Sabatini in Exeter

Updated 19/11/24, bit of a disappointment this time, dont know if has changed hands but food not as good as previous visits. Chicken overcooked and dry, fish dish with tiny amount of fish and very little lemon flavour. Previous visits were good.last time had lunch here during the week, very good experience. Had the pork with crackling as a starter, was great, crackling was fantastic, just the right amount of crunch. Main was chicken with spaghetti in sauce, again the food was fantastic, the only problem was that it was so filling that we only had room for a coffee after, the deserts looked great as well but had to forgo the pleasure. In short a very good place to eat.

Very elegant restaurant. Relaxed atmosphere. Reasonably priced food for great quality. Beautifully presented interior. Would definitely recommend

Had a large group booking for a birthday meal, from start to finish the team were amazing and so attentive even decorating the table with birthday banner and balloons. Highly recommend

The food and service was very good, at one stage we were the one ones in the restaurant which spoiled the atmosphere a bit.

My friends and I regularly make shopping trips to Exeter and although we have tried several other restaurants to eat lunch nothing beats this little gem. The food is delicious and the staff are amazing. Friendly, helpful and always really kind. Cannot recommend this enough if you want a lovely relaxed lunch.

Well cooked Dover Sole reasonably priced wine list. Happy with the service. I hope I will return soon

small portions garlic bread was stale slow service

I rarely take my phone out as I am eating to review, no I never take or took my phone out that's how good the food and service was. Absolutely increadible food, generous portions, my wife was blown away and so was I.

Visited for lunch. Friendly staff, food was OK. Starter of bruschetta and monk fish was good. Mains chicken pomerano and mushroom liguine were OK. Prosecco was lovely. Clean toilets and restaurant.

Main meal resonalable, my wife had ice cream for sweet, 2 scoops of chocolate, served in a large bowl and one and a half scoops. Over £5. Not good. Disappointed.

Cannot fault this place. From the moment we walked in, it was flawless in all respects. A warm welcome, even though we hadn’t booked, comfortable seating, great atmosphere, relaxed and friendly staff, smooth service, excellent food and reasonably priced. We were well looked after and will look forward to visiting again.

A very lovely cozy restaurant, in the heart of Exeter. We spent a lovely evening and we have been looked after very well! The food was excellent and the pizza 🍕 really nice. I definitely recommend the arancini! Terrific! 5/5 definitely! Drinks selection is really good and it's very cheap compared to other places.

Fantastic meal! Lovely restaurant decor and great location, near to the Cathedral to.

Friendly staff but food is very poor

Went here with a group of people and ordered starters, mains and desserts. The food was incredible, especially the crab linguine 🦀 Service was exceptional, would come again. No joke, believe me here, the tiramisu was literally the best dessert I’ve ever had. 10/10

Went here a few days ago. We didn't booked but they managed to find us a table (last one, so we were lucky). The service was really good as was the food. My wife I both had pizza, both of which were very nice. We saw a number of other meals come out and I have to admit I got a bit of food envy. Would definitely recommend.

Don't eat here if you are gluton free They don't use those flags in the food like some restaurants do . So when someone else on our table ordered same as me it was very easy for them to get mixed up they look identical. Very sick after eating there wish restaurants would start taking allergies seriously

Service not good, wouldn't recommend, very disappointed

Amazing food and great service from Ryan. Really great bloke and went above and beyond for us for my wife’s birthday.

Having booked for a graduate celebration meal I was expecting better than we received. The staff were uninterested and not particularly communicative. The food was mediocre at best. I had the mushroom linguine which was watery and bland. When I went to use the bathroom I saw a member of staff come out of a toilet with their phone in their hand and continue to go back in to the kitchen. This made me feel even less confident of the hygiene being executed by the staff.

Ate lunch with friend and really enjoyed the meal. 2. Courses, the wild mushroom linguini was excellent. Will be returning.

Ate here last night and was disappointed with the amount of Ravioli (8 squares) and a bit of salad,steak with peppercorn sauce, 2 small Peroni's and 1 glass of red wine £72.38 if you want to eat here then take plenty of money or get a big mac before you enter.

