The Merchant in East Devon

Went in Friday early evening 5 of us and my granddaughter. The waitress recommended the slow cooked pork, it was piping hot and absolutely delicious one had burger one had Thai green curry and steak for the others. It was an excellent meal all round and the waitress couldn't do enough for us. I cannot recommend this place enough. Thank you for a great meal.

Now called The Queen Victoria. Used to love a Sunday lunch here when it was The Merchant. Now it has changed hands and it is dreadful. I reluctantly give them one star for being open, but that is it. We had one carvery meal and one off the menu. Carvery was cold, very cold. Guy serving on the carvery said it had been standing for ages, and it sure tasted like it. The second meal didn't materialise, so I got a refund and we walked out. Staff have no customer skills whatsoever. They were all very rude and impatient. Heaven help anyone that eats here. Walk past, go down to the sea front and to The Greene King pub, where they are polite and courteous and know how to treat their customers!!!

Live music great pub food lots of gins beers wines larger

Now known as The Queen Vic, We found a table, ordered food and waited (and waited and waited!) 45 minutes later, other people who arrived after us were served, but still no food! We asked where it was, and a few minutes later it arrived. 7 (yes 7!) scampi for £15.95! A small portion of peas and a few chips. Unable to believe this was actually right we checked how many scampi there should be. We were told 7 was the portion size before and after they checked with the kitchen! We asked to see a Manager, Amy, who arrived, with attitude! She said it was a mistake, it should have been 10 and would we like the extra 3,once the meal was finished 😂! Needless to say, we didn't want more after the meagre meal was already eaten, so asked for a refund. She came back eventually, and literally threw £5 on the table and walked off. Unbelievable! We eat our a lot, but never again will we go here, and suggest you also avoid this place, unless you are on a diet or want to waste some money!

Great pub, lovely atmosphere and food, reasonably priced. The name has changed to The Queen Vic now.

Great food, service not great as behind bar staff very slow and hit and miss, empty bar and just stood there waiting for service while staff were stood talking to the right. Food ordered at the same time arrived a good 5-10 minutes later.

Good food and a reasonably good selection of beers

Most staff were alright service was slow jacket potatoes had to be returned as they cold so had to wait another 20 minutes for them to be done then we had dessert had to wait 30-40 minutes for our desserts.

Visited the newly branded Queen Vic and had an evening meal. Whilst initially thinking that it was pricey for pub food once our meals came out it was apparent that it's restaurant food you're paying for and the meal was lovely. Would likely come back for another meal!

Now rebranded as the Queen Vic, and an improvement on the old Merchant. Good selection of food and drink, and a busy friendly atmosphere.

Quick friendly service, food was excellent, we pre ordered as a large group and food arrived dead on time and was lovely

We sat down at the front near the window on arrival to an empty four seater table to be told to move for by a horrible server who said there’s a booking there. When I looked over at the people sat on the back wall with a reserved ticket on their table, I said no I need that chair we’re sitting here and she decided to move us and said well they’ve booked. Yes their f*****n seat they had seat in on the back wall not the empty seat we sat down at! That bad customer service, I told her you’re talking BS and is a liar it’s a bad first impression as we come on holiday here frequently to and there had been a reserved ticket on the table we sat at I wouldn’t have had an issue. Inf act they decided to swap as we entered so they can sit near the window as someone was in a wheelchair. That’s no excuse as they were in a wheelchair on arrival at the table they had booked for and just wanted a window seat and she made the door of us move because there were six of them! Bad customer service totally rude horrible woman and I said to the group I won’t be ordering food from here, so in the end we used and went to Franklin’s! Much nicer staff and nice atmosphere and environment and at least we weren’t told to move seats there for someone else who just wanted to be near the window using a wheelchair as an excuse! I’m not stupid and can’t stand liars and that server was a liar

Food was excellent and reasonable in price

First time we've been here and I didn't realise how big it was with a beer garden , food was good .

Lovely food today, nut roast choice was a gud un, I enjoyed the spacious feel too

We had drinks here on Friday night 12th,nice pub and busy

Not called the merchant any more but new owners have made it very much better

Can't really remember, so 5 stars for putting up with us!

