There's Something About Eating Outside
Every year, somewhere around late April, Exeter goes through its annual transformation. Tables appear on pavements. Terraces fill up by noon. People who haven't sat outside since September suddenly remember how good it feels to eat a meal with sunlight on their face and a breeze off the river.
It's not just about the weather, though. Eating outdoors changes the dynamic of a meal in ways that are hard to explain but impossible to miss. Conversations loosen. People linger. Strangers at adjacent tables catch your eye and smile. There's a generosity to outdoor dining — a sense that everyone is sharing the same moment, the same sky, the same warmth.
Exeter is particularly good at this. The city has the river, the quay, the cathedral, and enough elevated spots to offer genuine rooftop dining — not just a table wedged next to a wheelie bin in a car park. Whether you're looking for cocktails with a cathedral view, pizza on a rooftop terrace, or a pub lunch by the water, there's somewhere in Exeter that does it properly.
Here's where to eat outside this year — and why it matters more than you'd think.
The Rooftops
Becketts Rooftop Bar, Hotel Indigo
If you want the single best view in Exeter, it's at Becketts. Perched on top of Hotel Indigo in the city centre, this champagne and cocktail bar offers panoramic views over Cathedral Green and out towards the estuary on a clear day. There's a glass-sided indoor bar for cooler evenings and an outdoor terrace with a covered canopy for when you want to feel the air.
The drinks list is curated rather than sprawling — champagne, craft cocktails, and a wine selection that leans towards quality over volume. Food-wise, woodfired pizza is served Sunday to Thursday from 3pm to 10.30pm, and generous sharing boards of cured meats, artisan cheeses, and seasonal sides pair well with the cocktail menu. It's the kind of place that suits a group of friends splitting boards and trying each other's drinks.
The viewing platform is the real draw. Standing there at sunset, looking out over the cathedral rooftops with a drink in hand, you understand why people keep coming back. It's Exeter's most photogenic dining spot by some distance.
Becketts can get busy on warm evenings, especially at weekends. Arrive early or book ahead if you want terrace seating. Midweek visits are quieter and often more enjoyable.
The View, Courtyard by Marriott Sandy Park
A little outside the city centre, The View sits on the eighth floor of the Courtyard by Marriott near Sandy Park Stadium. What it lacks in walkability it makes up for in sheer drama. The terrace looks across Topsham and the Exe Estuary towards the coast in one direction, and over farmland to Woodbury Common in the other.
Executive Chef Matt Mason — born and raised in Devon — builds the menu around local produce, with expertly grilled steaks, seasonal specials, and Sunday roasts featuring meat from local artisan butchers. The cocktail list highlights local beers, ciders, wines, and spirits. Free parking is available if you register your car at the host stand.
It's not a city-centre spot, so it works best as a destination in its own right rather than part of a wider evening out. But if you want rooftop dining with countryside views and proper food, The View delivers.
Ludo Sports Bar & Kitchen
Ludo isn't what most people think of when they picture rooftop dining — it's a sports bar first and foremost — but its rooftop balcony is genuinely gorgeous, especially at sunset. The panoramic views across Exeter are the perfect backdrop for drinks, celebrations, or watching the sun drop behind the city skyline.
The kitchen serves crowd-pleasers — burgers, loaded nachos, sharing platters — and the staff are known for being particularly friendly and accommodating for group bookings. If you're after an outdoor drinking spot that doesn't take itself too seriously, Ludo fills that gap.
The Terraces and Beer Gardens
The Botanist
Tucked into the Queen Street side of the Guildhall Shopping Centre, The Botanist spreads across two floors and features an outdoor terrace that catches the sun throughout the afternoon. The interior is peak botanical — trailing plants, mismatched furniture, and a slightly eccentric charm — but the terrace is where you want to be when the weather cooperates.
