Exeter, GB

An independent restaurant in a 16th-century building overlooking Cathedral Green, cooking seasonal modern-British plates from local, free-range produce. The cathedral view and the ingredient focus make it a local favourite. Best for a considered dinner with one of the best views in the city.

An award-winning independent restaurant on the Quayside with a riverside terrace, serving modern-British breakfast, lunch, and dinner using local produce. The water views and the all-day flexibility make it a reliable quay choice. Best for a relaxed riverside meal at any time of day.

A long-established pub-restaurant in a 19th-century warehouse right on the Quayside, locally famous for its enormous 'dustbin lid' pizzas eaten by the water. It's casual, generous, and a Quayside institution. Best for a giant pizza and a pint with the river right outside.

A charming seafood restaurant in historic Topsham overlooking the Exe estuary, serving Brixham crab, River Exe salmon, and Exmouth mussels with a strong sense of local provenance. The estuary setting is lovely. Best for a fresh local-seafood dinner after a Topsham wander.

A characterful quayside pub in Topsham by the Exe estuary, with ample outdoor seating, local ales, and globally inspired pub dishes. It's the classic spot after an estuary walk. Best for a riverside pint and a relaxed pub meal in Topsham.

A dependable Thai restaurant on Fore Street serving soups, noodles, and curries with a good plant-based menu, well-suited to groups with mixed dietary needs. It's a flavourful change from the city's British and pub fare. Best for a relaxed Thai dinner with options for everyone.

A well-regarded Indian restaurant serving North Indian classics and tandoori dishes in a smart room, a long-standing Exeter favourite for a proper curry. It's the dependable choice for Indian in the city. Best for a satisfying curry dinner with reliable quality.

A long-running family Italian in the centre serving handmade pasta, pizza, and classic dishes in a warm, traditional room. It's the city's dependable proper-Italian dinner. Best for a comforting Italian meal away from the chains.

A long-loved vegetarian restaurant on North Street serving wholesome, globally inspired meat-free dishes in a cosy, unpretentious room. It's been a Exeter veggie institution for decades. Best for a hearty vegetarian or vegan meal in the heart of town.

A small independent coffee shop on Queen Street with a bright orange front, pulling excellent flat whites from locally roasted beans alongside toasties and cakes. It's the city-centre serious-coffee pick. Best for a proper coffee and a quick bite in the centre.

A popular cafe in the Polsloe student area known for an extensive brunch menu, from Nutella-and-fruit pancakes to avocado toast and big milkshakes. It's a relaxed, generous neighbourhood brunch spot. Best for a hearty weekend brunch away from the centre.

A much-loved bakery-cafe near St David's station turning out excellent cakes, pastries, and coffee with a cult following. The bakes are the reason regulars detour. Best for a coffee-and-cake stop, especially before or after a train.

An Exeter institution since the early 1990s, a relaxed brasserie serving crowd-pleasing modern plates and grills in a smart, friendly room. It's the dependable, all-occasions city dinner. Best for an easygoing brasserie meal with reliably good food.

A flat, traffic-free towpath running from Exeter Quay alongside England's oldest ship canal to the isolated Turf Locks pub at the estuary's edge. The level path and the riverside pubs make it a classic local walk or cycle. Best for an easy, flat walk to a remote estuary pub and back.

A largely flat, traffic-free path tracing the Exe estuary from the city down through Topsham and Lympstone toward Exmouth, with big tidal views and abundant birdlife. It's the region's great easy walking and cycling route. Best for a flat estuary walk or ride, broken up by riverside villages and pubs.

A 12-mile circular nature walk linking Exeter's parks, river valleys, leafy suburbs, and hidden heritage in one loop around the city. It can be done in sections or as a full-day challenge. Best for a longer, varied walk that shows the green side of the city.

A Forestry England woodland on the hills just north of the city with waymarked trails through conifer and broadleaf woods and views back over Exeter. It's a quick, leafy escape with a bit of climb. Best for an easy-to-moderate woodland walk close to the city.

A beautiful wooded gorge on the eastern edge of Dartmoor where the River Teign rushes beneath an old packhorse bridge below Castle Drogo, with riverside and hillside trails. It's the nearest taste of dramatic Dartmoor scenery. Best for a moderate woodland-and-river walk, with a riverside pub at the bridge.

