River Exe Cafe in East Devon

Beautiful location in the middle of the river Exe. The staff are so attentive and friendly that the overall experience is as delightful as you would hope. It almost goes without saying that the food is second to none, with an amazing array of high quality fresh seafood. Perfect for a special occasion or for a meal with a difference.

Always a fantastic experience when coming here for dinner/lunch!

So I guess the real question with any restaurant is would you go back / recommend? Yes on both. There really is little to say that's negative given our experience. If you don't know Exmouth and are booking to visit my only tip is try to find car parking pre turning up, it can be a bit of a struggle but that's the town and like many other coastal towns . The boat taxi is a lovely experience, it's obviously different and an excellent start and finish to the evening. At the cafe staff are immediately attentive, polite and informative. Maybe a bit strange but I'm not a fish liver , however the steak was excellent and having asked for medium rare that's exactly what I got. Ok so my ONLY critical comment, the chips are not brilliant, obviously frozen and given the cost a little disappointing. The steak was a very decent piece of meat with salad and a very flavoursome mushroom and half a tomato. Now .....my wife loves fish , she was in heaven ! she had muscles to start and Hake as her main , the choice was excellent and fish lovers heaven. We shared the cheese board to finish and came away , well fed, very pleased and happy. The place was spotless, the staff are excellent, the food is excellent, thinking about going, don't, stop thinking and just go , you will not be disappointed.

Absolutely amazing experience from the moment we boarded the boat to the moment we returned. Food was amazing, staff friendly and attentive. Already planning my next trip back 😁

Great atmosphere and service. Enjoyed ride on taxi puffin to the river boat restaurant. Food was excellent. All of us enjoyed it so returning in July 2025.

Really great place for lunch or dinner. We took the water taxi which was 8 pound return per person and we felt that the timings for the return for this were spot on, we had just enough time at the restaurant. Booking in advance is essential. Food was great with plenty gluten free options and adaptations available. Our party had the duck and fish and chips with curry sauce and everyone enjoyed everything. We also had the gluten free brownies, Eton mess and chocolate mousse and again everything was really good. Not sure you could pick a bad option off the menu tbh!

Wonderful place for lunch, food was superb, staff were so amazing and location was stunning

Fabulous experience from starting with the water taxi, being greeted by staff and seen to our table. We had starters, steak & Mains, all very well presented and delicious 😀

Stunning venue, food, drink and service. Bring a jacket though, even on a nice day it can get windy and chilly!

Our 2nd visit and we definitely will be booking more! Great location, great food and great atmosphere, what more could you ask for!! The 5 star reviews are completely deserved, and if you can get a booking (demand is high!), I utterly recommend it!!

We absolutely love the entire experience. The fish is expertly prepared no matter what you choose. The Fisherman's platter for two is great value for money and totally delicious. We book early to ensure a table. Yesterday there were 6 of us for a birthday celebration, which was perfect. The wine was divine and my espresso martini was the best I've had in years!!!! We highly recommend it and look forward to the River Exe Cafe each summer.

Fantastic lunch ! My expectations were high for this visit and they were promptly met ! We had the oysters , panko squid and scallops for starters (all fantastic). Then a generous portion of fish and chips for mains. Finally the chocolate mousse for desert , this was a surprisingly light (not sickly) end to our luncheon. The whole experience was very well done , our skipper was incredibly informative and made the journey very pleasant. My only complaint was the exclusion of crab ! In fairness to the restaurant they made its absence from the menu clear to us before our arrival but nevertheless its presence was missed ! I hope to return soon when it makes a reappearance on the menu.

Lovely sunny day on the river with great food and friendly service.

Simply epic!!! Had the fishmans platter ! Superb restaurant! Fantastic experience! Truly worth every penny! Amazing chef and friendly staff

One of the best if not the best restaurants in the south West ! Absolutely fantastic concept! A restaurant smack bang in the middle of the river exe ! From your water taxi to the greeting to the service with a smile to the gorgeous food ! The whole experience is just awesome ! If your in Devon it's a must ! But word of warning this place needs to be booked in advance because it's that popular !

