Samuel Jones Smoke & Ale House in Exeter

Good food, friendly staff and nice views. Would highly recommend for both evening and daytime on the historic river Exe.

Great evening out. Atmosphere was relaxing. Food was absolutely amazing. Restaurant was spotless. Our waiter Louie was brilliant. Nothing was to much trouble. Polite & friendly

We enjoyed a great family gathering with 10 adults, a child and a baby. We had plenty of room (early evening) and great service and food. Highly recommend 👌

Nice to sit out on the deck, very good beer, mediocre food, all bought in frozen in my opinion. Very clean spacious loos and very friendly welcoming staff.

Went to the Tiffany's Rewind evening and it was absolutely brilliant. Really enjoyed the music and the glitter bar and the photo booth. Staff worked hard and looked like they were enjoying it too. Great atmosphere. I hope they do more themed nights very soon and do another Tiffs night sometime in the future. Really fun night.

We came here for England mid-final football match which is a wonderful night. The waitor who helped us for researvation is really kind.

Lovely evening meal sat on the waterfront. Had steak and ale pie and it was an actual, tasty proper pie, not stew in a dish with a puff pastry lid. My daughter had the chicken burger that she also enjoyed. Very do friendly and beautifully sited on the river.

Lovely spot by the river on sunny late afternoon Ella Mae really looked after us Nice food and drink What more do you want?

First time we went into this restaurant/bar. Tables were clean and it was cool inside despite warm weather outside. We stood by the area which we thought a member of staff would arrive to show us to a table but a waiter walked past us and so my husband went to the bar area and I stood there incase someone else would see that I was waiting to be seated. No one assisted me so I grabbed someone who looked like a manager to ask if it’s ok to sit anywhere to eat and confirmed to him do we order at the bar, he said yes. The bar man was more helpful though and explained again about how to order food ect and was knowledgeable about the beer we asked about/ and others he had on tap. We found a table and sat to browse the menu. We both had the mackerel salad with a coleslaw as a side. While waiting for food to arrive I had decided to move tables so my husband waved at the bar man that had taken our food order and he nodded the ok and when he was free he changed it on the system so that our food came to the right table. He was understanding as to my reason for moving and said no problem. Food was very tasty and plated up nice. Prefer the mackerel to be chopped up on salad leaves like this was as you get mackerel with every bite instead of layed across the top of salad. Half way through eating our lunch the bar man came over to check all was ok and we said yes and I explained as above about the preference of chopped up mackerel on the salad. He agreed and also liked our idea of a side of coleslaw we were having with it. After finishing our meal and rested for a bit we paid and left. We found out on our receipt that the guy who had looked after us since arriving was called “LEWY”. All we would ask is it the other waiters/staff on the floor see someone waiting at the area where the menus and till are to just check that they are ok and if they need any help/assistance. If it wasn’t for LEWY at the bar acknowledging my husband then we would of walked back out and found somewhere else to eat.

Nice environment, good beer would happily sit here all day friendly staff. Enjoyed watching the football lots of screens

A special lunch to meet up with old friends. The food was gorgeous and the service fantastic. Made to feel very important without being harassed. Louis was the perfect waiter.

Lovely atmosphere and ambiance. Service was very good but food is average. We felt it was a bit pricy. We tried the steak pie and there was hardly any meet. Some people had a pizza which was nice.

It wasn’t terrible, the view, the decor and the food where all decent. The manager served us maybe? Grey jumper, dark hair was incredibly unfriendly, make us feel awkward for ordering food and drink? It wasn’t too busy. He didn’t bring the drinks round at all. He doesn’t seem to be very good at customer service…. The other staff where nice. No cutlery for the food we had to go and ask. The food was so so, but it was nice enough.

Great time, our waiter Louis was very attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. He made us feel very welcome. We’d give him 11/10!!!!

