Exeter Takes Its Steak Seriously — Here Is Where to Find the Best
A great steak is one of those things that sounds simple but is surprisingly hard to get right. The cut matters. The ageing matters. The seasoning, the heat, the timing — all of it matters. And when it all comes together, when you cut into a properly rested, perfectly pink ribeye with a crust that shatters under the knife, there are few dining experiences that come close.
Exeter is not short of places that will put a steak in front of you. But there is a difference between a steak on a menu and a steak that has been treated with genuine care — sourced well, aged properly, cooked by someone who understands what they are doing. This guide is about the latter. We have gone through Exeter's steakhouses, gastropubs, and grill restaurants to find the places where the steak is genuinely worth ordering.
Whether you are planning a celebration dinner, a date night, or just want to sit across from a friend with a really good piece of meat and a glass of red, these are the places to book.
The Dedicated Steakhouse
Miller & Carter Exeter
If steak is what you are after, Miller & Carter is the name that comes up most often in Exeter — and for good reason. This is a restaurant that has built its entire identity around the steak, and the commitment shows.
The menu offers a serious range of cuts — fillet, ribeye, rump, sirloin and T-bone, with a premium aged Black Angus range above them. For a genuine splurge, there is Wagyu — marbled, buttery, and priced accordingly.
Every steak arrives with a crisp dressed salad, your choice of sauce, seasoned fries or buttery mash, and their signature onion loaf — a warm, slightly sweet bread that has become something of a cult item among regulars. The sides menu goes deeper if you want it to, with options like creamed spinach and mac and cheese.
The Exeter branch is on Guardian Road at Sowton, by junction 29 of the M5, which means it does not have the most charming setting in the city. But the steak quality is consistent, the service is polished, and the fixed-price lunch menu offers genuine value if you want to try the premium cuts without the premium evening prices.
Cuts to order: The aged Black Angus sirloin or the classic ribeye. Best for: A proper steak dinner when quality is the priority.
Miller & Carter's fixed-price lunch menu is worth planning around. You get the same quality cuts at a fraction of the evening price — ideal for a midweek catch-up with a friend. Check the current menu for the lunch window before you go, as it moves.
Modern British, With Steak on the Menu
Colson's Bar & Grill
Colson's sits inside Hotel Indigo on Catherine Street, a minute from the Cathedral, and takes its name from the department store that once stood on the site. The restaurant serves a seasonally changing a la carte menu alongside tasting menus, with an emphasis on well-sourced ingredients and careful preparation.
The steak offering here is not the expansive list you will find at a dedicated steakhouse — this is a restaurant that lets the kitchen guide the menu based on what is available. But when a ribeye or sirloin does appear, it is treated with the kind of attention that comes from a kitchen that genuinely cares about quality. The cooking is precise, the seasoning is confident, and the sides are thoughtful rather than perfunctory.
Colson's also serves breakfast and lunch, which makes it more versatile than a pure steakhouse. The wine list is well-chosen, and the atmosphere manages to be refined without feeling stuffy. If you want steak as part of a broader dining experience rather than the sole focus, this is a strong choice.
What to order: Check the current menu — the steak options change, but they are always well executed. Best for: A polished dinner where steak is part of a wider menu.
The Classic Chains Done Well
The Ivy Exeter
The Ivy needs no introduction, and the Exeter branch — just steps from the Cathedral — delivers the polished, glamorous dining experience the name promises. The interior is striking, the cocktail list is extensive, and the menu blends modern British and international flavours with the kind of consistency that a well-run operation can deliver.
The steak here is a hand-selected premium cut, served with grain mustard sauce. There is also a minute steak — thinly beaten and served with rich peppercorn sauce, crispy onions, and triple-cooked chips. It is not trying to compete with a dedicated steakhouse on the range of cuts, but what it does, it does with real polish.
The Ivy's strength is the full package. The setting is beautiful — Parisian-style outdoor seating, a private dining room, and a bar area that works just as well for cocktails as it does for dinner. The Chocolate Bombe for dessert is practically mandatory. And the location, looking out towards the Cathedral, makes it one of the best spots in Exeter for a dinner that feels like an occasion.
What to order: The minute steak with peppercorn sauce and triple-cooked chips, or the aged steak with mustard sauce. Best for: A date night or celebration where the atmosphere matters as much as the food.
If you are looking for more date night inspiration, our guide to the best date night spots in Exeter covers everything from intimate wine bars to riverside restaurants.
Beefeater Countess Wear
Let us be honest — Beefeater is not going to win any awards for culinary innovation. But the Countess Wear branch on Topsham Road serves a purpose that should not be overlooked. The steaks are cooked on the grill, the menu is straightforward, and the setting — with parking and an outdoor area — makes it accessible in a way that city-centre restaurants often are not.
This is the steak dinner for a family gathering, a casual catch-up with mates, or a weeknight when you want something reliable without the fuss of booking somewhere more formal. Lunchtime deals are the value play — check the current menu before you go.
