Saveur Restaurant Exmouth Review: AA Rosettes in East Devon!
Do you want a fine dining experience in Exmouth, Devon?
Then slip into your glad rags and mosey on down to Saveur, an eatery that’s known for its delicious fine dining dishes and has been awarded 2 AA Rosettes.
Sitting in the town’s centre, this small restaurant is very much an asset to Exmouth, offering a high-end culinary experience without needing to travel into Exeter or further afield.
Whether you’re living in Exmouth or just visiting the coastal town, here’s my full Saveur Exmouth restaurant review so you know what to expect when dining here.
About Saveur Restaurant
Run by head chef Nigel Wright who was trained under Micheal Walmsley and Kerry Dutton, Saveur has been open since 2017.
It takes its inspiration from Kerry and Nigel’s travels around the globe, resulting in a menu providing British classics with a modern European influence.
It has received 2 AA Rosettes for its delicious food, and enjoys a status as one of the best restaurants in not just Exmouth, but all of Devon.
Saveur Exmouth Food and drink
So, what is it about Saveur that’s making Exmouth’s mouths water?
Here’s what we tried on our recent visit to the restaurant – and what we thought of it!
Starters
For starters, I had the beetroot fondant with beetroot relish, stilton mousse, hazelnut vinaigrette, watercress and fennel cracker. It was rich and juicy, with just the right balance of flavours.
My partner had the seared local scallops with cauliflower puree, anchoiade dressing, roasted cauliflower and toasted hazelnuts and loved the
Mains
My main was really something special. I opted for the vegetarian truffle gnocchi — sweetcorn puree, garlic oyster mushrooms, sage butter and crispy cavolo nero.
It was absolutely delicious; the gnocchi was made of tender doughy balls and the sauce was wonderfully flavoursome.
My partner had the pan-fried sea bass, which was succulent and came with artichoke, potato and parmesan terrine.
He loved the fish – although most of the fish dishes in Exmouth are great – and enjoyed the fresh, zesty vegetables.
Desserts
We opted for a cheese platter rather than the dessert, although options like sticky toffee building and chocolate brownies were on the menu.
The platter was made of a selection of mainly West Country cheese, including Devon Oke which is thought to be older than cheddar cheese – its original recipe dates back to the 17th century – and Saveur which is a mellow cheese made near Totnes.
We also loved the Yarlington Blue which is made in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds.
It was a tasty platter, served with crunchy crackers, a sweet chutney and grapes.
Drinks
There’s a range of drinks on the menu, including an extensive wine list.
There was even a bottle of Lebanese wine, but as we didn’t want to drink too much we just opted for a glass of house wine each.
My boyfriend also enjoyed a glass of rich port with the cheese.
Service
Saveur maintained an air of class while not being pretentious in the slightest.
The waitstaff were friendly and welcoming but answered all questions thoroughly with their impressive culinary knowledge.
Atmosphere
Despite the 2 AA Rosettes, the atmosphere isn’t at all pretentious; instead, the low lighting, friendly pictures on the walls and the fact that there aren’t many tables give it a cosy yet classy atmosphere.
Location
Saveur Restaurant is right in the heart of Exmouth town centre, steps away from Manor Gardens, the High Street and The Strand.
It’s a five-minute walk from Exmouth station, and close to the number 57 bus route. You can take the train or 57 bus to Exmouth from Exeter.
If you want to take a taxi after enjoying a slow and delicious meal, there’s a taxi rank nearby on The Strand.
Prices
Our bill, for two starters, two mains (one of which was a £24 sea bass), a shared cheese board, two glasses of wine and a port came to £92 (without service charge).
Just a note, there was a subtotal on the bill (around £70) and then a VAT amount.
We thought that this meant that the VAT was added on top of the listed price for each item, but we calculated it and it wasn’t – for some reason, the subtotal and VAT were just added like that.
Final Thoughts
Saveur Restaurant is without a doubt one of the best restaurants in Exmouth.
While I’m not always the biggest fan of fine dining establishments, the relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff give it a much more personable air than other similar restaurants.
That doesn’t take away at all from the quality of the food – the only complaint that I have is that the portion sizes were quite small!
You can see all of the best things to do in Exmouth here.
Be sure to check out the rest of my Devon travel guides for more information about travelling to this area – I’m a local and have a lot to say about the country!
If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message on Instagram – I’m happy to help!
