The Ridge Coffee Shop in Exeter

Lovely for eating-in or takeaway. I adore the selection of pastries available - though I'm loyal to the strawberry and rhubarb pastry. The toasties are absolutely lush as well - love the ham and cheese one so much!

What an amazing selection of pastries! The pistachio and chocolate pastry could bring about world peace! The coffee and toastie were also top notch!

My favourite spot on the Quay. Always friendly staff and their pastries are to die for. Highly recommend their pistachio pan au suisse. They also make everything by themselves and it is the best you can find on the Quay!

I lived 50m from this place for years, and revisited over the weekend. A few points let it down disappointingly: 1.) Firstly, it’s hugely expensive (£27 for 4 small coffees and 2 cakes). 2) they are so far behind the times with regard the ‘dairy-free’ movement (for a professional coffee shop) only serving one alternative milk (oat). As a minimum they need Oat, Soya, Almond &/or coconut. 3) there wasn’t a smile between the four people working there! I was greeted with a grimace. 4) The cinnamon buns they sold were also pretty dry and not as good as the ones across the road at the bakery. 5) they didn’t offer four-cup takeaway holders, only two cups, making my 50m walk virtually impossible with my modest order. Clearly the management is somewhat off the mark nowadays. Not as good as I remember it.

Very nice toasty and coffee, but seriously overpriced!!

Dazzling selection of cakes and various other foods. Relatively limited seating but very chilled atmosphere. Located by the climbing centre on Exeter Quays. It's really worth following these guys on Instagram just to drool over their freshly-baked cakes on sale.

Just the best pastries I have ever seen or tasted

Delicious coffee, staff always friendly. Really nice space outside, especially when the suns out

Like a little taste of Paris here in Exeter. Delicious baked goods, great coffee, cosyily decorated and thoroughly miserable staff. Very authentic.

Delicious pastries made fresh every day, super friendly staff. If you want a proper fresh and home made stuff on the Quay, this is the place to go!

Small and busy. Good service Amazing cakes and coffee, haven't tried the sarnies yet, but they look lovely

My friends and I visited The Ridge after our Sunday run, and it was amazing! The food is absolutely delicious—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere is cozy, and the staff is welcoming. A perfect spot to relax and enjoy a great meal—I can see why this place is so popular. Highly recommend!

Love this coffee shop! The sourdough toasties are great and the freshly baked stuff is insane. It's a stone's throw from the quay so a really great location to grab a bite and sit in the sun. Staff are friendly too!

Amazing pastries and coffee. Place to try in Exeter.

Amazing selection of cakes, cool friendly atmosphere

Really nice coffee and lovely sandwiches and cakes! One of the better ones in Exeter! Have seen them run out of cakes a couple of hours before close which is a shame.

The best pastries freshly made in the morning on site. Finest local ingredients are always used where available. Open on Sunday to which really helps my schedule. Just look at these pretty photos my family took this weekend.

Cramped, noisy, expensive, bottom of the pain au suisse was burnt, one option for non dairy milk alternatives. Won't go again.

Lovely fresh food and good coffee. Nice staff and great service and atmosphere. Thank you

What a great find. The best Coffee Shop in the whole of Exeter....its certainly not all about the coffee. Atmosphere, ambience, etc......they've cracked it. Thanks alot guys 😀

My friend and I had lunch with my daughter at the Ridge today. It is not always easy having lunch out with a toddler, but the people running the Ridge were so lovely. They don't have highchairs, but were very accommodating about pushchairs, considering it's a very small space (I've been to other places where pushchairs aren't allowed in). My daughter accidentally burst a can of drink and the people working at the Ridge were so kind and helpful and didn't make a fuss at all. The man working this afternoon was interacting with my daughter, which she absolutely loved. Whoever was working this afternoon made it such a lovely atmosphere and a lovely lunch. Thank you!

Always amazing coffee in here, a good vibe near the Quay gives it a cosmopolitan vibe. I go here to chill after a run or a climb at the hangar or to just have a change from the city centre cafes sometimes. : )

My favourite cafe in the whole of England. I live in London and I come to Exeter to visit my boyfriend and I always make sure to go here as much as I can each visit!!!!! The staff are lovely, the food is lovely, and they have AMAZING coffee and they always have such a delicious and unique selection of pastries and sweet treats that differ slightly each time. I also love coming here for breakfast/brunch and sitting outside, it’s so pretty. It’s also lovely to sit inside in the wonderfully cosy atmosphere with a coffee on a rainy/grey day. I cannot recommend this place enough❤️ Love, Ava & Ed x

Don’t let the cute adverts persuade you to come here.. Pastries were extremely stale; A waste of £4 in all honesty. The Cinnamon bun specifically; Looks great online, whereas in person it’s a stale brick with so called ‘icing’ on. Pairing this, the staff’s attitude was also stale. No respect whatsoever. And after reading the Cafe’s replies to other low reviews; No it wasn’t a busy day. Both girls working not once presented a smile, or attempted to engage in conversation. You need to rethink your options for staff members if this is all your team consists of.