Lovely place, good food. On the Water. The nicest lad waited our table. Louey/Louis was his name and he was exceptional Had a Roast dinner by Exeter Quay with a nice view of the water

Comfortable and pleasant surroundings with great views of the river, fast and attentive service, the food served was well presented and very tasty. Good selection of beer and wine to accompany, would definitely recommend

What a lovely evening we had 16.3.24. I requested a table with plenty of leg room as one of our party was on crutches. They couldn’t have been more helpful. Food brilliant, bar staff lovely,service excellent, access easy, ambiance fabulous and important to some…toilets clean(!!) I had a lovely birthday celebration and shall definitely come again

We went here for a Mother’s Day lunch yesterday. We were immediately greeted and there were no hiccups with our booking. A couple of special nice touches for Mothers Day. I received a bag of sweets and a voucher that all Mothers received for a free dessert. The staff were attentive but not overly so. The food arrived in good time despite it being a busy service. We had everything we needed. We had the roast and everything was delicious. My free cheesecake was lovely. Oh and sweet little happy Mother’s Day stickers on the napkin. The dog could come too which was important to me.

First visit, excellent in all aspects (except the weather) 5* given. Only downside is their website gives the impression they stock all the rarer St Austell beers, not just Tribute & Proper Job, which are great beers, but you can get them anywhere. Unfortunately they only have one of these at a time, as a guest beer, and the one they did have ran out on Friday. So I had to drink Tribute😞, again😞. 😃😅

Always used to be very good but last evenings food was very average . We haven’t been to SJ in a very long time and it will be a very long time before we go again .. my husband ordered the prawn cocktail which was very poor yes two nice large prawns that needed peeling and he was not offered a bowl . One smear of sauce not enough even for one of the 4 tiny prawns that were scattered on the dried up bunch of greenery . I had the bruschetta which again covered in dried greenery . It was rock hard it needed a sauce it was the strangest bruschetta I’d ever had . My husband had the chicken and ribs .. very average and immediately forgettable . My steak burger was cold and again all for the prices of food it was poor . It look like what you would get at wetherspoons but four times more in cost . And can you tell staff when you ask for the bill not to arrive with it and stand there with card machine immediately. We wanted to sit a while longer . I’m sorry SJ we’ve had some amazing food with you in the past but not this time and we will not be returning until we hear maybe chef has changed ?

Family dinner for five of us at 7pm on a Thursday evening. Took 45 minutes for the food to arrive, only mains, the chips and steak were cold. They kindly brought out fresh, hot chips. £18 for a tiny burger and £28 for a steak with a few chips, a tomato and some greenery is ridiculous. Really disappointed as we’d booked after a review from friend that said it was excellent. The only plus sides are its dog friendly and they have some decent beers on tap.

We did some online searching of places to eat in Exeter and chose this place, mainly because we spotted mussels on the menu. We arrived about 8pm on a Monday evening which meant we couldn’t see much of the view outside as it was dark, but nevertheless we sat by a window and could make out the water outside. Sure it’d be lovely in the daytime. It was a bit chilly initially and was certainly cold outside, so we asked if the big radiator next to us could be turned on. To be honest, we expected nothing to happen, but we were pleased when surely the radiator sprang into action. First good point of the evening for customer care! Our drinks orders were taken and were quickly delivered while we perused the menu. We chose a portion of duck gyoza and a portion of parmesan and truffle chips to start with. Both were very good, especially the chips. We both ordered the West Country mussels in cider as main course, which came with fries and a chunk of bread. These were excellent. Nice plump fresh mussels, very tasty and good portions too. For dessert we had a scoop of salted caramel ice cream, which was nice, but the orange sorbet was perhaps one of the nicest sorbets we’ve had. Overall an excellent evening and a nice atmosphere. Superb service from Ella-Mae and we would definitely return. Highly recommended.

We were really impressed with Samuel Jones. Very easy to book a table online. A beautiful setting in Exeter Quay and a lovely design inside. They are extremely dog friendly with water bowls and treats provided. The food was delicious and good value and our waiter was extremely attentive throughout our visit. Highly recommended and we will definitely visit again.

Gorgeous pub with beautiful surroundings. Went for Sunday lunch with friends. Staff lovely, friendly and very helpful. Food delicious. Lovely veggie options. Would definitely recommend!

