Blue Ball Inn Restaurant and Bar

Thatch, 17th-century bones and a resident pub dog called Doris: the Sandygate site on the outskirts of Exeter has the sort of credentials that could easily coast on charm alone. It doesn't. The team here run it as a proper pub and restaurant with rooms, welcoming walkers, locals and well-behaved four-legged visitors alike, and the summer planting outside suggests someone is paying attention to the details.

The kitchen works to traditional pub food with locally sourced produce and seasonal flavours, fish and chips very much included. On the drinks side there are real ales, craft beers, cocktails and wine, plus a beer garden and events such as quiz nights and Thatchers summer sessions. Booking is worth doing for restaurant tables and accommodation,, and it's worth checking ahead if the garden is your plan, as it occasionally closes for private functions.