It's absolutely worth a visit if you like farts. There is also a large cider selection. We had a pizza (14 inch), and fish & chips. Both were extremely good. The staff is very nice. We would definitely come here again. It is centrally located, in a side street of the high street (shopping mile).

The only food here for ordering was pizza and it was tasty. I hope more food options will be available.

Great place for drinks, food and atmosphere. Please sort the Wi-Fi which never seems to work well

Even better than I remembered! Both my partner and I went to uni in exeter (before we met). We both remembered the legendary square pizzas fondly. We decided to revisit, and we weren't disappointed! The pizzas are so so good, staff were amazing and super friendly. Well worth the trip.

Great atmosphere and pizza. Definitely consider sharing one as they are huge. Good selection of drinks too.

Dog friendly, tasty pizza. Visited Exeter to break up the journey from London, used to come to the Old Firehouse frequently but a number of years ago and so wanted to try it out again. In terms of places to eat in Exeter, this is our favourite. Parked in the Howell Road car park which was an easy short walk to the pub (c£4.50 for 3 hours). We shared the Cajun chicken pizza, plenty for two for lunch. The staff were friendly and the pizza was hot, fresh and tasty. It was a warm day and the downstairs doors were fully open which meant we could have a cool indoor shady table, perfect for our dog who slept on the cold floor! Finished the pit stop with a stroll to the Cathedral and back via the shops. Nice to see new shops appearing and the high street buzzing. Would recommend!

I used to be a regular in the Old Firehouse in the 80’s and am so happy that it’s still going and not lost any of its charm! Visited tonight for the first time in ages and was not disappointed. A colleague leaving work called for some drinks and a pizza and wow did the Old Firehouse deliver! Beautiful and freshly baked quality food with amazing toppings, quality, quantity and value - really delicious and can’t recommend highly enough! Caters for groups, does a fabulous Sunday roast and also hosts regular music nights. This place is a hidden gem in the middle of Exeter and always has been - treat yourself and pop in, you won’t regret it!

Great pizza's to share, wonderful atmosphere

What a cracking old pub, real ale, loads of real ciders to try, massive pizzas (don’t order one each they are made to share) nice courtyard to sit in and friendly helpful staff. If you’re looking for a pub in Exeter try this place you won’t be disappointed! Ho and it’s pet friendly.

Decent large pub but ran out of cask ale on a Friday night!

Met some friends at this bar, never been in before. Lovely old place with loads of charm Food offering was limited to pizzas and nibbles Ordered a pizza Just excellent £20 but could feed 4 on it! Very good quality and tasty too. Well done

The best pub in the whole world. I’ve been to many a pub in my time but none equate to my absolute love of firehouse. When I step foot back here it feels like coming home, and I never don’t come when I’m in Exeter. You can come here for such a variety of different occasions, for a chilled one with mates, for a sexy date, a big pizza, a bit of live music or for a bit of a mad one on the weekend. Me and my best mate love it so much we even have little flame tattoos party dedicated to this wonderful place. I love you firehouse, one of the only decent pubs in Exeter really I’d say, and definitely my favourite.

Lucy what a gem! Impeccable service 👍

Lucy was very kind and helpful. The rest of the staff was also amazing! Loved the Juvel.

One of the best pubs in the country. I loved it 14 years ago, and it's still great. Pizzas are reliably fantastic, and the cider selection is pretty decent. Could do with a few pumps, but apart from that it's perfect.

The most beautiful pub in exeter. A little bit more expensive, but especially late in the night it's lovely.

Came here with two omnivores and myself (vegan) for Saturday dinner - it’s a very popular pub with a wide craft beer selection and big portions. It doesn’t allow reservations, except for Sunday roast, which means that it can be hard to get a seat due to popularity. You seat yourself and order at the bar. We waited about 20mins for a table - we ended up upstairs on one of their long buffet tables which we shared with another couple - it was heaving. They offer a selection of vegetarian pizzas that can be made vegan as well as a build your own. Pizzas have gone up in price since people’s last review. They charge £3 for vegan cheese which feels extortionate. A margarita pizza cost me £17 as a result. On the plus side, the pizzas are designed for sharing and not singletons - they serve two! So if you do have a friend with you or a fridge to store it in afterwards that’s perfect. The pizza itself was really nice and served uniquely in a square tin. It was quite garlicky which is the only thing I would change - and I’m usually a one garlic clove per person type gal. My main critique is that the tables are not made for children or short people (I am 5”1). On the second floor tables, once food arrived, I was eating from neck level which was really uncomfortable. My average height friends were eating at about chest level - so it was slightly high for them too.

