The Galley Restaurant in Exeter

We visited the Galley whilst enjoying a short break just down the railway line in Lympstone. Great food (although the posh fish and chips wasn't my best ever food choice....totally my fault and nothing wrong with the food at all - my tolerance for deep fried food just isn't what is was in my youth) and a good wine list. Service was friendly and attentive. Overall, a very nice dining experience. Would definitely be a regular haunt if we lived in the area.

Everything was excellent including the service and the food and wine. Sourdough bread came with two butters: one salted and one flavoured with wild garlic. Loved the wild garlic one in particular. The skrei cod was beautifully cooked. An adjoining table suggested it was over salted but I did not think so. It is of course a matter of taste. A birthday sparkler came with my dessert of cardamom and rhubarb mousse with Italian meringue and rhubarb sorbet. A lovely dessert with a glass of Sauternes.

As always a perfect meal! We had 3 courses (my husband had duck leg ravioli for starters followed by Megrim Sole & veg and then rhubarb mousse with Italian meringue, crumb & sorbet. I had smoked mackerel pate, beef bavette & veg, & sticky toffee canele. We both also loved the homemade bread with homemade wild garlic butter, plus we had wine, beer, coffee & petit fours - all of amazing taste & cooked to perfection! The service was excellent as always. It was a special occasion today (husband’s 70th birthday!) A perfect meal had by us both - whatever your preference you will not be disappointed! Prices are good & food excellent! Portions are smaller than pubs serve but the tastes are exquisite! We were both full & well satisfied!

From the outside the Galley is a very plain looking building, step inside though and taste the food and be wowed. Two of us had scallops to start and one had the mackeral pate, both very good, the we tried the megrim sole perfectly cooked and the bavette steak. The highlight for us though were the desserts, the espresso parfait was a masterpiece. Even better the Galley offers very rasonable fixed pricing for 2 and 3 courses.

We arrived in Topsham and parked on the Quay. The restaurant is a shot walk from there. The welcome was one of warmth. We had a table in the window that suited us well. The service was fantastic, friendly, attentive, and accommodating. The menu choices were amazing, and actually, the food was just amazing. We had 3 courses and we thourally enjoyed them all. The restaurant has a few table downstairs and more upstairs and can accomadte parties up to 10. Highly recommended restaurant tucked away in Topsham A special thanks to the kitchen and the "waiter" for making our visit memorable. We will return at some point to sample another element of the memo

A stunning range of exquisite, beautifully prepared food. Excellent, friendly service. Good wine and fair prices. The only slight change we would make was that the mains were small, and the optional side came with a Romescu sauce which was slightly too strong for the delicate sole main. Happy to have veg as an optional side, but perhaps two choices of sauce topping would have made sense.

What an absolutely fantastic restaurant, I honestly cannot fault a single thing which is extremely rare nowadays! The environment, ambience, staff, service, food, wine, price EVERYTHING was impeccable!! So much so that we booked a table to visit in April for my mum's birthday whilst we were still there! I can't wait to go back and I am spreading the word to anyone that will listen to make a booking and experience it for themselves!!

Visiting Exeter for a few days we decided to dine in Topsham. What a remarkable find! The Galley was exceptional. The food was truly wonderful, the wine recommendation delicious, the staff informative, attentive and friendly and the little dining room, totally charming. We will most definitely be back. Thank you.

We called last minute, and happily for us there was a cancellation, so we had dinner here a few Fridays ago. The restaurant is small and cosy, about 10 tables, nice service, and very competent cooking. The only slight criticism is that the food is a little on the cool side – as in temperature – for example, we had a side dish of green vegetables and new potatoes, ideally these should have been steaming hot, but they were just warm. Similar issue with my cauliflower velouté – a hotter soup would have been better – this was just lukewarm. Overall, good value - £36 for 3 courses plus drinks. We will be back. Hope the food is a bit hotter next time.

