Chaucers Restaurant

Had lunch here and ordered the spare ribs. They came with cole slaw (very little), fries and onion rings (2 very small onion rings). It wasn’t bad but really covered in a lot of so-​so barbeque sauce. Overall it wasn’t too bad.
The restaurant/​pub was very nice, large, quite comfortable. Quite enjoyable.

Food on a par with JW Wetherspoons but much dearer, beer too cold and too frothy for real ale and all Marston’s breweries beers (i.e. old breweries that have never tasted as good since being taken over). But the main problem today was the forty minute wait for food, which is diabolical in such an establishment in this day and age. It isn’t that difficult to realise that a city centre eatery in December is going to have a lot of customers so they should plan accordingly.

We went for a group Christmas meal here December 2011 and the food really was rubbish. It all tasted like it was either just out of a packet, or put together by someone who didn’t know what they were doing!
Service was reasonable, although this is certainly no restaurant.

What a brilliant place Chaucer’s is. If I lived in Exeter, this would be a frequent haunt of mine, and I’d take all of my friends there.
First off, there’s the atmosphere: a basement pub, with dim lighting and dark wood furnishings that make it easy to imagine yourself in an earlier era (which I think is very cool). There’s a nice fireplace with a few cozy chairs, a very extensive bar, of course (I’m not very knowledgeable on bars but it looked pretty impressive, with lots of drinks to choose from). And better yet, the seating arrangements are just to my taste: you get to seat yourself, so you can find a table right in the middle of the action, or a quiet spot in a corner, depending on what you like.
Wait service is provided, but you initially place your orders at a counter up front. I was really taken with that, because there’s no waiting endlessly for a server to come notice you when you want something – you just go back up to the counter and order it. It’s a smart move on their part, because it definitely encourages people to linger and order an extra drink or dessert.
And on top of it all, the food was great. There’s traditional hearty pub fare like steak and ale pie, and more gourmet choices, as well – I had the duck with cherry sauce, which was a definite hit. We ended up hanging out longer than we normally do, just because it was such a cool place. We went on a week night, so it was pretty quiet… I can only imagine it’s much busier on weekends.
If you’re ever in Exeter, do yourself a favour and check Chaucer’s out.

We spent a good time out at this pub last April. We’re french and always a little surprised by the habit of oredering from the counter and this place has two ! (or 3 was it ?) So it was surprising but in the end quite good and the place at the end of the steps down down down… Wow, quite pleasant, and a good idea too, but I think like ianbaggie: we had to be disappointed (the chain aspect). The ice creams didn’t linger in our memories (and my husband is quite an expert). Anyway we probably would come back with the children (that was a day biking without the kids), they would be glad.

Down some stairs, looks inviting, chalked blackboardoooh, must be all home made food, mmm.
Oh, No! This place is actually a Marston’s Chain pub, so you know what to expect with Good Old Marston’s! Not enough staff, for a start (It increases profits). 3 nice people working their whatsits off and unable to cope with diners and drinkers, but were doing their best. 3 real ales,(all from the Marstons chain of course) 2 were tried and were quite good, well poured. Food though? Hmmm. Full marks to the writer of the blurb, which made the wild mushroom lasagne sound fabulous but taste rubbish ad factory produced, hotted up in the microwave. Couldn’t finish it. Left straight after.

The food in this place is very varied. We’ve been there at lunch and in the evening. At lunch the food has always been great — especially the warmed duck and cranberry sandwich with chips. In the evening the food is always a bit dodgy and we’ve had to send back food due to being undercooked. Maybe this was just the nights we went but this happened on 2 occasions.
It’s generally very busy at lunch, its a nice cosy place and there never seems to be another staff on but they always manage to get the food out quickly and you don’t wait long

Chaucers has a decent menu which is slightly better (and more expensive) than your standard pub grub, there are always specials available as well as daily deals.
Chaucers isn’t the sort of place I would spend all evening in, (although they do serve Kronenberg Blanc) as the atmosphere seems more like a restaurant than a bar, but it is a decent meeting place for food before a night out elsewhere.