A really great place, the setting is a little different to most, the staff really helpful and the food is fresh and cooked to a high standard.

Another absolutely wonderful meal. Thank you. Location amazing, staff wonderful. Cannot be beaten.

I have been here few times and never disappointed. So yummy food and whole expirience is amazing. See you soon again.

We booked a family meal for 4 for my mums birthday. The skipper for the boat was very friendly and open arrival we received a warm welcome, a happy birthday message was also left on the table for my mum which was a nice touch. The prices are a little more, but let’s remember we’re on a boat people! Expect to pay a little bit more! The food was superb, we opted for mains and desserts. The duck special was incredible, so beautifully cooked and the presentation of all the dishes was lovely. We had a great time. My only criticism is that it’s a 2hr slot, we ordered mains and it was approx 40-45mins before they arrived, once we’d finished there was a short pause and dessert menu was brought over. Our taxi was at 2.30pm desserts didn’t come out until 2.10pm, that part felt a bit rushed with paying the bill in that time also. All in all it was a great experience and I would recommend and likely come back in the future Thank you River Exe for a wonderful lunch

This is such a fun night out! The fact that you’re in the middle of the river makes dinning here so special! And the food is delicious.

Blessed with the most perfect weather for a truly amazing first time visit, the boat transfer courtesy of Puffin Water Taxis, was smooth and very enjoyable. The restaurant staff greeting was welcoming and service run like a well oiled machine. There are menu options for everyone, but we were here for the love of the sea! Everything was perfectly cooked, presented beautifully and tasted delicious, we enjoyed oysters, scallops and fish (and the truffle fries were dangerously addictive!). The setting is simply stunning, with beautiful views from every aspect of the restaurant. Thank you to all @River Exe Cafe for a truly memorable experience!

Our second visit and both times excellent all round thoroughly recommend it and will be going again

Wonderful location despite the weather and food was scrumptious

Cracking restaurant out on the water. Fun to get to and unique atmosphere

Booked a year in advance for a weekend lunch booking and it was worth it! The puffin taxi was great we were a table of 8 and had the taxi to our selves. You have a 2 hour slot which for the 8 of us felt a bit rushed but it didn't detract for the overall experience. Food was delicious everyone loves the starters and mains. Staff were friendly also. Will definitely be back again!

Fantastic expensive but really good

First time but definitely not the last

An excellent dining experience! The service is attentive and the food fantastic! This is must do and I would highly recommend. Only downside was timing, we could have done with an extra 30min for it to be perfect but that’s minor!

The food was of amazing quality and the service excellent. The atmosphere is cosy and the views unparalleled. It is a strong 5/5 for me!

I've wanted to go for years. It didn't disappoint. Service was great. Atmosphere perfect. Food wonderful.

A great restaurant... For the food, the setting, the experience, the boat trip, the views, everything.

An absolutely stunning place! i booked it as a present to.myself to celebrate it with my daughter. She loves seafood, watertaxi and being at sea! The food was stunning, service was impecable and the location was great! we were lucky with 22degrees but grab a jacket just in case:) Photos don't do it justice, the best mussels i ever had in UK. Despite being late as we got lost from Plymouth,(follow email instructions not SATNAV) they went above and beyond to be able to accomodate us. Everyone from the captain of the water taxi to the restaurant manager and the waitress( overheard it was her first day but you couldn't tell -she was soo friendly and polite) I will keep my eyes open next year as i will definitely would like to return.

Amazing food and service... would recommend the monkfish tail!

A great dining experience . Water taxi ride there. The food was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was delicious. My family agreed too.

Unique experience. Travel by water taxi, eat on a floating platform in the middle of the river Exe. Great food. Great staff. Very special place.

