In short
The best Sunday roast in Exeter city is at The Turk's Head on the High Street, The Fat Pig on John Street (roast served 12–3pm) or Double Locks on the canal. Just outside, book The Jack in the Green at Rockbeare, the Blue Ball at Sandygate or the Nobody Inn at Doddiscombsleigh. All ten venues here were checked as trading in September 2026.
Contents8 sections
Where is the best Sunday roast in Exeter?
For a roast inside the city, our three picks are The Turk's Head, The Fat Pig and Double Locks — for three different reasons. The Turk's Head is the most central and the easiest to get to by bus or train. The Fat Pig is the independent choice, a small backstreet pub where the roast is the main event of its Sunday. Double Locks is the one to choose when you want the roast to be part of an afternoon out, because getting there means a walk or cycle along the canal.
If you are willing to drive fifteen or twenty minutes, the country pubs come into play. The Jack in the Green at Rockbeare is the one we would book for a family occasion, the Blue Ball at Sandygate for a pretty thatched pub close to the M5, and the Nobody Inn at Doddiscombsleigh for a proper hidden-away Devon inn.
The Sunday roast is also, and this matters to us, an inherently social meal. Nobody eats one alone if they can help it. The whole point is the sharing — the plates passed across the table, the second helpings offered before anyone has finished their first. As we have written before, sharing a meal can genuinely change your social life, and a Sunday roast is the purest British expression of that idea.
How we checked this guide. In September 2026 every pub below was confirmed against the Food Standards Agency register at its address, and against its own website for Sunday food service. We have not given scores or prices: menus and prices change weekly, and a number we cannot re-check is worse than no number. Sunday times are as published by each pub — ring before you travel.
Which city-centre pubs serve a Sunday roast?
The Turk's Head, High Street
Our verdict: the best central roast for a mixed group, because nobody has to drive and it has rooms upstairs for anyone staying over.
The Turk's Head at 202 High Street claims more than 700 years of history, and it is now run by Young's, the London brewer and pub group. Its own site advertises "a proper Sunday roast in Exeter with all the trimmings" — roast potatoes, gravy and seasonal veg — alongside beers from the microbrewery it opened in 2021. It is also a sports pub these days, which is worth knowing: on a big rugby or football Sunday, the room will be loud. If you want a quieter lunch, check the fixtures first.
Where it earns its place is convenience. It is a few minutes' walk from the bus station and Exeter Central, the building has genuine old-pub character, and the bedrooms above make it a useful choice when friends are visiting. For more city-centre options, see our best pubs in Exeter guide.
Sunday roast: Yes, advertised on the pub's own site. Operator: Young & Co's Brewery. Good for: Central, visitors, groups arriving by train. Location: 202 High Street, EX4 3EB.
The Fat Pig, John Street
Our verdict: the independent pick — book it if you want a small, characterful pub rather than a chain-managed one.
The Fat Pig describes itself as a long-established, dog-friendly backstreet pub, known for home-brewed beers and home-cooked food made with a low-waste mentality. Its Sunday arrangement is simple and published plainly: the pub opens from noon to 4pm, the kitchen serves the Sunday roast from 12 to 3pm, and the pub itself tells you to book early for it. That instruction is the most useful thing we can pass on — it is a small room, and Sunday is its busiest service. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Sunday roast: 12–3pm, booking recommended. Dogs: Welcome. Good for: Small groups, couples, dog owners. Location: 2 John Street, EX1 1BL.
Double Locks, Exeter Canal
Our verdict: the best roast to build an afternoon around, because the walk there is half the point.
Double Locks sits on the Exeter Ship Canal and is reachable by car, bike or on foot along the towpath from the Quay. Young's runs it, and its own Sunday listing names West Country beef, roast pork or a veggie Wellington, with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, honey-glazed roots, pigs in blankets, truffled cauliflower cheese and stuffing balls. The garden is the draw in summer, and the canal walk turns lunch into an outing — exactly the kind of low-pressure plan that works for people who find a sit-down dinner with new friends a bit much at first.
Sunday roast: Yes — beef, pork or veggie Wellington. Booking: Online or 01392 256947. Good for: Walkers, cyclists, summer afternoons. Location: Canal Banks, EX2 6LT.
Mill on the Exe, Bonhay Road
Our verdict: the riverside choice — pick it for the setting and the short walk from St David's.
