Conservatory, The

Tommy (4 November 2008)

I first visited The Conservatory about a year ago, and was absolutely gutted that I had missed out on this restaurant for the four years that it had already been opened. I have since visited it quite a few times and have found it to be a pleasant experience, but not quite reaching the standards that it had first set me last year. The food used to be fabulous; the kind of food you see on television and only wish you could cook. However, the last time I visited, I found the standard to be less than average, very simple food that I definitely could have cooked at home. It seems such a shame that another restaurant in Exeter seems to have given up.

Gary & Sandi (3 October 2008)

Living in Exeter could in the past have provided a frustrating experience when it came to good food in the city centre unless of course the normal run of the mill franchises are appealing, which to me, they are not. The Conservatory is a light and airy restaurant set right in the older heart of the City. Pricing is keen at the Conservatory and the quality is always high from the fixed price two course lunches and early dinner right through to homemade cheesecake selection, which changes almost daily. My wife and I as well as my business associates have eaten there several times and the experience has always been flawless. The menu itself is varied but manageable for the kitchen staff, they have a good selection of meat and fish and always includes a poultry dish and a vegetarian dish or two. The food is perfectly prepared and unpretentious varying from lovely Westcountry scallops through rare calf liver to a perfect selection of desserts; try the homemade cheesecake or the Cornish cheeseboard. The all important wine list is short, to the point and caters well for the dishes on offer. The house wines vary, the last time I was in it was a lovely un-oaked Merlot, and it was so good we had two bottles with dinner. We love the Conservatory and we would urge anyone to visit it. The pricing structure is fair and competitive.