South West Pizza Company — Restaurant in Exeter

Disappointing Experience at South West Pizza Company, Topsham – Overpriced, Underwhelming, and Poorly Managed

We visited South West Pizza Company in Topsham recently and, unfortunately, it was a thoroughly disappointing experience from start to finish. Despite high prices suggesting a premium offering, the food, service, and overall atmosphere fell drastically short.

We ordered the Spicy Pig pizza, which at £18.50 for a small, thin pizza, already feels overpriced – especially when it arrives with sparse toppings and little flavour payoff. They offer an upgrade of nduja and hot honey for an extra £3. We specifically requested the nduja without the honey, only to receive the pizza with honey on it anyway – a serious issue, especially considering I’m type one diabetic, and honey is a fast-acting sugar that can significantly impact my blood glucose levels. This careless oversight is unacceptable and potentially dangerous.

We also ordered the rocket and burrata salad at £12, which turned out to be tiny, with limp, sad rocket and a poor-quality burrata that did nothing to justify the price. Considering you can add a whole burrata to a pizza for £5, this feels like blatant price gouging.

Service was just as poor. There were at least four front-of-house staff, a manager, and two chefs for no more than 30 covers, yet they were telling customers things like, “We’ll get your food to you when we can”, as if they were overwhelmed – when clearly, they weren’t. Starters are labeled as nibbles and, when another table asked for something to come out first, staff said they couldn’t guarantee when anything would arrive. A confusing and unhelpful approach for a supposedly “premium” restaurant.

Once our food was delivered, we received no check-back, no plate clearing, and ultimately I had to go inside to pay myself. At that point, the manager – wearing an ill-fitting, untucked oversized shirt that looked scruffy and unprofessional – asked if I was happy for the service charge to be left on. Not once did he ask how the meal or experience had been?!

I told him to remove the service charge, and voiced my concern about the pizza containing honey after we had specifically asked for it to be left off. The response was indifferent at best. For £52 (for one pizza, one salad, and two drinks), it felt like daylight robbery. Given the poor service, the indifferent management, and careless handling of dietary requirements, I wouldn’t be surprised if the service charge was left on anyway.

Verdict: South West Pizza Company may have the branding and pricing of a premium pizzeria, but delivers a frustratingly low-quality, overpriced experience with poor attention to detail, inadequate service, and a clear lack of customer care. I would strongly advise avoiding this place – there are far better options for quality food and service...

I really want to love this place. As someone who believes strongly in supporting local independent businesses, I arrived at South West Pizza Company with genuine enthusiasm and high hopes. Unfortunately, what should have been an enjoyable evening turned into a frustrating experience that highlighted several fundamental issues that need addressing.

Service and Wait Times

Our evening got off to a rocky start when our drinks order – two simple cocktails – took over 30 minutes to arrive. This set the tone for what would become a series of service mishaps. Throughout the night, staff appeared consistently stressed and overwhelmed, despite there being no more than 18 covers during our entire visit. The lack of attention to detail was evident when servers repeatedly brought other tables’ food to us, creating confusion and further delays.

Pricing Inconsistencies

Perhaps most concerning were the significant pricing issues on the menu. I discovered that a pepperoni pizza costs £17.50, while a classic pizza plus pepperoni topping comes to just £12.50 – essentially the same item with a £5 price difference. This kind of pricing structure feels arbitrary and unfair to customers who might unknowingly order the more expensive option.

Billing Problems

The billing system appears to be fundamentally broken. Our final bill initially included charges from two other tables entirely. When we queried this obvious error, the corrected version then included items we hadn’t ordered. These aren’t minor slip-ups – they’re systemic issues that suggest serious problems with order management and billing processes.

Food Quality

The food itself was disappointing for the price point. Portions were notably small, and the pizzas lacked the flavor and quality you’d expect from a dedicated pizza restaurant. Given the pricing (even accounting for the confusing structure), the basic preparation and limited taste made for poor value overall.

Management Response

When we raised these multiple concerns with staff, we were simply told “there was nothing they could do.” This response was perhaps the most disheartening aspect of the experience, as it suggested no recognition of the problems or willingness to address them.

Final Thoughts

I genuinely want to see South West Pizza Company succeed – Topsham deserves thriving local restaurants. However, the combination of service issues, pricing problems, billing errors, and subpar food quality, coupled with a dismissive response to legitimate concerns, made this a disappointing experience. With some attention to staff training, menu pricing review, billing system fixes, and a focus on food quality, this could become the local gem it has the potential to be. Until then, I’d struggle to recommend it, despite my strong desire to support...

Well! Here you go, what a great place! Simple, if you want something to eat in Topsham, Exeter area or Devon, look no further! Had a great lunch here, hardly anyone about, very quiet and the two young chaps working hard to keep things going make you feel welcome and are ready to serve. The menu is great, with some brave options of white sauce pizza available, breaking the norm and raising the bar. The pizza was excellent! I reckon award winning, as fully packed with flavour and not over done. Fresh rocket and excellent toppings available. Lots to like, and the toilet's! I was so pleased to see readily available free women's sanitary products and thought that was fabulous! Good desserts on offer and not over priced. So menu great wine great drinks great, if a little expensive for the soft drinks, but you do have to make a living right. Would have been good to get a hot drink, but hey you can't have it all. So in summary, just choose this well above the distinctly average pub...