This chic meeting place in Exeter’s leafy Southernhay quarter bustles with the banter of city life. First and foremost a wine bar, Rendezvous boasts an impressive cellar and knowledgeable staff. The food, originally intended to complement the wine list, has rightly earned a following of its own. After 12 years, Rendezvous has many accolades and awards to its name. The word is now well and truly out and the place quickly fills up with locals, professionals, and food-lovers with a penchant for good wine, therefore booking is essential on most nights.
The menu changes daily to make the most of what’s in season locally. With starters such as seared Lyme Bay scallops with crisp coppa, baby gem, caper salsa and anchovy aioli followed by Broadclyst lamb rump and belly with hasselback potatoes, baby beetroot, shallot purée, and wild garlic butter, or pan-roasted stone bass with Parmentier potatoes, baby leeks, wild mushrooms, poached hen egg and herb Hollandaise, there’s always something tempting for diners to delight in.
There’s a beautifully secluded, sunny walled garden at the back for a quiet glass of wine or an al fresco bite to eat amid Exeter’s red bricks and trees. With an exciting wine list to tempt every palate, and delicious daily menus prepared in-house by the talented chefs, there’s plenty for the discerning drinker, humble bon viveur and local foodie to enjoy.