The food is delicious. The staff was very friendly and very helpful when choosing dishes. They have a well-priced menu to which you can add a glass of wine. The restaurant is very clean and decorated with great taste and elegance. The atmosphere is very pleasant with soft music that allows you to have a conversation with your companions; In addition, it is located in the center, a step away from the cathedral and the commercial and shopping area. It does not belong to a chain. One of the best restaurants in Exeter. Totally recommended.

Excellent food with a very reasonably priced menu. The room staff are very friendly and professional. We will surely return.

Quite possibly the world's most expensive garlic bread...which wasn't even that garlicky! Almost 3 hours tells a story of how inattentive and prompt the service and food was (it wasn't like the restaurant was full either!). If you are going to offer a Gluten Free pizza option at least make sure the base doesn't need a chainsaw to cut through it! - a bit stingy on the topping front too while we're talking pizza's! This was going to be a 2-star review but my partner enjoyed the Monkfish starter & Panna Cotta dessert which apparently rescues a star?! Approach with caution...

Great people, great food just great.

Great food, the vibe is chill and calm! The food takes some time to get ready but tastes fresh.

I'm usually very picky and this place was a great surprise. The food was perfection, the service and the atmosphere also excellent! (I'm italian). I recommend it 100%

Enjoyable two course lunch special with one glass of house wine. Excellent atmosphere in the heart of Exeter near the Cathedral green. The menu features Italian dishes and seafood.

Service is good, punctual and polite but the food and wine is a bit of a let down. Red wine was warm which made it a bit unpleasant to drink. Had the gnocchi which was nice but the dessert (pannacotta) was not good. Way too hard and not particularly nice to eat. Atmosphere was ok but pretty quiet, even for a weekday lunch.

Lovely food. Staff very polite and friendly. Clean tidy restaurant. Will definitely be going back.

The pizzas are exceptional. Tiramisu is a definite must have. The flavours are rich and silky. Overall, customer service is brilliant. I would rate it a 5+ if i could.

Lovely food, great atmosphere, reasonably priced.

Nice place at the centre of Exeter, cozy atmosphere, tasty food.

When we arrived at Sabatini, we were shown to our table with very little warmth or welcome. Once seated no one from the staff paid us any attention for a while, or came to take our drinks order. When the food came - we had the prawns to start which were tasty and probably the best and only highlight of the night, followed by two pasta dishes - the Nduja carbonara and the chicken and Gorgonzola paccheri. The carbonara was ok with a little spicy kick but is an uncomplicated dish. The paccheri was fairly boring with 3 small pieces of chicken, and little depth or richness of Gorgonzola in the sauce - the paccheri were also completely stuck together with the sauce hardly coating the majority. There was little interaction from the staff this whole time - however we were then suddenly told we had to leave as the table was needed in 15 minutes and our bill brought to us. To be honest we were pleased to leave! The atmosphere in the restaurant and the decor were perfectly nice - we also saw cheesy garlic bread and pizzas that looked nice so would recommend that to others if visiting. Ultimately would suggest choosing a different restaurant if you love your pasta and want to be treated as a valued customer. It was such a shame as we had high hopes reading reviews, always try to avoid restaurant chains and wanted to support an independent local restaurant.

Had a lovely meal at Sabatini’s and so pleased we ditched one of the chains for here instead. The ambience was excellent , the food delicious and good portion sizes. Service was also good and under no time pressure even though busy. Only downside was it took a while for the food to arrive but it was worth the wait. Can highly recommend.

We ordered pizzas, which were very tasty, friendly staff, and reasonably priced. After settling the bill, we received 50% off lunch vouchers to be used within 2 weeks. Will be back again.

Popped in for an impromptu meal while out shopping over Christmas. The food was 1st rate and the service was excellent... attentive but not over the top.

Dependable - great for special occasions.

A wonderful works Christmas meal with great service and delicious food. The portions were very generous and the atmosphere was great.

This was the second occasion we have had lunch here, very tasty food, reasonable prices, efficient service.

Food was absolutely fantastic 😋

Delicious! Really good value for money and excellent service

Excellent Italian restaurant, just right for lunch during a day out shopping. Good selection of starters, mains and desserts with vegetarian options. Drinks were from a broad range, alcoholic, non alcoholic and many teas and coffees

Amazing food and nice atmosphere! I've already been three times for lunch and dinner. I'd say it's worth going for lunch, as you pay much less for the same thing! Service is good as well. I'd recommend to book a table in advance as it gets busy! It's a popular restaurant!