We booked the Galley for date night so off we went. Small cost restaurant, great atmosphere, the owner greeted us ..a very pleasant man. We ordered starters which were Devilled Gurnard .. excellent, Duck leg ravioli and Beetroot tartlet both again excellent, onto mains my wife had pan roasted Sea Bass ..which she really enjoyed I had the Monkfish with confit chicken wing and chicken sauce unusual combination but my word it was delicious to finish i had carrot cake with walnut ice cream .. beautiful. Just a small whinge the servers as polite and pleasant as they were could benefit from a little training as we had empty beer bottles and dirty dishes left on the table for quite some time that being said The Galley is worthy of 5 stars and we will definitely be going again. We like to support local independent businesses.

This is as close as Topsham gets to "fine dining". The menu offers two fixed price options (£30 for two or £36 for three courses). The food was very tasty and beautifully presented. Portions were modest, as one might expect, but we were still pleasantly full after three courses. The wine by the glass was decent and very reasonable. Service was good. The restaurant was pretty chilly when we were there in a January cold snap; dress appropriately.

We have always found that this restaurant provided exceptional food at reasonable prices and this visit was no exception. The service was great, as usual, and the meal was relaxed and enjoyable. We hadn’t been here for a few months and it was great to find that it was still operating at 100%.

Great food and friendly staff. Pleasant rustic type surroundings. Prices quite expensive for both food and drinks but great quality in both. Speciality seafood restaurant. We were late for our booking due to travel difficulties but rang to apologise and staff were very understanding.

The set menu at £30.50(two course) and £36.50(three courses) offers a good choice of seafood dishes and one or 2 non seafood dishes. The quality of the food, the presentation and the flavours are excellent. The decor is contemporary, mainly blue, with art work on the walls for sale. Service is efficient and fun.

A lovely cosy restaurant. Very welcoming. It stated on the website there would be daily specials, but there was none. The food was beautifully presented, the scallops were superb. The halibut was stunning, beautifully cooked, however the accompanying sprouts were so under cooked they were inedible. The tables are very close, so not great for an intimate meal. As a first time patron, I was happy with my visit but by no means overwhelmed. Not sure I would put the effort in to return.

Full marks for quality of the served food Enjoyment let down by the tiny servings of the main courses

Took my husband here today (07/11/23) as a surprise birthday treat after visiting local RSPB site (also worth a visit) From start to finish I cant praise highly enough. Staff are lovely and we had no problem with our wine glasses! The menu is mouthwateringly attractive and yet impressively simple (I hate having to um and ah too much) What we chose Starters Butternut Squash Velouté & Pan Roasted Scallop, Main Sea Bream & Roasted Halibut (with seasonal veg) washed down with 2 large glasses of Gros Manseng Puds Pear & Caramel Cake & Plum Parfait What we thought Absolutely fantastic lunchtime experience thankyou Gallery team well worth the 106 mile round trip ... we certainly will return and tell our friends

When I queried the very small wine glasses on our table I was informed that it depended on the wine we were drinking (white) and that they were short of glasses. Not the friendliest experience!

I have always loved this restaurant and been coming here for years. This was the best meal I have ever had here. From start to finish the food was delicious. Yes I could have done with some more butter to go with the bread but I could have asked. Every dish was wonderful. The chicken parfait was whipped and light and the bruschetta melted on your tongue. My partner chose the smoked haddock scotch egg with a light curry sauce which was amazing. Followed by Mushroom risotto beautiful creamy and tasty. The desserts were delicious all washed down with a great red wine. The only thing I would like is better glasses to drink your delicious wine from. The service is great and all in all I think it was brilliant.

I booked a table to celebrate my friend’s birthday. The Galley is a lovely little restaurant, with an interior that mixes cosy and modern. The menu is small, but well-considered and it would have been easy to choose most of the dishes! Great wine list too. Paddy was an excellent host; attentive and helpful without overdoing it! The candle in the dessert was an unsolicited and appreciated gesture. We loved all our food - really beautifully cooked, and delightfully presented. Good coffee too. All-in-all, I would thoroughly recommend and we intend to return.

This is our second visit here and we weren't disappointed. The quality of the food is brilliant. Some of the best food I've ever had and on par with Michelin star food I've had in the past. The portions are on the small side, yes, but if you order 3 courses, you'll find they are perfectly portioned. This restaurant also produces excellent meat (pigeon, venison etc) and vegetarian dishes, so it is something to suit most people. We rate it very highly.