I visited with my mum for an early Mother’s Day dinner. We were served by Meg who was lovely and made sure we were well looked after. They had no wine list / drinks menu available, so Meg kindly talked us through the wine options. We both had the fish and chips which were very good - the hake was cooked well and the batter was very light. We were sat by the windows overlooking the river which was lovely. Very enjoyable!

We were a party of 21 family and friends for a celebration lunch and it was excellent. They were very accommodating and efficient. The meals were all delivered without incident and the food was really nice and noone had any complaints at all. The price...

The customer service was good. A bit too efficient as our main courses arrived before any starter plates had been cleared away. We ordered two steaks, and initially, no chips to accompany them arrived. They did eventually arrive a few minutes later. The food was...

Great food and service. Highly recommend. Food was great and staff attentive and fast service. I recommend the Angus Burger.

Was a lovely time and evening the staff are great so are the locals had the mussels are amazing. Would highly recommend. The locals are very friendly I went as a Solo and left with many friends. Will be returning for sure.

Arrived for my first visit , to a warm friendly welcome , Nice clean fashionable place. We had a goregous meal and was helped by a smashing young male waiter when we asked questions about the outstanding Oil and Balsamic combo we had with Olives...

Cara is fab , brilliant host and the best bar staff I’ve ever seen, really friendly and great host. Alfie is brilliant too

Had a very nice lunch here. Great ambience and really efficient friendly staff. Food was good. Drinks were very expensive. Dog friendly and almost everyone had one. Had to avoid bowls of water on the floor when we left

Not been for a while but very impressed by the service and the quality of the food. 1 young guy was very attentive and couldn't do enough for us. The view, even at night is great. Would definitely recommend.

Was in the area and decided to pop into the Samuel Jones for lunch and a catch up with my friend who i haven’t seen in a while. Was welcomed by Cara and then served by Meg. I asked what she recommended and she gave...

Went to Samuel Jones last night for drink with a friend and had a great night. We had great service from Cara and Meg who were very professional , friendly and welcoming and always on hand for refills. Definitely going to eat there soon as...

Went out for birthday drinks of a friend and had a brilliant time there it’s so friendly in there and people having a good time The staff Hayya and George were great , friendly polite and professional and always quick with our orders. Thanks for...

Great food and service and a relaxing atmosphere for a chilled out evening for 6 of us. Those in the group who hadn’t visited before were very pleasantly surprised.

Super atmosphere and amazing food! Lovely selection of nibbles and great service! Absolutely returning soon!

Went to samuel jones for lunch and the food was amazing. Staff were happy and helpful. We will denfinitely be coming again soon 👍

Had a table booked which was really good as the place was packed The waiter was amazing couldn't fault him through out We waited over an hour for our mains No fault of the waiter he kept apologising for how long food was taking No...

Another visit to Samuel Jones and like the other visits faultless, good service good food, good atmosphere.

Having had an excellent meal here before decided to visit again on a shopping trip to Exeter for the winter sales. The meal was even better than before and the service was excellent. Nothing was too much bother for the staff. Had a lovely table...

Lovely place for a relaxing lunch by the river. The staff are very friendly and helpful the service is always good. I had the mussels which were excellent. We would go more often if only they served a decent non alcohol beer my husband doesn’t...

We went there for a Sunday roast and we couldn’t have been more pleased. The food and local beers we had were excellent as well as the ambiance. And on top of that, you can enjoy some lovely views of the river Exe. We recommend...

Great place to have a relaxing time with family and friends. Food is good and decent prices. Very Dog friendly was cherry on the top 🌟

Great location over looking the river. Really liked the menu and selection of draft beers. Food was perfect and raved about by our whole party. Charismatic Server Lewy very welcoming & attentive.

Went with friends and had a great time. Really impressed with the atmosphere there, it feels comfortable and chilled out. Great service from our waiter Lewy too... Thank you! The burger was fantastic, definitely recommend the food there. Been a few times now and would...

Great food, service and atmosphere. All the staff were attentive, particularly Louis who made sure everything ran smoothly.

I arranged a company Christmas meal here for 25. The pre booking service was great. Everyone thought the food was brilliant, which is no mean feet given we were such a large party. Shout out to the kitchen but also Lewy who had to deal...

