The Exeter Inn and Epoch Restaurant & Bar Reviews

Breakfasts expensive but delicious. I couldn't finish the Lumberjack Scramble. The Breakfast Quesadilla was just as good but more manageable.

Great local beers. Food is good, trends toward more spicy kind of food but still good. Plates are really big so dont let your stomach order for you or you wont finish what you get.

Honestly this place is amazing, but the PEA takeover is incredibly short sighted and disappointing. Especially considering the implications on the staff.

the bar is just ok for drinks (one bartender always makes WEAK drinks), but the restaurant is awful and will not go to the over-priced restaurant again. The chicken thighs were tiny and way over-cooked on a bed of chopped sweet potatos and was supposed to come with collard greens but had NONE so the dish had absolutely NO vegetable. It was something anyone could have done at home...chop some sweet potato, over-cook two small thighs, and throw 'em on top oh, and then charge $28 is insult to injury. My family member's brussel sprouts were awful, it was like someone cooked them, then put in a bowel and mixed Italian salad dressing...absolutely terrible. The service was not good either.

The Epoch has had its ups and downs. It is currently in a major down this year - not quite sure what is going on with that, but I have gone there on two separate occasions within the last month, and both were non-stellar. Evidence to this is that on the busiest Friday night the town has had all spring... the Epoch had mostly empty tables. People were filling other establishments with better food and service. The service: with a smile, though the maitre d' had a definitively false smile plastered on his face whenever he walked by a customer. With other employees, his genuine smile could sometimes be seen. The server was professional, and had a genuine smile. Service was slow. Expect a minimum 2 hours for a single plate meal. Food: ok - not at all stellar. Also it is not worth the price. Expect an easy payout over $100 for two people, two single plates, and two bar drinks. Price is certainly comparable to the other restaurants in the area, though overpriced for the food. The menu is now lacking in a diverse choice set. Burgers, salads and some entrees. I had a short rib on pasta one evening: under seasoned comes to mind. So much so, that I asked for salt and pepper and waited ten minutes for them to arrive. As the server ground pepper from the mill onto the food, I almost had to physically stop them from continuing... the didn't take the hint when I said clearly "THAT'S ENOUGH!" :-/ Night two: Martinis were good. Steak (really a tough piece of something meat-like) was cooked medium (good) and served with some 4+ tablespoons of "marrow butter" that looked like it had been smeared onto the plate in an artistic attempt (failed) with a putty knife. The steak was pre-cut against the grain: ok - but it cools much too rapidly this way, so by the time the server gets it to the table, it is cold. My partner had a nice caesar salad. Dressing was ok. The salmon was served onto the side of the greens (why not on top?) and served SKIN side up! Ummm.... no. Bad choice there. How about removing the skin? Or just leave it on and down towards the plate? How about a good filet steak on the menu for meat eaters? How about some spices, herbs, etc: make the meals shine? I will not recommend the place until they change.

For anyone traveling to New England, it is worth visiting the little town of Exeter and stop by Epoch Restaurant. I tried the Fried Green Tomatoes and Short Rib Cavetelli, ending with the Apple Cobler. Great atmosphere, great food, great service.

Epoch is a great place to enjoy a quiet dining experience, it is elegant, spacious and the service is just right. The menu offers a good variety of dishes, the presentation is lovely and the food is delicious.

The breakfast we had was completely overshadowed by how inept our server was. It makes me wonder what kind of training she had. She was as slow as poison. She had to make multiple trips because of how inefficient she was. Brought coffee, but no cups. Then never brought a spoon to stir our coffee OR tea. Forgot silverware. Spilled hot coffee on my brother. Placed a tray stand with huge trays right in front of the patio door, so that people kept having to shimmy around it. I had to move it just to go inside to use the bathroom. Our breakfast, although pretty good flavor-wise, took over an hour. My brother had to finally go inside and flag down another server to get our check, as she had disappeared AGAIN. He ended up cashing us out! Very disappointed considering how great the menu looked, and how beautiful the Inn is.