Best place in town for a great coffee, great sweet or savoury treat and great people. All the people working there are super friendly and lovely and the food is insane! They’re always upgrading their bun selection but they always have their original Cinnamon buns. 10/10

What a great little find this was, lovely friendly staff, nice atmosphere, and the food was amazing, as was the coffee. So nice to find a little independent in amongst all the bigger chains, and just over the river from The Quay, will be going back soon!

Stunning home baked cakes and lovely coffee

Delicious coffee and amazing doughnuts! A lovely independent cafe, worth going to! Staff are welcoming and the place has a relaxed atmosphere.

Me: How BBQEY is the BBQ Beef Brisket? Answer: Turns out it's just perfect 😋 I will be travelling back down from the Midlands again for their BBQ Brisket Sourdough Toastie. The coffee is also banging. Lovely service. Thank you

Great coffee and bacon sandwich - nice location by the quay with excellent service. Top quality and good value.

Absolutely amazing toasties. Really nice bread and lots of filling. Then you should see the size of the jam doughnuts. So hard to choose between them and all the other cakes. Usually a great choice for peanut butter lovers. ❤️ this cafe.

I’ve passed The Ridge lots of times when going to the climbing centre and it always looks very buzzing and friendly. First time visiting today, delicious coffee and very friendly welcome, would definitely return :-)

Sweet treats to die for. Good coffee. Great location across from the Quay. Recommended.

Very good coffee and a great cinnamon bun. Excellent selection of freshly made sandwiches with friendly staff.

My favourite place to grab coffee and lunch in Exeter by far! All food is freshly made and you’re completely spoilt for choice whether sweet or savoury. Chilled atmosphere in superb location on Exeter quay.

Brilliant food and nice cafe ruined by a girl with mousey brown hair When it came to ordering this member of staff made us feel like we were an inconvenience to her Made us feel rushed Was very rude When it came to paying she abruptly turned away I was trying to pay in cash but she never turned back around to see So I had to pay on my card She never said thank you or smiled once. Such a shame to the whole place as food and drinks were very nice. This was our first time to visit and now we feel way to uncomfortable to return

Look no further for best coffee , best toasties and best cakes . Whether it's an iced latte or a white chocolate mocha these guys produce awesome coffee everytime , that's coming from a Kiwi coffee snob. The food is amazing from the homemade doughnuts to the very large(enough for 2) toasties. The team are always friendly even when I was taking the loyalty card freebie haha. Would recommend and will definitely come again if we come to UK again . Please don't change a thing Ridge people .👍

Amazing cinnamon bun, and great coffee. Also lovely staff happy to tailor our coffees for us.

Can’t speak on food but coffee was fresh and hot, and staff was very kind. Hope to return when back in the UK.

Can't complain about the sandwiches or the coffee, but, the outside seating area is disgustingly dirty and not very nice at all. I had to put my bags on a seat as the ground is so filthy. Very uninspiring area that could be made into a little oasis.

Great place. Excellent coffee, top notch cinnamon buns and great staff.

Great sandwiches and cakes. Service? I do not know how you can walk into a cafe where there are 5 people working and there is no queue and yet still not get greeted or even receive a smile from anyone. When I was eventually served there was still no smile and very little eye contact. The person who served me, who I think was the owner, wouldn't move from the till to take my order or several cakes. She then pointed me in the direction of the bags that I could put my take away in. During this time there we no other customers waiting to place an order. This wasn't the first time the service has been like this and I will continue to avoid it and visit their neighbours.

Fantastic coffee, service and of course the cinnamon buns were amazing. A real gem in Exeter.

Popped in after having lunch for coffee, fruend lives locally and said was good. She was right! Friendly staff, amazing choice of cakes and epic doughnuts. Coffee is very pleasant, too.

Lovely day spent catching up with friends in The Ridge, initially went for coffee, but the freshly made sandwiches and cakes kept us there all day. What a fantastic way to spend an awful raining Monday. Highly recommend, really friendly staff and the most amazing donuts! Will definitely be coming back..

