Exeter Has a Serious Sweet Tooth — and the Spots to Prove It
There is something about dessert that strips away pretence. Nobody is trying to impress anyone when they are elbow-deep in a waffle covered in chocolate sauce, or debating whether the lemon drizzle or the brownie is the better choice. It is the most honest part of any meal, and in Exeter, the places serving sweet things have quietly become some of the most interesting spots in the city.
This is not a guide to chain cafés or supermarket bakery counters. Exeter has a genuinely impressive collection of independent dessert spots — from a chocolate house on one of the city's most characterful streets to a family-run French patisserie in Topsham, and a handful of dedicated dessert parlours that stay open well past the point when most of the city has gone to bed. Whether you are meeting a friend for a catch-up, planning a group outing, or simply treating yourself on a Saturday afternoon, there is a sweet spot in Exeter with your name on it.
We have eaten our way through an unreasonable number of brownies, waffles, and gelato scoops to bring you this guide. Here is where to go.
Artisan Chocolate and Handmade Treats
Chococo
If you have not yet visited Chococo on Gandy Street, you are missing one of Exeter's true gems. This independent chocolate house — one of just a handful across the South West — is far more than a shop. Step inside and you will find a cosy café space where the air smells permanently of cocoa, the hot chocolate is made with single-origin chocolate, and every treat on the counter has been handcrafted on site.
The signature brownies deserve their reputation. Made with 67% Madagascan chocolate, they are fudgy without being heavy, rich without being cloying — the kind of brownie that makes you wonder why anyone bothers with the mass-produced version. Beyond the brownies, the display cabinet rotates through lemon drizzle cake, almond and raspberry slices, gluten-free pecan brownies, and seasonal specials. Their gelato is excellent too, with flavours changing regularly.
But the real draw is the hot chocolate. Chococo offers a range of single-origin options — from intense dark to smooth, creamy milk — each served with a piece of handmade chocolate on the side. It is the kind of drink that turns a quick catch-up into a proper afternoon.
What to order: The Madagascan dark hot chocolate and a brownie. Keep it simple. Price guide: Hot chocolates from around £4.50, brownies from £3.50. Atmosphere: Cosy, warm, and unhurried. Perfect for a long chat with a friend.
Chococo sits on Gandy Street, one of Exeter's most charming independent shopping streets. Combine a visit with a wander through the boutiques, or head to one of the nearby cocktail bars for something stronger afterwards.
Waffles and Dessert Parlours
Kaspa's
Kaspa's is the UK's largest dessert parlour chain, and their Exeter branch delivers exactly what you would expect — towering waffles, mountains of gelato, extravagant milkshakes, and enough Nutella to fill a bathtub. This is not the place for subtlety. This is the place for a Kinder Bueno waffle or a donut sundae that arrives looking like it was designed for Instagram.
The waffle menu alone is worth the visit. Options include crushed Oreo with white chocolate sauce and Cookies & Cream gelato, apple crumble pieces with toffee sauce and Cinnamon Bun gelato, and a pistachio Kunafa creation that has no business being as good as it is. They also do crepes, cookie dough, and something called dessert fettuccini — which is essentially crepes cut into ribbons — for those who want to try something different.
Kaspa's works brilliantly as a group outing. The menu is big enough that everyone finds something they want, the portions are generous enough to share, and the atmosphere is relaxed enough that nobody feels rushed. It is also available on Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats if you would rather enjoy the sugar rush at home.
What to order: The Brownie Waffle or the White Choc Indulgence Waffle. Split a milkshake. Price guide: Waffles from around £8, sundaes from £7, milkshakes from £5. Atmosphere: Bright, buzzy, and unapologetically indulgent. Great for groups.
Little Dessert Shop
Tucked away on Sidwell Street, Little Dessert Shop is Exeter's answer to the late-night dessert craving. Open until close to midnight, it fills a gap in the city that most other places leave wide open — somewhere to go after dinner, after the cinema, after a night out, when nothing but something sweet will do.
The menu offers over 100,000 dessert combinations, which sounds like marketing hyperbole until you start building your own waffle, crepe, or pancake stack and realise just how many toppings, sauces, and gelato flavours are available. Whether you are team waffle, team crepe, or team cookie dough, the options here are loaded, layered, and designed to be shared across a table.
The atmosphere is calm and relaxed, which makes it a surprisingly good spot for a catch-up that does not involve alcohol. If you are looking for ways to socialise that do not revolve around the pub — and we think that is an underrated approach to building real connections — a dessert date at Little Dessert Shop is a genuinely lovely way to spend an evening.
What to order: Build your own waffle with your choice of toppings. The gelato is solid. Price guide: Waffles and crepes from around £7, milkshakes from £5. Atmosphere: Calm, modern, and open late. Ideal for an after-dinner treat.
Creams Cafe
The newest addition to Exeter's dessert parlour scene, Creams Cafe is one of the UK's largest dessert chains with over 100 locations, and their Exeter branch brings a properly indulgent offering to the city centre. The menu is built around big, flamboyant desserts — think loaded sundaes, towering waffles, cookie dough served warm with gelato, and freakshakes that look like they were assembled by someone who has never heard the word "restraint."
What sets Creams apart from the competition is the gelato. They offer 24 flavours of gelato and sorbet, all made fresh, and you can combine them with waffles, crepes, or just order scoops on their own. The seasonal specials are worth watching out for — limited-edition creations that rotate throughout the year and give regulars a reason to keep coming back.