Great boozer! Set in a nice courtyard. Massive square pizza was a hit! Fab price to boot.

The staff is so friendly serve you well and the food is lovely the best

10/10 I met my beautiful girlfriend there

Friendly staff , great service, and good food

I came here with my partner after she was recommended it by someone. My partner and I were very impressed as the venue was clean, the toilets were too. As my partner and I didn’t know what to expect we were served by a man behind the bar who was New Zealand and with me having family in New Zealand we had a few words, and he was very friendly too. We had pizza for our food and whilst our first choice was not available what we did have was good food, it was warm, well presented, and tasty. A word to the wise for future guests this place only takes credit/debit cards, and you might need to book before arriving given we both could see the place getting busier as we ate our food and drank our drinks. It is very popular with students from either the university or college. As my partner and I do not live or work locally we won’t be back soon, but we have said next time we visit the area we will call in again. Keep up the good work and thank you

Nice place for food and a drink …. No table service, you order at the bar then food comes to your table number. Really busy place with a good vibe, good food and good beer. Overall good experience. 🍕🍕

Love this place. Staff were fun and friendly. The food was great. We will definitely make this our local while we are staying in the area.

The pub is fine, but again, I find it disappointing that no real Ale was available, so one pubt and away.

Love this place! Amazing sharing pizza, cosy warm atmosphere and good vibes definitely recommend if visiting or live near Exeter!

They didn’t respect for disabled. They don’t care disabled in pub and also too much people why disabled won’t in people ignore for wheelchair.

Love visiting The Old Firehouse when in Exeter, this is a brilliant little gem!

Quite student-y but great vibe with excellent beer and cider selection. The Pizza's are massive!!

This place is brilliant. I don't know where you will find a better pizza, a better value pizza, a tastier pizza. The pizzas are 14" square, more than enough for 2 people. Decent price at around £20 and loaded with toppings. We shared a Cajun Chicken Pizza which was so tasty and stacked with Cajun Chicken, Pepperoni, ham and cheese. Absolute first class, with lovely staff and great service. Can't fault them.

One of the most cosy and down-to-earth pubs in Exeter. Popular with students (I'm not a student) but accessible and cosy for all. Have been coming to Firehouse on and off for over 10 years now, and it has always been one of my favourites in Exeter.

Great pizza, best alot of us had eaten. The pizzas are huge, atmosphere is great and they have lots of seating upstairs but it was very busy as food is so great. We went on a Saturday around half 6 an managed to get a table for 6.

Lovely building and good atmosphere. Attracts a younger crowd.

Delicious pizza in a really great, vibrant atmosphere. Cute and cosy vibes (fairy lights, candle lit tables). Options to sit outside too. Both food and drinks were very reasonably priced, especially considering how large the portions are! Staff were friendly and knowledgable when asking for drinks recommendations. Fantastic variety of drinks options including over 20 ciders. Very accommodating of special food requests and vegan diet - lots of options! We went on Easter Sunday and enjoyed an unexpected Easter egg hunt around the venue which was great fun! Staff seem committed to customer satisfaction. Pizzas are very large but taking home leftovers is accommodated.

xcellent pizzas. good sized so come prepared.

Swung by here in a night out for a beer and stayed for three! A great pub.

Freezing! Pitched up @12.15 on a Friday lunchtime. Superb choice of beer, cider and wine. But whilst there was an attractive lunchtime menu of typical pub staples, the pub was so cold, I chose to finish my beer and seek a warmer establishment for food.

