The Exeter Arms in Derby

Fantastic father and son Sunday lunch.

Went for the festive afternoon tea with a reservation- even though we booked ahead, they were full inside and put us outside, which was chilly even with the heaters. The afternoon tea was delicious but the portions were extremely small and very overpriced. Each person had three tiny finger sandwiches, two scones, and a few mini desserts (tasted stale, only one was good enough to eat all of). I enjoyed the experience but it was extremely overpriced and we paid almost £120 for a group of three. Our server was so kind and lovely! Would like to return for a meal instead, hopefully inside.

Had a meal here for our anniversary. Food was lovely, staff very attentive helpful and polite. Gets very busy and not alot of room at the bar so if u turn up slightly early , you may be asked to come back in 20 minutes - but worth it. Decor is amazing, seems alittle cramp but you will enjoy yourselves. Would recommend.

Very cozy and chique interior and very friendly service

The portions are very generous , Menu: Offers a variety of options,

Staff were quite rude on a busy day, festive snowmen, the main part of expensive festive cocktails were missing, when asked where they were, abruptly told, we’ve ran out but no alternative toppers out on or apology for half the cocktail missing. Duck curry usually presented so beautifully, just put in a bowl and literally plonked in front of my friend’s face. Such a shame as had such wonderful experiences before.

Excellent food in a nicely decorated restaurant. Cost was expensive. £100 for a lunch is a lot!

Have been to this Ivy several times before so Thought we’d treat a friend on her 60th birthday to breakfast. Somewhat disappointed!!! The waitress was very abrupt, the food not very warm, the scrambled egg overcooked, the service slow……. It won’t be high on my list to go in future!! A shame- I’ve always raved about it before!

Absolutely delicious. Friendly, helpful service

Fabulous way to celebrate a birthday.

When Yorkshire Grecians come to  Exeter City’s ⚽ home match we always pop into Ivy.  Thank you to Laura and team for always the warmest of welcome.  Fantastic and enjoyable.

A really lovely special place that feels perfect for a celebratory occasion. The lobster linguine was delicious! And the decor was outstanding, such a visual delight. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Looking forward to coming back some day soon!

Timing with food wasn't good. Had to return some food as it was not hot.

delicious and interesting little dessert ~

We prebooked. We got told we would be sat on separate tables but at least expected these to be close to one another! The afternoon tea was not great (small portions and stale/not fresh) and it was not all served at once, half an hour apart! They overcharged us (bride paid for her own drinks but they charged the party twice for these). They also told us we had underpaid but meant they had not received their full discretionary service charge. Really quite poor, expected so much more.

Food was great. 19.17 menu is very well priced. Service could have been faster. Great atmosphere. Will be back

We were sadly very disappointed with our visit for breakfast. The avocado on the avo toast was sludgy dark green, clearly quite old, and the full English was served mostly cold. I ate one bite of the avo toast and left the rest and the waitress did not even ask why when she collected the plate - perhaps she is used to seeing full plates of food returned? Or just poorly trained. The coffee was delicious however (although pricey at £4.25 for a black americano). We won’t be back.

Looks good and the food is fine, the trouble is the bar seems much too slow at producing drinks for the tables. I asked for a bottle of cider to go with my salmon starter. It took around twelve minutes arriving long after the salmon. My waitress tried hard but couldn't influence the way the kitchen and bar worked at different speeds. My glass of red wine arrived a minute or two after my main which was an improvement.

Great food, slightly pricey but so worth it. Staff are really kind and the service is spot on.

Lovely place and very classy. Highly recommend

Friendly , Fantastic staff really enjoyed our meal .....

I'm diabetic and can't eat carbohydrates. The waiting staff and chefs were pleased to alter their menu to cater for my dietary needs.

I met family from the midlands and Huddersfield, we chose this venue as it was central to us all, the reviews were good so we went with it. We were not disappointed we were made welcome and shown to our table, we had already pre ordered our food and payed a deposit as we were a party of 12. The food didn’t disappoint either, all the food was fantastic, I had the kebabs my Husband had the steak and fish. Delicious we didn’t have room for pudding. A great array of beers, ciders, wines and spirits.Definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful place , went for set menu stunning

Nice place we chose for our marriage anniversary day , a free dessert as a gift for our anniversary which make us really surprised, good food quality , absolutely fresh materials, only for stake needs more seasoning but the meet quality was definitely good,,,special thanks for staffs🌺🌺🌺🌺

Nice setting by the cathedral, and the food was good.

