Stage in Exeter

Genuinely 5* across the board. Robbie and Grace were absolutely amazing and were the golden cherry on top of what was a gorgeous experience. Cannot recommend this place enough. All ingredients are local & fresh and the presentation is superb. Best price:taste ratio you’ll find anywhere. I couldn’t take a photo before tucking into dessert but my god it was good.

What a great spot for high quality yet informal,relaxed dining. Set lunch menu but flexibility to accommodate particular preferences eg vegetarian options. Such a pleasure to enjoy innovative cooking with top quality ingredients served by knowledgeable,committed staff.

Have been to Stage a few times before and always enjoyed the atmosphere and fantastic service from Tom & Robbie. This time the food seemed really average in comparison to the usual standard and the service was really not good at all. The girls just stood drying glasses most of the night chatting, not looking to ensure if customers needed drink top ups, in fact I had to get up to ask for our first drink to be served after about 15 minutes of waiting. Hoping this is just a one off!

Just go here. Stage is excellent every single time. Service is consistently flawless and the food is always amazing. They even made a full gluten free offering with notice so I didn’t miss out on anything. Drinks flight is worth every penny and you also get a little background on each of the drinks which adds a nice touch. Overall just a fantastic restaurant with some of the best food I’ve ever had and a super friendly team!

Fabulous fabulous fabulous! From the crispy fresh bread and speciality butter to the pork belly that was melt in the mouth, succulent monkfish, the herb infused dressings and sauces that enhanced every dish - this was a delight at an incredible price. The service was wonderful and we were delighted with the virgin drinks flight - the best I’ve ever tried! Our first visit and can’t wait to return and try different dishes as the seasons change - thankyou so much for a relaxed and delicious dining experience

I had the great fortune to eat here this evening and It is rare to find a dining experience which you can genuinely say is faultless but these guys really hit the mark. From the warm, enthusiastic and knowledgeable service to the beautifully created, crafted and curated drinks menu and pairings, to the faultless execution of beautifully balanced dishes. I cannot recommend this place highly enough it is absolutely on a par with Michelin starred restaurants around the world and I would not at all be surprised if members of the team here go on to be well known household names and to be awarded the highest accolades In thier field. An exceptional little restaurant at an exceptionally good price point for the exquisite quality. Thankyou to all of you for your incredibly hard work, it has definitely paid off.

Been 4 times and it gets better every time! Service great and food even better. Can’t recommend enough

An excellent addition to Exeter’s restaurant scene and deserves all the plaudits which has come its way. Smallish restaurant just outside the city centre. Informal vibe (and dog friendly!). No choice - only a six course tasting menu which at £55 is amazingly good value. Highlights were a black pudding infused muffin and a roasted monkfish main course. Service was excellent - friendly and efficient. Highly recommended. PS. Not sure how Trip Advisor is managing to categorise this as “quick bites”

An excellent addition to Exeter’s restaurant scene and deserves all the plaudits which has come its way. Smallish restaurant just outside the city centre. Informal vibe (and dog friendly!). No choice - only a six course tasting menu which at £55 is amazingly good value. Highlights were a black pudding infused muffin and a roasted monkfish main course. Service was excellent - friendly and efficient. Highly recommended.

What a lovely evening! A surprise 6 course menu with every dish cooked supremely well. Attentive, friendly, knowledgeable staff. Great ambience. Highly recommend for something a bit different.

Hands down the best restaurant in Exeter, probably in Devon, and maybe in the South West. Absolutely loved the atmosphere. Service was fantastic. Best of all was the absolute lack of any pretentiousness. Super cool to go somewhere for outstanding food and no nonsense. We are two vegetarians and two vegans - couldn’t have asked for better food. Just awesome.

Went on a Friday night and the restaurant was lovely and busy. The service was fantastic, so knowledgable about the dishes and clearly passionate about them. Would recommend to anyone in Exeter. An amazing experience

Such a great dining experience - excellent friendly team with amazing knowledge - will definitely be back!!! P.S: what was fhe whiskey we had - it was the best ?

