Rockfish Exeter Quay in Exeter

Popped on the offchance after a busy service at the Cathedral for the enthronement of the new Bishop of Exeter (CofE). We really wanted a decent fish and chip takaway, and though this rockfish really just looks set up as a seafood restuarant they were happy to oblige with a Meal.to go. Hake and Hadddock as the mains today, and fresh steaming chips with lashings of salt and vinegar. The home-made tartar sauce is amazing as was the anchovy mayo; and I never say no to mushy peas, although fine beans or garden peas were also on offer. I really felt welcomed even thought the restaurant was heaving and booked full; they still had time for a drop-in takaway customer. Hats of to you all and thanks.

This is a lovely fish restaurant in a great spot on the Quay. Many of the dishes come with the most amazing chips which unlimited but the portions of fish are so pick you won't need them.

I’m Bly been to their Poole restaurant before, this one just as good, when considering location, decor, atmosphere, staff and particularly the food. Had a set meal, which I thought was really good value for money. Starting with Tempura Prawn with sweet chilli dip and leaves, then whole lemon sole, both really good, specifically the lemon sole, cooked to perfection and very meaty. Staff that I dealt with were efficient and friendly. I’ll be back when next in the area!!

Super lunch. Great fish. So fresh Great service in a lovely relaxed environment overlooking the Quay. It doesn't get much better than this.

Fish was great but the artisan bread for £3.50 was like a cheap burger bun. Avoid! We were waiting quite a while for drinks so we ordered a starter thinking it would be quick. The drinks took ages and came at different times and then we were presented with a burger bun! If we had just waited for the main course the review would have been 4 stars. Pay by cash as the card machine doesn’t give you the option for no tip or anything less than 10%

Excellent food, with a choice of fresh fish caught that day. Great service. The restaurant is close to the quay and is a great setting for eating

I’ve been to rockfish in exmouth and exeter a few times and the food has generally been good. This time I had the large haddock and chips. The chips were boring, the fish was underwhelming. Whilst the meat was tasty the batter was undercooked and not very crispy. Disappointing for the price. For a fish and chips I’ll stick to greendale or darts farm.

Great well priced food and friendly staff

We called in on the off chance for a late lunch ( we hadn’t booked ) and they were able to accommodate us. Lovely setting on the Piazza Teracina on the quayside. Lovely welcoming staff. Our server was very nice too. Didn’t wait too long for our food to come, which was delicious as always. First time visiting the Exeter one and we were not disappointed.

Absolutely brilliant food, at a very fair price. Beers were lovely too. But the service from the young lady was the highlight, just very polite, knowledgeable and caring!

Lovely fresh fish. We asked for some additional chips which were advertised as 'unlimited' however one of the waitresses wasn't responding at all to our request. Other than that it was lovely food.

Fresh, very good service, great atmosphere

Fantastic food and lovely staff

such a disappointment - hadn't been for a few years we've had memorable meals in the past. opted for the set menu - whole lemon sole arrived on a plate too small to remove the flesh from the frame. and it was swamped in a lemony (?) dressing which also drowned the rocket salad. uninspiring food and poor presentation. won't be going again!

A charming riverside restaurant featuring a diverse selection of premium seafood, renowned for its exceptional food quality and excellent service.

Fantastic experience had be me and my partner, excellent food and service in the heart of Exeter. The Gunard fillets were cooked to perfection and the scallops were delicious.

Very nice fish restaurant in Exeter. Delicious fresh fish. With excellent service. Highly recommended if you visit Exeter to have dinner. Terrace outside for when the weather is nice. You can park for free in the evenings nearby.

2nd consecutive night of eating here. Came back because the first night was so enjoyable. Disappointed 2nd time around.. the dish my friend previously ordered looked amazing - so I ordered it for myself tonight .. it came on a starter plate - little embarrassing - (half the portion served the previous night). Same price! When I mentioned it to the waiter .. he apologised & said they’d run out of dinner plates - however, the restaurant was not full!! If you decide to eat here.. check what you’re getting! I came home & had cheese on toast .. so now all good🙄😁! NB: what I was served was delicious!

Lovely food and great staff but when did fish and chips become so expensive. £150 for 3 adults and 2 children, just main courses and a drink each. Disappointed and last time we will go.

