Hi Everyone! I’m Eloise, a recent Film and Television Studies and Geography graduate from the University of Exeter. I’m originally from Sussex but have spent the last three years based on the Streatham Campus in Exeter. This blog will guide you through the best vegan and vegetarian friendly spots that the city has to offer! I’ll recommend the best places to study whilst grabbing a veggie snack as well as how to stick to a vegan diet on a budget friendly way – whether that be on campus, in the city, or in your own kitchen!
Whilst Exeter might be a city on the smaller side, it boasts a variety of cafes and restaurants, from chain favourites to trendy independent stores. As a finalist, I’m still exploring new places and shops every day, so there is plenty to get up to and try out! Here are some of my favourite restaurants that I’ve visited during my time here…
My favourite restaurants
Puerto Lounge
Perched on the side of the quay, this restaurant not only has stellar views but also a huge selection of foods… and I mean a lot! Their menu spans an A3 page, but better still, they have their own vegan menu and another separate menu for those on a gluten free diet. As a vegan, it is usually hard enough to find one or two options on a menu, but here, you are most definitely spoilt for choice.
They are popular for breakfasts, brunches, and dinners. I tried the vegan all-day breakfast and highly recommend it! I personally don’t enjoy fake meat, so the restaurant was happy to swap out the vegan sausages for some avocado toast. It is great when the staff are able to accommodate dietary requests so readily. My friends really enjoyed the roasted pepper and squash flatbread and the vegan burger. If you head there with friends who just want a standard menu, they can enjoy burgers, Mexican food, salads, and curries for between £11-15, as well as plenty of sides and desserts for about £4, and there’s lots of sharing platters too!
It is about a 30-minute walk from Streatham Campus, so a bit further away than the city centre high street, but for the riverside views, it is worth it! When you are there, you can order online to the table, and the menu allows you to add allergen filters such as celery, soya, or peanuts. They have weekly deals such as ‘Cheeky Mondays’, ‘Tapas Tuesdays’, ‘Lunchtime deals’ available Monday to Friday, and daily cocktail happy hours!
Venezia Exeter
Just across the bridge over the River Exe on the other side of the quay is a Mediterranean restaurant – Venezia. They serve 9”, 12” and 16” pizzas, salads, burgers, multiple pasta dishes, and sharing platters.
I brought my mum here for a dinner when she came to visit me, and it perfect to bring the parents to and show them the vibrancy of the quay. She really enjoyed the seafood linguini, and I enjoyed my vegan spaghetti and garlic bread! I wish I could have tried their veggie sharing platter, which is perfect for two people. The food is more on the expensive side: pasta and pizza are around £12, but speciality dishes like steak are up to £20 – but if you stick to veggie or vegan meals, they tend to be cheaper options!
My favourite coffee shops
Quite a lot of students regularly study in coffee shops in town rather than go to the library or study spaces on campus, particularly those in accommodation located closer to the town – although the walk between the library at the heart of Streatham Campus to the town centre is only a 15-25 minute walk!
I have several coffee shops at the top of my list, both for their food options and their capacity to study in or have a chat with friends…
12 Bar Music and Social
Staff here claim that there is ‘a soundtrack in every sip’ and this is because it is a coffee shop, a vinyl store, and a live music venue in the heart of Exeter. Just behind the main bus station and just off the high street near John Lewis, this shop serves a lovely chai latte with oat milk if you ask me! They have all the alternative milks you need and provide huge tables and bar stools to study and spread out your papers. I had a catch up with some friends from the newspaper society, Exeposé, and the bright, airy, open space of a relatively small café was perfect for a debrief!
The coffee was around £4 – there was also the option to buy some pastries and cakes too. This coffee shop is quite unique as it has many events too… Open Decks at 6-11pm on selected Fridays, ‘Run the Tracks’ (which is their new run club on the first and third Sunday of every month), as well as film nights! The film night, for example, costs £12 and includes a free drink.
The Sunset Society
Located on Old Tiverton Road right next to the Exeter City Football Club is the Sunset Society, which is well-known for the most incredible assortment of vegan and veggie foods. They have amazing, wholesome, organic foods which look good, taste great, and make you feel fantastic too.
They are so good that they have served at Party on the Beach (the annual beach festival at Exmouth beach) and in Forum Kitchen (the on-campus dining experience just next to the library on campus). On the beach they served vegan falafel wraps, veggie halloumi wraps, and sweet potato fries. In the Forum, students were treated to all day brekkies and French toast with fruit!
I’ve been to the coffee outlet for quite a few society events. One of my friends organises a run club in affiliation with the shop – called Sunset Strides – which, like 12 Bar Music and Social run club, offers a 5k run for participants and then coffee and cake to celebrate afterwards. It is a great way to stay active, eat well, and meet new friends. I also went to a Geography society wine glass painting social, which was a relaxed way to meet new people at the start of the academic year on my course from all year groups whilst making something creative. Of course, we ate our fair share of pizzas, crisps, and smoothies. They even hosted a Sober Social for Snowsports Club, where we painted and carved pumpkins at Halloween whilst munching on some good food.
Check out their Instagram to see their latest menus, as they like to bring in new and seasonal foods and try out new recipes! Other socials they offer include karaoke nights where the cocktails are flowing and the vibes are high. As they are so popular, it is quite easy to get free food if you pay to attend a social.