I have mixed feelings about the Stage. The service was very good and the people were nice and friendly, explaining everything they were serving. I also liked that they make their own products, like bread and beer. We all had wine, apart from one of us, but they offered a glass of beer to my friend to try, which was a nice gesture. The food was very unusual flavours, but out of the 6 courses, the first 2 were really good, the other 2 were OK and the main one, which was ramen with beef, was tasteless and the beef very hard to chew. I liked the dessert, but it was very small, like everything. We liked the homemade bread though. Also the place wasn't particularly tasteful considering they offer expensive gourmet food. If the price was normal, I would go back to try a different menu. But for £55 pounds, I had higher expectations to be honest.

Stage is the best restaurant in Exeter. The food is innovative, interesting and most importantly, delicious. We’ve had lunch at Stage twice now and both times were fantastic. The menu is set and changes regularly. Even the drinks are innovative - I had a dill cordial and soda which was wonderful. The staff are super friendly and the prices are very reasonable for the quality of food on offer. Would definitely recommend!

Easily one of the best meals we've had in Exeter. Every course was fresh, delicious and beautifully presented. The staff were welcoming and the atmosphere was warm and relaxed. Really good value for a high quality experience. We'll definitely be back.

Visited for my birthday with my husband. Food was delicious, really well thought out. I’m a veggie & my husband isn’t, so we had both options & we both loved what we had. The service was so lovely, really great people to chat to, who had a wonderful way of talking through each course. They were really nice as well. Highly recommended for fine dining in a relaxed & unpretentious setting. We will be back.

In a city with a lot of chain restaurants I was really pleased to discover this fantastic dining experience. It's always refreshing to find a place that offers such personal attention to detail. The no-choice tasting menu is a great way to experience the chef's vision, and they were able to accommodate my gluten intolerance while still providing a memorable meal. The fun and informative explanations about each course added to the overall enjoyment. The small restaurant creates a great and informal atmosphere and we will definitely return.

Absolutely fantastic dinner ... This was our second visit and the food is next level. Leak & potato soup with monkfish dumplings, pigs head patty, parsnips done 3 ways, roasted garlic tortellini with Spanish sausage, spotted duck with Brie & sarano ham, a very indulgent chocolate mouse with honey ice cream and finally almond macaroons... Ever dish was sublime ..(sorry chef if I've got some of the elements wrong) finally we were very well looked after by Grace & Robbie ... If I could ten stars I would ... A truly excellent evening 🙏🙏

This is definitely a great developing restaurant with an enthusiastic young team. They are a quiet road just outside the city centre. It is a rustic restaurant that is staged on two small levels with basic seating. Having said that the interest and enthusiasm the staff have counts for a lot. You don't get a choice for the lunch set menu of four courses at £30 when we were there. So be prepared to accept what you are given. If you ask ahead you can certainly have a veggie option but otherwise it definitely a nose to tail restaurant. Environmentally sound - working hard towards all of those issues including having 'who gives a crap' toilet paper in loos! So the food...we had a small bowl of really delicious soup - Leek and Potatoe with pickled walnuts with the most delicious tiny monk fish dumplings Then a pulled pork rissole on a pork liver sauce, pea puree and a sauerkraut. Followed by tortellini (slightly thicker pasta than I would like and slightly wet filling not sure if I am right - was a ? ricotta filling ) BUT delicious dish served with artichoke puree and smoked (home made at the restaurant) polish sausage (my husband could have eaten a barrel load of the sausage - really gorgeous). This was followed by a pretty but small very sweet and again very tasty pudding of chocolate mousse with a cornflakes molasses. They had some wines by the glass and a selection of other drinks. Front of house staff were great too. Really this is a restaurant I will go back to and enjoy watching their journey.

Utterly wonderful. Thank you for helping me plan the surprise birthday meal and for such a perfect evening. Every dish was just wonderful and the service was fantastic. Thank you!