This time the fish was fried to perfection and was lovely. As were the tinned cuttlefish, a truly fantastic starter. And the service was very good indeed, far superior to our last visit a few years ago. Our main gripe is the cost! One diner used to be able to order a side whilst the other the unlimited chips. The menu implied this was no longer possible. So Haddock & chips, with mushy peas was £27-20!! (that's more expensive than in Rick Stein's flagship Seafood restaurant in Padstow!). I really enjoyed the Rock, my favourite, that I hadn't had for years and years. With mushy peas, - £22-25, again top-end. So with 2 lagers; a bottle of unremarkable wine (Pescador £29), our bill came to £111, which is too much for a fish n chip chain resto. The food and service were excellent; but prices need looking at (and the all inclusives!).

Level access via a side entrance (no longer steps!) onto a narrow busy corridor, so larger wheelchair users may struggle here. The tables are reasonably packed in but I did have an easy table as it was only for 2 of us. The food was good, although it was very busy and the wait staff were rushed off their feet so service was slow. Staff were friendly and apologised for how manic it seemed to be.

Very nice place and very good and fresh food

Thank you for a lovely meal! We arrived with no booking and two tired hungry toddlers. Although I can't recommend this approach, but the staff made us so welcome and the food is really, really good.

Amazingly fresh seafood. Service is a bit hit and miss

Stunning food, as fresh a fish as I've ever eaten, plus the staff are great

I've visited Rockfish at various locations, all near the sea or Quay. The food is fresh, and the staff always introduces the day's catch. The set menu offers great value. I especially love their crab dishes—they're delicious!

Great friendly staff Dog friendly 😁

Great. Get there early or they sell out of lots of items

Insanely fresh-caught and beautifully simply cooked to let the quality of the fish to speak for itself…. we had Ray Wing, Dover Sole on the Bone and Halibut. Enthusiastic, attentive and well-informed service. Super ambience in a low key, understated setting.

My thoughts of the place: The good, the bad & the ugly 🤔 The good: The restaurants moto is “tomorrow’s fish is still in the sea”, you can be sure that you’re enjoying the freshest, least-travelled fish possible!!! The food was really tasty, fresh & very well-balanced flavours. I had the tinned Mackerel to start & the Mussels for main. They were both splendid 😊 What is also great about the place is that my other half is Veggie & although there are not many options (as expected), what was available was amazing! (Vegetable Tempura & Middle Eastern Style Fried Halloumi) By the way the Unlimited Fresh Cut Chips were amazing too! 🥳 The bad: That the Unlimited Fresh Cut Chips were amazing 🤭 The ugly: Nothing! 🎉 Will we go back, definitely 👍 Score: 9/10

Fabulous celebratory meal here. The waiter took time to find out what we were celebrating & then congratulated our son on his degree when he turned up 🥰 The food was beautiful as we had expected & it was a relaxing experience to eat here by the river. Just a hugely loud group near us made it hard to chat comfortably. Apart from that was perfect 👌🐟👏

We had a dinner here, it’s a nice restaurant with a great outdoor seating area overlooking the quay. The food was well cooked however the service was a little erratic and we were left for quite sometime between courses - not a problem as such as we were enjoying the surroundings but more than you might have expected. I had the haddock and chips - this was ok but nothing exceptional and the whole bottomless chips piece was a bit odd, I wasn’t asked if would like some more until I had finished my dish and even then they never turned up. My wife had tacos which were good. All in all I would say that it’s a nice place however the menu cost are top end for what is served - I guess you are paying for the location.

Amazing food, and really helpful staff. We had an issue with the portion size of one special and they were understanding and offered a resolution. Highly recommend!

If you like quality sea food then this is the place to go. Food and service were excellent. Extra staff on hand as restaurant busy.

Had a fantastic fish dinner outside by the quay. Our Devon Crab and Hake was delicious.

2 of us ate here last night (12th July). Food v good, lovely fresh fish expertly cooked. The service was exceptional, so big thanks to Leticia and Anna

Our first visit, recommended by our friends who accompanied us. Excellent location, and wonderful service ( special shout out to Leticia ) and on the whole a really very good seafood lunch. The only negative, that the venue couldn’t do anything about, was a large family group with a couple of toddlers, who screeched loudly most of the time we were there; the acoustics are so appalling we could hardly hear ourselves talk. Just bad luck - but avoid if you’re looking for a quiet lunch.

Very friendly staff and marvellous fish selection. Everything can be made gluten-free. They even have gluten-free vinegar. Also loved the design of the toilets. Further servings of chips are free.