A sweep of pebblebed heathland east of the city, purple with heather in late summer, with sandy trails, wide views, and Bronze Age remains. It's open, breezy walking country a short drive out. Best for a moderate heathland walk with big skies, especially in heather season.

A green city-edge nature park of meadows, ponds, and grazing cattle just southeast of the centre, with easy paths and views back to the cathedral. It's an unexpectedly rural pocket within the city. Best for an easy, family-friendly nature walk close to home.

Exeter's celebrated free city museum, combining global collections with local finds, from Roman Isca and natural-history dioramas to world cultures, in a grand Victorian building. It's award-winning and family-friendly. Best for a half-day of wide-ranging, free culture in the centre.

A network of 14th-century vaulted tunnels built to carry clean water into the city, now toured by hard-hatted visitors squeezing through the cramped medieval passages. It's a genuinely unusual, atmospheric experience. Best for a guided tour into the city beneath the streets.

A lively arts centre near the museum with a cinema, galleries, live music, comedy, and a buzzy cafe-bar, the hub of the city's independent culture. It packs a lot of programming into one venue. Best for an indie film, a gig, or a gallery visit with a drink after.

The city's main producing theatre, on the university campus, staging drama, dance, and touring productions in a modern auditorium. It's the heart of Exeter's serious theatre scene. Best for an evening of quality drama or a touring show.

A small independent cinema near the centre showing a mix of mainstream, indie, and world films with a relaxed bar. It's the civilised alternative to the multiplex. Best for an indie film and a drink in the heart of town.

A long-running grassroots live-music venue and club in the centre, championing local and touring bands across genres in an intimate basement room. It's the backbone of Exeter's independent music scene. Best for an evening gig with a real local-scene feel.

A craft brewery with a relaxed taproom near Topsham, pouring its own beers to a local crowd in an unpretentious setting. It's a low-key spot to drink local away from the city centre. Best for an evening of fresh local beer near the estuary town.

A family theme park east of the city with rides, animals, indoor play, and water attractions, the region's go-to big day out for younger families. It mixes outdoor rides with all-weather indoor zones. Best for a full family day, especially with younger children.

A handsome 1680 brick custom house on the Quayside, the city's oldest substantial brick building, now a free visitor centre telling the story of the quay and the wool trade. It's a quick, free dose of maritime history. Best for a short, free stop while exploring the Quayside.

A magnificent Gothic cathedral with 900 years of history and the longest uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world, fronted by the tranquil Cathedral Green. The fan vaulting and the astronomical clock are highlights. Best for the vaulted nave and, if available, a roof or tower tour.

Around 70% of Exeter's 2,000-year-old Roman and medieval city wall still stands, traceable on a signposted City Wall Trail that loops the historic core. It's a free, self-guided way to read the city's deep history. Best for an easy walk linking Roman, Norman, and medieval fragments.

The historic canal-side quarter on the River Exe, with converted warehouses now holding cafes, antiques, and watersports, plus the hand-pulled Butts Ferry across the water. It's the city's most relaxed spot to linger. Best for a riverside wander, a ferry hop, and a quayside coffee or pint.

A narrow, colourful lane of independent shops and cafes near the High Street, one of the city's oldest streets and locally claimed as an inspiration for Diagon Alley. It's a charming pocket of old Exeter. Best for a quick browse of independents and a coffee off the main drag.

A historic estuary town four miles downstream, full of Dutch-gabled merchants' houses, antique shops, independent eateries, and quayside pubs along the River Exe. It feels a world away from the city. Best for a half-day of estuary strolling, antique browsing, and a riverside lunch.

A fortified medieval-to-Georgian family castle in a deer park beside the Exe estuary south of the city, with grand interiors, gardens, and roaming fallow deer. The setting and the family history make a full visit. Best for a castle-and-deer-park afternoon, often with events on the lawns.

A National Trust estate northeast of the city with a Georgian mansion, a renowned hillside garden, a costume collection, and miles of parkland and woodland walks. The gardens and grounds are the highlight in any season. Best for a country-house-and-garden day with plenty of walking.

One of the oldest working municipal buildings in England, fronted by a striking Tudor portico over the High Street, with a medieval hall still used for civic events. It's a quick but significant historical stop. Best for a look at the Tudor portico and, when open, the medieval hall.