An amazingly inventive gastronomic experience which somehow manages to avoid being pretentious! Thank you very much.

Fantastic food created & cooked with passion & flair using Devon & Cornish ingredients served with knowledge & charm. Know this bunch from North Cornwall & they have upped their game to create something really grown up - a no choice set menu- but with the laid back vibe. Fantastic silky leek & potato soup with cod cheek & pickled walnuts, cod cooked superbly with mushroom, spinach & a chicken stock & a miso mousse with butterscotch & chocolate (I think!). All v good value for £30. What topped it all was they accommodated our dietary needs. Thank you, keep going small & beautiful……

Wow, what can I say? Their food is fabulous. I spent months eating in excellent restaurants in Paris and this rates with them. You must go.

Wow, we loved this place, it's friendly from the moment we walked in and some very delicious, clever cooking. We found it inventive with an array of flavours that work perfectly together. I can't wait to return.

An amazing gem in Exeter. The whole team is amazing and they elevate the experience. Will visit once again soon..

Just fantastic! Went for lunch. Every dish just melted in your mouth. Both particularly loved the cod (never had cod like it!) and the trout. Staff were wonderful too. Will be back soon for sure

Gorgeous! The most incredible food, wine and cocktails but the atmosphere felt relaxed and the waiting staff were attentive and friendly and had a laugh with us. Would definitely recommend. Cannot wait to go back and see what the next dishes are.

From start to finish an amazing experience. The hospitality was exceptional with a detailed explanation of every dish as they came out. Whilst I would not normally order some of the items should I see them on a menu, I was pleasantly surprised with every dish bringing a new unique flavour that made me keep eating despite my rapidly expanding stomach, struggling to keep up with all of the food. Very different to any other dining experience in exeter, 10/10 would recommend to anyone that wants to try something new.

Went for a date night, was not disappointed!!!! What a special spot. The food was WOW and felt completely tailored to our tastes/requests e.g. I’m not great with spicy food so the chef tailored my next course to suit my preferences :) The service also felt personal and unique to us with friendly waiting and bar team - special shout out to Robbie for being so on it and helping us get a last minute reservation!! Thank you for such a special evening and food!

What a delight! An absolute foodie heaven. Friendly, intimate space with very welcoming front of house. We had the 6 course dinner and drinks pairing and couldn't have been happier. So much care has gone into the dishes, clearly a labour of love. Beautiful plate after plate; the chalk stream trout tartare was so delicate, and then followed by flavour packed steak and pickled celery. Drinks were intriguing and paired brilliantly, particularly enjoyed the "Scary Mary" and the final tea syrup (Tea-tini?!). Cannot wait to come back, bravo. Xx

Exceptional food and service. The four course £30 lunch was a bargain when it comes to food of this quality. Highly recommended

A perfect blend of flavours with every dish. Extraordinary attention to detail by all the staff both front of house and kitchen alike. Just amazing! Exactly what Exeter has desperately needed for a very long time.

Fine dining with no pretension. Relaxed atmosphere. Knowledgeable and friendly serving staff and brilliant food. Each of the four courses of the set menu were well judged showing great cookery skills. Lovely presentation.

My Wife is pregnant and I got a late booking, the only seats left where up on bar stools they called ahead to check if this would be ok. Food was fantastic and service excellent all in all amazing experience.

I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone who will listen! Great staff, great atmosphere and food! Props to the owners!

We had the 6 course taster menu. Every course was carefully crafted, the waiting staff knowledgeable not only about the contents but its provenance and how it was prepared. This was an eating event and every mouthful was extremely tasty.

Easily the best restaurant in Exeter. Fantastic, creative food. Excellent drinks pairing. Attentive and knowledgeable service. All the simple things done to a very high standard make for the best culinary experience in Exeter. Frankly great value too for what’s on offer.