What to order: The classic sirloin, medium-rare, with onion rings and chips. Best for: A no-fuss steak dinner with the family or a group of friends.
Several of Exeter's best gastropubs also serve excellent steaks alongside their broader menus. If you want a steak in a pub setting, check out our guide to the best gastropubs in Exeter for more options.
Where to Source Great Steak at Home
Not every steak dinner needs a restaurant. Devon is home to some of the finest butchers and farm shops in the country, and buying a quality cut to cook at home — with a bottle of red and a few friends around the table — is one of the most satisfying ways to spend an evening. It is also significantly cheaper than eating out, which matters when you are feeding a group.
Edenmoor, the Devon grass-fed butchery formerly known as Pipers Farm, is the benchmark for mail-order meat in the county. Their 100% grass-fed, properly aged steaks are available for next-day delivery across the UK, and the quality is exceptional.
For those who prefer to shop in person, the butchery counters at Darts Farm at Clyst St George, just across the river from Topsham, and Greendale Farm Shop on the Sidmouth Road at Farringdon both stock excellent cuts from local farms. Ask the butcher for a 28-day aged ribeye or sirloin, and let them advise on weight — a 10oz ribeye per person is generous for most appetites.
If you are cooking steak at home, the most important thing is to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. A room-temperature steak cooks more evenly and develops a better crust. Season generously with salt and pepper, use a smoking-hot pan, and rest the meat for at least five minutes after cooking. Simple, but it makes all the difference. For more on cooking for friends, we have a separate guide.
Steak and Wine: The Perfect Pairing
A great steak deserves a great glass of wine, and getting the pairing right elevates both. The classic match is a full-bodied red — a Malbec from Argentina, a Shiraz from Australia, or a Cabernet Sauvignon from almost anywhere will all work beautifully. The tannins in these wines cut through the fat of the meat, and the richness of the wine complements the depth of flavour in a well-aged cut.
If you want to explore this further over a proper night out, several of Exeter's wine bars stock excellent reds by the glass. Start with a drink at one of those, then head to your steak dinner with your palate warmed up and your preferences established. For a more casual approach, the craft beer scene in Exeter has thrown up some surprisingly good steak pairings — a rich, malty porter alongside a charcoal-grilled ribeye is worth trying.
The Art of the Steak Dinner
How to Choose Your Cut
If you are not a regular steak eater, the menu at a proper steakhouse can feel overwhelming. Here is a quick guide:
- Fillet — The most tender cut, lean with a buttery texture. Mild in flavour compared to fattier cuts. Best for those who prefer tenderness over taste.
- Ribeye — Well-marbled with fat running through the meat, which gives it a rich, beefy flavour. The cut most steak lovers gravitate towards.
- Sirloin — A good balance between tenderness and flavour. Slightly firmer than fillet, with a strip of fat along one edge that adds character.
- Rump — The most flavourful cut, but also the firmest. Best when well-aged and cooked no more than medium. Often the best value on the menu.
- T-bone — Two steaks in one, with fillet on one side of the bone and sirloin on the other. The showpiece cut for a big appetite.
The Case for Medium-Rare
This is subjective territory, and everyone is entitled to eat their steak however they like. But if you are ordering a well-aged, quality cut, medium-rare is where the flavour lives. The centre should be warm and pink, the exterior should have a proper crust, and there should be enough juice that the plate needs a mop of bread at the end. If you are nervous about going too pink, ask the kitchen for "a strong medium" — most good steakhouses will know exactly what you mean.
Beyond the Steak: Why These Dinners Matter
There is a reason the steak dinner has endured as a social ritual. It is unhurried. It demands a proper table, a proper glass of wine, and proper conversation. You cannot rush a steak dinner, and that forced slowness creates the kind of space where real connection happens — the kind we talk about when we write about how sharing a meal can change your social life.
Exeter's steak restaurants, at their best, understand this. The good ones give you time, give you comfort, and give you the kind of meal that turns an ordinary Tuesday into something worth remembering. Whether it is an aged Black Angus at Miller & Carter or a hand-cut sirloin at the Ivy, the steak is just the starting point. The conversation across the table is what makes it a night out.
Planning a group steak dinner? Most of the restaurants in this guide take bookings for larger parties. A shared table, a selection of cuts, and a few bottles of red is one of the best ways to bring people together over food.
Where to Go From Here
Exeter's food scene stretches well beyond the steakhouse, of course. If you are exploring the city's dining options, our guide to the best restaurants in Exeter covers everything from fine dining to casual neighbourhood spots. And if you are looking for something to drink alongside your steak, the city's cocktail bars are worth a look too.
But tonight, if you are in the mood for something simple and satisfying — a well-aged cut, a glass of Malbec, and the company of someone whose conversation you enjoy — Exeter has you covered.
If you are still deciding what kind of evening you want, our guides to date night ideas in Exeter and the best Sunday roasts in Devon might help narrow things down. For something completely different after your steak, our desserts guide has you covered on the sweet front.