We came for a company christmas party, there were quite a few of us, the food came out and was absolutely delicious and our waiter (Lewy) was an absolute delight, he was engaging and so helpful. It all came together and was a really great...

Had a lovely Sunday lunch here yesterday. Food was fab. All the staff excellent. Will definitely be returning.

Sunday lunch with the family, lovely venue and beautifully decorated for Christmas, food was excellent and the service from Alfie was top notch!!

Really nice restaurant Friendly staff Food was nice we had the burgers mine was vegan really nice. Lots of choices of food and drinks.

Had a lovely evening at Samuel Jones which was decorated for Christmas and sparkling on the river side in the dark. The food was great and the atmosphere was fun and relaxed. The service was perfect (thank you to our server Louis who was just...

Good atmosphere, warm & comfortable surroundings, plenty of room around our table, good food & drink, and, lovely staff.

Excellent service by friendy staff, food was very well presented and very tasty. Would highly recommend going there. Thankyou for a lovely evening. 🙂

Great Sunday lunch and fab service especially Lewy who was marvellous Would highly recommend the lunch and great setting

Haven't been here for a while but another excellent Sunday roast & great, friendly & efficient service from Louie. Recommended.

Not only is the positioning of your establishment beautiful. It was kept beautifully warm with the portable fires and Aiden couldn't do enough for us. We came in for an early dinner and Aiden seated us before he went on his break then served us...

We had a great family evening meal as part of celebrating my wife's birthday, the food and service were excellent and having checked before hand, the staff were happy for us to bring in a cake and sing Happy Birthday! They even provided plates, serviettes...

Came in for drinks on 27th October, was served by someone who was obviously new called Meg and she did amazing all things considered. She was so polite and when she didn’t know exactly what I wanted she asked for help, kept calm and was...

Lovely food, coffee wasn't great and service was a bit slow on this occasion but would visit again..

Wasn't great there was alot of us table of 8 adults and 3 kids all adults were drinking as we were staying nearby so safe to say the bill was quite large, I wouldn't say it was massively busy, 4 of the adults at least...

Here for work dinner. Had chicken and ribs which was great. Lewy served us and was very helpful and friendly

Excellent food and excellent service. Lewy was a great waiter very friendly and attentive. This was the first trip and will not be the last.

Superb food with wonderful service from our waitress, Ella-May. Very attentive and polite, thank you.

Lovely spot for a meal with vibrant views of the historic quayside. Service was top notch and our the bar tender Aidan was very knowledgeable about the wide variety of beers and ales available making the decision making a breeze. Highly recommend Samuel jones for...

This is my favourite family restaurant in Exeter. Great food. Great views. Friendly service. Aidan is the best bartender. So wholesome and helpful. And Hayya was a fabulous waitress. Nothing was too much to ask. The sirloin steak and chips was perfect and the burgers...

Looking for somewhere to eat we took a punt on Samuel Jones. What a cracking move that was. Good selection on the menu and everything we chose was really well cooked. The "jewel in the crown" was our server, Evie. Nothing was too much trouble...

Booked a table for a friends Birthday, staff were friendly & food was lovely, the service was slow, so as long as you're not in a rush - It's a lovely place to eat/ drink :)

Arrived mid afternoon on a sunny Saturday and found a nice table out on the terrace. Ordered a pint of conversion, and a wine for the wife. The conversion was, upon sampling, way off. Pointed this out to the very friendly barmaid who called George...

I visited Samuel Jones last Sunday with a friend, we had travelled down to Exeter to enjoy the surprisingly warm weather The booking reservation form was easy to complete and we were even able to request a seat with a view of the river Exe....

Very disappointing first meal out in Exeter. We waited 90 minutes for our very mediocre lunch. No explanation given apart from being told they were short staffed when we asked why there was such a delay. Poor customer service.

An impromptu visit, great food,great service, especially the young lady called Meg, nothing was too much trouble, very polite

I had a, lovely experiance at this restaurant with my family our server Meg was very helpful and a lovely young lady, I had the meat feast pizza which was very nice and the biscoff cheese cake which couldn't finish but did enjoy it very...