Last minute decision, had to sit outside as was fully booked but we had a heater above us which kept u very warm , what can I say about the 6 course taster meal apart from was excellent 👌 staff were brilliant 2 thankyou for given us a lovely time we will b back

Didn’t know what to expect. Amazing, friendly, attentive but relaxed service. Lovely intimate, cosy atmosphere. Unbelievable food, rach course a surprise.

Dinner with the bestie last night. 6 courses for £55. Good lord, the food was good. Each course was carefully thought out to deliver on flavour, texture, temperature and quantity. Many home grown, cured, pickled ingredients and good cocktails and wine. The service was very well informed, informal and warm which we loved. Only slight (very slight) grumble was it was very hot and lacked fresh air in the restaurant and the extraction was not up to snuff so was a little unpleasant. Open kitchen cooking smells are lovely, too much cooking smoke is not. (But totally forgiven because the food was outstanding ) Thank god for this place breathing new life in to the chain food drought that is Exeter. Don’t go changing. Listen to Jay. *wink.

We had the set lunch menu. Delicious. Small but interesting wine list, which is helped by the staff for suggestions to lair with lunch. Staff helpful, friendly, passionate and knowledgable. A great surprise package in Exeter.

Easily the best place to eat in Exeter. Always interesting and surprising with fantastic friendly service. The tasting menus are reasonably priced. We keep coming back.

Superburb Would highly recommend

Terrible experience due to rude, condescending, and unprofessional waiter. While the food was pleasant, the whole evening we have been interrupted by the waiter who explained each dish in the most obnoxious manner possible. Furthermore, when it was time to pay, the waiter shamed me for paying less than my friends (I did not have alcohol). This is an extremely tasteless thing to do to a customer and to anybody in general. All in all, while the food is ok, I recommend that the intrusive, obnoxious, and all around disturbing and odd service be revised as it is putting a huge dent into what could be a quaint restaurant like there are many on Magdalen road.

Superb food, wine & service. We have eaten at Michelin starred restaurants which are not as good as this. Would highly recommend.

Words cannot express how amazing it was. Excellent food & service.

Absolutely amazing food, service and drinks - the best we've had in Exeter. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Stage and can't wait to come back!

This was my second visit. Sadly on this occasion the evening was spoiled by the very loud music which made meaningful conversation impossible. We asked the staff to turn it down twice but they paid no attention. The food is very good, but I’m doubtful I will come again.

Such a fabulous dinner at Stage! The entire team are so warm and genuinely friendly. It’s clear they are all passionate about what they do and really let the food shine. This creates a really wonderful atmosphere from the moment you arrive. Their low waste approach is incredible too; really enjoyed learning about some of their methods. The food itself is exceptional. Every dish was beautiful and tasted amazing. If you’re looking for a non-pretentious tasting menu but with all of the flair and flavour, come here!

Such a fabulous dinner at Stage! The entire team are so warm and genuinely friendly. It’s clear they are all passionate about what they do and really let the food shine. This creates a really wonderful atmosphere from the moment you arrive. Their low waste approach is incredible too; really enjoyed learning about some of their methods. The food itself is exceptional. Every dish was beautiful and tasted amazing. If you’re looking for a non-pretentious tasting menu but with all of the flair and flavour, come here!

Best restaurant in Exeter. Clever, fun and good value.

WOW!! First time at Stage!! What can I say other than I need to return. The food was absolutely amazing. Honestly amazing!! The chefs put some great flavours together. From the moment we arrived the experience only got better. Tom,Tom and soon to be Tom (AKA Grace) we're so on point. What a great experience! Thanks 🙏 👍

Consistently good. No, consistently amazing! We’ve been over a dozen times now and Stage is utterly fabulous. It’s modern, laid back, passionate with eclectic easy music vibes and a buzzing atmosphere. This is all aside from the star of the show which is their stunning food! You never know what you’re going to get but you will be inspired by the flavours they put together. Lots of home grown veg, homemade charcuterie, home brewed ales and stouts, excellent wines. Each dish is carefully put together with fantastic sauces, layers upon layers of flavours, top quality ingredients paired with unexpected tastes. It’s a food journey, a foodie’s heaven, a feast of a show. Everything presented with a perfect verbal description from lovely people who care about your experience. This place is special.