Everything is rushed they want you in and out ASAP the food is lovely however you can't enjoy it as you should for the price the restaurant is very spotless toilets on site lovely and clean no disabled access stairs going up but can't fault apart the rushed keep up the good work 👍

This place serves excellent food and is rightly praised for this. However.. Only wanted a snack so had a chip butty, wish I had had a bag of crisps. Not a butty, a baguette with no butter, or just a scrape at best. Baguette was dry and inedible, reheated to appear fresh. Chips were refried from cold. Presentation was non existent. Yes it was only a chip butties but it was a fiver and every meal sent out, however small reflects on the chef. Scored 2 because the beer was good

Great food and great service. Beautiful location.

steak sirloin was fatty with a lot of gristle and asked for medium well, the steak was rare. when waiter was informed the manager only gave complementary tea or coffee which i think is ridiculous seeing as the steak cost well over triple the price of a coffee

Had to wait 30 mins, but I managed to get a solo table as a walk in (no reservation) on a Monday evening. Food as always at The Ivy was delicious and also reasonably priced. I had a main, a side and a glass of wine for under £35.

i asked for a well done steak and i dont know if it was miscommunication or what but i got a steak that look more medium rare, ordered a sirloin which was full of gristle and fat hard to chew that i had to spit bits out, waiter was informed of our bad experience and manager only gave us a complimentary coffee which to me doesnt feel justified for the price i payed for my meal i physically could not finish. atmosphere was good and service was okay but overall feel like a wasted night for my anniversary

We went for brunch on our daughter's 18th birthday. First time we've been for brunch and the atmosphere was great. Busy but not manic. The menu was very reasonably priced and a good selection. The service was great, attentive but not intrusive. We hadn't booked it letting them know it was our daughter's birthday but they soon cottoned on. The manager said he wouldn't allow us to pay for our daughter's food given it was such a milestone for her. A lovely gesture that made the meal even more special.

Good food, delicately made. Good place for celebration. One of the best chips

Excellent quality food & presentation, fantastic service, we will visit again.

Jem of a place good selection of craft ale, food excellent service by Jeo was great. Will defo go back there. Wife and I could have stayed there till close.

Lovely selection on the menu. Well priced. Nice atmosphere, nice staff. Service charge added to the bill before payment for reference.

Fantastic place, food and service. Great value as well.

Delightful food and wine really made our visit to Exeter memorable. Scrumptious Scallops starter and tasty mushroom tagliatelle.

Went today for a special occasion, everything was excellent. We had the Autumn menu which is really good value, food and service was excellent we had table 41 which again was perfect for us. We were kindly given a complimentary desert to share to celebrate our anniversary. Throughly enjoyed our afternoon experience and will be returning.

We have been a few times because I love the atmosphere and the decor. Today was very busy and we were given the most tiniest tablets that ever existed we did not complain but when my partner who was looking at just a wall and could see none of the beauty of the restaurant positioned his chair to the side of the tiny table which our delightful waitress was quite happy with and we were NOT constricting ANYONE ! after five minutes when our mains was bought to the tiny table we were asked if we could move the chair back we didn't but spoilt the rest of our lunch as manager seemed to glare rather than do the opposite and see if we were happy. What a shame spent 110 pounds for lunch and did not feel the effort was there to make us comfortable?? Sorry Ivy not good enough

Afternoon Tea £70.00. Shared pre booked afternoon tea with friend. Table was ridiculously small & very close to the next one. Mentioned it to staff “yes we know but can’t do anything about it” Sandwiches, cakes and scones (4 mini ) were mediocre with just enough cream for one. Staff were very attentive but as explained to them - it is very difficult & disappointing to have to hold a conversation with a cake stand between you! Celebratory occasion spoilt! Lovely decor but sadly £70 + Service Charge added was not good value for money. Would not return or recommend The Ivy.