It’s a very fun meal getting the boat from Exmouth. Very good service and greeting when you get off the boat. The food itself is a bit mixed. I had the crab which I would’ve expected to be cooked but it’s a smallish crab serve. You can pick one up three times the size for a third of the price from the fishmonger on the quay. Starter of mackerel very well done. The catch of the day was a very well cooked seabass. I’d rate the food as okay but you really go for the atmosphere. I saw a recent FT review which was raving about the food, but I think the critic had a bit too much to drink.

Fantastic meal at River Exe Cafe. A truly unique experience being ferried there from Exmouth. Staff friendly and attentive. The food was fantastic, fresh, and cooked perfectly. Would recommend to anybody in the local area.

Excellent from ferry to cafe!! Can't fault it for our first visit! Will be back.

Such a unique experience. Not one thing to mention apart from perfect. Food, staff and atmosphere 5star. Recommend visiting here for a special experience.

Much more impressive menu and food than expected from the Cafe in the name :)

Saturday 18th Lunch time . The water taxi was fab , the service was also fab. The starter Roasted scallops with gochujong butter and wakame seafood ( with samphire on the side )was delicious . Then came the crab !!.There is no hazzle to breaking open the crab ,expecting sweet and juicy brown and white meat .But when you get no brown meat and hard tasteless roe , the claws had barely white meat in them , infact the poor crab shouldnt of been even caught and thrown back to mature for another year . The only reason it didnt get sent back was because l was with my family who paid for it as a birthday present and they would of probably pushed off the barge !

After a 15 minute gentle ride in the water taxi you arrive onboard to a warm welcome. Atmosphere is relaxed with of course fabulous views. The menu offered some real treats though as a vegetarian was a tiny bit limiting. Will be going back.

I can honestly say that visiting the River Exe Cafe was one of the best experiences I have had in a very long time. From the fun of getting a boat there, to the wonderful service, great menu and exceptional food, it is hard to beat. It probably helped a bit that the sun was out and we had a wonderful table outside, but the whole experience was truly exceptional. Can’t wait to go back.

Lovely food and friendly helpful staff.

Fantastic food and service, Great setting

A wonderful place to visit and the food was spot on! The staff are super friendly and so attentive A must visit!!

If you can get booked in you really must try this place! It's not often you get on a water taxi and head out on the River Exe to eat in one of the quirkiest restaurants in the middle of the water. Not only a fabulous experience and place but the scenery, food and service is outstanding.

Good experience overall. Boat trip fab and staff are super nice. Food is good although brownies deserve two scoops of ice cream for £8.50. Fish was lovely. Alcoholic drinks pricey: £14/15 for a large gin and tonic. Blankets a nice touch.

It almost makes you feel that Summer could be round the corner...ALMOST!! Despite the grey skies, ambience and food make up for the Estuary chill! Fishermans sharing platter was so good...enjoy.

A really unique experience including water taxi from Exmouth marina and a beautiful meal on this floating restaurant. Exceptional service and perfectly cooked food.

Beautiful location and views! Journey by boat is very smooth so don’t worry if you get sea sick! Great portion size, great tasting food. I had the fish & chips - hot and very tasty. One of the best fish & chips with mushy peas that I’ve ever had! Service is very efficient too and staff very friendly. No issues whatsoever!

Lovely experience, we loved getting the boat and eating amaizing local foods. The food is outstanding and worth the money. But be mindful when visiting that it is £££

Absolutely fantastic experience. Great service and wonderful food.

Own boater's always made welcome

Very upsetting. Received an impersonal email informing us our reservation was cancelled, only hours before our booking. The reason cited was high winds and a decision by the owner. Upon checking several weather apps, the window for our booking was only moderate winds, increasing only from about 9pm onwards, 2hours after our booking would have finished. We had booked months in advance for a special birthday, travelled from across the UK and booked hotels, all at significant cost. We could have made other plans if a decision was was made earlier, noting weather forecasts are available and accurate well in advance. To be informed by a casual email, that there is every chance could not have been checked, is also unacceptable given it was only hours before our booking. If you want / need a guaranteed booking for a special occasion, don’t book here.