Creams also operates its own delivery platform, Creams Direct, so you can order desserts straight to your door without going through a third-party app. For a night in with friends, that is a genuine game-changer.
What to order: The warm cookie dough with gelato, or build your own waffle. The freakshakes photograph well if you care about that sort of thing. Price guide: Waffles from around £7.50, sundaes from £8, cookie dough from £7. Atmosphere: Bright, colourful, and designed for sharing. Good for groups.
Gelato and Ice Cream
Venezia
Sitting on the Quay with views over the water, Venezia is Exeter's go-to for proper gelato. Open seven days a week, this Italian restaurant and gelateria offers over thirty flavours from Marshfield and Carte D'Or, with vegan and gluten-free options available. On a warm afternoon, few things in Exeter beat a walk along the Quay with a cone from Venezia.
Pricing is straightforward — one scoop for £3, two for £4.50, three for £6, with special cones and sauces at 50p extra. They even do dog-friendly treats, which tells you everything about the atmosphere. It is family-friendly, relaxed, and quintessentially Exeter.
Venezia is part of a larger Mediterranean restaurant, so if the gelato sparks an appetite, you can stay for a full meal with riverside views. But honestly, sometimes a scoop of pistachio by the water is all you need.
What to order: Two scoops in a waffle cone. Pistachio and salted caramel is a strong combination. Price guide: £3–£6 depending on scoops. Atmosphere: Casual, quayside, and perfect for a sunny afternoon.
The Quay area is one of Exeter's best spots for a social stroll. Pair your Venezia gelato with a walk along the canal, or explore the nearby restaurants and bars that line the waterfront.
Patisseries and Specialty Bakeries
Sara's Petite Cuisine
Technically in Topsham rather than central Exeter, but absolutely worth the short trip. Sara's Petite Cuisine is a pink-fronted patisserie on Topsham's Fore Street that draws on French and Portuguese baking traditions to produce some of the most beautiful sweet things in the area. Everything is made fresh and in-house daily by Sara, a qualified pastry chef with an eye for detail that borders on obsessive.
The coffee croissants are exceptional. The brioche buns are soft and buttery. The pastry cabinet changes daily, and there are always gluten-free and dairy-free options available. This is the kind of place where the cakes are almost too beautiful to eat — almost — and where the care that goes into every item is immediately obvious.
Sara's also offers bespoke cake design for special occasions, available for collection with pre-ordering. If you are planning a birthday, an anniversary, or any celebration that deserves something better than a supermarket sponge, this is where you go.
What to order: A coffee croissant and whatever looks best in the cabinet that morning. Trust the daily specials. Price guide: Pastries from around £3.50, cakes by the slice from £4. Atmosphere: Elegant, feminine, and charming. A proper neighbourhood gem.
Sweet Treats for a Night In
Sometimes the best dessert is the one you eat on the sofa. Several of Exeter's dessert spots offer delivery through the major platforms, which means you can build a proper sweet spread for a night in with friends without leaving the house. Kaspa's, Little Dessert Shop, and Chococo all deliver, and combining a takeaway dinner with a box of waffles or a bag of artisan chocolates is one of life's genuine pleasures.
There is something underrated about the dessert-focused social gathering. No cooking, no planning, no reservations — just good company, something sweet, and the kind of conversation that happens naturally when everyone is relaxed and well-fed.
Hosting a dessert night? Order waffles from Kaspa's via Deliveroo, pick up a box of chocolates or brownies from Chococo on Gandy Street, and grab a tub of gelato from Venezia. Provide the sofa, the playlist, and the company. Done.
The Sweet Side of Exeter
Exeter's dessert scene is more interesting than it has any right to be for a city this size. From artisan chocolate on Gandy Street to late-night waffles on Sidwell Street, French patisseries in Topsham to quayside gelato by the water, there is a sweet spot for every mood, every occasion, and every budget. The best part is that Devon's food heritage — its local produce, its dairy farms, its independent spirit — runs through all of it.
And if this guide has done its job, you are now hungry, slightly jealous if you are not in Exeter, and thinking about who you would most like to share a brownie with. That last part is the important bit. Dessert is always better with company.
Planning a Sweet Outing: Practical Tips
For a daytime dessert crawl: Start with a hot chocolate and a brownie at Chococo on Gandy Street, work your way down to Kaspa's on Sidwell Street if you want something loaded, then head to the Quay for a gelato at Venezia. You will have walked enough between stops to justify every calorie.
For an after-dinner treat: If you have been out for a meal at one of the best restaurants in Exeter and want to extend the evening, Little Dessert Shop's late opening hours make it the obvious next stop. Alternatively, walk to the Quay area and grab a gelato from Venezia if the weather is warm.
For a birthday or celebration: Sara's Petite Cuisine in Topsham does bespoke cakes that are genuinely beautiful. Order at least a week in advance for custom designs. Chococo also posts chocolate gift boxes nationwide, which is a lovely way to surprise a friend who lives further afield.
For the best value: Chococo's brownies are under £4 and genuinely excellent. If you want a full dessert experience without spending a fortune, Kaspa's sharing waffles are generous enough for two people and rarely top £12.
If you are new to Exeter, working your way through this dessert guide is one of the sweetest ways to get to know the city. And if the sugar rush leaves you wanting something savoury, our guides to the best brunch spots and best cheap eats under £10 will bring you back to earth.