Double Locks — Restaurant in Exeter

In fair Exeter, where the river flows, There lies a quaint and storied tavern known, As Double Locks, where mirth and ale abound, A haven where the weary souls find respite.

Upon its sturdy walls, the ivy creeps, Like nature's tapestry, adorning stones, And through its oaken doors, a warmth doth seep, Inviting all to enter and partake.

Within this humble alehouse, a spectacle unfolds, As patrons gather 'round the hearth's warm glow, With tankards raised, they share their tales of old, Their voices harmonising, like a chorus in full flow.

The barkeep, a jolly host with ruddy cheeks, Pours forth libations with a hearty hand, His wisdom gleaned from many a tale he speaks, As pints are quaffed, a toast to merry band.

The aroma of roast meats fills the air, Wafting from the kitchen with savoy delight, As bards and minstrels sing with voices fair, Their songs and ballads bringing hearts alight.

The Double Locks, a place of revelry, Where laughter mingles with the clink of glass, And friendships forged through cups of camaraderie, As time slips by, as swift as shadows pass.

Amidst the lively banter and jesters' jest, One can but marvel at the timeless scene, A gathering of souls, both blessed and stressed, Seeking solace in this hallowed hostelry.

So, raise your tankards high, in ode to Double Locks, A sanctuary of mirth and fellowship, Where tales are spun, and hours quickly flock, And memories cherished like a treasure ship.

And in this tavern's bustling tapestry, Fair barmaids grace the stage with charm and grace, Their smiles enchanting, hearts set free, As they serve ale with elegance and embrace.

The Buck-Stem Bar Maids, a sight to behold, Their beauty rivaling the fairest blooms, Their laughter like a symphony of gold, Captivating hearts within these tavern rooms.

With nimble steps, they navigate the throng, Balancing trays with grace upon their arms, Their presence, like a sonnet or sweet song, Adds color to this realm of rustic charms.

Their eyes, like stars, shine with warmth and cheer, Their voices soothing, as a lark at dawn, They kindle flames of joy, dispelling fear, With gentle gestures, hearts they deftly spawn.

To witness them amidst the alehouse's cheer, Is to glimpse a fragment of ethereal grace, As they dance 'twixt tables, spreading cheer, The Buck-Stem Bar Maids, a bewitching embrace.

So, raise your tankards high, in praise and awe, For these barmaids fair, whose presence brings delight, Their spirits bright, like moonbeams on a straw, They add an enchantment to the Double Locks' night.

Let tales be told of their allure and charms, For they are part of this tavern's mystic tale, The Buck-Stem Bar Maids, enchanting with their arms, Adding a touch of magic to this merry ale.

In fair Exeter, this pub doth reign supreme, A haven where the spirits find their ease, Forsooth, the Double Locks is but a dream, A place where all are welcome, as they please.

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Great location, but absolutely dreadful food and service.

I had high hopes given the prime location, but unfortunately, the experience was incredibly disappointing from start to finish. We ordered haddock and chips, as well as a burger and chips — two simple dishes that should be hard to mess up. Shockingly, they managed to ruin both.

The haddock was burnt, completely inedible and dry. It looked like it had been forgotten in the fryer for far too long. As for the burger, it arrived stone cold — not lukewarm, not just slightly cool, but cold, as if it had been sitting around for ages before being brought to the table.

To make matters worse, the customer service was just as poor as the food. When I brought the issue to their attention, I wasn’t offered an apology or even a proper explanation. Instead, I was left standing around waiting for a partial refund — not even a full one, despite both meals being subpar. It felt like they couldn’t care less about customer satisfaction or basic decency.

It’s a shame, really. With such a great location, this place has the potential to be fantastic, but they clearly don’t take pride in their food or service. I won’t be returning, and I’d strongly caution others to think twice before wasting their time and money here

*MY RESPONSE *

Theo, l did contact you directly via email as requested —however, as expected, I received no response. This makes your invitation to contact you feel more like a gesture for appearances, rather than a genuine attempt to address the issue.

Additionally, your message implies that one of the meals was enjoyed when it wasnt, as it was cold, and the fact that we were reimbursed for only one dish doesn't change the overall disappointing experience. It’s frustrating to see this portrayed in a way that suggests the situation was resolved fairly when it wasn’t.

It’s clear this was more about damage control than actual customer care.

2ND RESPONSE

It's astonishing that you had the time to respond to my Google review by editing your initial response to further save face publically, yet completely ignored the actual issue I raised — the appalling dining experience we had at your establishment.

If you're too busy to deal with legitimate complaints from paying customers, perhaps it's time to hire more staff. Judging by the shambles we witnessed — both in the quality of food and the painfully slow, disinterested service — it’s clear your standards have slipped well below anything remotely acceptable.

Frankly, you're not just failing in the kitchen; you're failing in basic hospitality and management. A quick glance at your Google reviews shows we're far from the only ones disappointed .

We expected a decent meal. What we got was an overpriced disaster served with a side of...

Arrived at the very picturesque area having negotiated narrow and hazardous bridges and roads. The venue looked very attractive and welcoming, however…. Upon ordering food from an over keen waitress who had hardly given us time to sit down, we were informed that many of the menu items were unavailable making it difficult to choose an appropriate meal to meet our varying needs - vegetarian (1option). Non meat eater, no fish available. 3 children - no children’s menu available. Having ordered food, it was served in good time but my goodness!! A plate of food with meat, teaspoon size portion of cabbage that tasted vile, a speckle of gravy and a very crispy overcooked Yorkshire pudding that was cold. A small platter then arrived containing roast potatoes, parsnip slithers and carrot slithers. This was then shared among our group and resulted in each of us receiving 1 slither of carrot, a slither of parsnip and roast potatoes that were inedible due to clearly having been left under heat. The potatoes were impossible to cut, dry and rubbery and would have made excellent balls for Wimbledon. The waitress enquired if everything was ok and we raised our concerns to which she said there was nothing she could do. We asked for more vegetables explaining that we literally had next to nothing to eat. She returned after making enquiries and stated that no more vegetables were available! We also asked for extra gravy as there was next to none on our plates. The food was awful and inedible. As we finished what we could eat without breaking our jaws on the overcooked food, the waitress appeared with 2 jugs of steaming hot dripping gravy that she held over the head of an 11- month old baby seated in a highchair. She was alerted to the danger of this and I held my hand over the baby’s head in an attempt to avoid any gravy dripping on her. Instead of moving away from the child, the waitress then raised the jugs higher above the baby’s head. At this point we had had enough and asked for the bill, settled the bill and then expressed our concerns and disappointment to the manager who stated that there was nothing she could do. The whole experience was diabolical, waiting staff clearly need training and the kitchen staff would do well to go back to college to upgrade their NVQ 1 certificates. I will never return to this venue while the current staff...