No longer called the merchant, now the queen Vic. We were a larger group paying separately. This was not taken into consideration, and a tab for the whole party was set up without us being asked. This caused major issues when paying, and I for one, think extra items were added. As we were such a large group, we were asked to submit our food orders in advance. However, there were still delays and errors with quit a few of the meals. Such as not being informed some meals came it different sizes and automatically being served the largest and most expensive sizes. And quite a few people had to wait a while for their food to arrive. Some had finished eating before other got their food, and a few meals arrived cold. The staff member who was mainly serving our table was extremely helpful and did offer something else in place of one of the cold meals. The actual quality of the food was very good, but I feel a little overpriced for what you actually get. Personally, I will not be visiting again, and I don't think many of our party of 14 will be either.

No longer called the Merchant. Now the Queen Vic. Food and drinks were good, but the service in the main restaurant part was TERRIBLE. It was supposedly table/waiter service, which it was for our food, but for replenishing drinks and getting and paying for the bill, it was like we were lepers in a leper colony. Waving and almost shouting at 2 waiters trying to get their attention was totally futile - it felt like we were being intentionally ignored. Consequently we had to go to the bar to get more drinks and to pay the bill. The price was reasonable. Sad situation, as we know the family who runs the pub. We are unlikely to return, unless it's to have a drink at the bar.

Didn't seem overly busy when we went in, they were quick to take a drinks order, but it took a long time to take our food order and then for the food to arrive. Food was nice, but my jacket potato skin was very crispy (not burnt) making it difficult to cut through. Was tasty though.

Disappointing food for the price (only 6 pieces of scampi!) and slow service. Nice sunny outside area though, and dog friendly everywhere. This pub came highly recommended but was a let-down for us, sadly.

Service was abysmal..had to wait over 30 mins for our meals and when they did eventually turn up my Chicken tagliatelle was over salted and almost inedible.. would normally have sent it back but didn't fancy another 30 mins wait.Avoid.

The pub/restaurant is now called The Queen Vic.

Good ales & outdoor drinking area.

Been in here multiple times spending quite a lot. We thought their food and staff were quite nice until today. We came in for the chicken tagliatelle where a bone was found in the chicken, it scratched the inside of my throat. The managers response was that one of the plates (the one without the bone in) was near enough empty. Its also worth noting that the manager didn't even speak to me directly. So I was offered a free drink rather than a refund baring in mind the food in this establishment costs a hell of a lot more than a single drink. Its safe to say I did not take the free drink, nor will I be returning. How it was dealt with is an absolute joke. I hope this review triggers an investigation into 1. How the bone wasn't picked up while being made. 2. The response given by the 'manager'. 3. The disregard for customer satisfaction and welfare.

Nice bar. A lot of space. TV everywhere and live sports

Just taken over it's a must visit, great food and staff

Loved it great music on big screen

Salmon fillet was disappointing

A lovely little venue located just off the square in the middle of town, complete with a large beer garden that was perfect considering the weather, will be back!

Disappointed to find out they'd run out of Sunday lunch by 2.30pm. Then waited nearly an hour for our food despite the restaurant being almost empty. Turns out most was going off with Deliveroo rather than prioritising customers in the venue.

Came in for Lunch, The staff were friendly and said hello from the bar as we passed, and were helpful with drink options when we asked about cocktail options, recommending some options and saying they were 2-4-1. Lunch came out quickly, and the staff came and asked how the food was during and after our meal, very attentive! Only visiting but will be back again!

Came in for a quick drink this evening. Staff very attentive and served with a smile. Was a little bit hungry so also ordered the chocolate brownie duo. The cookie dough ice cream was really good and the brownie came out nice and warm. Overall had a good experience and will be returning soon.

Absolutely terrible food, don’t bother!

From the moment we stepped in here the staff were very distant and not really engaging with the customers. We ordered food and drinks from the bar and even though the pub was almost empty we waited over half an hour for our food and in all honesty it wasn't the best when it arrived and this was only after we had chased them. It's no surprise the place was empty and the Wetherspoons over the road was always busy. This place are not doing anything to help themselves against the competition who offer similar food for half the price and better service. Won't be going back here in a hurry.

What a shame, myself and my friend visited Exmouth today and chose this establishment for lunch. Well what a disappointment. We ordered food and a drink at the bar to be told food would be about 40 minutes, bearing in mind the place was nearly empty (well after our experience I'm not surprised). Anyway time was going on and we had nearly finished our drink and food still not arrived. Ask a member of staff where our food was he said he'd find out. Anyway couple minutes later it arrived, it looked very appealing so began to tuck in...well it was all cold!! I complained as this was not acceptable aftervthe place nearly empty and waiting 45 minutes. They ordered us another meal assuring us it would not be another 45 minutes wait. The meal came about 20 minutes and this time was hot but some of the food was burnt. Not impressed at all with this place. Please avoid and go elsewhere. We have never been to Exmouth before so wasn't sure on what eateries there were here but certainly will avoid this place when we come to Exmouth again.

