About
The Café
Dining with a Difference
The River Exe Café is a seasonal, family, and dog-friendly restaurant open from 1st April until the 30th September each year.
It is a custom-built barge that floats well offshore in the Exe Estuary. The restaurant offers a wide range of locally sourced food and drink and is surrounded by amazing views.
The River Exe Café can be accessed by boat: Either a Puffin Water Taxi from Exmouth Marina, or on your own boat. You can book a reservation here.
The restaurant is fully covered with outside dining areas when the weather is nice, outside tables are offered on a first come first served basis.
As we are floating the middle of the Exe Estuary it can be windy so please come dressed for the changeable weather. We have heating inside, heaters and blankets for chilly days. We also have cocktails, sun hats and ice for the hot ones…
New for 2022....Push the boat out! Try a truly unique dining experience on our new upper deck. Tables are available to guests with restaurant reservations on a first come first served basis, this area is over 14s only. Visit our booking page for more information
We welcome everyone to the café. If you have difficulty with your mobility, we will endeavour to accommodate you - just call our friendly staff to discuss your needs. We have highchairs for babies and a selection of activities for children. Dogs are welcome too!
Have more questions? Please visit our FAQ pages.
Turning the Dream into Reality
The River Exe Café is a floating barge just off the water-ski lane on the River Exe. It was created back in 2011 using two flatbed barges and a shed! The base of the café is two mud hoppers from Stoke on Trent, which were transported by road down to Exmouth; sandblasted, painted and steel worked together to create a 1.7 km decking area on which to build the cafe.
We have no mains water or electricity, so we use holding tanks and a generator; everything we need for the cafe has to be transported to and from the mainland by boat. We are very proud of our achievements and hope you enjoy every minute of your stay with us. Our aim was to create a venue that maximises the incredible river views that the Exe Estuary has to offer; a place for guests to sit back and soak up the atmosphere whilst enjoying a modern British menu using some of Devon’s finest produce.
We are 100% committed to customer satisfaction and we want you to relax and enjoy every moment of your unique experience with us.

Barges arrive from Stoke-on-Trent in 2011

The barges are sand-blasted and painted

Work on the deck begins…

and goes on…

and on…

Nearing completion with the addition of a covered space

The River Exe Café in place on the estuary

And nearly complete, afloat in the River Exe

Open for business - July 2011