Always slightly dubious about going to franchise restraunts and to be honest it was exactly as I thought. Quite bland atmosphere. No real personal attention from staff. On the other hand the food was delicious, and the wine, the Vinho Pescador from Portugal, on the Atlantic coast, was exquisite.

Lovely food for a birthday meal. Our kids are a bit quirky and the staff were tolerant and friendly. Particularly Ash who was doing an inaugural shift.

Starters are the way to go. Highly recommend the tinned tuna and bread roll with anchovy mayo. Crab was a bit of a let down- was expecting a full crab, received meat in a shell that didn’t taste fantastic. Overall however a great experience.

Great friendly service from Lizzy and the team. Bright, airy restaurant. Gorgeous clean and fresh meal. Will definitely come again!

Lovely fish, well cooked with prompt, friendly service from Laticia.

Very disappointing overall. Lovely welcome from member of staff. He appeared to be the only one seating people, taking orders serving food when we arrived. Placed order, bases on description in menu. Chips advertised as 'Fresh'. They were not - definitely Frozen. 2nd server was asked about them and confirmed they only use frozen in this restaurant- So change the menu then!! Would not bother visiting again because of this. Had we been advised of frozen chips ( which we did not eat) we would have opted for new potatoes with something else from the menu.

Very attentive service, the person who looked after my table was very knowledgeable and always smiley. The food was great, I had the grilled squid, super tender! A bit expensive, but well worth the money!

Best place, good food, otherwise a bit sober.

Have eaten here multiple times and it has always been a great experience. Good food and nice staff!

Went in with a big(ish) group midweek. Everyone loved it! Two of them are pescetarian and said they'd found some new ideas for dishes with the megrim and plaice. Everything came out in good time, service was top notch and the bottomless chips are always a bonus! Would 10/10 recommend.

A lovely afternoon celebrating a friends birthday. The team were excellent, very friendly and helpful. Food was delicious. Would highly recommend.

Lovely food, great service. Definitely recommend the artichoke tacos!

Really good everything was excellent

Had the fruit de mair for 2 at £37 a head. Big prawns were overcooked, tough and tasteless, small ones were just about all female with lots of eggs and tasteless.

This used to be our favourite place but it has gone downhill since our last visit. The menu has been changed, and not for the better. Massive hike across the board in price, for example a starter of scallops with a portion size of 3 was £19.95!!! Outrageous!! There is only 1 type of red wine available by the glass. Each course took 45 minutes to arrive, and there were numerous mistakes, items missing and overall a disappointing experience. Anna who seemed to be a manager very kindly deducted some money from the bill but there are so many lovely restaurants in Exeter I doubt if we will return and certainly wouldn't recommend.

Full marks for real seafood served as it should be. Just stopped here in our way back from Newquay. Tried most of the seafood restaurants there and was disappointed. I'll always stop here on my way south in future. It is in the beautiful Quayside surroundings and is light and modern. We just love it.

Great place to eat if you like fish.

I will admit, even as a resident of the Midlands, (that Sahara of fresh fish), to being a devotee of this group, both restaurants and online shopping, so let me be clear on that at the outset! As we had to go to Bristol, we took the opportunity to nip down for dinner and a night in Exeter and try out their restaurant there. From first sight as you walk across the Plaza, we knew we had made the right choice. Confronted by a building, set on its own next to the river Exe, which was mainly windows making the inside light and airy but beautifully decorated and fitted out. We were warmly welcomed and looked after by three very professional and fun waitresses. I suppose I need to say that the food was excellent but regulars know that anyway. Bay of Biscay deep fried anchovies (think milder tasting sardines) were superb following some oysters and before our mains of Halibut for herself and Stone Bass for me. At first sight, this enormous fish looked like I would not get through it BUT I did and so enjoyed it! I consider it great value but it is not cheap but, for that, blame the continental buyers of the vast majority of seafood landed in the UK not the fishermen and wholesalers. If only we ate more fish in this country……

We have been going to this restaurant for over 2 years and loved it so much we even had our wedding meal there last September, today however! Firstly we were told we could no longer vape outside on the terrace, which was frustrating, vaping only possibly harms the person vaping , no harmful substances are in a vape to cause harm to others. The fact you can no longer vape outside on the terrace having to leave the premises, even though the terrace is completely in the fresh air is absurd. Then the overpriced specials, just the fish and one side, new potatoes or a very small basic salad, this does not make a meal, so you have to order more sides pushing a lunch for two upwards to £100 , so disappointed as really loved the ethos and affordable way this restaurant ran.