Good sharing platter nice and hot

Great place to watch rugby 🏉 with mates and chill.

Went in to watch Manchester Derby football match and for a drink. Many TV screens around premises. Bar staff very friendly and helpful 👌 👍 😊 🙂 ☺️ 😀 Good atmosphere too! 👍

Very poor meal very small portions chips were Luke warm mushrooms were very salty would not recommend rubbish for the cost.

Good food lovely dog friendly pub

Great welcoming staff, lovely atmosphere 😃

Love the cider choices! So many great fruity flavours. Tidy and clean pub. Team were busy but attentive and friendly

Ended up with food poisoning from this place.

We ordered a hunters chicken and it had changed somewhat it came in a dish with to much sauce and to much cheese, also about 8 to ten chips, it was better previously probably due to chef change, apart from that staff were polite and friendly and helpful.

Comfy chairs, toilets upstairs, used by locals, amazing range of ciders.

During our visit to this restaurant, our experience was mixed. We were initially told that our group was too large, which was a bit disappointing. We ordered fish and chips, but unfortunately, the fish was dry and appeared to be over-fried. This aspect of our meal didn’t meet our expectations.

Unfortunately not the best, waited nearly an hour for 2 pies and a portion of onion rings, mash was cold and a funny colour, gravy was cold, everything was under par, I'm sorry to say we won't be coming again.

My first visit. Decided to have a post New Year walk around Exmouth and needed lunch. This pub advertised a January sale with certain meals at £7, so I gave it a try. It was very quiet but the barman was friendly and helpful. I had the fish and chips which was excellent, washed down with a very nice real ale.

Over priced tosh. Ordered food that turned put cold and bland. Had a very blunt sarcy manager called "Bea" (I knew him from Coral) and no apology given. Why he was hired by stonegate I'll never know but he treats customers appallingly. Won't be coming back.

Our second consecutive time here for Xmas day lunch which kind of says it all. The staff were friendly and helpful. The meal was spot on & we will certainly return.

We weren't allowed to order food because we hadn't booked a table...there was cutlery on the table, menus and nothing to say we couldn't until trying to order at the bar.

Very disapointed with the service! Got a table and orderd food and payed on the app, then to be told there not serving food due to a party of 18 turing up! Very bad customer service! Will never go back again!!!

Absolutely disgusting long waits then order was completely wrong Rude to the children Would never go back this has to be the worse place I have ever eaten in

We waited 50 minutes for a children’s food order to arrive and when it came the order was completely wrong. Beans were served to a child with an allergy and instead of chicken burgers it was beef burgers. The order could not be changed because we were told the kitchen was shut when it clearly states served to 9pm. It appeared the staff were frightened to ask the chef anything. The baby in our party had a washable pen and had made a mark on the table that could be wiped off. However as we were finishing our food we were asked to leave for the marks on the table. We were astounded! No apology for late arrival of food or wrong order and we were asked to leave!!! Don’t go there! Must be the worst place in Exmouth

Lovely visit to the pub . Staff very friendly and helpful . Very reasonable priced . Will be coming back again

Called in for lunch on Friday, decided to have ultimate sharing combo, sorry sir we haven't the combo today, er OK is there anything else off the menu I asked, yes quit a lot she replied, no mixed grill no pies etc etc, I thought that must cover most of the menu apart from chips, back up the stairs to ask my wife, fish and chips for two it was, back down to place my order only to be told no fish, that was it we left, what pub is not stocked up on Friday for the weekend, so disappointed, its a shame because its a nice looking pub and interior

Lovely pub, superb food and brilliant staff. Always worth a visit when you are in Exmouth.

There was a new menu but more than half the meals on it weren't available. I had to settle for my 5th choice and my friends had a similar experience. 2 meals arrived 15 mins before the other 2. The food was OK but certainly not great. The last straw was horrendous coffee. We asked for latte but were served white watery instant coffee and it was barely lukewarm. The man we assumed was the manager seemed completely oblivious to our concerns and we received no apologies. We used to like this pub but it's doubtful we'll ever go again.