Our first visit despite being relatively local. The service was outstanding and the food delicious. Perhaps the best fish and chips I have ever enjoyed. Factor in the boat trip out and back and the setting and it all makes for an exceptional experience.

Fantastic evening and great way to celebrate a special birthday.

This was our second visit to the cafe, on a lovely evening. The water taxi adds to the overall experience and makes for a fun journey to/from the restaurant. Food was lovely as before, kids menu was your usual choices with more fish options (as expected). We enjoyed a variety of dishes, including a vegetarian option which was really tasty . Service can be a little slow at times, but overall they servers were very attentive. Spent around £100 including soft/alcoholic drinks, starters/mains/desserts. Definitely worth a visit but make sure you book well in advance!

This is a really special experience. It starts with a boat ride from Exmouth Marina, a very scenic ride with super friendly pilots. Once at the floating cafe the staff warmly welcome you and are very helpful throughout. The food is top drawer, we went for the Sashimi platter for two which was amazing, followed by the ribeye which was a great cut. All in all a great night out to remember.

Loved the whole experience from the water taxi ride to the warm welcome, lovely food and great atmosphere. The only bad point was having to leave. We will be back.

Always excellent food & service. Unique dining experience.

Cracking experience from start to finish, the food is amazing! Great journey via boat there and back with a unique dining experience in-between. Beautiful.

Incredible location serving the freshest seafood. Yeah it's expensive, but it's memorable and worth it. We had the fisherman's plate with a whole roasted fish, crevettes, scallops and mussels. Incredible flavour!

Fantastic service, fantastic food (great portions too!), and gorgeous location. Emma, our server, could not have done more for us and all the staff seemed genuinely happy to help. Thoroughly recommend for both the water taxi and boat experience, but also for the excellent seafood. Perfect night.

Brilliant experience! Great food, great ambience, great water taxi, great weather. 😉

Lovely meal except the service was not coordinated very well my starter turned up 35 minutes after ordering and then my main came 2 minutes after that so my whole experience was spoilt as I didn’t get to finish my starter as my main was going cold and have two dishes on top of each other made me feel bloated and resulting in having to rush my main as my time was running out as my boat was arriving very quickly

Lovely night out. Took the water taxi out. If you aren't into fish, the choice is a little limited, but the food was all delicious, beautifully presented and the service great. Will definitely go again.

Great food, service and puffin taxi

We arrived on a boat to have something to eat at around 12pm. (Lunch started at 12:30pm).We ordered the mussels and calamari and they were absolutely beautiful! The portion of mussels was on the small side, but still cooked to perfection. Such a wonderful place and well worth a visit. Can't wait to return.

First time last night and we were not disappointed. Absolutely beautiful fresh, tasty, generous portions of scrumptious food. Relaxed and friendly staff. We’ll be back if we can find a table!! Thanks for a great evening.

Atmosphere , location and the fish platter a lovely experience. Thank you.

Just love it. Visit by own boat or water taxi, great atmosphere amongst like minded people. Limited menu unless you book which is tricky as so popular. But worth getting a table as sea food is sensational.

Really unique experience. Took my partner for his birthday and it was a superb surprise. The Puffin Taxi there and back is fun, and the restaurant itself is simple, but perfect, floating in the River Exe. Ordered the Fisherman's Platter as it was a special occasion and I've never had such amazing fresh fish!

Great food and service. We picked a beautiful day which was a bonus

The best restaurant experience we've had. Highly recommended. The food was delicious and the added drama of the water taxi only enhances the afternoon. Kate was the perfect host. Thank you. Jake and Mel (anniversary)

What a fab place , a real dining experience, food , drink and service was excellent ,this is a must visit if your in Exmouth. Many thanks to Helen our waitress for the evening you are a star !