Rammed all evening - National Pizza Day Fourteen of us came down just before dusk today and discovered it was absolutely packed, mostly with students who seemed to be there because it was Pizza Day and huge pizzas were being sold for £5. Tricky to get tables at all, let alone for a big group of us. Slightly irritating because most students seemed to be asking just or mostly for glasses of water and as the evening went on many were asking for huge pieces of foil with which to wrap and take the great uneaten pieces of pizza away. BUT the whole place was buzzing with fun and good temper. The staff were friendly and managed affably to keep things in check. Don’t know whether these pizza events are just annual and whether there are other jolly ploys but we would certainly recommend the pub. This review comes a few weeks late because previously I mistakenly uploaded it to the Old Fire Station In Warminster.

Fantastic vibe and cracking beers

Awesome staff!! A veggie sunday roast that was simply sooo dang tasty. Thank you for looking after me ❤️ booking is a must

This venue is like a wonderland, the staff are lovely and jolly. I remember having an awesome hog roast pizza. The atmosphere is full of thills.

Quite liked it, even though I was probably the oldest person there! Good but not extensive beer selection. Good place to go if you like cider though (I'm a bit meh about it) as they had quite a few to choose from. Didn't have the food, so can't rate it.

Horrible service I do not recommend anyone goes here, the bouncers do questionable things I would not feel comfortable leaving women in my life with them. I have personal experience of leaving a vulnerable women with them, they look to take advantage of them. I was personally there recently where they kicked me out but tried to keep my girlfriend in their away from me. I have reported them to the Devon police and hope their licences are taken away. The owners of this establishment need to think about the repercussions of their employees poor performance and lack of judgment. It’s a real shame that a restaurant with food as good as this had staff that try to exploit vulnerable customers, do not go here the security staff are not safe to be around.

Very disappointing Sunday lunch.we had to ask for the table to be cleaned, even then it still had the pervious persons sauce on it.The food took ages to arrive and when it did it was warm,thankfully the smal jug of gravy was hot . The carrots were so hard we couldn't cut some of them.

The square pizzas here are a must with a side of nachos too....delicious😁👍

Was slightly disappointed at first glance, but it's a really nice place. Liked my ale direct from the keg - and then noticed the 10, I think, draught cider kegs. Food was very good and staff very friendly. Would be happy to go back next time I'm in Exeter

Fabulous pizza with my future husband and one of my work friends 🧡

Excellent beer and amazing pizza

Nice bar, on the pricier side for Exeter. Late opening Sundays

Top pub, fantastic beers and very friendly knowledgeable staff. Would never go anywhere else in Exeter.

Dropped in here whilst discovering Exeter, just for drinks - very friendly and welcoming place, nice relaxed feel. The pizzas which came out to people around us looked amazing, we’ll definitely be back to try them when next there

Proper boozer with amazing freshly made Pizzas. Often good live music. Late night drinking too..love this place.

I used to frequently visit, sadly my last visit was beyond disappointing with unhelpful staff who don’t understand what customer service is. I was served a flat pint of Devon Red cider and when I complained to staff I was met with an argumentative attitude with no recognition of my complaint. I have drunk enough pints of cider to know what a flat pint is, and at the least I would have expected an offer of an alternative drink. Instead they offered to top up my pint ( a mouthful) but wanted to charge me for half a pint!! Rubbish service!

A very student-esque environment where you aren't limited to just sitting within your friends group, everyone's welcoming and you can talk to everyone. The pizza is a must have (deffo a sharer) and goes well with there Devon red cider!

Very cute place for a lunch date with a group - Sunday roasts are delicious

The food and the atmosphere was amazing! We ordered a pizza with no pork, but it came out with pepperoni, so our server was nice enough to redo this pizza asap and had refunded the amount paid for the inconvenience - when the pizza came out, it was delicious! I can’t thank the staff and the chefs enough for accommodating our dietary needs and ensuring we leave happy. If you’re in Exeter, this is the place not to miss out on!!

Very cold inside name doesn't reflect the venue

We came here for a leaving drinks party and liked the pizza. We came back today for Sunday roast. Perfect. The food was hot, there deliciously cooked vegetables and pigs in blankets. Cannot fault, looking to come back before Christmas. thank you.