Such a lovely little cafe, the cakes are all handmade and amazing. The staff so friendly. Spent a very wet Monday there catching up with friends. Definitely a little gem.

The food is lovely. My only problem is with the cafe atmosphere. The music is so incredibly loud that it’s difficult to hear a friend, or read a book. And unfortunately the employees gossip about one another all the time which makes it a little uncomfortable.

A very rude owner who refused to come to the table to speak to me. I ordered the bacon sandwich “deal” - which includes a full price bacon sandwich and a full price tea!! 🙄 And when I queried the price and the fact I wasn’t able to choose my tea (all teas are the same price) I was spoken to rudely and then when I offered to speak to the owner she ignored our table and didn’t come over. Such a shame.

As it was too cold and wet to sit outside we went inside, which was very busy. We had a toastie, which was on sourdough bread, and very tasty and my wife had a delicious bagel, together with two flavoursome lattes. Lovely.

First time visiting this morning. Had a flat white with bacon sandwich and a cinnamon bun. Coffee was well made and strong, good bacon sandwich with crispy bacon and thick fresh bread, cinnamon bun was fresh and delicious. Will definitely visit again!

Wow! What a find! Great coffee and AMAZING cakes - Nutella bun is to die for! Lovely little place with a great atmosphere and fantastic selection of cakes and sandwiches. Dogs are also welcome 👍

Wow! What a find! Great coffee and AMAZING cakes - Nutella bun is to die for! Lovely little place with a great atmosphere and fantastic selection of cakes and sandwiches. Dogs are also welcome 👍

Popped in after having my haircut at North as recommended by Steve! Delicious beef chilli sandwich to go! 10/10 thank you!

This has been one a regular coffee stop for me for many years to check an email or two; one of the few places on the quay that offers fresh cafe food, consistently excellent coffee and a great atmosphere with very friendly staff. I love the ham/cheese croissants; bacon/halloumi toasties and fresh doughnuts....for the cake lovers out there, there is a cake for everyone, freshly baked everyday.

Absolutely fantastic cafe experience! The toasties are a must-try, and their selection of cakes is divine. The coffee is top-notch too. If you find yourself in Exeter, a visit to this gem by the Quay is a must. Highly recommend!

All of the produce is left to rot on the counter the whole day. Even those product that needs to be refrigerated. For ex. their salmon bagels and other pastry , are left in the sun on the counter for the whole day. Likely you will get food poisoning as this place doesn’t comply with food storage norms and standards. I asked one of the workers for utensils 3 times and after the 3rd time they finally brought them and slammed them on the table… why even work there if you can’t do the minimum of your responsibilities?😂

Excellent doughnuts and toasties.

Lovely cafe, great coffee & delicious cakes. Always very welcoming and my dog loves his little treat when we visit 🐾👏

Been here a few times and every time there is incredible fresh food, I love that you can watch the sweet cakes etc being prepared for the next day! The coffee tastes lovely, service is faultless, yes there can be a queue but the cafe is small so if you can't wait (it's worth the wait) go somewhere else!!

Love the place. Always go after Project Sparkes run club. Would reccomend!

Some of the best coffee in Exeter, and food is unreal!!

Always so lovely! Highly recommend

I love The Ridge Coffee Shop, the food is amazing and due to my allergies I'm so glad they have a great vegan cake offering so I don't have to miss out. The staff are very friendly and we love going there on a family day out.

The baked good are unreal! Especially the cinnamon rolls and doughnuts. Lots of gluten free cakes too. Sandwiches look delicious (though I haven’t personally tried). Everyone is so friendly and up for a chat. Dogs are welcome and drinks are lovely - what’s not to like! Just make sure you get there early if you want your pick of baked goods :) Perfect stop on a quay walk or for a catch up with friends.

We love popping in for a toasted sandwich - lots of yummy combinations available freshly made. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere is laid back and welcoming. We haven’t tried the doughnuts yet but every time we go I am so very tempted to try them!

Amazing little independent spot with coffee and treats to die for!!!

I visit most weeks with my baby and always get a warm friendly welcome from our favourite server (sorry I don't actually know her name!) Good coffee. The cinnamon buns & raspberry brownies are a favourite!

Great little coffee shop and the doughnuts are insane! Perfect spot before or after a nice walk along the Quay!

Great little cafe! The cinnamon swirls are to die for ❤️

Definitely the best selection of vegan goodies around! Staff always super warm and welcoming, food fresh and delicious and coffee always next level. Couldn’t recommend them more if I tried!

