"Felix Craft's daily-changing tasting menu is Exeter's most serious cooking at £55 — book Stage on Magdalen Road for a first date."
About Stage
Felix Craft and his partners started out selling tacos — the Taco Boys — sold the business, moved to Exeter, and opened Stage on Magdalen Road in 2020. Two years later it was in the Michelin Guide, which in Devon is no small thing. It runs one daily-changing tasting menu, six courses at dinner from £55 and a four-course weekday lunch at £35, built around the kitchen garden and what the foragers and local suppliers bring in. The address is 31 Magdalen Road, EX2 4TA, a short walk from the centre.
The Kitchen
There is no carte and no choice — you eat what the kitchen cooked that day, and the dishes change with the garden. The cooking is ingredient-led and precise, bold where it counts and unfussy on the plate, the kind of standard that would carry a star in a larger city. The house bread is the one constant, and it is the thing nearly every diner mentions afterward; on its own it tells you the kitchen takes the fundamentals seriously.
The drinks pairing, £25 to £45, is chosen with the same attention as the food, which is rarer than it should be at this price. What you are paying for is a small, owner-run kitchen cooking at full stretch for a single sitting, not a hotel machine turning tables. The value against London — where the same menu would land at twice the figure — is the honest headline, and the reason Stage is the most serious table in Exeter.
The Room
A small, modern room on a quiet shopping street, with the kitchen open to the dining tables so you watch the cooking happen. The mood is relaxed rather than formal — no dress code beyond turning up presentable, soft light, an easy sound level that lets you talk across the table. It is intimate by size, not by design, and the pacing is steady. Service is young, knowledgeable, and genuinely warm, which suits the room. Sit where you can see the pass.
Best for a First Date
Book Stage for a first date for three reasons: the single no-choice menu removes the ordering negotiation that can stall a new table; the room is small and warm enough to lean in and hear each other; and the £55 price is honest enough to pick up the bill without it becoming a statement. The open kitchen gives you something to watch and talk about when the conversation needs a prompt. See our first-date restaurants guide and tables for solo dining for more.
Not for
Not for fussy or restricted eaters who want to choose — Stage serves one no-choice tasting menu per service, so if you need to order around the dishes, this is the wrong room.
Frequently Asked
Is Stage worth it?
Yes, and it is the most serious cooking in Exeter. Felix Craft and his partners — the team that started as Taco Boys — built Stage on Magdalen Road and it entered the Michelin Guide in 2022. The daily-changing tasting menu from £55 is led by the kitchen garden and the foraging, and the value against what the same cooking costs in London is the headline. Go hungry and let the kitchen lead.
How hard is it to book Stage?
Moderately. The room is small and there is one no-choice menu per service, so weekend dinners book a couple of weeks ahead while weekday lunches are easier. Reserve through the restaurant's site or by phone on +44 1392 496700. The address is 31 Magdalen Road, a short walk from Exeter city centre. The weekday lunch is the cheapest way in at four courses for £35.
What should I order at Stage?
There is nothing to order — Stage serves a single daily-changing tasting menu, six courses at dinner from £55, and the kitchen decides the dishes from what the garden and the day's deliveries give them. The house bread is the one constant guests single out, and it is worth the visit on its own. Add the drinks pairing at £25 to £45, which the team chooses with the same care as the food.
Is Stage good for a first date?
Yes. The room is small and intimate, the menu does the deciding so there is no ordering to negotiate, and the price is honest enough to pick up the bill without a flinch. The pace is steady rather than marathon. Book an early-evening table for a first date you want to feel considered. See our first-date restaurants guide for more.
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Practical Information
Address31 Magdalen Road, Exeter EX2 4TA, UK
NeighbourhoodMagdalen Road, St Leonard's
CuisineModern European
SignatureDaily tasting menu; house bread
MenuDinner 6 courses from £55; lunch £35
Dress CodeNo dress code
MichelinIn the Guide (since 2022)
