Exeter is a beautiful cathedral town and the capital of the county of Devon. Its location in the heart of the rolling Devon countryside and only a stone’s thrown from the sea make it a popular holiday destination. Dotted around the city are some terrific pubs – for days out in the Devon countryside see Devon's Country Pubs. 
Dominating the centre of the city is the mediaeval cathedral – a wonderful building and maybe the only cathedral in the country with its own mediaeval cat flap (to encourage the mousers, we are told). The cathedral is surrounded by a beautiful close with lawns and quaint mediaeval buildings made from the strange reddish Heavitree stone. Unfortunately for the local pubs, the cathedral takes its pastoral care a very seriously and imposes a strict no alcohol policy in the Close itself. A shame for the adjoining pubs where outside tables and chairs would be a real bonus. Nevertheless there are two pubs on the close that are worth a visit:
The Ship, reputedly the watering hole of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. Not of itself a particularly special pub – inside it is the standard mix of one armed bandits, tobacco fug and run-of-the-mill pub fare – but worth a look at least from the outside.
For really good food in a very unusual building, head a few doors further down the close to The Well House. Now owned by celebrity chef Michael Caines (who also runs the Royal Clarence on the corner), this is a pub much frequented by the city’s professionals and gets pretty full at office closing time. Stone floor and mullioned windows add to this pub’s historical feel but for a real surprise head down to the basement, where there is on display a skeleton in its original burial spot. There are suggestions that the remains are in fact those of two people – tragic lovers who threw themselves down a well in Cathedral Close (For some reason, the pub can be a bit sensitive about this, so it’s wise to ask first)
Another good choice is The White Hart in South Street, a stone's throw from the Close and on the way to the quay. Dating from the 15th century this former coaching inn is one of Exeter’s oldest pubs and still retains much of its historic charm. With open fires, a picturesque internal courtyard , this pub even boasts its in-house ghost. Good food, whether snacks or more substantial stuff, an extensive wine list and a range of beers.
The other really special thing about Exeter is the river Exe (giving rise to the rather Pythonesque entry on menus “Exe Salmon”). Several riverside pubs stand out as being remarkable. A short distance from Cathedral Close is Exeter Quay, which will be familiar to some as the set of the TV series The Onedin Line. On the Quay, with outside seating on the steep terraced slopes overlooking the river, is The Prospect Inn. The Prospect serves great beer and good food – and is also very roomy inside if it’s a bit cold and wet. The house speciality is the fearsome giant bottle of tequila stuffed to the neck with red chillies. The challenge is to down a glass for which there is a liquid prize. Unfortunately, a throat transplant is not one of the prizes offered! 
On the outskirts of the city is the popular Mill on the Exe. As suggested by its name, this is an old water mill that has been converted into pub. On the minus side, it is rather too large to be intimate and its food, whilst original, can be a little bizarre (Thai green curry with Indian naan bread just doesn’t do it for me). However these deficiencies are more than made up for by the absolutely stunning location over-looking the weir. Where else in the country can you sit and watch salmon jump with a glass of something in your hand?
For a special day out in summer where better place to go than the Double Locks? Unbelievably within the city limits, this pubs feels like you are in true countryside. A large rambling riverside pub with a staggeringly large menu chalked on the blackboards which line the bars, this pub is also child-friendly, having a huge beer garden with swings and other things to keep them amused. Plus the gardens are big enough that the kids don’t annoy the other customers, which is a real bonus. In summer there are boat trips from the quay in central Exeter along the canal to the Double Locks.
Finally, not really a pub, nor yet a wine bar the Hotel Barcelona still deserves a mention as one of the best places in Exeter to eat and drink. In a positively dire location sandwiched between two of the main arterial routes, and on one of the roundabouts of the inner ring road, this is not a natural draw to those who are not in the know. Nevertheless, it is unmissable. The building is the former Victorian Eye Infirmary – and still looks like it from the outside. Inside it has been converted with verve and style to be one of the funkiest buildings in Exeter. It takes real imagination to go for iridescent green snake- shaped banisters! The restaurant – light and airy and overlooking the walled gardens – serves modern imaginative food with a Mediterranean influence. The cocktail bar, with comfortable chairs to take root in, serves swimming pool sized glasses of wine with gutsy nibbles.