Fine food, delicious wine and fine ambiance - did I mention it was "happy hour" too
Keep up the good work Ephoc and please bring back the $1:00 oysters.
Cheers
Bill

BY FAR THE BEST BURGER IVE EVER HAD...Everything was delicious..and VERY REASONABLY PRICED .! ....

3 stars because my breakfast was awesome...but my husband ordered poached eggs...poached eggs do not have solid yolks and these did.

Delicious from breakfast to dinner the food was great and so were the staff .

Very good overall, with friendly staff and a good location.

A bit expensive, but I don't mind paying because the food is delicious. Service is adequate, it could be more prompt, the waitress was not the most attentive. Great place for a nice date or if you are looking for yummy food that won't disappoint.

Good food and service, fair to moderate price. Waitress was good, food ordering and delivery was prompt.

Good steak, not the best place but hey, it's pretty good for New Hampshire

Good drinks, genuine service and awesome atmosphere.

Great spot. Food was good, drinks were well made. Service was great

Great atmosphere, food, beer selection, and service

Food was fantastic just what I needed when I was hungry. And the wait staff was so great and accommodating. I would go again in a heartbeat

Yummy food and drinks and the bartender was lovely. Only have 4 stars because the appetizer we ordered never showed up.

Big fan of Epoch. Blue Moon and Otis are the gold standards for Exeter but if you want a tasty meal any night of the week, lots of options, a lengthy selection of New England beers, plus a high end relaxed vibe, then look no further than Epoch in Exeter.

PS their cookies at the front desk are pretty darn good.

Farm to table food, lovely music in background, delicious for Sunday brunch!

Nice atmosphere. We went for Valentine's Day and there was a special menu. All of the food was delicious. The flavors were complex and the presentation was beautiful.

Reasonably priced drinks. Good chicken wings. Service is slow... didn t really check on us at all. However - it was worth my money and I ll be back.

2 years ago I posted the review below. But a lot has changed since then bury Ed can I eat I ordered the olives and the crispy pork belly. The change the Olive recipe and now they're OK but they used to be fin tastic. The pork belly is not crispy. Big hunks of soft fat! I don't know what they changed but it's terrible.
2 years ago ------
I've been here a few times and I absolutely love this place! the only problem with the bar isn't big enough. It needs more room so that more people can sit at the bar and the bartender can have more room. As far as bartenders concerning ask for Jason he is the best mixologist in this place

Great lunch, Savannah took incredible care of us, just love Epoch!

We went for Easter brunch today. Absolutely awful. The only eggs available were in the form of a frittata which was burnt to the bottom of the pan. Limp asparagus. Cheese plate...not exciting. Salad drowned in dressing. Bacon and under cooked sausage. The rest of the options looked disgusting. Went to the coffee station. No cream. When I finally flagged down our server, she told me that she asked her manager to refill the cream. I asked her if she could bring me 3 of them when they were available and she rolled her eyes. Then she vanished. I was completely finished with my lousy meal by the time cream was available. She did not bring any to me. At that point my coffee was cold. When the server finally came to our table after being gone for almost a half hour, my brother in law politely asked for a refill on his water. Another eye roll and a huge sigh. Sorry we inconvenienced you, considering that you only served us juice, plus the attitude, you totally didn't earn the 10% my mother in law left. I'm so glad I didn't pay. The bill, including the 10% tip was $250. Break that 4 ways... $62.50 each...for lousy food and a server with an attitude problem. Will NEVER go back. That whole experience was ridiculous.

Beautiful spot, excellent food, warm and friendly service. I am a frequent flyer for good reason! Strongly recommend.

Food was so good! We had mussels as appetizer then had the arugula salads-both so good!, Then had the crab corn chowder-very good and the tuna with wasabi peas- very good. Service was exceptional and we sat outside with our dog-so enjoyable.

This place is hugely under-rated! I have no idea why it doesn't have 5 out of 5 stars. I spent 3 nights at the Exeter Inn and every night I had to eat at this place because the food was simply outstanding. Maybe their service slows down when they are busy, but what restaurant doesn't have that issue.

