The Case for Staying In
Not every great social evening needs a reservation. Sometimes the best nights are the ones that happen on the sofa — a few friends, a stack of takeaway containers, something decent on the television, and absolutely no pressure to be anywhere or do anything. It is the most relaxed version of socialising there is, and in a city like Exeter, where the takeaway options are genuinely good, it deserves more credit than it gets.
We spend a lot of time writing about Exeter's restaurants and cocktail bars, and those guides are worth your time. But this one is for the nights when you do not want to get dressed up, do not want to fight for a parking space, and do not want to spend half the evening deciding where to book. This is the guide for ordering in — and ordering well.
Exeter's takeaway scene covers everything from exceptional Indian cooking to proper fish and chips, authentic Thai street food to wood-fired pizza. Most of it is available on Deliveroo, Just Eat, or Uber Eats, and much of it is better than you would expect from a city this size. Here is where to order from, what to get, and why the sofa-plus-takeaway-plus-friends combination is one of the most underrated social formats going.
Indian
Ganges Restaurant
One of Exeter's longest-established Indian restaurants, Ganges has been a fixture on Fore Street for years and shows no signs of slowing down. The menu is extensive — curries, tandoori dishes, biryanis, and a strong selection of specials — and the quality is remarkably consistent across the board.
What makes Ganges particularly useful for a takeaway night is the breadth of the menu. If you are ordering for a group with different tastes and heat tolerances, this is the place that will keep everyone happy. The Korma is gentle and creamy, the Vindaloo has genuine kick, and the Jalfrezi sits perfectly in between.
What to order: The Chicken Tikka and a Palak Murgh — spinach and chicken in a smooth, aromatic sauce. Add a portion of pilau rice and a garlic naan per person. Location: 156 Fore Street, St Davids, EX4 3AT. Delivery: Available on Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats. Also available for collection and phone ordering. Best for: Large group orders where everyone wants something different.
Everest Tandoori
Over the river in St Thomas, Everest Tandoori brings a Nepalese accent to the standard Indian menu — a useful thing when your group has worked its way through every curry house in the centre. It sits on Cowick Street, a short walk from St Thomas station, and does a brisk collection and delivery trade alongside the restaurant.
The Nepalese dishes are the reason to order here rather than defaulting to the nearest curry house. Ask what the kitchen recommends beyond the familiar tikka-and-korma end of the menu.
What to order: Something from the Nepalese section, plus one crowd-pleasing curry for anyone who wants the classics. Location: 54 Cowick Street, EX4 1AP. Delivery: Check the major delivery platforms for current availability, or ring for collection. Best for: A curry night for people who think they have tried everything.
The golden rule of the Indian takeaway night: order one more dish than you think you need. Leftovers make an excellent lunch the next day, and nobody has ever complained about too much naan bread.
Thai
iFood Thai Taste
If you have not tried iFood Thai Taste on Sidwell Street, you are missing one of Exeter's best-kept secrets. This charming restaurant and takeaway cooks traditional Thai food with genuinely fresh, naturally sourced ingredients, and the results are consistently outstanding.
The menu covers all the Thai classics — tom yum, pad thai, green and red curries, stir-fries — and every dish is cooked fresh to order. The portions are generous, the flavours are authentic, and the prices are remarkably reasonable for the quality on offer. There are strong vegan options too, which makes it a good choice for mixed groups.
The takeaway service is efficient and friendly, and the food travels well — the curries in particular arrive just as fragrant and well-balanced as they would at the table. If you are looking for something lighter and fresher than a curry for your night in, Thai is always a strong call.
What to order: The Pad Thai is a classic for a reason. Add a green curry and a portion of sticky rice. The tom yum soup makes a brilliant starter to share. Delivery: Available for takeaway and delivery. Check Just Eat and Deliveroo for current availability. Best for: A lighter, fresher alternative to the standard takeaway. Excellent for sharing.
Rosa's Thai — Queen Street
Rosa's Thai is the chain's first South West location, and it has made a strong impression since opening in the Guildhall Shopping Centre. It is a sizeable restaurant, open seven days a week, serving eat-in and takeout from lunch through the evening.
The menu covers all the Thai classics — green and red curries, Pad Thai, aromatic soups, salads, and sharing platters — with a consistency that comes from a well-run kitchen and carefully sourced ingredients. What sets Rosa's apart is the presentation and the balance of flavours, which feel a cut above your typical high-street Thai. Vegan and vegetarian options are plentiful, and there is a private dining space if you are planning a group meal — ask about capacity when you book.
Rosa's also offers delivery through the usual platforms.