Lovely food and great service. Would definitely recommend

Had a amazing experience. Everything was spot on considering we called at short notice. Food was brilliant and the staff wonderful.

Recommended by another traveller - a traditional pub with a great atmosphere. Staff were lovely and food was great - we had fish & chips and the 3 mini pies. Was a wait for food but that was fine as was in no hurry. Will definitely return if back in Derby :)

Had a wonderful afternoon tea with friends. Service was very good, especially Caitlin who looked after us very well. Can’t wait to return again!

Had a great time at Ivy. Good service and tasty food.

Like always The Ivy is the best

Fantastic place, beautiful decor, great food, high-level service. I highly recommend it

While Martha’s service was commendable, I was disappointed with Paula, the manager - when we complained about the antisocial behaviour outside the stunning chapel she walked away! There was no apology for the issues we faced, and our request to adjust the bill was not addressed initially. Michal eventually resolved the situation by removing a round of drinks from the bill, along with the cold food we were served, which I appreciate. However, we had to request police intervention due to disruptive antisocial behaviour outside. Although the police resolved the situation, The Ivy did not offer any apology or acknowledgment. I have emailed yourself several times, which has lead me to no other option than to leave a review online. We also noticed that the table next to us had similar concerns, and the overall atmosphere left us feeling unwelcome and asked to remove service charge. I hope you will address these issues and ensure a better experience for future guests. If you are looking to dine outside, I would AVOID!

Outstanding, in every way. The staff were FIRST CLASS, ambience, food and attention to detail were all exceptional. Thank you. It was my parents 59th wedding anniversary and it was everything we hoped for and more. Highly recommended.

9th September - had a fabulous meal at the Ivy - service and food was excellent - thanks

Superb atmosphere and great food. Amy was a particularly excellent server!

A great place for breakfast with a great brunch menu with a variety of options which cater for all dietary requirements! Thank you Ivy Exeter

Delicious breakfast in beautiful surroundings. This is my favourite place.

Reheated meal from yesterday...waiter admitted from.last evening late...can nog be..they cleaning kitchen to go home not cooking gor a next day Afternoon tea next table...terrible artificial colouring used on cakes...Terrible!!!

Honestly the best food I have ever had in derby. The chefs and staff are amazing so hospitable and honestly the food is incredible.

Visited here on 8 june. Initially we accidently made a booking to be seated outside where we ended up eating our starters which were absolutley delicious. The staff were great and got us the first available seat inside the restaurant. As with all the Ivy restaurants, the decor and ambiance are superb and this was no different. The mains were also cooked to perfection, steak was perfectly cooked and the mashed potato was so silky smooth. The standout dishes were the salt and pepper squid, chicken skewers and you must try the celebration chocolate bomb dessert! I had arranged a small surprise birthday cake for one of us which the staff went along with perfectly, and was given free of charge, which was a nice touch. Great tasting cocktails too. Will be back again very very soon!

The Ivy Exeter is brilliant! Myself and a friend came in for drinks and we felt so special. All the staff made us feel so welcome! Kyle was great and had a great conversation with us. We will definitely be back.

Nice environment Lovely service Good food

Amy took good care of us, talked through our afternoon tea, what we had been served, was very friendly and helpful. Our food was tasty and the ambience was perfect. Thank you fir a great afternoon!

Came here for my mums birthday lunch and it was just perfect. CJ looked after us and she was absolutely fantastic!

Great selection of ales, craft beer and non-alcoholic drinks. The menu has a wide array of choice suitable for any taste of any age. The staff are always friendly and any wait on food is overshadowed by the great atmosphere and excellent food.

Lovely service 😊 recommendations and offers explained well. Tasty food and a lovely surprise of a shared free dessert x thank you

Very calm & beautiful surroundings. Service was attentive without being intrusive. Will go again.

During the day of our visit: Customer Service - needs improvement on Hospitality. (good thing it's not a custom to leave a tip, it would be difficult to leave a tip based on the service we got on that day) Food - average to below average ; not what it used to be. Conclusion: Personally, I'd probably think twice, thrice, or have it as a last option before I go back as the price they are asking is not on par with quality they provide on service and food based on our experience.