The menu is built around sharing: hanging kebabs, pizzas, and small plates designed to pass around a table. The cocktail programme is creative without being gimmicky, and the gin selection is extensive. It's a reliable choice for groups who want variety, outdoor seating, and an atmosphere that doesn't require booking three weeks in advance.
If you're looking for date night ideas that feel relaxed rather than formal, The Botanist's terrace on a warm evening is hard to beat.
Browns Brasserie & Bar
Browns offers one of Exeter's more elegant outdoor dining experiences. The terrace is set in a scenic riverside location, and the brasserie serves classic British and European dishes with a focus on seasonal ingredients. Whether it's a three-course meal with friends or a quiet morning coffee, the outdoor seating at Browns feels refined without being stuffy.
The alfresco dining area is heated, so it works later in the season than most terraces. It's a good pick for occasions that call for something a touch more polished — birthdays, catch-ups with people you haven't seen in a while, or a proper grown-up lunch.
Several Exeter restaurants with terraces offer heated outdoor seating, extending the al fresco season well into autumn. Browns and Becketts both have covered or heated options — so don't write off outdoor dining just because it's not July.
Coolings, Gandy Street
Coolings is one of Exeter's best-loved independent venues, tucked into the cobbled charm of Gandy Street just off the High Street. The outdoor seating spills onto the street, giving it a continental feel that suits long afternoons. The menu covers freshly prepared homemade food, daily specials, and pizza, with cocktails and live music adding to the atmosphere later in the week.
There's also a hidden underground bar — The Cellar — built into the old Exeter Passages. It's worth knowing about for the cooler months, but when the sun's out, the pavement tables are where everyone wants to be. Opening hours vary through the week, so check before you make a special trip.
Down on the Quay
Exeter Quay is the city's outdoor dining heartland. On a warm evening, the stretch of waterside restaurants and pubs along the River Exe feels like a different city entirely — slower, warmer, and more relaxed than anywhere else in town.
On The Waterfront
Housed on the ground floor of a magnificent 19th-century warehouse right on the edge of the quayside, On The Waterfront has been a staple of Exeter's outdoor dining scene for years. The heated terrace is perfectly positioned for sun and views, and the menu covers well-regarded pizzas, fresh fish, pastas, and salads.
It's the kind of place where you sit down for a quick lunch and find yourself still there two hours later, watching kayakers on the river and wondering why you don't do this more often. The terrace fills up fast on sunny days, so arriving early is wise.
The Prospect Inn
The Prospect Inn may be the best-located pub in Exeter. Sitting right on the quayside overlooking the River Exe, this independent, dog-friendly pub serves homemade classics using local produce sourced from within a fifteen-mile radius. Devon ales and ciders feature heavily, alongside a broad selection of wines and spirits.
Food runs from noon to 9pm, and there's generous outdoor seating for dry days. It's unpretentious, welcoming, and the views alone are worth the walk down to the quay. If you want a traditional pub experience with water views, you won't find better in the city.
Samuel Jones
At the other end of the quay, Samuel Jones offers a more contemporary waterside experience. Think craft beers, in-house smoked and cured dishes, and build-your-own burgers, all served in a stylish warehouse setting with al fresco seating on the waterfront. Sharer plates and small plate infusions make it a sociable choice for groups.
Cathedral Green: Eat on the Green
For a different kind of outdoor dining, Eat on the Green sits in a sixteenth-century building overlooking Cathedral Green. The outside tables look directly at Exeter Cathedral — and while the food is more cafe than restaurant, it's genuinely good. All-day breakfasts, homemade burgers, gluten-free fish and chips, and a proper Devonshire cream tea are all on the menu, using local, free-range produce bought directly from farmers.
It's the obvious choice for a mid-morning coffee or a long lunch when you want to soak up Exeter's most iconic view. The restaurant is popular and relatively small, so booking a table online is recommended, particularly at weekends.
Pub Gardens Worth Seeking Out
Not every outdoor dining experience needs a rooftop or a quayside location. Some of Exeter's best al fresco meals happen in the gardens of its pubs — and a few of them are properly special.