What to order: The sharing platter to start, followed by a green curry and a Pad Thai. The sticky rice is essential. Location: Higher Market, Guildhall Shopping and Dining, Queen Street. Delivery: Available on Uber Eats. Also available for collection. Best for: When you want a step up from the standard Thai takeaway. The sharing platters work brilliantly for groups.
If you are ordering Thai for a group, the trick is to order a mix of wet dishes (curries) and dry dishes (Pad Thai, stir-fries) with plenty of rice. This gives everyone variety and means the table stays interesting. Two curries, one noodle dish, one stir-fry, and three portions of rice will comfortably feed four people with leftovers.
Chinese
Tyepyedong
Pronounced "tye-pye-dong" and meaning "a place to eat without the fuss," Tyepyedong is an independent, family-run restaurant on Sidwell Street that has been serving oriental fusion food in Exeter for over twenty years. The menu blends Chinese and Japanese cooking with broader Asian influences, and everything is cooked fresh to order without artificial flavourings or MSG.
This is not your standard Chinese takeaway. The food here has a depth of flavour and a freshness that comes from a kitchen that genuinely cares about what it puts out. The noodle dishes are the star — silky, well-seasoned, and satisfying — but the rice dishes and stir-fries are equally strong. The chef will modify dishes to your preference, so if you want more heat, less salt, or a substitution, just ask.
What to order: The noodle dishes are the speciality — try the chow mein or the Singapore noodles. The crispy duck is worth ordering if you are feeding a group. Delivery: Collection available. Check Deliveroo and Just Eat for delivery options. Best for: When you want Chinese food that is a genuine step above the ordinary.
Pizza
On The Waterfront
Sitting on the ground floor of a magnificent 19th-century warehouse on Exeter Quay, On The Waterfront has been one of the city's most popular independent restaurants for years — and their pizzas are a big part of why. These are not delicate, Neapolitan-style affairs. These are gigantic, generously topped, and designed to feed properly.
The restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, and the menu extends beyond pizza to include pasta, fish, meats, and salads. But it is the pizzas that have earned their reputation — the bases are well-made, the toppings are generous, and the quality is several notches above what you would get from a delivery chain.
On The Waterfront offers delivery through Uber Eats, which means you can get those quayside pizzas brought to your door. Gluten-free and vegan pizza options are available too, which makes it work for groups with mixed dietary requirements.
What to order: One of the meat-loaded specials if you are hungry, or the Margherita if you want to judge a pizza by its fundamentals. They are big enough to share. Delivery: Available on Uber Eats and for collection. Best for: When only a proper, generously topped pizza will do.
Fish and Chips
Hook Fish and Chips
At 88 South Street in the city centre, Hook is a contemporary chip shop that takes its fish and chips seriously. Open seven days a week, this is a place that has earned its reputation through consistently fresh, well-cooked fish in a light, crispy batter, served with proper chips.
The quality here comes from simplicity — good fish, sourced well, cooked properly, and served without fuss. It is the kind of fish and chips that reminds you why this is a national institution when it is done right, and why it is so disappointing when it is not.
What to order: Classic cod or haddock and chips. Add mushy peas and curry sauce if you are feeling traditional. Delivery: Available on Deliveroo. Best for: A proper Friday-night fish supper.
Rockfish Exeter
If you want your fish and chips with a sustainability angle, Rockfish is the place. It sits at Piazza Terracina on Haven Road, at the canal basin just beyond the Quay — close to the quayside but not on it, so aim for the basin rather than the Quay itself. The menu changes daily based on the morning's catch from the Brixham fleet, and the kitchen makes a point of its sustainable sourcing. The takeaway menu offers prime cuts of cod and haddock alongside seasonal local species, with their famous curry and mushy peas combo as a side.
Rockfish proves that fish and chips can be both conscientious and delicious. The batter is light, the fish is impeccably fresh, and the chips are properly cooked. It is a step above the standard chippy, and the quayside setting — if you are collecting rather than ordering delivery — is a lovely bonus.
What to order: Haddock and chips with curry sauce. Try whatever the daily local catch is. Location: Piazza Terracina, Haven Road, EX2 8GT. Delivery: Collection from the canal basin. Best for: When you want the best possible fish and chips and do not mind collecting.
Devon's relationship with seafood runs deep. If you want to explore beyond the chippy, our guide to Exeter's best fish and seafood restaurants covers everything from casual quayside spots to proper seafood dining.
Kebab
Exeter Grill
Forget everything you think you know about kebabs. Exeter Grill has built a devoted following among locals who insist — with the kind of passion usually reserved for football teams — that this is the best kebab shop in the city. The lamb and chicken doner wraps are packed with rich, tender meat, grilled to perfection, and served with fresh salad, creamy hummus, and house-made sauces.