It was a lovely experience from start to finish. The Puffin ferry to/from the restaurant was great fun. The service is willing and friendly. The atmosphere in the restaurant was really good. The food and wine were excellent. It is a special thing to do and is accordingly expensive.

Its incredibly popular and deservedly so. Really unique experience with great food and service. Fish is landed from Starcross fishing boats directly to the restaurant. Top tips: - Book EARLY - Wear warm clothing. It's in the estuary and the structure isn't insulated.

This is a must ! Food is wonderful and the staff are lovely. It’s a boat ride there and back which is part of the fun. Freddy the boatman was so sweet . We had a partially disabled man and he was brilliant with him. You have to book the cafe well in advance . Thank you for a wonderful evening

Such a magical experience - incredible food and service, and such a unique place to eat! Cannot wait to go back!

Overrated, overpriced. Mediocre.

Been multiple times and recommended more times than can remember. No higher praise than that!

What an anti-climax and disappointment. Go if someone else is paying and you’re plain hungry, don’t go if you’re expecting a culinary experience. We were treating friends to a thank you meal and this was our first time visit to the establishment having heard it was worth a trip, but it ended up being mildly embarrassing and didn’t live up to the treat we’d wanted for our friends at all. At an all-in cost of £75/head (incl water taxi and tip), honestly, we’d expected to be wowed, or at least come away thinking “we’d really like to go back again”. We can only think it was the chef’s night off and that they’d found a stand in by asking the first person they met on the quay… Maybe it being the end of the season, then someone's lost interest and focus? Anyway, where to start? The venue and location of course is excellent, a beautiful autumnal sunset and calm estuary water meant it was a lovely arrival. The service was fine throughout the evening, no complaints. But the huge let down was the average meal, honestly, we’re no foodies, but we could have done as well if not better ourselves if we’d stayed in and treated our friends at home. The crispy squid wasn’t crispy. The scallops at £5 ea. had their delicate flavour drowned out. And the catch of the day was plaice, barely the legal catch limit of 270mm, in fact it may even have been under. There was about 2oz of meat on each fish, when you lifted the backbone off expecting meat to remain on the plate, there was none, the cover on the fish was so thin, you resorted to scraping what little there was off the bone in desperation. And the compensation, way more samphire on the plate than you needed. The prep and presentation felt distinctly amateurish and average. And the petit fours were frankly cobbled together or bought in. There just wasn’t any finesse. We’d have been better off at Rockfish or Neils in Sidmouth which would have been far less cost and better fish quality. So sorry River Exe restaurant, we didn’t have a good time. We’re not the kind of people to make a fuss, but had we been there by ourselves and not taking friends out for a meal, we’d have sent our main course back. We can only hope this was a one off blip and that we were just plain unlucky. But we won’t be rushing back unless someone else is paying.

Super visit. Great pick up and drop off. Lovely staff and a great evening experience and all food coming out look good. The hake fish and chips was lovely 😍

A very special place. Really enjoyed our meal. Great experience.

My neice and I arrived and unfortunately I had felt unwell towards the end of the boat trip. The staff were fantastic setting up a table out on the deck in the shade. Their caring attitude continued the whole time we were there. After a while I was able to order food and it was excellent. The boat trip back was fine - a memorable day. Thank you.

Picked up Puffin river taxi at Exmouth dock. Staff great. Transfer to cafe was fun. Staff at cafe very efficient and polite. Food was superb and we all loved it. Great location for a special meal. Highly recommend for special occasion

Pulled up with some mates on their boat. Not being here before I wandered in and asked for a table. The waitress was more salty than the estuary and told me in no uncertain terms I had zero chance. Well ok, you're popular good for you I'm really glad. But being nice doesn't cost anything. I had some of my mates chips and they were nice - but put off basically.

Amazing experience from start to finish and great food too. Highly recommended

Such a lovely chilled place to visit. The most amazing location matched by totally wonderful food. Glorious hours spent eating, drinking, gazing at the water - heavenly. You must come if you’re in the area. Book!!!