I was served the absolute BEST duck I have ever eaten in my life. The green chili soup was out of this world. The Oysters Rockefeller were the best I have ever eaten. And this is all coming from a NYC foodie that has been to the best restaurants in NYC and some amazing restaurants all over the world.

The bartenders and servers were incredibly friendly. I think i might make the 5 hour drive from NY just to visit Exeter and this restaurant again!

Both the restaurant and the hotel are highly recommended!

Does not rise to the level of the prices it s charging we were there on Monday so maybe the head chef wasn t there Food was mediocre at best .Environmental service are OK also cocktails are mediocre .

Celebrated our 10th anniversary here it was excellent

A great hamburger and a awesome ever-changing beer selection

The pros.... The food is really good and the pricing on point. The Cons... We were at the bar and the service was terrible on a Friday night. Long waits and uninterested bartenders.... UPDATE! Went back on a weds night... the bartender was terrible. Attitude and rudeness is not how u tend bar.

Such a gem! sat outside in our our private oasis . cheese place was delicious . waitstaff was polite & friendly . happy to find such a great place

Really enjoyed dinner here. The bar was also great and the happy hour deals are awesome

Horrible ...terrible food. And a terrible hotel would not go anywhere near this place. I've had better stays at model 6. Out of over 500 hotels visits and stays at restaurants and hotels this was by far the absolute worst experience in my entire life BEWARE.. wish I could give them 0/5

Bad loud music from function room forced us to move to outdoor deck to eat.

Walked into the bar area finding a seat at the more than half empty bar. It was more than 10 minutes before I was acknowledged and then it was "Can I get something in for you?" and then walking away? I don't even know what the question is or how to answer it? Another 5 minutes before an order was taken. 5 minutes to get the drink ordered. When the napkin roll of utensils was put down I actually had to ask for the mess from the previous party be cleaned off the bar. A bar rag dipped into a sink full of water and wrung out was used to wipe the bar down. Took until just about the time my food arrived for it to dry! I ordered the "Smoky Tomato Soup" and "Fried Green Tomatoes". From the time I ordered these 2 starters it took 25 minutes to be delivered. The "fried Green tomatoes were room temp and about as bland as white bread and the Smokey Tomato Soup (with Focaccia Crostini, Shaved Parmesan) was blistering hot. There were 2 postage stamp size pieces of melted Parmesan and a piece of I am not sure what as the crostini. This Smokey Tomato Soup was not much more than a bowl of warmed up Ragu Spaghetti Sauce. Over a bed of penne it may have been tasty. As a Soup? Not close. I had pushed back both the bowl and plate barely touched. The bartender looked at them twice. Finally he says "everything going great over here? Need anything"? I asked for the check so I could end the charade of a dining experience.

This was easily the worst service and food I have had in years. YEARS! I am on the road 2-3 nights a week 52 weeks a year. I stayed here at the Exeter Inn as everything else in the area was sold out. Next time I stay at home.

Food, drinks and service was all very good. Then you can throw in great atmosphere for good measure. The price is also pretty fair.

Our party of three enjoyed the soup and salad offerings for lunch. We appreciated the unique flavorings and combinations of fresh ingredients. Waiter was very congenial, service attentive and relaxed, a bit slow but we were not in a hurry.

To start off, they were out of the wine I wanted (no big deal). Then we learned that they were out of both the soup and stew listed on the standard menu. As it was restaurant week, they had a soup on the restaurant week menu (which under normal circumstances could not be ordered a la carte). When I inquired if they could accommodate my ordering the restaurant week soup due to being out of both other soup options, the answer was no. Very unreasonable - poor customer service. Won t be back for a while.

Absolutely the most enjoyable meal I've had in a long time. The service and atmosphere was outstanding.