We arrived earlier in the day and walked round the quay side and found this lovely looking pub to my husbands delight the football was advertised on the board outside. We checked to see if it was definitely on in the evening so we could...

As we were staying in the area we decided to visit this pub on the evening eat and watch the game. The service at the bar was incredibly slow and the customer service was abrupt it was so poor we left the pub and took...

This place is great for a causal drink with friends and family, always a great atmosphere when I visit, the staff are always so welcoming, with a special mention to Meg and Ellamae for always popping over for a chat, great service as always. And...

Walked in, place wasn't busy. Stood at the desk waiting to be given a table for 5 minutes. A staff member walked by and ignored us. A second looked at us and then carried on with what they were doing. When the third walked by...

Really enjoyable lunch for our son’s 21st. Food was very good & service from waitress excellent. Desserts (sticky toffee pudding) a little bit disappointing (bring back the banana ice cream!)

Nice venue, good weather, good food, but the service is very average, and im being kind here. Order at the bar — fine. Paying before eating — fine (just about). Service of food a bit lax, with plates plonked onto the table and no one...

Booked a large table for 16, service from beginning to end was superb. From taking orders to food being delivered was faultless and quick. Everyone was more than happy with the food choice, flavours and range. Super friendly staff! Highly recommended.

Had a group gathering there for a pre-weekend event. Excellent service by George and all the other staff. Food was great, really enjoyed it. Can not wait to go back.

Ab fab Sunday roast. The beef brisket was a superb choice. And perfect portions. Quick and polite service. We will be back.

Visited here yesterday on a visit to Exeter. Very friendly staff and made to feel very welcome. A good menu with varied selection and a good choice of drinks. Food quality and service were second to none and had a long chat with the manager...

Great food (took the ravioli, amazing) and very nice view! A special thanks to Alex for her welcome! Would a 100% recommend :)

Amazing place, had a good time thanks to Alex! I took the over roasted chicken and the Sunday, delicious.

The food was very good, the service was prompt and efficient and the person who served us, Louis, was an absolute joy. Friendly, knowledgeable and a great advert for customer service!

Lovely location and food was really good. Service was a little bit slow & a bit disorganised - starter plates were still on the table when the mains came out - but on the whole it was a nice evening. Lovely location!

We had pretty good pizzas sat outside on the deck. The sun was out and the views over the river were excellent. We found that the service was fine and the staff were efficient but they didn’t seem that happy to be there,

Lunchtime today myself and a wheelchair user went to Samuel Jones, the service was awful. Waited for ages to be served. When the boy spoke to us he just handed me a menu and pointed at the corner of the room. We obviously need chairs...

Perfect destination after enjoying a lovely walk along Exeter Quayside. Perfect welcome for ourselves and our well behaved dog. Great menu, something for everybody. Really polite staff - excellent night out - highly recommended. We'll be back!

The food was great, I really ate enough. The setting is nice. The staff was kind and the service was fast.

Fantastic service from Josh this evening! Went the extra mile to make sure we had a great dinner. Thanks Josh!

Very good experience, very good cooking, lovely view & great staff !! Very busy with a lovely ambiance.

Rude staff really let the venue down. Stunning location. Such a shame. Hopefully the staff will be replaced soon and it’ll return to how it used to be. None of my friends / work colleagues will return until then. It really does show how important...

Had a lovely dinner here with my girlfriend! Our waitress Jessica was amazing, especially helping with my girlfriend dietary requirements. The spicy chicken fajitas are fantastic, definitely coming back for more.

Me and my friends came here a couple of weeks ago after a day out in Exeter City Centre, we fancied ending it with a drink and a nibble by the quay. Nothing was too much trouble, we enjoyed an Aperol Spritz in the sun...

We came for lunch a few days ago after a walk on the quay, and had some amazig food with a great view! Tapas were delicious and our waiter George was great! Would definitely return!

I came in last week for a few drinks with my friends and we had the best time! We had a great chat with Lewy who was very friendly and gave us some recommendations which turned out to be delicious! Cannot wait to visit again...