Mill on the Exe
We have covered the Mill on the Exe in our gastropub guide, but it deserves a mention here for its waterside beer garden. Sitting beside Blackaller Weir with the original paper mill water wheel as a backdrop, it is one of the most atmospheric outdoor drinking and dining spots in the city. On a warm evening, the combination of river views, good food, and a pint of St Austell ale is hard to beat. If you are walking the Exe Valley trail, this is the obvious lunch stop.
The Fat Pig, John Street
The Fat Pig's small outdoor area might not look like much, but this independent freehouse's location in the heart of the city makes it a convenient spot for an al fresco drink. The on-site distillery produces gin, rum, and vodka, so you can try something unique while sitting in the sunshine. Note it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and opens from late afternoon the rest of the week.
The Prospect Inn, Exeter Quay
Already mentioned in the quayside section above, but worth underlining: The Prospect Inn's outdoor seating is arguably the best-located in Exeter for pure views. Combine it with a walk along the canal towards the Double Locks and you have one of the best summer afternoon itineraries in the city.
For the ultimate Exeter pub garden crawl, start at the Mill on the Exe, walk along the canal path to the Quay, stop at The Prospect Inn for a pint with a view, then cross the river to the Double Locks for a final drink in one of Devon's most famous beer gardens. The whole walk takes about forty minutes and covers some of the prettiest waterside scenery in the city.
What's Changing in Exeter's Outdoor Dining
Exeter's outdoor dining scene continues to expand. Visit Exeter has highlighted the growing number of venues investing in covered terraces and outdoor heating, effectively extending the al fresco season from April well into October. Several venues have added retractable canopies and blanket stations — a very British solution to the very British problem of wanting to eat outside while acknowledging that it might rain.
The Quay area has seen the most investment, with several restaurants upgrading their waterfront seating for longer stretches of the year.
One trend worth noting: more venues are offering outdoor brunch service at weekends, recognising that the appetite for eating outside is not limited to evenings. Rooftop brunch has become a fixture rather than a novelty, and Eat on the Green serves its outside tables from breakfast onwards.
Why Eating Outside Changes Everything
There's a practical reason this matters beyond just enjoying the sunshine. When you eat outside, the social rules shift slightly. The atmosphere is more forgiving. Silences feel comfortable rather than awkward. The shared experience of being outdoors — the warmth, the light, the sounds of the city around you — creates a backdrop that makes connection easier.
This is especially true for meals with people you're still getting to know. Indoor restaurants can sometimes feel high-pressure — the lighting, the formality, the sense that you need to keep the conversation going. A terrace or a quayside table removes that pressure. You can look around. You can comment on what's happening on the water or the street. The meal becomes part of a larger experience rather than the entire focus.
If you're someone who finds organised social events easier when there's a setting to relax into, outdoor dining in Exeter gives you plenty of options. Whether it's rooftop cocktails at Becketts, a sharing platter at The Botanist, or a pint by the river at The Prospect Inn, eating outside is one of the simplest ways to turn a meal into something memorable.
For the best experience, aim for midweek evenings in late spring and summer. The terraces are quieter, the light is beautiful, and you'll have your pick of tables. Weekend lunchtimes are lovely too, but expect to queue at the more popular spots.
Exeter's outdoor dining season runs roughly from April to October, though the heated terraces at several venues stretch that window. If you're new to the city and looking for a way to explore its food scene, starting with the spots that let you eat in the open air is the best advice we can give. You'll see the city differently when you're not looking at it through a window.
For more on where to eat and drink in Exeter, explore our guides to the best restaurants, the best cocktail bars, and the best ice cream and gelato spots — the last of which pairs perfectly with an outdoor stroll on a warm afternoon. If you want to make a full day of it, our summer in Devon guide and best free things to do in Exeter have plenty of ideas for filling the hours between meals.