Best food experience in Exeter, 10/10 service

Friendly staff, food is exceptional. Need to book in advance. Creative and inspiring.

My partner and I spent a weekend at a cabin nearby and had heard of Stage several months prior. From the moment we entered the restaurant, we were blown away by the friendly, warm, and sincere nature of the servers. The food was exquisite, and you can tell that they’re proud of everything they serve, from the tomatoes that they’ve grown themselves, to the sourdough chocolate mousse that they use from the ends. It seems that nothing is wasted, and wow the flavours are incredible. We will be returning and will try the wine pairing next time. Also…you absolutely MUST sample the sourdough starter!!!

We’ve been to Stage half a dozen times and each visit reinforces the fact that this is an outstanding restaurant. The food is amazing, a taste experience, even ingredients I normally don’t enjoy are presented in such a way that I do enjoy eating them. The staff are engaging in a natural manner, knowledgeable and on top of the service. Atmosphere is perfect, always a great playlist in the background. Finally the revamped seating is much better, more comfortable and seems roomier than before. Will visit again and again.

One of the best night out anywhere, ever, because this place is 100% confident in being itself, in creating a great experience with incredible food, and not copying anyone. The drinks flight was a valuable upgrade. The real stars here are the Taco boys and their team which elevate this little restaurant from excellent to ‘hall of fame’. You would be hard-pressed to have anything other than an incredible evening here.

The food and drinks were amazing and the staff were very friendly and polite. Excellent food and service and an overall fantastic experience. Well done Taco boys, will definitely be coming back

We arrived here as a default as our friend thought she’d booked the nearby tapas restaurant. However we sat down and were quite overwhelmed with the enthusiastic welcome and menu description. However, once we’d asked to have windows closed, music softened and the menu explained, again, things got better. There was no choice, just a 4-course tasting menu at £30 per head. We didn’t know what was to be offered. Wine choice was expensive. However we went with the flow and were glad we did. The four courses were delicious. An oriental soup/oyster starter, a fish/lentils course, pork dish and a rhubarb pudding. Beautifully presented, tasted delicious, and if you broke it down to £7.50 per course, a bargain. The place has recently been refurbed. You cannot fault the enthusiasm of the owners/chefs who have starred in a Simon Reeves film about Cornwall. We wish them all the best - they deserve it.

Delicious and creative menu, fresh products and very friendly service! I highly recommend this restaurant, it's amazing.

Exceptional place! The food is fantastic, the service is superb, would highly recommend.

Last minute booking for an impromptu date night and oh boy!!! So glad we did. We were treated to the most amazing service and a six course taster menu that was seriously a joy to eat. Definitely coming back

Simply the most original and exiting culinary experience I’ve had in a long time anywhere, with great service from a team who are passionate about food.

Best meal of the year! The food is outstanding, imaginative and very tasty. The waiters are passionate and knowledgeable about the menu. I like that there is just one set menu (with alternatives for different diets)The drinks‘ flight was excellent, some unusual and very well matched choices. We‘ll be back!

5 out of 5! We absolutely loved our experience at Stage. The food was delicious, and they have this setup "surprise" menu where each dish is better than the previous one. Fresh products and an amazing balance between fish and meat. We couldn't ask for anything better! The service was also extraordinary, and this was the cherry on top of our road trip around Devon! I would recommend this place to EVERYONE! I hope we can come back soon.

Went by myself and left lost for words, had the 5 or 6 menu dishes, all of them well presented and delicious. Service was attentive and professional explaining each of them, 100% recommended

What a show. Never disappoints. Drinks pairing recommended

Absolutely wonderful evening our group had at Stage for a birthday. Waiters were fantastic, very personable with great knowledge. Drinks were served promptly and the food was simply out of this world, we loved every surprise and catered well to our vegetarian. We'll definitely be coming back! Keep up the great work guys.