Good place to grab a craft beer! 🍺🍻

We had The BBQ spicy pizza. The guys there were very friendly and helpful. I told them that one of us didn't eat cheese and they offered to put cheese only on half of it. Also, the ambiance was amazing, it made me feel so warm and cozy.

Great place with cosy atmosphere. It may be a lesser known fact that they do Roasts on Sundays but I can contend that they are fantastic!

One of the best Pizzas I ever had and they have a nice variety of beer!!!

Great bar full of history. Great lagers, No real ale but a wall of speciality ciders.

Lovely pub. Really enjoyed my time there

Cider drinker but only if chilled!

Very enjoyable evening, and the fact that I could order a pizza without cheese, put the icing on the cake (as it were!). Very friendly and helpful staff (espec the bearded guy who clearly explained which pizzas could be made cheese and/or dairy free). Lovely pepperoni pizza which was huge and very tasty. Thank you!

It's a student pub.... a couple of real ales but neither the Hobgoblin or the Simcoe did it for me. Bar maid totally disinterested. Pizza's were £18 to £22. !!! Good to put on your student loan....won't be going back in a hurry...ps I'm 72 !!

Arguably some of the best Pizza in the South West!! Finding a seat on a weekend can be a nightmare.

I have been here numerous times, the pizza is absolutely delicious! I highly recommend the Cajun Chicken. Service is excellent, they serve non-alcoholic drinks, and the atmosphere is wonderful. Very cozy!

Updating my rating and knocking a star off. For years has been one of my favourite pubs in Exeter, and while the building and atmosphere are still great the beer and food have gone downhill. Used to be a proper beer pub with a great selection but now there's rarely any cask on and the worst selection on keg that they've ever had. The pizzas used to be an absolute bargain but at around £20 a pizza they've nearly doubled in price in just a few years and not worth it anymore. Still worth a visit but not quite what it used to be.

yeps....excellent pizzas. good sized so come prepared. no serving plates so eat directly from the pan. all flavours are delicious so take your time to consider or come back again for more. had the Pepperoni and the Controversial.

Great atmosphere and the pizzas were just divine

I have never had a bad experience at old firehouse, except tonight! The server at the bar was so rude. He was acting like he is doing me a favor by pouring the drink I paid for. If I am spending £50 at a place, I expect the staff to be kinder!

Great atmosphere. Super-friendly staff. Good range of drinks that seemed reasonably priced. On the face of it the pizzas were expensive. But then you realise that they aren't standard sized. One pizza does two hungry people which makes it pretty good value. Good range of pizzas including vegan if that is important for you. Pizzas themselves are more American style than Italian. Thin bases and very nice toppings. I went for 4 stars rather than 5 stars as the bases were slightly oily. I guess they put oil in the bottom of the trays before adding the dough. But I am being picky...

Great atmosphere. Nice old historical pub.. not too busy during the day. Great selection of drinks. Including Devon Red! Recommend. Haven't had the delicious looking pizza as they are £17!

Only stayed for one drink whilst visiting fof the football, didnt eat but saw another person with a pizza which looked good.

Lovely place went in for a drink and the bar tender was very knowledgeable about the local products Beer and cider The out side bit was nice if not small but only because every one was out there having a nice pint

Great place,nice pizza,only downside card only,,please bring back cash

It smelt of strong garlic but was still a nice place

Fantastic pizza house. Pizzas are huge, one can feed 3 people! Super tasty, very well presented too. Staff are very welcoming. Lovely outside area to eat in. Highly recommended.

Great atmospheric place, drinks good. Choice of food declined since I last visited several years ago. Good choice of pizzas,vegans catered for. General feeling of good was hmm ok but not good enough to come back for again. Shame - used to like the place a lot .

Had a 14 in square pizza to share and loved it. Lovely rustic building.

The food was delicious and such good value for money. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Drinks were delicious. Table service was speedy and we loved that you could order from the app. An amazing atmosphere! Thank you.

Good service, reasonable prices, vegan food, big pizzas. On the negative side they won’t accept cash which in my opinion penalises the most disadvantaged people in society as well as paving the way for a government doing away with cash altogether and a consequent loss of freedom. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Fabulous food, group of 7, all delighted with different plates. Large portions