The Chevalier Inn (Lloyds No.1), Exeter

Through the entrance of the Chevalier Inn is a central flight of stairs and to the left a serving counter runs up the left-hand wall. Up the right is a lounge-like area and some high tables are found at the rear. The serving counter supports two banks of 5 hand pumps that were drawing Bateman’s XXXB, Portobello Brewing’s Spa, Hobgoblin Gold and Ruby and also Jaipur alongside the usual three suspects. Upstairs a second serving counter runs up the left-hand wall directly above the counter below. High tables run opposite along the top of the stairs and booths run up the right-hand wall beside some open plan tables and chairs. Out the back is a large roof terrace with lots of seating and the toilets, unsurprisingly, are up in the rafters.

Ambient lighting on our Saturday evening visit in the bar side, to give that night club vibe as this is a Lloyds. There was a DJ upstairs knocking out tunes to all the young'uns who made it past the two doorman. The service was pretty good and I noticed a Southwark Brewing Mayflower IPA, which was a good session beer. We took our drinks to the righthand side lounge and managed to get a booth, the place was busy with people mainly having a bite to eat down this section.

Scanning the city centre for somewhere to grab a bit of breakfast, I came across this decent mid-sized Wetherspoons, which I’d somehow missed from my original itinerary, despite its very central location. The pub has a two floor set, with each room following roughly the same layout - bar down the left-hand wall and a partitioned seating space opposite. The ground floor runs through a series of spaces either side of a central dividing wall opposite the bar. The usual standard mix of seating options are available in abundance, whilst there is a lot of dark wood throughout and the usual ‘Spoons info boards and the like are used to add a bit of character. The right side of the room has some nicer, cosier spots, with a bit more of a traditional pub feel to them. A staircase near the entrance leads up to the quieter first floor space, which is carpeted to the right and bare boarded to the left. Walls are half panelled and the room is effectively split in two through the centre thanks to a row of dark wood partitioning screens and bare brick pillars. The bar here has a nice dark wood counter front and a large central mirror on the bar back. Bright modern art on walls adds some much needed colour and further interest comes from local history displays including a framed copy of a large volume of Dickens’ Pickwick Papers. TV screens were unusually all turned off instead of showing the usual rolling news channels. There is also a quite pleasant looking roof terrace upstairs, but I didn’t venture out to properly explore. On the bar, I noted the three usual cask regulars alongside two guests downstairs, with an extra guest beer clipped upstairs. As I was in for breakfast, I side-stepped these in favour of a fry-up and mug of tea, which a friendly barman served me. The food was the usual cheap and cheerful stuff and service was nice and quick, as you’d expect. This is perhaps the poor relative in terms of Exeter’s four Wetherspoons, lacking the charm and historic value of George’s Meeting House and the Imperial, or the bubbly atmosphere of the Sawyer’s Arms, but it still seemed like a decent enough spot, at least when visiting early doors. The pub is still branded as a Lloyd’s bar and is located close to the main city centre drinking strip, so im[pressions may be significantly different if visiting on a Friday evening, but I had no complaints on this occasion.

A reasonable city centre Spoons on two floors, with nothing very much of note except possibly the roof terrace. Nothing much of note in the beers either, with just Otter on top of the usual stuff but it was at least in good condition.

I seem to recall that this one closed recently for a major refurb including the creation of a roof garden which despite there being a lift available I didn't look into. It's set in the middle of the vast Exeter shopping area so on a Thursday afternoon was packed with mainly older folk escaping the shops for something to eat. Despite the refurb it's still a Lloyds as indicated on the external signage. I could see no sign of The Lloyds Disaster Area downstairs, nor any speakers and there was no music playing so I assume the late evening nightmare is confined to upstairs. I noticed that the Curry Club flyers said £5.65 so went for that only to find they were wrong and the real price was £7.75 as on the menu cards. Rather than risk never getting served here again I went along with it instead of insisting they give me a Curry Club for £5.65. Nevertheless, I'm not sure why they can't just borrow or steal some of the flyers from the other JDW down the road which display £7.75. The downstairs bar has ten hand pumps which had the JDW Trio Of Doom and Bays Gold doubled leaving just Hanlons Stormstay and Otter Amber. I went for the Stormstay (£2.29) which was in good nick. On the face of it this place is OK for a Lloyds.

Official site of The Chevalier Inn (Lloyds No.1) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

Official site of The Chevalier Inn (Lloyds No.1) - www.jdwetherspoon.com