Amazing experience, the food was outstanding. The only slight negative, the service charge was a little bit on the high side. Other than that please give this a try.

We went here for an anniversary meal. The squid ink pasta was really good but the burger was only okay. Service a little slow too but overall atmosphere was nice.

Met with friends for a birthday lunch. Excellent. Nothing else needs to be said.

So disappointing tonight… the burger was awful .. cardboard texture, totally tasteless ..left it ! nice service but 4 different servers despite it becoming be very quiet .. Shame as usually love our experience so much !

Amazing food and great service. Poppy was helpful and took note of the requirements. Vibe was great, too. We went without advance booking, we were lucky to get a place. Strongly recommend The Ivy if you are looking for some authentic british hospitality and dining experience. Dessert was soooo yummy, Ivy Bomb🤤 . Best part is the moment we mentioned looking for some vegetarian options, they had a separate menu for that...fantastic👌

Amazing service and standard of food & drinks today - as always! Please can we also thank SAM - he's always working so hard is and always a pleasure to see - I don't know how anyone can always be so so happy and attentive while working - he is a big part of the reason this pub wins "Pub of the Year" award each year - that guy deserves a pay rise - please look after him! See you all again very very soon! Andy (07814495153)

This is our 3rd time in an Ivy restaurant, and it didn't disappoint. We were celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary, the food was stunning, and the service was outstanding as it always is. I would highly recommend.

Went to THE IVY with high expectations having not been there before. It was my daughters special birthday so wanted a special evening. The building and decor I would class as special but the food and service certainly was not. The place was not at all busy with plenty of empty tables but the waiter sat us on a table closely next to another table, directly being overlooked by 2 other diners, luckily they soon left or I would have asked to be moved. We all had starters, I had the Crispy duck salad which was nice with some good flavours, everyone else had the tomato soup which they said was nice. The whole evening seemed rushed as the place was more or less empty by around 9pm and our main courses were quickly brought out after our starter dishes were removed. I ordered the THE IVY CLASSIC dish of Truffle Chicken Milanese and was advised by the waiter to order an extra side dish as there was not a lot with it. The chicken was tough,dry and tasteless and I've had far better pub grub. Again on finishing our dishes were quickly removed as if the staff were in a hurry to leave. I did not complain on the night as I did not wish to spoil my daughters evening but I certainly didn't pay the 12.5% service charge that was on the bill. None of our meals were particularly exciting and The Ivy did certainly not live up to its reputation or my expectations. Would I return ? Definitely not when paying £164 for no more than what I would describe as Pub Grub.

We booked the private dining area for lunch to celebrate our civil partnership yesterday, there were ten of us. The room was fabulous and made it feel very personal without any background noise from other guests. The staff were very professional and attentive, and the food was absolutely excellent. Thank you to everyone concerned and we will definitely dine there again.

What an unassuming pub from the outside but charming pub inside. A great choice of 'Dancing Duck' ale and further more a great portfolio of lagers, spirits and wine. Devine food. All our party enjoyed the experience - such a hidden gem - worth seeking this out if you are ever in Derby

Animal cruelty restaurant PLEASE READ!!! A pigeon was stuck outside the restaurant in the netting, above the restaurants door. The bird was stuck for over an hour and it was still alive. I went to a speak with the waitress to try and help it. She spoke with the manager, who he didn't even bother to come to talk to me or have a look what was going on. The waitress came back told me they can't do anything. I saw her where the bird was and that was stuck because of them having the netting there but she didnt bother. Please refer to photo. *Update: Your response indicates that the fire service came to help, but does not clarify that *I* had to call the fire services, and consequently took the bird under my care. The bird has survived but has serious injuries. You did not offer any support with this, so it is disingenuous to imply that you did.

The food was delicious but the special and careful attention of the restaurant manager stood out.

