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The Stables, Exeter, Devon

The Stables

3.0
3
35 Reviews
£25 and under
Dining Bar

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 p.m.
Booked 2 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for groups
  • Good for special occasions


We are a modern independent free-house with a vintage twist.
Serving a wide variety of beers, lagers, wines, spirits, 0% or low alcohol and coffees to complement our honest home cooked local food in a comfortable environment.
The pub was originally a blacksmiths "We wanted to stay true to the history of this grand old building, while giving it a modern twist, and a fresh lease of life". Serving daily specials along side a main menu.
We look forward to welcoming customers old and new.
We are a dog friendly place! with a fantastic beer garden.

On a Sunday we offer a carvery between 12-4pm and from 5-8pm our main menu.

We are available for private hire for Birthdays, Weddings, Life Celebrations or any other parties (private use subject to minimum spend)

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Dining Bar, Bistro, British
  • Hours of Operation
    Sat 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Fri 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    01392 851334
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    we are happy to work with you on a bespoke event menu of your choice!
  • Private party facilities
    We have the stables " Tack Room" which is available for private hire and functions, we can cater for any special events from baby showers, christenings, birthdays, business meetings or anything!
  • Neighbourhood
    Exeter
  • Cross Street
    Cowley Bridge Road
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 35 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.0
3 based on recent ratings
  • 3.1Food
  • 3.3Service
  • 3.4Ambience
  • 3.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Stables offers a "phenomenal Sunday roast" with "delicious and plentiful" meats and "outstanding" vegetables. However, some guests have noted inconsistency in service and menu availability, including limited options and delays. Despite these issues, staff are described as "very friendly," contributing to a welcoming atmosphere.

35 Reviews
  1. Sophie

    Devon

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    “Absolutely amazing experience! I came on Valentine’s Day without a booking, and despite it being a busy night, the new manager kindly accommodated us. The service was outstanding, and the atmosphere was just perfect. We had such a great night that I had to come back today and book just to leave this review! Huge shoutout to Woody for creating such a fantastic vibe and ensuring everything ran smoothly. Well done to the whole team—can’t wait to come back again!”

    1 person found this helpful

  2. Tim

    Devon

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Come in for lunch today and was quiet However the food was outstanding we had the linguini special It did not fail to impress me and my partner she had the homemade fish pie and that was just as lovely will be coming back very soon…..

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  3. cara

    Devon

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Been here many times over the years but Unfortunately this time wasn't plesent at all, was told there was everything available on the menu, asked for a child's meal to be a adults was told the staff member wasn't confident in the kitchen so no, so ordered the food that come was missing 1 lunch however we was brought something else instead of what the menu stated then the missing plate arrived 10mins later, which was what originally was on the menu. We complained to the only front of house member available, to which we was told alert whom then went into the kitchen & was rude to the kitchen staff. We asked to speak to a manager to be told NO. Since then I've wrote an email & had no reply. I will not be returning.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Lynn

    Devon

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 5, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    This was our first visit to the Stables for sometime and we were looking forward to our meal but were very disappointed with the range on offer. My husband and my sister-oin-law’s partner didn’t want the roast but this was all that was on offer. We thought the range of meat and vegetables were a little small. The time we went 12.45 we felt there should have been more to choose from. However, the parsnips and carrots were overcooked and not many there, the Swede/carrot mash was lovely and the cauliflower cheese was a little bland, but the roast potatoes were lovely. The only other vegetable was red cabbage. The sweets were very disappointing too. The jam rolypoly didn’t have much jam, the Yule log was ok-ish, and the others had crumble which they enjoyed. The menu should have been value for money but we felt the roast was lacking. The staff were friendly and attentive, no faults there.

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  5. Mo

    Devon

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 31, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We had our new year eve dinner in Stables. Everything was great; but with delays. The carvery was a little bit overcooked. Staff was very polite and supportive.