Came this evening and had a great time had a few Bears and the steak and chips. Top Champions League service from Devon, Tod Catherine and Mia.

Love coming to The Merchant. Really friendly and love being able to bring our dog. The food is really nice had quite a few different meals now and have loved all of them. Sunday roast was fantastic and will be coming again.

Lovely food great price too. Very friendly staff.

Went here for dinner with my partner and 1 year old. Atmosphere was good with Rugby playing on TVs. Very clean and modern looking and good service.

Had a lovely experience at the merchant , friendly staff, the manger Keith always makes us feel welcome. Prices are reasonable. Will be coming back for a visit when next in the area

Served by Tod who was great took time to talk to us. That food was well cooked this was our third visit we will be back next time we visit Devon

Nice present food very friendly staff

We were on holiday just popped in doggie friendly lovely food

They seemed more interested in take aways bums on seats should mean more?? 45 mins for basic lunch menu🙄

On our visit at lunch time it was busy and we were told it would be an hour what for food. But it was worth the wait.

Cheerful bar person, it makes a difference.

Thought we'd give this pub ago again Disappointed yet again Waited 2 hours for our food told it was because we didn't order on app We ordered at bar wasn't told how long wait was going to be. We did complain but barman wasn't interested and turned The blame on us for not ordering on the app.

4of us ate on a Tuesday evening. Pub very quiet. We ordered drinks and then food . Myself .scampi & chips . When it came 8 small bits of scampi , 8 chips and the smallest amount of mushy peas , £11.99 no lemon no garnishes,the others had burger’s and one a steak. The burgers were nasty . Most of the food had obviously come out of the freezer. I did ask for the manager he want on site ! The food pictures don’t resemble what you get . I’ve since spoken to the manager . Maybe a tidy up the front too . Sorry guys but I can only be honest ,

My family have been here a few times for meals when holidaying in the area, always ok, nothing special. On our last visit, lunchtime on Tuesday we were left a little disappointed. We were warned that there was a 30 min wait on food, which was fine. The staff were friendly. We ordered via the app & 30 mins later our food arrived. I had scampi with fries. The scampi was OK but the fries were awful. Time to change the oil of say! They were dark in appearance & stale, like they'd been cooked in dirty oil or cooked previously, then reheated for us. On the plus side, my mum has tikka which she loved & said the naan breads were the best she'd had.

Haven't eaten here in recent years but I have enjoyed a few drinks with friends. There is a nice atmosphere and staff and friendly and helpful.

Great food and service, ordered via the app/website and drinks were delayed. Serve explained that this method of ordering is not great and to order directly at the bar. Food served and worth the wait

Not a full menu on so abit disappointed and dessert ordered was not what was delivered. Service was friendly and chatty. Atmosphere a little flat as was quiet for a Thursday

We booked a table for 4 adults at 7pm on a Saturday night. The pub was fairly busy but there were empty tables. When we went to order the food, a lot of items were unavailable. We were told there was a hour wait for food but ended up waiting a hour and 40 minutes. The manager was trying his best, it was clear they were just short staffed. The food was definitely not worth the wait, would not return.

Absolutely vile food from Uber eats, they are under multiple different names look at this photos of “chicken tenders” looks more like a stick of cancer if you like living do not eat here

We went to the merchant as a family of 4 adults and 2 children and a dog. The soup was tasty but just warm. I has chips as a side and they were lukewarm. Every dish we had wasn't hot enough. The puddings came scattered through after waiting nearly an hour for. Mine was eton mess. It was sloppy and runny the meringue had disappeared. My sons custard had a thick coat on the top so knew it had been warmed up and was still cold. The service I had from the young man was warming and kind. Sorry about the review but hoping you change for the other customers that come through your door. Also we don't like complaining its spoils it for us even more

Amazing service! Food lovely, generous portions and quick to come out. Katherine was so attentive and friendly. Bar staff friendly and quick to serve. Have to praise Katherine, watched her working around the restaurant. She is an asset to the company.