Still is simply the best fish and chips I have ever had. Their batter is perfect, just enough to give a delightful crunch to accompany the firm yet creamy fish.

Scallop starter and crab main course were absolutely delicious 😋 A lovely chilled afternoon with excellent food and super efficient staff.

First time at Rockfish in exeter and it was a lovely sunny afternoon, wine, food and service was exceptionally amazing thank you. The cuttlefish was as good and equally as tasty to what I have eaten abroad

Consistently fantastic! Even my 12-month-old loved the scallops, king prawns, and fish, all cooked to perfection! Highly recommended! The service was excellent, and the restaurant was clean and tidy.

The taste is average, the quantity is small, and the environment is good

Nice place friendly staff but long wait between course.

We went for dinner for my parents anniversary. Most of the things we asked for were sold out and they told us that when we booked we should have asked for crab etc to be reserved. The food took AGES to arrive and we were ravenous as we had been driving all day. We kept asking for it and were told to wait. Finally the food arrived. It was just ok and they mixed up my father’s order but we didn’t make a fuss although he certainly didn’t like it. The batter of the fried fish we ordered was nothing to write home about. I ordered the Frito musto because it was a mix of calamari, fish, white bait and prawns - it was basically white bait and fish (probably one calamari and 2 or 3 prawns). Anna who seemed to be in charge of the restaurant realised my father was not enjoying his fish and immediately came to our table to apologise. We told her not to worry but she insisted and immediately said that she would take it off our bill although we requested her not to. If it wasn’t for Anna, I would have given this place one star.

I love this place, the food is always fresh the oysters are amazing along with the scallops. The team are so attentive and always so happy to help, my only only down part is that I really hate the stubby wine glasses for the wine - please invest in some long stems and this would make my day! Makes such a difference when drinking the great wine you have on offer!

Beautiful tasty food, good friendly service

Food never disappoints, lovely atmosphere with great, friendly service. Wonderful!

Love the atmosphere and especially the food !! We had a lovely visit there after a walk on the quay ! Cant wait for our next visit

Always love Rockfish . Lovely location in Exeter. Great food, service and vibes

Great place,lovely atmosphere, and knowledgeable staff,presenting the menu like a pro. Food was 👍

Amazing service and lovely atmosphere during the evenings and then a lovely veiw of the quay while eating

The food was good as was the service. It was a little quiet when we went so not much atmosphere. It's quite pricey. Bottomless chips included with my fish but for the money I think they could include a salad or greens. A nice treat.

Overall I am satisfied. Different chef, different taste, the taste was better before. 🤔🤔

Super place in a lovely position. It was very quiet when I went...8pm Sunday, but the whole experience was great. Very hard working and professional staff. Lovely fresh food...the Hake was excellent. A very nice looking interior. I left a large tip as the service was so good. Only ask would be for a 250ml wine option please.

Great food and professional and friendly service

Great market fish and chips on the waterfront, will return

Absolutely outstanding. The catches of the day are both fresh and tasty. Also there are unlimited fries.

Good solid Rockfish experience. It is pricey though🙂

Really appreciated the extensive gluten free menu. Food was delicious, best meal I've had in a restaurant in a long time. Many places fall down on the quality of the salad, but even this was delicious. Many Thanks

The menu wasn't overly clear about what options were gluten free with a confusing amount of different symbols. My wife ordered the chicken but it was very dry and not overly enjoyable. Also we didn't realise you had to pay an extra 3.75 each for chips which would without would have meant she would have dry chicken and green beans. It is shame as been to a few other rockfishs and they have been very nice and great for my wife.

Pretty disappointing, starter was ok, mains were really small and expensive for what they were, had fritto mosso, don't bother, 3 little prawns, 3 little white bait, and some scraps of calamari..refillable chips just means they give you 5chips and you have to try and catch the waiting staffs eye to get more, by which time you've eaten the small main. I doubt we'll be back.

Amazing food, fresh fish, scallops, shrimps 🦐 🐟 Perfect friendly service 😉

Oysters and cockles were quite nice, the halibut sadly way overcooked and under seasoned. Reasonably attentive service.

Fab food & lovely effecient staff

First time here but i am impressed. We have try King Prawns and Oysters for starters and after Fritto Misto. Great taste...