Great meal for a couples night out. Brilliant service and delicious food. Best meal I have had in this restaurant. Fine dinning at its best.

What we had was very nice, but the portions are very small and it all seems a bit stingy. One member of staff was good but the second was not good at all, he was inattentive and didn’t listen. But annoying really when paying good money. Make sure you order some veg to go with your meal or you will be hungry.

Our Wedding anniversary. So we decided to treat ourselves. The service was 5 star. Attentive staff. They let us have a breather between courses which we appreciated. There is nowhere better in Topsham to eat. This is simply the best, better than all the rest

We had the three course set menu for £36.50. The food was excellent with interesting and delicious sauces. We paid a £4 supplement for the cheese board, which was worth the extra. We had 3 local cheeses and plenty of biscuits. The service was friendly and efficient.

Another excellent meal last night – well done all at the Galley. All courses were truly delicious but ‘stand out’ were the haddock scotch egg and the chocolate dessert. Already booking again for a birthday treat in November.

Thoroughly enjoyable lunch. Very friendly welcome and excellent service continued throughout the meal (and quite tellingly no automatic service charge added to bill). Food was delicious. Mushroom risotto, cured sea trout, devilled mackerel and grey mullet all washed down by a lovely bottle of very reasonably priced French Viognier. Only one desert managed, chocolate delice, but again superb. Truffles and fudge with coffee are a lovely ending touch. Do you get the sense we may be back!!?

It's been a while since we'd been to The Galley and to be honest I'd forgotten how good it was - the whole meal was just lovely from start to finish. We were given a warm welcome and a nice corner table [in response to my requesting a quieter table due to hearing difficulties - amazing how many places ignore this request so this was much appreciated]. Every course was beautiful and tasty - the crab tartlet was small but perfectly formed, the sea bream was gorgeous and I loved the 'theatre' of cracking open my white chocolate/mango mousse which was delicious too. We took my 80+ year old mum with us as a treat for her and she LOVED it. We're definitely not leaving it so long to return that's for sure!

This lovely restaurant never disappoints! We have been coming for 15 years; the welcome and service are always friendly and efficient. The food is delicious; flavours are amazing and it’s such an intimate setting. There has been a seamless transition between Nigel and his son Patrick running the restaurant. We bought friends who don’t live locally this time and it was just as good as always; we are so lucky to have The Galley in Topsham, thank you!

We'd seen this place had been highly recommended for seafood, so opted to book it a good month or so in advance. This is one of those places that I feel you really do need to plan ahead for as it's very popular. The restaurant is quite small and nestled in amongst the old buildings of beautiful Topsham, and close to overlooking the river. Car parking is also very close by. When we arrived (on the correct day this time!) we were given a cosy little table in the back part of the restaurant and were quickly served. The menu is priced so you buy either 2 or 3 courses for a set price, and that works perfectly. We decided to have a main and dessert each. I opted to have the Roasted Monkfish Tail, with Tomato, Black Olive, Mussels, Romesco Sauce. There were actually two tails on this plate and cooked to perfection, with the meat just easily pulling away from the single bone. My wife had the Sea Bream, with Pea, Broad Beans, Pommes Anna, Warm Tartare Sauce, Potato Scraps, Split Dill Cream Sauce. She really was delighted with it. For dessert, we both had the Elderflower Panna Cotta , Poached Strawberry, Earl Grey Sablé, Basil, Strawberry Sorbet. So pleased we chose that one. The dishes here aren't massive, but the richness of the food makes up for that and we found them quite filling. We found the service to be outstanding and we were made to feel special. A lovely restaurant with wonderful food, cosy atmosphere and 10/10 service. Definitely one we will return to.

Visited for a birthday lunch and it didn’t disappoint. A sensibly-priced, delicious three course meal, each dish prepared to a high standard. Very friendly service and we weren’t rushed.

Great restaurant, small but perfect! Very welcoming cheery staff, great atmosphere. The menu was small but there was nothing that we didn't want to choose. The food was beautifully presented and delicious.... especially the Cod Cheeks! The petit fours with the coffee was a lovely...