Fantastic food on a beautiful restaurant. We visited with our four children aged 5-10. Staff were great with our children and the children's menu was great. Our food was superb. Loved the water taxi, will definitely be returning.

Amazing restaurant and food. The location, services and dishes are just fabulous! Great views especially at sunset and the staff is very helpful, warm and professional. One of the best sea food restaurants we've experienced in a long time. The Thai mussels and their sharer platter are just divine! Can't wait to go back!

Cafe with a view like none other. Situated in the middle of the river Exe mouth the place offers a unique dinning experience - soaking up the stunning scenery while enjoying some great food. Food and drink are very good, with good selection of local produce, being in the middle of an estuary it specialises in seafood and doesn’t disappoint. Staff are really friendly.

I cannot believe the quality. At first, I did think that the water taxi was a little bit of a rip off. However, my mind was completely changed as we entered the fish smelling restaurant. Honestly, mind blown. It smelt of tuna mixed with tomatoes. Delicious. I had a glance at the menu and was surprised by the high prices. £75 for a measly portion but of course I was wowed again. The quantity of the platter was enough for 4. Let alone 2. I thoroughly enjoyed my gourmet meal at this restaurant and would be honoured to go again.

Great experience. Good food, competent, friendly staff, feeling of adventure as you approach by river taxi. Dress for cool river breezes but perfectly warm at the cafe. Leave a little extra time to ensure you can park stress free locally beforehand. For three of us the meal was about £140 including tip and drinks. We had a couple of starters to share, three mains with drinks but chose no desert (as full) but did have a liqueur coffee. I would suggest budget about £40-50 per head plus water taxi. We would definitely visit again if in the area.

What a fabulous place to visit! Absolutely lived up to my expectations. Weather a bit changeable to say the least but River taxi ride in Puffin went very smoothly, although our dogs a little unsure about being in the boat 😉But arrived without mishap and taken to our lovely table in the cosy warmth of the cafe. Very well looked after and enjoyed every dish we were served. Timing worked perfectly and our return trip on Puffin ran like clockwork, dodging the rain to get us safely back to the Marina in good time for our booked taxi (AJ's). Would definitely recommend, although it is definitely priced for a special occasion, rather than a regular meal out, but just the ambiance makes any visit there a special occasion 👍😎🚣‍♂️🎂🎉

Fabulous location, service and food. Well worth the wait!

Since I first found out about River Exe Cafe and read the reviews, a considerable while before covid struck, I've wanted to go. Was it going to be as memorable as others have said? Will the food be any good? Well, four of us booked in while staying overnight in Exmouth on our way down to Padstow for May Day. What better way to arrive at a fish restaurant for dinner than by boat. Then dinner. Shared pint of prawns for nibbles, then mussels. A big bowl of small, sweet mussels. Nothing better. Main courses were a delight. I had a beautifully cooked skate wing (so often over cooked, which makes it rubbery) with samphire, a perfect salty crunch accompaniment to the rich buttery skate. I could go on, but to sum up: Boat + great food and drink + welcoming and friendly staff = 5 stars from us four!

Started my birthday weekend in Exmouth here with a bang… from the lovely Tony and his water taxi to the friendly and accommodating staff in the restaurant, everything was absolutely perfect. The food was stunning, we had the full three courses plus cocktails/beer and a bottle of wine. No skimping for us! The catch of the day (megrim sole) was probably the best fish I’ve ever had. Seriously good and well worth a visit. We will be back 👌

A fantastic experience. It all starts with the Puffin water taxis where the staff are excellent and the boats are safe and clean and you get great estuary views on the way to the Cafe. Approx 20 mins later you are onboard and, again, the staff are excellent. An extensive menu and a very good wine/beverage list (try the Dart Valley Reserve if you like English white wine). Food was excellent, we never felt rushed and before we knew it it was time for our water taxi back to Exmouth. This was our 3rd time here and I cannot recommend it enough. Book in advance because the available slots do fill up very quickly.