Amazing fish!! Coming back soon :)!!

Amazing service and even better food. Could not of asked for a better first time experience, will definitely be returning again soon!!

First time in the restaurant, everything was amazing! Thank you very much guys :)

My husband booked this for a surprise dinner for my birthday. We were warmly greeted in arrival and asked to take a seat whilst our table was sorted. A few minutes later we were seated and given a complimentary glass of fizz which we were bowled over by and birthday wishes. We shared a starter and had haddock and gurnard (we shared) which were served with unlimited chips and salad. The food was served piping hot and the fish was a good portion size with amazing batter. There was a wait for our mains but we were not in a rush. All staff looked happy to be working there and were on the go the whole time. Our server Jamie had only been there a couple of weeks but gave us information on the dishes before we made our choice. We were not constantly interrupted which we prefer but did have to wait a little time when requesting a further portion of chips. We were both fully satisfied and did not have room for desert. Thank you to the Manager and her team for a wonderful evening.

Lovely fresh tasty food. Fantastic servers.

Fabulous food and lovely staff. Very helpfully supplied endless chips for hungry guests. Good knowledge of menu. Fish selection was excellent. Will definitely be back.

Things were fine at first - seated at 7pm, order taken in a reasonable time and drinks and starters arrived as expected. However, after that it all went astray - 8.25pm there was no sign of the mains and no explanation. We caught the server's attention and he stated the kitchen was very busy and that he would try and rush our order. It did not seem a very satisfactory reason for such a long delay. Food arrived about 10 minutes later but with one side missing which he said he would rectify but that did not happen. Not sure if our order was forgotten as it looked as though some people who arrived after us received their food in a timely manner. However, based on some of the reviews it seems that delays in service are a relatively common occurrence and this needs to be addressed. We had planned to have deserts, coffee, etc., but by now (gone 9pm) we had had enough so declined the offer for such and asked for the bill. Furthermore, what should have been a big celebration was not as it should have been. It did not ruin things because, fortunately, we can see the funny side but I know my family were disappointed that what they had hoped would be a fabulous celebration did not turn out as expected.

Went as a family of 5 and really enjoyed our fish and chips lunch. Not sure if I upset the staff when they presented me with my coffee!!!

This was my second visit to Rockfish a year after my first visit since I visit Exeter from the US. I was looking forward to returning. They serve very fresh "catch of the day" items as well as other standard dishes. Their motto is "Tomorrows fish is still in the sea." My group had the feature items. I had tge monkfish tails which had a lobster texture but more tender. I look forward to visiting again on my next trip to Exeter.

Came for my boyfriend’s birthday, arrived to two glasses of bubbles and a birthday card on the table within minutes of arrival served by lovely Hannah. Seafood was phenomal and our waiter Aravindh was 10/10. Couldn’t recommend more, was such a special meal.

Nice and delicious food, the best restaurant in Exeter.

Popped in with friends on a wednesday night, took me a little time to find the entrance, as its like a hut on its own with glass from ceiling to floor. only two servers, but it was quiet when we first arrived. Really busy an hour later, and the servers were overwhelmed a little, but held their own, and still ramained calm and attentive, as best they could. Felt a little awkward , asking them for a refill of the unlimited chips, so did not. I had the mussels, which for £26 were just okay. The dessert, the apple tarte, was lovely.

Lovely night out with family , with amazing staff and lovely food. Mum loved the calamari.. lovely work guys 🥰

1 out of 5. We have been here 2 hours and only had our starters, which were great. We are a table of four ordering standard items off the menu. The table of four next to us sat down just as we got to our table. They have had starters and mains, paid the bill and left and we are still waiting for our mains.

We have been going to Rockfish for many years (Brixham & Exeter). We gave it a miss for a while but decided to visit the restaurant on Exeter Quay, this lunchtime. We were very excited to see Frito Misto back on the menu, so after our starters, awaited our main course. What a disappointment! 3x white bait, 3 x King Prawns, some scraps of calamari and 2 thumb tipped size of fish. We patiently waited for the chips… which didn’t come! Apparently these are at an additional cost now! Long gone are the days when the main meals at Rockfish were served with chips (refillable) or a salad?! At £22.95 for a small plate of the above? Wow! Sorry Rockfish, but you have changed so much it now appears that your profits are far more important than your customers - we won’t be back!!