Popped in for a dinner and we managed to get a table- not an easy feat apparently as by the time we left the place was buzzing. Very impressed by the service, style, choice in wine. All was magical for us as an impromptu visit....

Delicious food, great service, just a wonderful place for a celebration or just a lovely evening out

starter quite good but barely the size of an amuse-bouche!!! main course of fish perfectly cooked, sadly sauces very watery and tasteless. one cheese course ordered = a rip-off at £12.50!!! (Charging « Cheese supplement + extra course »???) Both desserts excellent. service OK, until point when...

The most beautiful dining experience looking over the estuary in Devon, the monkfish and sea bream were a beautiful joy. If I had photos I would post them but the menu is incredible, and I would say just perfect sized for what one is paying....

This was our second visit to the Galley, after having first come here on November. We had a lovely seat upstairs that offered great view over the water. The food was excellent and the portions just right if you are going for the full three...

Small quaint restaurant situated in the pretty estuary town of Topsham. The menu has a strong emphasise on fish, all of which was cooked perfectly. The portions are not large, however, I was quite repleat at the end of the meal. Looking forward to my...

Fabulous lunch. Fresh fish beautifully served and perfectly cooked. Several choices and we had different dishes and all were great. The desserts were of the same quality and the service was great too. Small, so need to book.

What a wonderful place! From start to finish. We arrived to a charismatic greeting and the attentive service stayed constant throughout the night. We cracked open a yummy rosé and chose our feast. They brought warm bread with signature butters. One being a marmite treat....

We ate here last night and were truly wowed by the food. This is Michelin Star quality cooking at a fraction of the price and with a wonderful view of the Exe. We had starters of crab tartlet and wasabi mackerel; mains of ‘on the...

We have been to the Galley a number of times over the last few years and the standard of their food and service remains (in our opinion) very high. Yesterday was no exception. Unusually, my partner and I ordered the same main and pudding. The...

welcoming and attentive staff, superb meal, great value for fine dinning meal. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Amazing setting and stunning food. Very good service and ambience too. Went recently for a special occasion and it ticked all of the boxes. Will definitely be back.

We ate here for the first time since the new chef was appointed in November and were delighted to find that he has not only maintained the previous fabulously high standards but has surpassed them. The flavours and presentation of all three of our lunch...

A warm welcoming atmosphere and delicious food. What more can you ask for. A select and beautifully presented menu with great seafood options. Clear plates all round! 🥰.

The food was cooked to perfection and very tasty the service was good. we enjoyed everything we had, but unfortunately, the portion size was so small we left feeling hungry and a little disappointed after paying our 90 quid bill for 2, we won't return

This was the first time we’ve visited since the Galley reopened, having been huge fans over the years where there has been different chefs. We were delighted that the quality of the food was some of the best we’ve enjoyed. We had the scallops and...

Would highly recommend this little gem of a restaurant. Food is superb, staff very attentive but not over the top, wonderful setting. So every bit as good as we had hoped. If there was one very minor criticism, both my wife and I would have...

We visited on the day that the Galley had been awarded a Michelin Apron award, which was richly deserved. The restaurant is small but doesn’t feel crowded and has a great atmosphere . Front of house was excellent, attentive to just the right amount ,...

Fantastic food and great service, in a lovely location. The value for money is exceptional. The quality of food is on par with restaurants that charge double the price. We hope to visit again soon!

Stand out small restaurant with a focus on fish and seafood. Chef James Checkley and his brigade produce perfectly cooked fish dishes as well as great desserts in a cosy room close to the old port’s quay. Very reasonably priced mid week lunch of two...

Everything was amazing. The staff, ambience and most importantly the food was top class. Best meal for a very long time. I wish this restaurant was closer to where we live.

We decided to eat at The Galley after seeing the head chef on Master Chef The Professionals ( he came 4 th and created such amazing food ) We had such a wonderful lunch , three delicious courses all such a treat for the tastebuds...

Visited with husband and friends, lovely chilled out small restaurant. Friendly staff who are attentive whilst not being over bearing. We wanted to visit after following local boy James Checkley aka Nipper, on professional MasterChef. The food was beautiful, as anticipated. Myself and my friend...