Locals consistently praise the quality and the generosity of the portions. This is late-night food elevated to something genuinely worth seeking out, even when you are stone-cold sober and simply in the mood for something satisfying.
What to order: The lamb doner wrap with all the trimmings. Add chips if you are hungry. Location: 46 Fore Street, Heavitree, EX1 2QL — note this is Heavitree's Fore Street, not the city-centre one. Delivery: Check Just Eat and Deliveroo for availability. Best for: Late-night cravings, or when you want something hearty and satisfying.
King Kebab
A family-friendly takeaway on the other end of the spectrum, King Kebab specialises in a wide variety of pizza, calzone, charcoal grills, and Turkish cuisine alongside their kebab offerings. The lamb and chicken doner are excellent, the shish kebabs are properly grilled over charcoal, and the menu is broad enough that it works as a one-stop order when your group cannot agree on what to eat.
What to order: The chicken shish kebab or the lamb doner. The charcoal grilling makes a noticeable difference. Location: 23 Cowick Street, EX4 1AL. Delivery: Available on Just Eat. Best for: Group orders where not everyone wants the same thing.
The Sofa + Takeaway + Friends Formula
Here is the thing about a night in with takeaway: it is one of the most genuinely social things you can do. There is no background noise drowning out conversation. There is no bill anxiety. There is no pressure to leave because the restaurant needs the table. Everyone is comfortable, everyone is relaxed, and the food is just good enough to spark conversation — "try this," "have you had the naan?" "who ordered the extra rice?"
It is the kind of evening where real connections happen, precisely because nobody is trying to make them happen. The format removes all the friction that sometimes makes going out feel like work, and replaces it with exactly the conditions that friendship thrives in: comfort, shared experience, and time.
The perfect takeaway night for a group: order from two different places. An Indian and a Chinese, or a pizza and a kebab. Spread everything out on the table, let people pick and mix, and watch how quickly the conversation starts flowing. The variety gives everyone something to talk about and try.
How to Order Smart
A few practical tips for getting the most out of Exeter's takeaway scene:
- Check multiple platforms. The same restaurant can have different prices, deals, and delivery times on Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats. It pays to compare.
- Order direct when you can. Many of Exeter's independent takeaways have their own ordering systems. Ordering direct means more of your money goes to the restaurant and you often get better deals.
- Time it right. Friday and Saturday evenings between 7pm and 9pm are peak delivery times. Order slightly earlier or later and your food will arrive faster and hotter.
- Do not forget sides. The best takeaway nights are built on sides — naan bread, prawn crackers, garlic bread, dips. They fill the gaps and give everyone something to pick at.
Exeter's Takeaway Scene Deserves More Credit
There is a tendency to treat takeaway food as the lesser option — the fallback when you cannot be bothered to cook or go out. But Exeter's takeaway restaurants are, in many cases, run by the same passionate, skilled people who would earn praise in any dining context. The balanced spicing at Ganges, the fresh-to-order noodles at Tyepyedong, the sustainably sourced fish at Rockfish — this is food made with care, and it deserves to be enjoyed with the same attention.
So next time you are thinking about how to spend an evening with people you like, consider this: a group text, a takeaway order, a stack of plates, and a sofa. No booking required. No dress code. Just good food, good company, and the kind of evening you will actually look forward to.
The Complete Takeaway Night Checklist
Here is everything you need for the perfect takeaway evening with friends, from someone who has organised more than a few:
Two hours before: Send the group text. Keep it simple: "Takeaway at mine tonight, 7:30? I'm ordering Indian — but taking requests." Getting the time and the cuisine agreed early avoids the 45-minute WhatsApp debate that eats into your evening.
One hour before: Tidy the living room, set out plates and cutlery, and put some music on. It does not need to be fancy — just enough that people feel welcomed rather than ambushed.
Thirty minutes before: Place the order. Use this guide to choose wisely. Over-order slightly — as we have said, leftovers are never a problem. If you are ordering from multiple places, stagger the orders so everything arrives within the same window.
When people arrive: Drinks first, food second. Have something cold in the fridge — beer, wine, soft drinks — and let people settle in before the food lands. The arrival of the takeaway should feel like an event, not a rush.
After dinner: This is where the evening earns its keep. The food is done, everyone is comfortable, and the conversation flows naturally. A board game works well at this point, or a film, or simply more talking. The pressure is off. Nobody needs to be anywhere. That is the whole point.
If takeaway is not quite what you are after, our guides to cooking for friends and one-pot recipes for feeding a group offer alternatives that are only slightly more effort. For nights when you do want to go out, the best cheap eats in Exeter under £10 proves you do not need to spend a fortune to eat well. And if you are craving something sweet to finish the evening, our desserts guide has everything from delivered waffles to artisan brownies.