Excellent staff and food in a pleasant setting in the pedestrian area

Ogni volta che visitiamo Exeter avere sempre un pasto serale e mai deluso. Come un Visiter regolare in Italia direi che il cibo è l'Italia meridionale e molto autentico. Ci torneremo sicuramente. Grazie

Great service and lovely food 😋

A delightful, friendly resteraunt who are attentive and care about their customers experience. The food is exceptional and a credit to the kitchen team. Never had a bad experience at their resteraunt yet.

Had a fantastic evening as always, what I would recommend is the menu needs updating, maybe add Risotto and different pasta other than all being with linguine. Take care Paul

Food used to be better but can't fault the ambiance and service. Will go again as food still good just not exceptional as it used to be

Lovely smaller restaurant set in a small square near hubbox and llyods lounge food was expensive but you get the flavours and taste. Service was amazing especially from Daniel.

Service and food were excellent; I just wish there was more belly pork. But the portion sizes, in my opinion, were just right for three courses, though honestly, I was full after the main. The only thing I had an issue with was the acoustics; it was sometimes difficult to hear my friends speaking, so a lot of leaning forward. Other than that, I would say it's one of the best Italians in Exeter and rank in my top 10 of Italians I have been to around Britain.

Always good food and attentive service. Cannot be bettered.

Food was excellent and service very attentive. What more do you need.

Booked a lunch for my daughter's 30th birthday. Literally cannot fault this restaurant! From the excellent, attentive service to the delicious food everything was perfect. Alex was so lovely and helpful, patient too as we took forever to order! Will definitely return and highly recommend.

Italian restaurant with good choice of items and well cooked and presented

Great lunchtime meal out with family for my birthday meal. The starters and main had by all were lovely, great tasting and filling. Highly recommended.

I booked a graduation meal with my family. It was so well organised, the food was absolutely divine and cooked to perfection, beautifully presented and a delicious menu, all requirements were catered for and they also went the extra mile! My aunty who is coeliac has had many panacottas but she said this was by far the best!! The restaurant is gorgeous inside and has a beautiful ambience, perfect for a special occasion. The staff were so attentive and friendly too. They could not do enough. Can't recommend Sabatini's enough!! Thank you so much for making my graduation meal with my family so special.

Huge shoutout to Jodie for being such an amazing host!

Though the food was good I was very shocked about how dusty, and dirty the disabled toilet was, also the hand dryer didn't work? No paper towels neither so couldn't dry my hands! Cupboard hanging off and electronic appliances not working? Cobwebs? how can such a lovely looking restaurant on the outside have such bad facilities?

Fantastic food and service - recommend the burrata!

Food was nice but such small portions and my opinion was very expensive for what u got but food tasted nice

Lovely Italian food and glorious Tiramisu. Beer selection was poor, but it is not the sort of place you go for the beer.

Food was okay! The service was horrible! They were coming to take the plates without asking us although they were still with food. Made us feel very uncomfortable. The manager kicked the toilet door and slammed my sister’s hand and didn’t even apologise. Never going back there except if they learn some manners!

Food was fine, but very poor service. The service was very rude and did not leave time for people to enjoy food and talk. Literally If you leave the fork down they take the plate away while I was trying to give a bit of break. Also, the manager kicked with his leg the bathroom door as my friend left it open and I didn't want the door to slump I put my hand in the way and ending up having bruised fingers now! Awful behaviour!

Such good food, service is superb and an ideal location

First time of visiting. Won't be the last.

Didn't plan to eat here but will certainly return. Very good Italian food and service. Reasonable prices. Just a few yards from Cathedral Green.

Went for Lunch today with my daughter (10) and her Friend (11) They said they’d like to give you a 10 star rating! Thankyou for being so accommodating, beautiful food and great deals on children’s meals during half term! Which I hadn’t realised until we got the bill!

Attentive service. Incredible wine. Lovely food and atmosphere. Will return again and again. Great for lunch or dinner ,suits all occasions.

Lovely friendly, good service and food

Food was okay, waiters were really nice so two stars. However the male manager was very rude, horrible service and communication from him. I would not go there again.