As always, The Ivy delivers a great meal out in a beautiful environment. The Ivy in Exeter was no different, great service, makes you feel special 💗🙂🍹

Lovely food and excellent cocktails. Charming and professional staff. Absolutely worth it. Thank you

Came down for the weekend to visit my daughter and we booked breakfast at The Ivy. All staff members made us feel very welcome, the service was quick and efficient and the food was delicious. We would both recommend the eggs royale. Next visit we will come for dinner.

Went for my mums birthday lunch today and everything was absolutely fantastic. The service was quick and staff were so friendly, Amrit and Tash in particular looked after us and they were great. My mum did the nachos were the best we've after had and her fella couldn't finish his main which is the first time I've ever seen him not finish a meal! 10/10 would absolutely recommend!

Very beautiful decorative building with plant filled interior. The afternoon tea is a must when celebrating an event or birthday.

Over priced. I wasn't offered a set menu at that price, I was offered a set menu at £50 pounds. I actually ordered the Ivy's take on a shepherd's pie (£16.95), it was 4" in diameter and 1" thick. Not great.

What a quaint place full of real plants and good food.

We enjoyed a family celebration and the whole experience was fantastic, from the tasty food to the amazing service. Highly recommend and can’t wait to return.

Celebrating our joint 60th birthdays, we had an excellent 4 course dinner with fizz and cocktails. A very decorative and relaxed setting with efficient and friendly staff made for a wonderful evening. Certainly not our first visit and most definitely not the last. Highly recommend The Ivy, Exeter.

I took my mum away for a weekend for her birthday last year. And I found the ivy, and thought it would be lovely to go there. The place is amazing. The food is so nice the Staff are so professional and friendly, and the atmosphere is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

Well I have to say I was disappointed I was taken there on my hen do ,started off great then my starter arrived I moved my lime to discover two hairs notted together and black, all my party are bleach blonde so couldn't possibly have been ours they appoligesed and offered to get me another but my party had started and either I carry on or miss a starter I decided to carry on and put it behind me as after all it was my hen night but had a couple of bites then went to the loo and brought it back up ,as the thought of someone else hair in my starter made me feel sick ,went back to my group and said never mind it happens let's move on The main arrived with no sides it was probably 5 mins before one arrived and it was wrong then 5 mins later the rest of sides arrived including the wrong one by which time the food was going cold we asked for some drinks and waited 20 mins and no one came to take our drinks order so we asked again our drinks order was taken and we waited and waited and waited 45 min later me and a member of our party went to the loo where on route there was a lot of staff congrated chatting we came out went back to table still no drinks we nipped out side and when we came back In the drinks arrived as I poured my lemonade in to my gin there was a bug doing the back stroke in my gin we called the manager who totally ignored us so spoke to the girl who had taken the order to say we have waited 45 min for drinks only to have a bug delivered in it and her response was I'm sorry we are really busy ,at this point I was cross as the service was awful the manager didn't care and then they were using a excuse of we are busy !!! Not that busy to stand up the other end chatting as we saw them we are paying customers and being treated badly ,it's not cheep to eat there it was a special occasion we decided to skip pudding and finish our drinks and go as we asked for the bill they brought over 6 glasses of champagne which was clearly a after thought , the manager when talking to me wouldn't even look me in the face and didn't really seem to care how bad our night had gone in the ivy, I was disgusted we gave the champagne to another table I said first and last time would never go back our bill came to £324.79 would have gotten better service at McDonald's so verry disappointed as was really looking forward to it included in the bill was a service charge of £36.09 seriously when our service was so bad !!!!

Funky decor, tasty, inspiring food. Veg curry was luke warm, but this was quickly rectified when pointed out. I only saw 2 members of staff smile, one looked totally spontaneous and genuine (a young male runner bringing out food from the kitchen). Everyone else looked thoroughly miserable which was a pity as I like a happy atmosphere.

My wife and I had a very enjoyable evening meal at The Ivy last Friday. The restaurant was busy with a nice atmosphere, we were quickly seated and the staff attentive. We both really enjoyed the food and will definitely dine hear again when the opportunity arises. Thank you.

Went for afternoon tea , place lovely but food disappointing. Scones dry, not enough savoury, too much sweet .