There was a group of about 10 of us all ordering food, baring in mind we were one of the only people in there (few people just having drinks) we ordered at 12pm at the beginning of lunch service our food took about 40 mins- over an hour coming in dribs and drabs, 2 meals would come then 15 mins later another 2, no apology or anything, when the last of the meals came we requested our children’s desserts which then took another 30 mins to come out (just a scoop of ice cream), the manager seemed very rude and just not bothered about pleasing customers, I went up to the bar about 3 times asking where food was, and was just told it’s on its way (which it obviously wasn’t). Staff just walking around in their own clothes no uniform so you didn’t even know who worked there or not. Not welcoming, slow service, average food won’t be coming here again

As soon as you walk in there really is an odd atmosphere in this pub. We were slightly out of season and many places were closed or not serving food so we ended up in The Merchant. With the right owners this place could be a little gold mine as the location is really good and the size of the pub is good and the layout is brilliant. The main problem seems to be staff, customer service & lack oftraining. We waited over an hour for our food even though there seemed to be quite a few people in and out of the kitchen and not many other customers in the pub. One other table who had been waiting before us was spoken to so rudely that I daren't ask a question and we didn't want to have another drink whilst we waited for our food. When the food arrived the experience didn't get any better as the portions were small and although the menu looked brilliant and we had waited so long it really didn't taste great at all. Never mind you live and learn!

Slow service, frozen mixed diced veg with the roast. Ordered 4 children’s meals and didn’t realise when ordering the mains, that they come with a dessert however it was stated on the menu but there were no prices. The server should have asked what desserts we wanted for the children because when we realised and went back to the bar after the main course we asked to order the desserts and the manager said that we had to pay extra when we should have been offered the option to order desserts at the time of ordering the main meals for the whole family. The manager was very rude and argumentative rather than just adding the children’s desserts on as we had already paid for the 2 courses. So in summary, bad food, service and a very rude and not an accommodating manager. Would not recommend.

Food came out very cold poor service from staff and food took over an hour also there was a family behind us walked out and some of the food was inedible

Only called in for soft drink and Teas and Coffee for 10.... 1 missed tea and the attiude of the old fella was horrendous... left with no drink for 1 member of the group.

Very mixed reviews over a 2 year period, I guess it must be down to management and kitchen staff on the day you go. Unfortunately mine is not good, looks lovely from the outside, good range of drinks and starter came quick, but it took nearly 2 hours from ordering until the main meal came out even after chasing it up. Sunday roast was mediocre, I'm no cook but could have got something from the freezer and done the same. Other tables complaining about the wait and wrong food being brought out.

Don’t even go there! Food took best part of an hour, we were told 30 -40 minutes. When it arrived the lasagne was cold, had runny sauce and looked like it hadn’t ever been near a cow, it resembled a babies bottom dooo dooo! The chicken and chorizo pie, was warm, bland and the chips anaemic! My steak, arrived blue, looked as though it had hovered over the grill for seconds, I asked for medium rare, clearly the chefs need a little training! It’s not hard! Even the man behind the bar agreed. We were offered drinks, but he asked for a refund. Horrific! Needless to say we left and went to Weatherspoons, which was brilliant and half the price, with drinks! Take a leaf out of their book!

Good food good beer feel sorry for the staff could do with more at busy times.

Again had to wait an hour for a bowl of chips. And the cappuccino was like water. Just not enough staff and it wasn’t busy when we went. The coffee is dreadful. Gave 2 stars because the chips when they did come were lovely and...

Called in for a drink and lunch, the burger and salads were excellent and very good value with the special lunch deal. Many thanks to all at the Merchant

Just a good pub, good beer, good food, reasonable service, a little slow but they were busy.

It was a delight to be served by Carol at this fine establishment boasting a wealth of dietary offers and breadth of alcoholic selections. Bringing service with a smile on a regular basis and almost no sarcasm.

Great evening for birthday celebration, great food and service. Good menu variation all party found something delicious. Carol was a delight, great service thank you

Visited this place twice on a recent visit to Exmouth, first time just for drinks, second time I had a ribeye steak, nicely cooked and well presented, would gladly eat there again

Decent drink selection and a nice beer garden

Came for a meal at the merchant . It was lovely . Keith the manager was really helpful and friendly. Prices are value for money and lots of choices on drinks . Will revisit soon

Ordered some fries. Was shocked to see a cup of chips put before me. Couldn’t believe it, was laughing! £2.79 for that! Not a great service either. Waiting at the bar, the barman served a local before me, even though I was before him.

Had a lovely time at the merchant . Came in with friends . Drinks were good value. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Will be back soon

When we go to Exmouth our regular visit to the Merchant is a part of the pleasure, great menu choice, good food, good prices for drinks