Abi Manning gets the Friday‑night feels at Crave, Exeter‘s buzzy quayside spot
By the time I’d got home from my visit to Crave, I’d already bookmarked it for a return visit with the girls. The upbeat, cocktail‑fuelled hub delivers good times in abundance, with crowd‑pleasing food to match its high‑energy vibe.
Granted, my visit was on a Friday evening, but I suspect Crave glows with that ‛Woohoo it’s the weekend’ feeling every night of the week. The buzz comes from staff zipping about with flaming cocktails that leave smoky trails in their wake, a peppy playlist that keeps the pace snappy, and the clink of glasses from raised toasts.
It’s no surprise the atmosphere is pitch‑perfect as owner Sameer Shetty was previously operations manager for the Rick Stein Group. Crave is his first solo move (launched in summer 2024) and he’s pulled together a pedigree team to help make it fly. That includes head chef Connor Symes, a crack cocktail team and a front‑of‑house crew keeping the ambience on‑point.
In summer, the quayside terrace is a magnet for locals and tourists. However, come winter, the moody interiors – dark walls, fairy lights, botanical wallpaper and houseplants – turn dinner into a twinkly, jungly experience.
Yet, while Crave is casual, it doesn’t coast on mood alone. The flexible all‑day menu caters for every occasion with eats including brunch, tacos and small plates alongside freshly landed seafood and sharing steaks. Produce is carefully sourced – fish from Brixham market and meat from Darts Farm – and the result is elevated comfort food designed for sharing.
On my visit, our selection of sharing plates popped with flavour and colour, and turned out to be hearty platters instead of dinky tapas – an elasticated waistband is recommended.
Indulgences included pillowy house‑made focaccia with burrata, romesco and the spicy bite of salsa verde, while cheddar and Marmite croquettes provided crunch and ooze in a nostalgic nod to childhood cheese toasties. Locally caught fish was treated with care, the wedge of flaky hake swimming in a pool of hot tartare, while whole sardines benefited from the pickled tang of their red onion accompaniment.
The house fave of fried chicken combined the sweetness of gochujang honey with the hot whack of homemade kimchi. More crunch factor was found in the tempura Tenderstem with toum (Lebanese garlic sauce) and chilli jam.
In short: we craved, we ate, we conquered.
Tip The cocktails are really good. As designated driver, I opted for the Faux Fashioned mocktail (kombucha, demerara sugar, bitters and smoked whisky‑oak bitters), which announced itself with a flourish as its lid was removed and an oaky mist swirled out. My dinner partner sampled the Blackberry 75: gin infused with rosemary and lemon peel, lemon, sugar, blackberries and Prosecco, finished with a glowing burnt‑rosemary garnish.
Somehow we resisted the lure of the own‑made digestif: a liqueur crafted from leftover lemons and limes steeped in vodka for a week. But it’s definitely on the list for that girls’ night out …