Went for lunch and sat in the window with a view of the estuary, bathed in the warmth of winter sun. A perfect setting in this cosy, friendly restaurant, followed by what turned out to be the most perfect dining experience. The fixed price menu...

Food, couldn't fault it, service, friendly, understated and professional. Perfect. This was my third visit and I would definitely recommend it

A very warm welcome, outstanding service and brilliant food and to finish we met James the new chef to make a great ending to the evening, we will definitely be back.

Wonderful setting looking out on to estuary. Small and cosy restaurant with lovely foodie feel. Everything was pretty much perfect. Good menu and quality of ingredients,cooking and presentation was very good. Service and value for money also good. For me close to Michelin star standards....

Lunch today here was excellent. Scallops, ham Ballantine, stone bass and bream were all superb. Desserts to die for. Service low key but very pleasant and efficient. Very highly recommended!

Great little restaurant, nice atmosphere, and very goof food from an interesting menu. We try to go whenever we are in Devon but it gets very busy, not surprisingly. Highly recommended.

A group of us dined at The Galley on 5th January and the meal was one of the best I have had, both in England, and abroad. The scallops starter was sweet and tender and the venison, with all its imaginative accompaniments, gorgeous - cooked...

Our neighbourhood restaurant - another excellent meal with a tasting menu. Better than most tasting menus in that is it included a glass of champagne, bread, amuse bouche, coffee. Best courses - mushroom tart - beautiful! Sea bass - delightful Venison - heavenly. James Checkly,...

Really enjoyed our visit. I had the scallop starter, which melted in your mouth. My boyfriend had the mushroom tart which was also tasty. The main courses were the seabream and venison - both were excellent. We were concerned that the portion sizes were small...

Everything about The Galley is good. The ambience, the view over the river, friendly service and of course the food. The vegetarian options were very tasty and shied away from the obvious. We also liked the ballotin and sweetcorn veloute. The bream fillet was excellent...

We booked lunch here for a break from the Christmas food! Everything was perfect. The service was just lovely. Attentive but not overpowering. The food was just out of this world. We cannot wait to go back again !

Friendly welcome and excellent service from Patrick and the team. Delicious food created by James in the kitchen, with the sweetcorn veloute and stone bass real highlights. Incredible value! We look forward to returning, thank you SO much!

The restaurant was fairly busy but not quite full. The service was very slow, inattentive and unprofessional. Although the ingredients were of good quality and the standard of cooking was good, it took so long to arrive that we had begun to lose interest. When...

This was our fifth trip to The Galley and cannot recommend it more highly. I never leave reviews but on this occasion felt I needed to share our experience. The service has always been excellent, with a friendly and attentive front of house team. They...

I visited with my wife in midweek as they seem pretty booked up at weekends! The menu was not lengthy, but that didn't bother us, as all the options looked interesting. We chose different fish dishes in a 3-course fixed price menu. The food was...

Just had a delicious and well balanced meal at the Galley restaurant. Lovely staff and service. Certainly better than a lot of the overpriced London restaurants that i mostly eat in

So lovely to be back at this little gem! Been here several times but never for lunch. Really lovely, light, deliciously flavoured dishes paired with a beautiful French Pinot Noir! Master Chef 2022 finalist chef at our service! Friendly, attentive staff and a view across...

There are several reviews here which complain about small portions. These miss the point. Yes, the portions are not large, but the quality is extraordinarily good. I’ve not eaten such skilfully cooked and flavoursome food in ages. Personally, I think it’s good value for money....

Went for lunch with a friend for the first time after seeing the great reviews here on trip advisor and yes the food certainly was wonderful a real treat with quality ingredients and very tasty. Great service from a lovely waitress, the only reason I...

Do not miss this restaurant. Worth driving to. We were served a delicious 3 course menu at a great price. James the chef has recently been on the great British menu and we know why. A passionate chef with a great team. We will be...

We arrived at The Galley and were greeted by the staff who were very welcoming. We had nice window seat so we could see the Estuary. I ordered the Trout starter and my Wife had the scallops, my goodness the food was excellent all the...

Delicious food and friendly but professional service. We’ll be back next time we visit Topsham. The chef is definitely one to watch!