Mill on the Exe is a St Austell Brewery pub beside Blackaller Weir, with rooms in Headweir Mill House, a short walk from Exeter St David's station. Its site pitches its Sunday roast as locally produced food with St Austell's beers, and it has river views from both floors. It is a larger, managed pub, which makes it easier to get a table for a bigger group at short notice than at The Fat Pig.
Sunday roast: Yes. Operator: St Austell Brewery. Good for: Riverside, groups, arriving by train. Location: Bonhay Road, EX4 3AB.
The Hour Glass, Melbourne Street
Our verdict: the food-led neighbourhood pub — go when the cooking matters more than the view.
The Hour Glass on Melbourne Street, just above the Quay in St Leonard's, publishes a dedicated Sunday Lunch Menu on its website, with lunch served from Thursday to Sunday and a reduced menu on Sunday evenings. It is linked to Exeter Brewery, and has long had a reputation as one of the city's better dining pubs. It is a small, intimate building, so book, and read the current Sunday menu online before you go — it changes.
Sunday lunch: Dedicated Sunday menu, from noon. Booking: 01392 258722. Good for: Couples, food-focused small groups. Location: 21 Melbourne Street, EX2 4AU.
The two canal-and-river options pair well: walk from Mill on the Exe down the river to the Quay, then along the canal to Double Locks. It is a flat, easy route and you arrive hungry.
Our walking routes guide has more ideas for making a day of it.
Which country pubs near Exeter are worth the drive for a roast?
The Jack in the Green, Rockbeare
Our verdict: the one to book for a family occasion, because it takes Devon sourcing seriously and has space for a big table.
This dining pub on the old London Road east of Exeter is now run by Craig and Miranda Griffin. Its own site names its suppliers — Darts Farm for beef, Farmer Ed for Broadclyst lamb — and promises "the best locally reared meat and seasonal veg cooked to order". It currently describes September 2026 as the start of "an exciting new chapter", so check the latest Sunday arrangements when you book. It is close to the A30 and Exeter Airport, with its own car park.
Sunday lunch: Yes. Sourcing: Named Devon suppliers on its own site. Good for: Families, celebrations, drivers. Location: London Road, Rockbeare, EX5 2EE — about 15 minutes from Exeter.
The Blue Ball Inn, Sandygate
Our verdict: the easiest proper country-pub roast from the city, because it is five minutes off the M5.
The Blue Ball Inn is a 17th-century thatched pub and restaurant at Sandygate, on the south-east edge of Exeter. It publishes a separate Sunday Lunch menu, and serves food on Sundays from noon until 18:45 — one of the longest Sunday food windows on this list, which helps if your group cannot agree on a time. Its site says booking is advised but not essential. It also has rooms and an EV charging point.
Sunday food: 12:00–18:45. Booking: Advised. Good for: Late lunches, visitors, a pretty setting without a long drive. Location: Sandygate, EX2 7JL — about 10 minutes from the city centre.
The Nobody Inn, Doddiscombsleigh
Our verdict: the most characterful inn on this list — worth the lanes, but ring first.
Earlier this year the Nobody Inn's kitchen was out of action after a fire, and we warned readers off. That has changed: in September 2026 the inn's site shows a full menu, lists Sunday opening from noon to 5pm, and says its menu changes daily with local produce. It holds a current five-star food hygiene rating from January 2026. It is a low-beamed, log-fire inn tucked into the Teign Valley about six miles south-west of Exeter. The site does not spell out a Sunday roast by name, so if a roast is the whole point, ring 01647 252394 before driving out. It also appears in our gastropubs guide.
Sunday food: 12–5pm; menu changes daily. Good for: A Dartmoor-edge day out, overnight stays. Location: Doddiscombsleigh, EX6 7PS — about 20 minutes from Exeter.
THE PIG-at Combe, Gittisham
Our verdict: the special-occasion choice — not a pub roast, and not trying to be.
THE PIG-at Combe is a country-house hotel near Honiton built around its kitchen garden and the group's "25-mile menu", which sources most of what it cooks from within 25 miles. It is trading and holds a five-star food hygiene rating from July 2026. Sunday lunch here is kitchen-garden cooking rather than the classic plate with a Yorkshire pudding on top, and it is a hotel dining room, priced accordingly. Book well ahead for weekends.