One of the best places for Coffee in Exeter

Really lovely cafe with genuine friendly staff and fantastic flavoursome toasties - the best in Exeter!

Good Customer service and the most delicious fresh Donuts,and the staff are all lovely.

Lovely service and amazing food - especially the doughnuts and cinnamon buns!

Great cafe and fantastic homemade cakes

Lovely little coffee shop that does the most delicious cakes, coffees and doughnuts. Hard to resist when your walking by!

Amazing doughnuts! And really friendly staff. definitely going back

Amazing cakes & sandwiches & very friendly staff. Always our go-to place that we take visiting friends & family.

Well, brace yourself for a culinary adventure at this cafe! The food was so stale it could've been mistaken for a museum exhibit. The only thing more unwelcoming than the stale food was the staff's attitude – they've perfected the art of rudeness. Bon appétit... if you dare! Edit : Just read your response to someone else singing the same stale tune. Bravo on the consistency! Your claim of freshness is almost as entertaining as the staff's unwelcoming charm. Keep serving up those rehearsed lines and rudeness – it's a culinary masterpiece. Bon appétit to your delusions and attitude! 🍽️✨

Handmade products plenty of choices highly recommended

Great place to visit when at Exeter Quay.

I’m afraid I have to update my review with a negative. I used to love the coffee here but over the last month or so the standard has really dropped off. What used to be a punchy flavourful flat white is now more like a latte … milky and bland. They used to do one of the best flat whites in Exeter so I’m really hoping they can rediscover their mojo! ORIGINAL REVIEW: One of my two favourite coffee shops in Exeter. An excellent flat white and very good ‘gourmet’ sourdough toasties.

It was a really nice find. The cafe has a great vibe, great cake, and an amazing chai lattes. They are dog friendly, and have really kind staff. Will be going back again.

Possibly the best cafe on the quay. It's been a while since I last visited The Ridge but i'll be back again soon. Lovely range of cakes and sandwidges, lovely coffee and friendly staff - also very welcoming to dogs

One of the best ranges of cakes & donuts on the quay!! Spoilt for choice!! Always yummy 😋

Coffee was below average, and cakes were tasteless tbh. Staff were also a bit disinterested. Shame really.

Really lovely staff here and the bagels are the best I’ve tasted this side of Brick Lane. So glad we decided to park this side of the quay!

Best jam doughnut I have ever had.

Lovely cafe, with good selection of cakes and sandwiches

Best doughnut I've ever had warm jam can't explain how good. Lovely coffee and toasties too will frequent again thanks

Stopped in after a run to pick up some pastries. As usual a good selection of interesting sweet and savoury items. Went for a cinnamon bun and a Biscoff doughnut. CB had really good flavour but a bit doughy (expect with a traybake). Doughnut had good level of sweetness but overall missing a bit of crispiness. Nice to try something different though. Even though I was the only customer at the counter it took a while for my presence to be acknowledged, and the staff didn't seem overly welcoming. They had probably had a busy morning with all the people on summer hols and parkrunners, but a confident and friendly hello is always welcome. TLDR; good not great.

In my opinion one of the best coffee shops in the Exeter area, great selection of coffees and other drinks. Food is fresh and absolutely delicious (try the donuts) 😁😄. Staff are welcoming and extremely friendly. Very clean and tidy.

Overrated, more like a 3.5 star place. "Barista" chucks in milk in the cup. I most probably won't be back, unfortunately.

Excellent chicken and chorizo sandwich. an average at best ham and cheese one, definitely not worth the price

I had a ham and cheese toastie and a mango smoothie and it was absolutely delicious, staff were friendly and efficient highly recommend

Really nice coffee, really nice staff. Up for a chat and friendly. I would deffo come back again! Thanks guys

Very enjoyable place, excellent food and courteous staff. Shall return again, no probs.

5 stars throughout great food service is phenomenal, very kind people. Would recommend it to anyone

The staff is very attentive, friendly and helpful; they are more than happy to explain every dish and answer any questions. Everything is made from scratch and it’s visible in the quality of the products. The cakes are absolutely delicious. The carrot cake is a must-try, while you are it also try one of their sandwiches. I highly recommended this cafe, anything you try will amaze you.

Partner had coffee,which was delicious, i asked for a Banana milkshake. They dont usually do them,but the guy made me one, Was one of the best milkshakes ive ever tasted,eith oats and honey. Thank you