Brilliant lunch, food and service were top notch. Highly recommend.

Another great dinner at Stage 🎉 this was only the second time we've been, this time bringing along my father- and brother-in-law after a long time spent raving to them about our first visit. Loved every single course; favourite three were the mackerel, the truffle tortellini and the insanely delicious mint and cucumber sorbet with a perfect hint of sweetness. Genuinely blew a kiss to the chef after trying the tortellini it was that good. Blimmin' 'ansum. My husband and I are massive foodies and enjoy all sorts of different restaurants, and there is nowhere quite like Stage. It's so nice to enjoy sustainable, delicious and inventive fine dining in such a laid back, friendly, non-judgey environment. Thanks for looking after us again! We will come back :)

Outstanding authentic creative food . Absolutely a must

Over a long weekend in Exeter a visit to Stage was a highlight (along with otters!) Food was inventive - especially liked the cuttlefish fish and beef broth, the pastrami on crumpet was great and would’ve forsaken the beef for another one of those - and the service from the owners is chatty and good fun. We sat on the ‘high table’ (it’s very high) as it was the last one available but it gave us a good view of the kitchen and room. Try the local wine, it’s worth it!

High quality, locally sourced and beautifully tasty food - a model which more restaurants should be replicating in an era of sustainable dining. I could say what everyone says - the bread is amazing (and it really is). However, it merely sets the baseline for the high quality of food and drinks throughout. The flavour combinations in every dish along with the clever sequence of tastings make for a really excellent experience. The homemade Yorkshire puddings with local beef and the mint sorbet were game changing - but ignore this detail because the menu changes regularly to keep it fresh and exciting. Plus the staff are genuine and lovely people. Can't wait to visit again soon!

Fantastic service paired with even better food. If you’re looking for something special this is definitely it! The food here is absolutely delicious! Great atmosphere , some of the best food I've had recently!

Amazing experience , thoroughly recommend. Fabulous place run by Fabulous people.. Bravo Stage, Bravo..

Best tasting menu I’ve had in years, excellent drinks pairings served by friendly knowledgeable staff. Can’t wait to book again.

Such a delightful gem this place and staff. Amazing atmosphere, food is absolutely delicious and service superb! Loved everything! Thank you for such a great experience ❤️

Dinning at stage is the balance of returning home while experiencing the new and exciting. Every dish and it's pairing is balanced, full of layers and compliments every element bringing old memories and flavours back from your past in a brand new way. The immersion within the atmosphere of effortlessly sleek and comfortable environment leaves you smiling and satisfied. The Team at stage and all they do is a genuine and authentic piece of excellence!

We drove from Windsor to sample this wonderful little restaurant in Exeter. We were five friends celebrating a birthday. We loved the element of surprise and enjoyed the several varied and innovative plates on the fixed price menu. Non meat eaters were expertly catered for with skill and care. These were accompanied by the expertly paired "drinks" flight. No spoilers so take the plunge and try it, it was great fun and great value! Stage is not a posh fine dining restaurant. It's a relaxed, laid back small space run by a lovely young team with such interesting ideas in terms of food, drinks, decor...even the crockery was different. Especially loved Robbie and somellier Tom, whose passionate descriptions were so entertaining. Can't wait to go again!

I’ve been here three times now with my family. It’s a 6 course tasting menu so you get to try food you wouldn’t usually order and it’s incredible every time. The dishes are always unique so you won’t get bored of what’s on the menu. I’m not a huge fan of seafood but I will always go with what’s on offer because there’s not one dish I haven’t enjoyed so far. Even if you think you are a fussy eater, they will cater for dietary preferences or requirements. The quality of the food has been amazing and they usually have connection to each producer, most ingredients are locally or ethically sourced. Most importantly for us, we had a gluten free (celiac) in our group, they catered for her perfectly, she had almost the same dish but with a couple of tweaks, she didn’t feel she was being comprised by size or taste by having a slightly different dish to ours. All the portions are generous, so even if one of them isn’t to your taste (all of them were) but you will come away full. To really top it off is the service is impeccable, they are friendly and explain the each dish without being pretentious or take to long as most places with food like this. I highly recommend and always order the bread.