Style: Seasonal, garden-led, not a traditional roast. Good for: Birthdays, anniversaries, a long lunch. Location: Gittisham, near Honiton, EX14 3AD — about 20 minutes from Exeter.
Where can I get a Sunday roast in Topsham?
The Lighter Inn, Fore Street
Our verdict: the best roast with a water view, and the easiest one to bring a dog to.
The Lighter Inn faces Topsham's quay and the Exe estuary, and is run by Hall & Woodhouse. It serves Sunday roasts, with food on Sundays from noon until 7:30pm, and says outright that it is a dog-friendly pub and restaurant. Topsham is a short train ride from Exeter Central, so no one has to be the designated driver. Pair it with a morning in town from our foodie's guide to Topsham, or bring the dog via our dog-friendly Exeter guide.
Sunday food: 12–7:30pm. Dogs: Welcome. Good for: Estuary views, arriving by train, late lunches. Location: Fore Street, Topsham, EX3 0HZ.
Quick comparison: which Exeter roast should I book?
- Most central: The Turk's Head — High Street, rooms upstairs
- Best independent: The Fat Pig — roast 12–3pm, book early
- Best afternoon out: Double Locks — walk the canal, then eat
- Best riverside in the city: Mill on the Exe — river views from both floors
- Most food-led city pub: The Hour Glass — dedicated Sunday menu
- Best for a family occasion: The Jack in the Green, Rockbeare
- Longest Sunday food hours: The Blue Ball Inn (to 18:45) and The Lighter Inn (to 7:30pm)
- Most characterful country inn: The Nobody Inn — ring first
- Special occasion: THE PIG-at Combe
Sunday lunch is peak service at every pub here. For a group of six or more, book at least a week ahead, and two weeks for The Jack in the Green or THE PIG-at Combe. December Sundays and bank holiday weekends book out earliest.
Planning around a long weekend? Our bank holiday ideas guide covers what else is on.
How do you make a Sunday of it?
The best roasts are the ones you build an afternoon around.
Canal walk and Double Locks. Walk from Exeter Quay along the ship canal to Double Locks, eat, and walk back. It is flat, easy and one of Exeter's best Sunday habits.
Train to Topsham and the Lighter Inn. Take the train from Exeter Central, wander the town, then eat looking over the estuary. The Exe Estuary Trail makes it a walk-or-cycle option too.
Dartmoor and a country pub. A morning on Dartmoor followed by lunch at the Nobody Inn on the way home is a properly perfect Devon Sunday. If you want to make a weekend of it, several of these pubs have rooms — see our pubs with rooms guide.
Why is the Sunday roast such a good social meal?
It is unhurried. Nobody orders a starter and rushes through the main. You sit down, settle in, and the meal unfolds at the pace good conversation needs. Passing the gravy and arguing about who got the most roast potatoes creates a natural rhythm of interaction that a plated restaurant dinner often lacks. And a pub — warm, informal, forgiving — takes away much of the pressure that can come with meeting people over a meal.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is the best Sunday roast in Exeter?
- In the city centre, The Turk's Head on the High Street and The Fat Pig on John Street are our picks, with Double Locks on the canal for a roast plus a walk. Just outside the city, The Jack in the Green at Rockbeare and the Blue Ball Inn at Sandygate are the most reliable bookings.
- What time do Exeter pubs serve Sunday roast?
- It varies. The Fat Pig serves its roast from 12 to 3pm, the Blue Ball Inn serves food on Sundays from noon until 18:45, and The Lighter Inn in Topsham until 7:30pm. Check the pub's own site before you go, as times change.
- Do I need to book a Sunday roast in Exeter?
- Yes, for almost all of them. Sunday lunch is the busiest service of the week. Book at least a week ahead for a group, and two weeks for The Jack in the Green or THE PIG-at Combe.
- Which Sunday roast near Exeter is dog-friendly?
- The Fat Pig in Exeter and The Lighter Inn in Topsham both say on their own websites that dogs are welcome.
- Is there a vegetarian Sunday roast in Exeter?
- Yes. Double Locks lists a veggie Wellington as its meat-free roast. Most other pubs here offer a vegetarian option, but menus change, so check when booking.
Ready to share one?
The best Sunday roasts are the ones you share with good company. If one of these has caught your eye and you would like some people to enjoy it with, we would love to help.
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