I was only meant to be here for a weekend. Actually, scrap that and let’s rewind a bit. I was only meant to be based in Exeter for the duration of my bachelor’s degree. Then it became “home” after my parents followed me down here from London after my first year (#stalkers – jokes, love you guys!). Fast-forward seven years, and I’ve officially spent half of my entire time living in England down in the southwest. That definitely freaks me out a bit.
I came here nearly a month ago to help my dad pack up our house. Did you hear about that bomb that went off in February in Exeter? This one. Well, my house was literally right beside it. An absurd amount of damage was done to the property and, well, the rest is history really. This looks like it was the last time I’ll ever be getting on the London Paddington to Exeter St David’s train.
I had booked a trip away only for the weekend: heading down Friday night, back to London on Sunday. But I figured I can (for the most part) do down here what I do in London, and so why not stay and take this opportunity to spend time with father dearest and enjoy what Exeter has to offer for one final time.
Quite a lot has changed in town since I was last here in December 2019. We now have a BrewDog in the city centre, The Ivy has finally opened up after taking over the stunning building on the cathedral green where Jack Wills used to be, and the general look and vibe on the high street seems to be much more fashionable than I remember.
So here’s what I’m currently loving…
Pullo natural wine shop. When my friend told me Exeter now has a natural wine shop, I was ecstatic. It is super cute inside and their selection of wine is incredible. I was even able to get my hands on a bottle of Summertown Blanc (the best natural wine – see my review of it here).
Peppino restaurant. I’m having major appreciation at the moment for the “European café” aesthetic.You know, where the table seats all face out to watch the street, the marble-esque table tops and basket-style chairs? Obsessed. I walked by Peppino for the first time about a week ago and can confirm I will be their new regular. Unfortunately, they don’t have an alcohol licence (boo!), but you can bring your own bottle of vino and pay a five pound corkage fee (yay!). In fact, why not pick up a bottle from Pullo and then enjoy it at Peppino?! How have I only just thought of this?! I know what I’ll be doing Friday night…
The weather has been utter paradise these last few days. Though I believe storms are on the horizon for the rest of the week, but hey-ho – you win some, you lose some. Whenever it reaches above 20C, I like to escape over to Topsham for a cold beer by the waterfront, so I can simultaneously tan and watch the boats go by. It’s magical. As the sun sets I like to wander through the little streets and pop into the various boutiques.
The Ivy Exeter. I’m going to do a dedicated blogpost about my first time dining here, but as a SEE Recommends place to check out, I couldn’t avoid putting it in here too. I’ve been to The Ivy restaurants in Brighton, Dublin and all over London. It was rumoured ages ago among the local buzz that The Ivy was going to be coming to the high street. Truthfully, I didn’t believe it…until I saw it. They’ve really done such a great job on it and I hope it lasts! I’ll share a few pictures below that I took, but wait to see more in my next blogpost.
Italian Moka Pot. I go through phases with my coffee. Sometimes I want to be the most extra person out there, ordering an iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel drizzle, almond milk, and only two pumps of vanilla syrup. Other times, and frankly more frequently, I just want a double espresso or a black coffee. My dad has an Italian Moka Pot and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him use it. We (re)discovered it when going through our deep kitchen cupboards. When I locked eyes with it, my dad knew in that moment he was never going to see it again. I’ve been drinking coffee from it every morning since. It’s a very therapeutic process of boiling the coffee over a flame, albeit more time-consuming than putting a Nespresso pod in the machine and hitting GO. But this is so much more satisfying. Highly recommend.
My last recommendation is different from the norm, and that is to be flexible with plans and just allow life to happen. I am a major planner who likes everything to be organised. I didn’t expect to be here more than a weekend, yet this Friday marks one month away. I only came down here with one outfit, one pair of shoes, one handbag, one coat – you get the gist. Luckily, I still had some clothes and shoes out here that I’ve been living off since. I decided to stay on and not book a return train to London until I am absolutely ready to go back. Although it’s a stressful time packing and being constantly surrounded by boxes, this is also a once in a lifetime chance to spend this amount of time with my dad. I’ll forever cherish these memories we’re creating together. As Ferris Bueller said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” So my final SEE recommendation is: Don’t Miss It.
SEE: Sip Eat Enjoy 