Service was super friendly and knowledgeable and food was fabulous. Had the three course menu and every course was superb. This chef can cook!

I visited The Galley tonight with my mum, for an evening meal out. Neither of us had been to The Galley before, but had heard that it was opening again and thought we’d try it out. We are so pleased that we do, as we...

Well cooked lobster with flavour. Good selection of choices. Staff are helpful in providing recommendations. Make sure to book in advance.

Visited as part of a group of five and we were most delighted. Great ambience, excellent food and very good service.

We visit Topsham annually and havent been able to get it before (a good sign!) so booked early and had the most amazing meal and service

Charming restaurant, very attentive staff however, I had the sea bream starter which was tasteless and about the size of a dessert spoon. The Dover Sole as my main was very tasty but again extremely small. We were a little disappointed and personally I won't...

Atmosphere pleasant. Food unmemorable...such a disappointment. The choice, as a seafood restaurant. Hake, bream (lobster to order in advance, understandable) battered fish, pork tenderloin and vegetarian. The menu limited so asked for starter as a main. The waiter intimated the starter was small so I...

Lovely little restaurant , will give the pros and cons below : Pros : Excellent ambience Staff are very attentive and polite Nice menu Very reasonably priced Good wine list Cons: Only one niggle I had was some of the dishes were a bit bland...

We had an enjoyable meal with friends at the Galley. Service was excellent and nice atmosphere. The food was beautifully presented but room for improvement in some of the dishes. Highlights were the sea trout starter, incredibly light tempura battered sole and the delicious honey...

visiting Topsham for the first time the restaurant has a very good and justified reputation with an uncomplicated menu and reasonably priced wine list. Very nice service, well timed delivery of food all of which was nicely cooked and presented. At £32 for three courses...

We came here a few years ago with my wife's great aunt who lived in Topsham, and took the opportunity to stop off again on our way down to Cornwall for Easter holidays. Very glad we booked well in advance as it is (justifiedly) very...

No other word will do I took my mum for a pre mothers day treat and have been before from start to finish a lovely experience paddy greets you with a smile and is a great host wine list is grand we both had the...

Poor. Disappointing. It started with a gin and tonic presented in a wine glass. I asked for a tall glass. They only had wine glasses. 😳 starter was crab beignets, no crab to be found. Main skate. It was actually bloody in the thick area...

What can I say! What a perfect place. Fabulous food and wine list, great but not intrusive service, lovely atmosphere and all for a very reasonable price. An absolute gem!

We dined on a Friday night we had booked and were glad we did as they were busy. The food was excellent as was the wine. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. I would recommend this restaurant and will return.

I had been meaning to visit The Galley for some time and I am glad I finally got round to it because it was one of the best meals I have had in a restaurant. The food was perfectly cooked and reasonably priced considering the...

We had a lovely meal here! Fresh ingredients and a lovely selection of wines.The service was attentive- but not overbearing. Very reasonably priced, under priced if anything. Thank you!

We have just had a fabulous meal at the Galley! Fresh ingredients, delicious flavours and very friendly staff. As a coeliac, it can be quite tricky to find places to eat where you feel safely catered for but tonight was excellent! The menu was clearly...

My boyfriend and I had the most delicious food at the Galley - such skillful cooking - all the best flavours with soft and fresh fish. We came all the way from London to try it, and it did not disappoint! Thank you Nigel! A...

Our reason for visiting the Galley was that it is restaurant with a longstanding reputation and a recommendation from friends for its high quality food and service. I have a strong aversion to fish and especially seafood generally so it is not somewhere I would...

What a wonderful experience. We were very lucky to get a last minute table due to somone just cancelling. Everything was faultless, every item cooked to perfection, presented beautifully without being too fussy. Staff couldnt be nicer or more informative about the food and wine....

What a gem this place is. Wonderful meal. Service excellent and not expensive. Will definitely be returning soon. Beautiful fresh fish but something for meat lovers too. Thoroughly recommend.

We were group of five staying locally celebrating a special birthday.This was undoubtedly the highlight of our weekend.Small comfortable restaurant with a great ambience,. The service was friendly, prompt, and very efficient, and meals looked great, tasted great and didnt break the bank.What more could...