Great service in a bustling restaurant. Food was very good.

Really lovely pleasant restaurant. Food was excellent because I think it is family run, and not a chain. Being brought up on Italian food, I can honestly say the pasta was excellent and the sauce was good. The pizza's were cooked out of a pizza oven large in size. Prices good Value for money. The second time yesterday was to sabatinis, decided to meet up with family. We are four vegetarians, and we are glad they had a new lunchtime menu. Lots more choice for a vegetarian in the starters and Maine. Still a reasonable price for a two course meal for lunch. Again, it was delicious. You will not be disappointed.

Great to have an independent Italian Restaurant in the heart of town! Fantastic for lunch or dinner and possibly the best fillet steaks in town. Lovely relaxed ambiance and Alex, Jodie and all the staff do their utmost to ensure you enjoy the experience. Will return time and time again!

Nice restaurant, central location. Not really authentic Italian taste food but good size portions.

Best super club yet ! Amazing menu & quality of good was exceptional! My fav out of all the super club events .

I visited Sabatinis with 4 girlfriends for the lunch special. Great choice of food, I had the salmon dish which was cooked to perfection, really delicious. Can’t fault any of the food, 5 empty plates went back to the kitchen. Friendly atmosphere and service. Nice...

I have visited Sabitinis on several occasions with family and friends, it s a favourite of ours. The interior design is very stylish and I particularly like the tree in the centre, a great feature. The food is delicious, full of flavour and beautifully presented....

Superb authentic Italian food and a great atmosphere! We received a great welcome and fantastic service. The interiors are beautiful and I loved the olive tree feature in the middle of the restaurant - very Instagrammable! I had the arancini to start followed by the...

Really disappointed in my first time here Saturday evening. I’m not usually one to post reviews but that was the worst Italian meal I have had. Weird restaurant with zero atmosphere. The staff were attentive and can’t fault them however the quality of food was...

Great food very impressive service would highly recommend Sabatini's to everyone

Incredible food and even better service:) lovely atmosphere, if I could give more than 5 stars I would. Highly recommend, the portions were large and great value for money.

Absolutely gorgeous little restaurant. We walked in, unsure what to expect, but were blown away by the kind staff and incredible food! Will definitely be returning!

So we visited last Thursday evening the food wasn’t up to any standard I had the chicken pappadelle and my wife had the Vegano pizza both bland no seasoning and cold. Also the resturant wasn’t very busy so I don’t understand how the kitchen couldn’t...

Amazing! The food is delicious - I had the pappardelle and it was amazing! The waiters are lovely too

Had a lovely lunch for my friends birthday! Incredible food, incredible service. Would 100% recommend.

We had the best time celebrating my friends bday! The staff were lovely and the food was incredible. We went for the 2 course deal and had the best mushroom chicken pasta. Will defo be coming back x

Went for a birthday lunch for a friend, food was amazing, service was lush such a cute restaurant as well one of my faves!!!

The food was poor. £30 for a steak that you could eat in 2 bites. Soggy pizza, pasta that seemed microwaved? And the staffing was the worst part. Waiters stood 1 foot from your back watching you eat, literally staring and the second you finish...

Great tasting food & prompt service

Enjoyed a lovely 2 course lunch with friends- good choice & price - also glass of wine for extra £4 - good service - will be back again soon

Fabulous food freshly cooked. The waiting staff couldn't do enough for us. Looking forward to going back 😁

The arancini starter followed by crab linguine was divine.

Great little restaurant with a calm vibe. Food was pretty good with great service. I don't have any complaints. Would definitely and do plan to go again when in Exeter. The food was well presented, which is always a plus.

We had a beautiful dining experience here for my birthday! Wonderful food and really friendly but professional service. Everything was cooked to perfection and we'll definitely be back again!

We love it at Sabatini. Probably not a week goes by without a visit from us. The staff are welcoming and it's an all round a great place to eat. Food is good and good value for money. Would certainly recommend.

This must be the best pizza I have ever had in my life, I really loved it. Very good service from the staff. You will not regret it.

It got busy after we arrived so we had to flag down the waitress a couple of times. Pizza was decent but pasta sauce in chicken and mushroom dish was very watery. Gorgeous interior and the pannacotta is incredible!