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  6. Chantelle

    Devon

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 26, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Been to the stables before about a year ago and good was lovely. Went this Boxing Day and I will never go back again. Our drinks coke was watered down and flat they had to change them when I asked they was happy to service them like this. The food was awful. Eggs weren’t cooked probably. Black pudding was hard. Hash browns weren’t good. Never have I been any where for a breakfast and not had toast or fried bread. Awful will never be back. Such a shame as such a nice pub.
    The StablesResponded on January 3, 2025
    Hi Chantelle thank you for your review any feed back is helpful. We do not and cannot water down Pepsi from the machine the product we use is Pepsi which you didn't like and we replaced your drinks with Coke from a bottle which you was happy with, we are sorry your felt it was not value for money, it was a full breakfast with a continental alongside including fresh fruit, yogurts and pastries, we didn't include toast within the offer however you asked for some and was given with no extra charge. We tried to accommodate all requests which we felt we did on the day. Team Stables

    1 person found this helpful

  7. Sally

    Devon

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 16, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    We were here for our annual family lunch and hoped for a cosy pub with good service for our elderly family group and a wheelchair user. Unfortunately we were disappointed on both counts. On arrival we were shown to a table directly in line with the front door. The door was hooked open, as was the inside door. The cold wind was blowing in making it very chilly, and the noise of the passing traffic on the main road was unacceptable, so we had to ask for a different table in a more comfortable part of the pub. We were told that the doors were open because they had been trying to light the fire and the room was full of smoke. On requesting 3 sherries at the bar we were told that nobody drinks sherry so they didn't have any sherry glasses, so they had to serve the drinks in 3 small tumblers. The carvery itself was pretty good, apart from the potatoes, which were so hard they were inedible. No one came to our table whilst we were eating to ask if everything was okay, and no one came to the table to clear our plates away once we had finished, so in the end we piled them up ourselves and moved them out of the way. I went to the bar for tap water, but although there was another customer waiting, there was no one there to serve us and we had to wait several minutes for someone to arrive. Later we went to the bar to order desserts/coffees, only to be left again at an empty bar. We waited a while, then more customers came for drinks and when the barman (who also seemed to be the carvery chef and the waiter) arrived he went straight to serve them first! It was at this point we decided to leave and go next door to the garden centre to finish our meal. To be fair, the food was good and the staff were pleasant, polite and helpful, but there were just not enough of them - they were trying to be everywhere at once. The price of the carvery was very reasonable and they do a special discount for seniors, but in spite of this we didn't feel valued customers so won't be visiting again.
    The StablesResponded on January 3, 2025
    Hi Sally thank you for your review we take all reviews seriously so its helpful. We are pleased that you felt reading your review that the overall food was good and value for money, sadly we do not sell much sherry! however after talking to you on the day we have purchased some extra sherry glasses as we only had 2 which you are right we should have more in stock so thank you.

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  8. Francis

    Devon

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was not as hot as should be but we eat at 2pm

    Is this helpful?

  9. Amanda

    Devon

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We had an issue with one dish: the nut roast was delayed by over 40 minutes during the Sunday carvery. The manager was very apologetic and offered us free drinks for the inconvenience. We were happy they put the issue right and the rest of the meal was very good.
    The StablesResponded on January 3, 2025
    Thank you Amanda for your kind review we do not always get things right on the day but are glad your overall experience was good!

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  10. Deborah

    New York City

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Very average roast dinner, the “apple crumble” was a slab of stodge on a plate which I thought was suet pudding. I sent it back. Kids running around and screaming Not a great Sunday lunch. Won’t be back
    The StablesResponded on January 3, 2025
    Hi Deborah Thank you for your review all reviews are helpful. We are a family inclusive environment so very much welcome children so we are sorry you felt that this impacted on your overall experience.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Stables is rated 3 stars by 35 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 p.m.
Booked 2 times today
Google Map for The Stables

Turlake Mews, Exeter, Devon EX5 5ER

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Cowley Bridge Road
  • Neighbourhood
    Exeter
  • Hours of Operation
    Sat 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Fri 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Dining Bar, Bistro, British
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    01392 851334
  • Catering
    we are happy to work with you on a bespoke event menu of your choice!
  • Private party facilities
    We have the stables " Tack Room" which is available for private hire and functions, we can cater for any special events from baby showers, christenings, birthdays, business meetings or anything!
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  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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