I have thought long and hard about posting this review as I don’t like to be negative but the circumstances of what subsequently happened have decided me to relate our experience. We decided to stay over in Exeter to break our journey back from our holiday in Cornwall and booked a table at the Ivy as recommended by friends for their consistency and quality. On arrival we ordered a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne while we looked at the menu. We both chose the double cheese soufflé dressed with pine nut after making sure that it could be served without any trace of pine nuts as my friend has a nut allergy, followed by the sea bass and shepherd’s pie. A waiter brought the champagne, poured 2 glasses and then took the bottle away as the table was too small for it to be left. Our soufflés arrived after a while and were very enjoyable but within a few minutes my friend felt ill so went to the bathroom and was violently sick. On her return she took another sip of champagne but felt ill again and left for the bathroom. At this point I asked a waiter to bring some more of our champagne. After about 10 minutes he returned with 2 glasses and told me that someone had accidentally poured the champagne away and would I accept 2 complementary glasses instead. By this time I decided that I needed to get my friend back to our hotel and medical assistance if necessary so I asked for our bill, paid and left. On our return to Yorkshire I contacted The Ivy and told them what had happened to my friend and in reply was assured an investigation would take place and would be told if the results. I am still waiting.

Lovely decor and fantastic vibe. Getting in however was a trifle daunting........felt like we being given the once over. Our wait staff were delightful. Would be 5 stars but the lovely tea service was let down by 'tea bags' floating in the teapot. I take tea at home with loose leaf tea and would expect the same when dining out. Don't be put off by this fussy old bloke, worth a visit just for the decor and the desserts were lovely.

OK, I give in. 4 visits, 2 great, 2 dire. 1st 2 were lovely, back when they opened. Next one was a tabel of 10 and 8 of us didn't eat it was that bad and we'd sent back steaks ... twice. This time - 2 of us for lunch. Service was slow, unprofessional, charmless, scruffy (I don't want to see someone's bare lower back constantly). Champagne took an age and wasn't chilled properly. My one glass of red wine wasn't available (after a wait) so I ordered another - it hadn't arrived by the time my steak was on my table, some time later. This was my only meal that I can remember where i had just one small glass of red. I just couldn't be bothered with the wait. My steak was overcooked - and I mean grey instead of med-rare. It also had a "wang" to the flavour. I complained and had 2 coffees comped. The steak should have been removed from the bill. The bill was incorrect (had to get it amended to remove the overcharge as they'd priced their lunch special as seperate full price courses - very amateurish - and easily overlooked by customers). To top it all when I told them to remove the service charge our waitress said, "I'll see what we can do"... No love, you remove it. No "seeing". It's discretionary and after an atrocious main, long waits, and an overcharge (oh, and tepid champers) there is no way I'm paying service. I've not seen such a sht show in years. You are far far better off at Cote round the corner. Attentive, fast, happy service, good value delicious food. The Ivy Exeter is a chain restautant, and an expensive one at that. We sat watching in amusement as each member of staff refused to get involved in any other job than their own. - Champagne waiting for us at the bar? - one lad who had nothing to do, looked at the ticket, then took a step back. Not my job. I had to ask for them to be fetched. Then, HE brought them over. I should NOT have to ask. - Food arrives and put on a staff table to get cold - other staff see it, with our ticket on it - drop it at our table - 5 feet away? No, not their job - that's for our waitress (who's busy taking photos for customers - you really need to stop doing that if you can't keep up btw). - It was the same everywhere we looked - they have allocated jobs and they won't help anyone else no matter how little they might have to do at the time. We didn't see one member of staff smile - not even with each other. I assume there is a management/moral issue. It doen't feel great as a customer. The whole thing lacked any special atmosphere at all - which it use to have in spades when they opened. Never again.

Food and service were superb. We started sitting outside,but moved inside which wS so much better.

It's an overpriced chain. Nothing more. The table service was very good.

Everything we had was average or worse. Not going back.

Seated outside for brunch with my dog. A special treat after The Cathedral mass. A bowl of water was offered for my dog, a welcoming gesture indeed.

Great food and atmosphere although felt timing was a little fast and wasn't asked for sides when ordering, but all in all a pleasant experience