EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

Round the corner from the museum, in medieval Gandy Street, Coolings Wine Bar is a popular and stylish snack stop that's also open until late evening with DJs on Fridays and Saturdays. Opposite the cathedral, the casually modish Café Bar serves toasties, salads, burgers and pastas in small or large sizes until 10pm daily. It's part of the next-door Michael Caine's (tel 01392/310031, ), one of Exeter's classiest restaurants where you'll find sophisticated modern European cuisine in sleek surroundings; prices are fairly high, though there are reasonable fixed-price menus at lunchtime. In total contrast, the "olde worlde" atmosphere is laid on thickly at Mad Meg's (closed Mon & Tues lunch) - once a nunnery, now staffed by waitresses in wench costume - but there are some good-value traditional dishes here; it's tucked away near the top of Fore Street, below a bike shop. Nearby Herbie's , 15 North St (tel 01392/258473; closed all Sun & Mon eve), is a wholefood restaurant with organic ice cream on the menu, while good-value Mexican and Italian staples are on the menu at Harry's , in a converted church at 86 Longbrook St (tel 01392/202 234).

Among the pubs , the Ship Inn , in St Martin's Lane (between the High Street and the cathedral), serves reasonably priced lunches and prides itself on the claim that it was once Francis Drake's local. The pubs and clubs on Exeter's Quay make this a lively spot to while away an evening. You can eat and drink sitting outside at the seventeenth-century Prospect Inn .

Behind Exeter's museum, the Phoenix Arts Centre (tel 01392/667080) is the focus of a medley of cultural pursuits, including films, exhibitions, gigs and various workshops. Of the town's theatres , the Northcott, near the university on Stocker Road (tel 01392/493493), and the Barnfield, on Barnfield Road (tel 01392/271808), have the best productions, with the former also staging ballet and opera performances. The Exeter Festival takes place during the first three weeks of July, and features jazz and blues concerts as well as classical performances and cabaret, at various venues around town.

The city's best dance and live-music venues are in the centre, including the Cavern Club , with entrances in Queen and Gandy streets (also open 10.30am-4pm for snacks), and the Timepiece , Little Castle Street, formerly a prison that now also has a good daytime bar with a garden. Exeter's two biggest club complexes face each other on the Quay: the Warehouse, Boxes and Boogies , and Volts and Hothouse , all open in various combinations and playing mainstream dance and retro sounds.