Some of my other top picks
Exeter’s high street is home to most of the chain restaurants near to campus. Think the Ivy, Bella Italia, and the Botanist. It is easy to find something veggie or vegan friendly here too, and like Puerto Lounge, many have gluten free menus too to make it even simpler to see what you can eat. I’ll list some spots below that even have a student discount to take advantage of!
- Pizza Express has its own vegan menu and a handy student discount available on UNiDAYS for students to enjoy 25% off Sunday-Friday
- Bills restaurant also has a delicious and hearty vegan breakfast and main meals that satisfy vegan diets. 20% from UNiDAYS is also available (just not on Saturdays!)
- Côte may not be the best for even veggie eaters, but they do have 20% off the total bill for students
- Brew Dog offers students a 2-4-1 vegan Monday menu
- Wagamamas is a vegan haven where you can swap meat out for tofu in most of their dishes whilst getting a 20% discount from Student Beans
Some student friendly cafes and restaurants that also deserve an honourable mention include:
- Eat on the Green – lunchtime eats by the cathedral
- Pop Pizza – pizza and wine restaurant down the lanes
- Artigiano Espresso and Wine Bar – on the high street and has weekly jazz nights
- Herbies – meat free dishes in a relaxed bistro setting just off the high street
- Sacred Grounds – a plant-based menu tucked away in the rustic setting of the Real McCoy
- The Veg Box – which has the best vegan pancakes and waffles by the quay
- Sundays – which my caffeine-lover friends say has the best coffee in Exeter
- Eat the bird – despite the name, they have a vegan menu with fake chicken which is ideal if you are weening off the meat and transitioning into a vegan diet
International options
For international students wanting a taste of home, or home students who want to expand their palate, Exeter has all the food options to transport you on a culinary journey around the world.
Rosa’s Thai and Kin Khao have great options for Thai food at both ends of the city. Comptoir Libanais is a gorgeously decorated Lebanese restaurant in the heart of the city – which is great for vegan students with plenty of hummus and pitta to eat. Wok Wok is an Asian restaurant at the end of Sidwell Street.
Nearby on Old Tiverton Road, the Continental Food Stores allows you to buy produce and oriental ingredients at affordable prices – it’s particularly popular with Indian students seeking produce with the familiarity of home. Mesopotamia on Sidwell Street has an array of Middle Eastern goods, which is the best place for halal meats and vegetables. Sidwell Street often has stalls spilling out onto the streets, and Mesopotamia is one of the most notable. They even have authentic Turkish desserts in the window displays. This street also has Food Plus, which is home to Polish groceries with cakes and baked treats. It also has many other European delicacies too.
Yonk is the best spot to buy pot noodle and frozen Asian foods. 168 Oriental is another Asian store also on Summerland Street in the city centre, and, like Yonk, it has good quality products at budget friendly prices.
Food on campus
As the majority of first year students live on campus, you might find it reassuring to know that there are a variety of affordable vegan and veggie food outlets to explore at Streatham. In the Forum, there is the aforementioned Forum Kitchen, which alternates its servings weekly; for example, ramen noodles, Greek gyros, or Indian curries. Forum also houses Starbucks and Pret, but it is important to note that Pret memberships aren’t valid on campus – but they are at the Pret in town! Market Place is also on campus in three locations, with the largest being in Forum. This is the student’s convenience store offering snacks, sandwiches and pasties – although these are more on the expensive side, with a sandwich costing £3.35.
The Students’ Guild (our student union) has responded to the recent cost-of-living crisis by offering students a daily £2.25 hot meal served in Devonshire House (DH) 2, on the upper levels of Forum. These range from pasta bakes, to curries, to jacket potatoes. For a larger portion, you can pay an extra pound, and for a couple more you can add sides like garlic bread. There is a new sushi and boba bar across from the hot meal service, and in the DH1 there is a hugely popular burrito bar that offers a deal – a drink, wrap, and packet of crisps for just over £5. Again, you can pay more for sauces like guacamole.
Food in your student accommodation
In accommodation in first year, catered halls will be able to accommodate for dietary requirements like vegan or gluten free diets. In self-catered accommodation, it is actually easier than people commonly perceive to cook vegan meals. Meal prep is the best way to keep costs low. Cutting meat out of your grocery list also saves money, as things like steak tend to be costly.
A hummus, rice, and falafel wrap is my go-to – it is so filling and healthy as well as being quick to assemble. Pasta salad is a great way to incorporate a rainbow assortment of veggies into your diet and hit the 5-a-day target. Swap out beef mince for lentils in a nice tomato sauce when you make spaghetti Bolognese for a vegan alternative.
In your house or flat, why not do a food shop together online, or go to a big supermarket by car / bus together to cut the costs of delivery? At Tesco, a Clubcard can cut prices significantly – on a weekly shop I usually save about £10!
The lowdown…
Exeter is such a foody city, and as it has sustainability and fairness at the heart of its values it makes it easy to get nutritious, locally sourced food. You can enjoy vegan and veggie food from a variety of independent shops, or if you are a lover of a particular restaurant then rest assured that Exeter likely has it – along with a hefty student discount most of the time!
Download UNiDAYS and Student Beans to reap the rewards of being a student. Try out some of the coffee shops or restaurants listed above or have a wonder around the city and see what you stumble upon.
You definitely won’t be going hungry whilst studying at the University of Exeter or living in the city. There are ways to find places that cater for dietary requirements that won’t break the bank, and hopefully this blog will be a good starting point for you!
Bon appetite.