Sabatini

Sabatini is an independently owned Italian restaurant in Exeter's Princesshay area, named after the Italian chef from the south of the country whose approach to cooking with local produce the founders wanted to carry on. The restaurant leans on that idea rather than chasing trends - traditional dishes, fresh pasta made properly, and pizzas from a kitchen that treats the basics seriously.

The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday, with a two-course set menu at a fixed price that draws in the daytime trade, and for dinner Thursday to Saturday evenings, when the menu widens to steaks and other dishes off the grill alongside sustainably caught fish. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options run through the whole menu rather than sitting on a separate page. The room itself is stylish without being stiff, built for sharing plates and lingering over wine, and it also hosts private dining for special occasions and periodic supper club nights.