Went here on Monday. I have heard great things about it and it did not disappoint. The 6 courses were amazing along with some lovely drink pairings. What really impressed me is how well they adapted the dishes to suit my pregnant partner and was taken aback at how much thought went into the non alcoholic drink flight. Top marks.

A wonderful experience having the tasting menu and drinks flight - exceptional and fun service, with outstanding courses and excellent drinks pairing. Had such a good time and couldn’t recommend this enough.

Excellent food with a proper service.

The best restaurant in Exeter - and probably the South-West - by a country mile. Great, friendly, passionate service and inspired flavour combinations that will enthuse even the most jaded of palates. There's real joy and curiosity at work here, with surprising and exciting flavour combinations (the wine flight is really worth it for some daring and sympathetic pairings) and insane attention to detail. As a vegetarian it's amazing that they put as much heart into their veggie options as they do their meat courses and there's a something to delight, inspire or intrigue in every course. The essence of fine dining and worth the short walk out of the city centre to experience this absolute gem.

Fantastic visit for lunch, had the 4 course tasting menu with drinks flight, full of surprises, great service, attentive, fun, a must try and worth a trip if not local, 10-15 minutes walk from train station so you can enjoy the drinks flight as well as the great menu.

Absolutely delicious, would 100% recommend! I am coeliac so in February before going my partner had a chat with some staff before booking. They were very friendly and accommodating and very knowledgeable and left him feeling very confident that they would be able to feed us safely so we booked for April (our anniversary). We both had the tasting menu and I had the accompanying drinks flight, thinking it would be small drinks but instead it was 6 full size drinks including two cocktails. Every dish was incredibly well thought out and each drink went perfectly with the course it came with. It was clear the chefs put thought into what gluten-free alternative we would have instead of just replaced with a generic gluten-free item and almost every course felt like it wasn't missing anything - apart from the cheese course which didn't come on a cracker but we got little forks and were happy with that! I would 100% recommend eating there if you are able, although my partner feels that the coffee served was a bit of a let down, especially in comparison to the incredible meal. I hope I will be able to eat there again in the future.

This restaurant is so good I almost want to give it 1 star so I can get a reservation more easily. Price: 30 pounds for a four course lunch menu of this quality is very reasonable. 25 pounds for the drinks pairing. Drinks: insane pairings, I had a 2/3 pint of incredible beer, a glass of amazing champagne-style english wine, an incredible cocktail and a super interesting rosé that I loved. Food: wowowowow I was taking photos but I missed the dessert because the food was so good I forgot. Particular highlights this week were the first course with homemade beef sausage and then the third course sauce (emulsion of soya and chicken stock) that if served in a pint glass would have found a happy home. Service: Best service experience you can get. Two brilliant waiters and dessert served by a lovely chef. They manage to be relaxed and willing to chat with all the tables whilst maintaining quick and efficient service. Overall, can't believe they haven't got at least one michelin star - way superior to most 1star places I've been to. If this restaurant was in paris it would be booked up for a year. P.S for all dietary requirements just say in advance and it'll be sorted. Served us quickly as mentioned I needed to get a train. PPS get the bread!!!

The best restaurant in the south west! Top quality food and service, what a special place. Beautifully prepared, locally sourced food and delicious in-house brewed beer. The team is composed of so many young talented individuals who all work together to put on an incredible experience. This is what you get when you mix talent, creativity and ambition, making the most of their opportunity. Definitely my favourite place to eat in Exeter now, will be coming back again soon!

We had dinner last night at Stage with some friends. It was our first time, and we were blown away by the quality of food, the creativity of the dishes, ambience and service. I’m so pleased we tried the bread, midway through! What a culinary experience - it did not disappoint. Thank you for a fun and enjoyable evening. We had a fabulous time and will be back, for sure!

