The Rusty Bike

THIS is what ‘they’ mean when they say «gastropub» — jovial cozy environment with amazing gourmet takes on pub food. Likely one of the best meals I’ve had in England…
The menu itself reads rather funnily as someone decided to type it up in variations of bold, italics, and underlined scattered piggly wiggly across the page. Some dishes are unexplainedly surrounded by quotes (ex. «partridge with flavours of the woods»), others cryptically left alone. Peculiar! but it suits the experimentalness of the dishes. The menu changes regularly so I’m sure someone was just having fun in Microsoft Word since there are no strings attached.
Just an idea of the kind of food we had — flavor combinations you’d never think of that were surprising and more delightful than you can imagine: rabbit offal pie with parsnips and vanilla aioli (! so awesome. who knew?), crusted cod with zucchini and anchovy cornbread, pressed deer with hazelnut and beet textures (they love this idea of ‘textures’ which basically means its done in a few different ways, marinated, jellied, rendered into foam, etc) the and even though we were stuffed to the brim, rhubarb with custard and orange textures (more textures!). It might sound like molecular gastronomy but really, it just came across like comfort food taken up a notch.
Delicious but fully unpretentious. I am jealous of people who live nearby and can keep going back for such a playful kitchen.

The Rusty Bike gets talked up about town as the classier bohemian sister of the Fat Pig, with the same conscious principles and locally sourced produce, it’s just the other side of town.
On a cold windy all-​hallows night a maudlin mmm. meat mooching had to be a good plan. No tricks just treats please. It’s up a dark quiet road and although inviting from the outside, it led to a gloomy somewhat aloof interior.
Despite the attentive warm welcome of staff, Ms Rusty gave a rather chilly reception.
The ambient temperature could have been raised a little to warm suggestions.
Good job Ms Rusty had done her homework and had curated an extensive wine list, spicy wine was in order. So dinner was decreed by a dashing, plummy bold South Australian. Lovely with outstanding strong flavoured charcuterie and a heavy well seasoned Goat freshly made linguine.
Although apparently more upmarket, frumpy Rusty’s sister, The Fat Pig won me over with its cheerful atmos, warmer lighting and satisfying menu.
The Fat Pig like I said, is the cool bubblier sister of The Rusty Bike and she smokes. Yup. Everything on the menu is available smoked with their in house basement smoker, anything is possible. The tender braised smoked ox cheek was mouth melting, there are also smokey burgers, smoked steak, even vegetables and halloumi. Fat Pig will really pull out all of the stops so you can pull at some pork!

In it’s previous incarnation as The Eagle this pub was a desolate pit in the 1980s and 1990s. Slated for coversion to flats it has, happily, been saved by the present owner. The ale is spot on and the staff friendly and welcoming (have not eaten there yet). It is a fine example of how to turn a pub around by correctly identifying and then providing what a new type of customer wants. It’s just a pity more pubs have not had this treatment and have been lost for ever especially in recent years.

This place is brill. It’s our local when we’re down in Exeter. The ales are very well kept, the food food and the staff attentive and friendly. It gets a little noisy when the Uni students are about, but what can you expect. Just having fun! This place is often our first stop when we come into town. Recommended!

Great neighbourhood pub that is the twin of the Fat Pig in Exeter City centre. Both have a similar feel serving good quality local produce, the beef wellington is truly 5*
Also well kept ales from local brewers the Avocet being a particularly fine, golden ale with a refreshing hoppy finish.
So enjoy this pub and support the local artisan brewers and farmers of Devon.
Cheers!!!

Sister pub
to the Fat Pig so you know to expect quite a foody place, but not in a way that
should offend the drinkers. I’ve been
meaning to come here for a while but bottled it before as it was too busy. Not
too bad on this occasion so I stayed for a couple of good O Hanlons beers; Flagship
IPA and Firefly. 4 or 5 beers generally available.

I’m writing this review in the week before I play there and will review my review after I have DJ-​ed there for the first time on Sunday 13^th November. I have sung here before but that was a long time ago and I was in a choir. The chess board and pieces were donated by me as an opening present and I have seen the Rusty Bike through one or two changes become a lovely place with a welcoming, if slightly quirky, atmosphere. I miss the film nights and hope they shall return. With three quarters of the courtyard given over to the new indoor area at the back there are a lot more chances to get in there and have a lovely meal.

Very nice people having a very nice tine discussing nice things and eating very nice food. It’s ever so nice. So nice I ran a mile immediately.

A reasonably recent addition to the Exeter pub scene but one of the best in recent years. Compared to the dank old man feel of the previous pub on this site, The Rusty Bike is well worth the short 5 minute walk from the city centre.
The Rusty Bike manages to pull off that tricky balancing act of a place that combines both class and cosiness. With several great beers and an extensive wine list, there’s plenty for even the most discerning drinker, while there’s enough space for drinkers wanting both a quiet pint or a lengthy evening. Bonus points for the huge pile of board games in the corner and the table football.
The food is delicious too. When we were last here we had the mussles, a delicious monkfish, and a stilton and mushroom wellington that oozed with cheese when you cut it open, not to mention an impressive cheeseboard. This is one seriously impressive pub and well worth a visit.

I went here just a couple of days ago while on a whistle stop visit to Exeter. I love it. It has a wonderful charm yet mixed with a modern approach to pubbing, good ales, cider, wines etc. A very interesting, not excessively large (a good sign) blackboard menu and their own whiskey, brews and produce being served soon. The chef mentioned pig’s trotters coming on the menu. I say bring it on. I am going back. For sure.
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