Southernhay House Restaurant

You'll find yourself in one of Exeter's finest Georgian townhouses, all high ceilings and period detail, but without the stuffiness that sometimes comes with that territory. The dining room feels properly special—the kind of place where people actually dress up and mean it—yet there's a genuinely welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel like a regular by pudding. The cooking takes itself seriously without being precious about it, which is exactly what this neighbourhood deserves.