Absolute 10/10... Amazing food, loved the flight of drinks. Fantastic atmosphere and service! Can't wait to go again!

Lovely food and the wine pairing was well thought out. Staff very attentive and knowledgeable to the food and drinks. Thank you for a great evening

Incredibly good, local food with fabulous sercive and lovely atmosphere. Try their homebrew porter - it is amazing!

I have eaten some amazing meals but nothing compared to this. Every course was faultless. Amazing creations. Finest ingredients. Perfectly seasoned. After eating here I felt like I never wanted to eat again, because it would never be as good as this meal. I wanted to remember these flavours forever.

Underwhelming is the best way to describe my first (and only) visit to The Stage. This is more tapas than fine dining with service that is friendly but came across as rehearsed and formulaic rather than attentive and genuine. I had to ask our server to repeat what the dishes were more than once as she rushed through them so quickly. The last time service left me with such a feeling was at the Fat Duck in Bray. Don't get me wrong, the food was nice and the staff were friendly, the concept just didn't work and it was expensive and rushed. So for £55 per person (dinner), you get a 'surprise' tasting menu, which means you have no idea what's coming. You can, alongside the food, pay almost as much again for a drinks flight (£45). That's also a 'surprise', so you don't know what's coming with that either. Hmm. So we opted for very nice home brewed beer to start and would have chosen some wine too, but as we didn't know what food was coming, we couldn't safely match wine to our food, so we stuck to beer. As I say, not an unpleasant evening, just underwhelming and a little disappointing to be honest. Another issue was that a number of guests came early for their table(s), probably because the website makes it clear that they will only hold tables for 10 minutes. These guests were invited to sit outside until their table was ready, and as one couple pointed out, it was a cold and rainy night and they decided to stand inside. OK, I get that space is limited, but why not make it clear when booking that people will not be seated before their allotted time and that there are tables outside, rather than just point out that they could lose their table if they're more than 10 minutes late. We're pleased we went as we like to try different dining experiences in beautiful Exeter, and The Stage has been on our list for some time. But it's not a performance we'll want to see again in a hurry.

I was expecting more from The Stage as you have to wait so long to get a table. My wife and I booked dinner for a special occasion. The Stage offers a tasting menu for £55. There is an optional £45 drinks flight which we declined as there's no explanation as to what this entails and would, in effect, be doubling our costs from the outset. We would have liked to have some wine, but as the tasting menu dishes are 'a suprise', it's difficult to order wine to suit the forthcoming dishes. The food itself was pleasant enough, but more tapas than fine dining. Staff were very pleasant, but it all felt too rehearsed and superficial. There's nothing I could complain about specifically, the food was nice enough, but the whole experience just doesn't work.

My friend & I were really looking forward to going to eat at Stage having been highly recommended it by several people. I booked in for a Wednesday evening dinner for 2 people 2 weeks in advance, unfortunately on the Sunday my friend (a student nurse) told me she had to work on Wednesday evening, so I rang Stage first thing Monday morning & left a voicemail explaining we could not make Wednesday evening & that we will book again as we were looking forward to it, I didn’t hear anything back so followed up on the Tuesday with an email to make sure they got my message… I got an email back confirming they did but I had to pay a cancellation charge… £94 pounds taken from my bank account! Will never forget that poor customer service & will therefore never book again, real Shan as I was so looking forward to it

Just had an absolutely amazing lunch. The service was first class. The food was some of the best I’ve had in recent years. If you’ve experienced mediocre food and disinterested service since the pandemic (or even before) go to Stage as it is the complete opposite. Affordable Michelin standards tucked away on Magdalen Road.

This is hands down the best meal I’ve had in Exeter for years. The service is attentive and well-informed. The food was so delicious and exciting. Some of the ingredients used I hadn’t tried before. I loved the way there is a focus on sustainability and using food in a different way.