2 people, 2 sandwiches, 1 glass of wine each took two hours to experience. If you are not in any rush, that's fine, but for a slow Monday evening ... just saying. People need to get up for work in the morning and be in their way. Our server disappeared after we were done with dinner and I almost had to go find someone to take our credit card. But the food was very good and wine by the glass selection nice but not inexpensive. $50 for not full meals, just sandwiches, and no extra sides nor desserts/coffee had me wanting perfection, and it wasn't. Plus it's cold seating next to the outside wall and a poorly lit meandering walkway to your car out back is downright scary for your physical safety. Get some lights on !

I enjoyed their lamb shank. It fell off the bone!! The bread basket, duck conflict, hot chocolate and cookie skillet were delicious, as well.

Best place to get some food when in a hurry. The service is swift, rates are convenient, fantastic mood. Will visit here again

Depends on what time of year you go, if school isn't in session don't bother

Food is good but not exceptional. Service can be hot or miss.

We love going to Epoch for happy hour and hanging out on their great patio

Excellent food and facilities for dinner. Wait staff was very attentive and the results were epic.

I really love this place. The food is always tasty, special and healthy. The kids options are good quality and tasty for them. The service very good and atmosphere pleasant. It's also nice enough to dress up but casual everyday is also OK.

Good to go to for a special event
Expensive

My waffles were cold sent them back and then they returned them to me cold again.

Went twice: First time was 5-stars because of the delicious steak. Unfortunately, the second time we had to wait a while for ok food.

Don't tell anyone! This place is a local's favorite! Wednesday's are locals Date Night as the restaurant hosts a new menu for the week. The chef takes pride in his work and the kitchen fresh ingredients are sourced locally as much as possible so your salads and vegetables will constantly change with the seasons. The staff are attentive, professional and just down home genuine. The history, ambiance and synergy of the hotel, the bar and restaurant comes together beautifully.

I used to love this place. I can't do it anymore. I have tried numerous times thinking it will get better. I'm done. Needs total overhaul

Just amazing. Recommend ordering from the sides and making a meal with that. Fried Green tomatoes and poutine are must order items.

Excellent all around. Nice happy hour prices and incredibly flavorful small plates to nosh on and fill your belly.

Can't say enough about the wonderful experience my husband and I enjoyed at The Exeter Inn and Epoch Restaurant. The welcome was warm and friendly, our suite was modern yet charming, everything was shining and spotless, and the meals were fabulous and prepared to perfection. The prices are high but we received a 20% off coupon for the restaurant. Room service for breakfast was quick and delicious. Can't wait to return.

I had reservations on Valentine's Day and was very disappointed with the quality and wait time. They had a three-course meal available for 65 dollars or so and it was bland cold and boring. The wait staff are reasonably nice, except the male bartender who was working in the evening on Valentine's Day he was very rude.The Ambiance is the only redeeming aspect. Maybe my expectations were too high being that my fiance and I have never dined there before, but i know one thing,I'll never be returning.

This place is worth giving a shot. They have big portions for fair prices. Always clean and with good ambience. Highly recommended.

Delicious! Short rib taco, tuna and risotto entrees great. Service terrific. I would not hesitate to go back! Thanks

Excellent food! Never had a bad meal and have been going there for years! Great place to meet with friends and have a leisurely dinner and catch up!

We had a lovely brunch. The service was wonderful, and the food fantastic.

Great food My grandson and I had a special night and this was our choice to have It.He loved it and Service was excellent.Just the right portions on most of course Scallops could have had more in plate.But food was excellent cooked just right.And dessert was to GREAT we shared..

A lovely little restaurantset set in historic Exeter New Hampshire. It overlooks cute views of the courtyard and I can see where this would be a lovely venue for a small wedding or gathering. The food was very good, the wait staff was very friendly, and prices were very reasonable. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant and I look forward to going back there again in the very near future! The Epoch restaurant is a beautiful setting as it is inside the historic Exeter Inn. I ordered the beer battered fish and chips and it was quite good.

Lovely interior. Dining area light and airy. Had a breakfast there which was good. The eggs were just the way I like them, but they couldn't seem to cook the bacon well done, even though it was sent back once. Another person in my party loved the French toast. The wait staff was friendly and accomodating.