Board
Board
5
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
The South-West's Award-Winning Board Game Cafe!
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
166 reviews
Excellent
144
Very good
12
Average
4
Poor
5
Terrible
1
mike s
United Kingdom571 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Very friendly , knowledgeable and helpful staff. Wide variety of board games. Good choice and quality of snacks. Very enjoyable 3 hours of fun for family on a wet Sunday afternoon. Do check on car parking as warden had a very profitable time booking cars parking in poorly defined bus stop outside cafe.
Written November 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judith G
London, UK82 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
We’ve come down to Exeter for Easter weekend and in planning I was looking for things for a pair of 50 somethings to do in the evening.
We have just spent the most fun evening at Board plying Frustration, Connect 4, Othello but Cluedo that we’d regularly play in out youth was a bit much for our tired brains this evening.
I originally thought a 3 hour booking was way too long for us and how on earth could we spend three hours playing games. How wrong I was. Time passed so quickly we were enjoying it so much we hadn’t noticed. We absolutely loved it and walking back past the cathedral to our hotel, we had great big smiles on our faces as testament to what fun we’d had.
Food was perfect - we started off with the jar of sweets, followed by grilled cheese sandwiches and chips. We brought our leftover sweets back to the hotel - we could never have finished the whole jar in one go.
What a fantastic place - in London, we regularly go to the theatre, I think if we lived in Exeter, this would absolutely be top of the list for evening entertainment
We have just spent the most fun evening at Board plying Frustration, Connect 4, Othello but Cluedo that we’d regularly play in out youth was a bit much for our tired brains this evening.
I originally thought a 3 hour booking was way too long for us and how on earth could we spend three hours playing games. How wrong I was. Time passed so quickly we were enjoying it so much we hadn’t noticed. We absolutely loved it and walking back past the cathedral to our hotel, we had great big smiles on our faces as testament to what fun we’d had.
Food was perfect - we started off with the jar of sweets, followed by grilled cheese sandwiches and chips. We brought our leftover sweets back to the hotel - we could never have finished the whole jar in one go.
What a fantastic place - in London, we regularly go to the theatre, I think if we lived in Exeter, this would absolutely be top of the list for evening entertainment
Written March 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
piskies
13 contributions
Nov 2021 • Family
First visit (though we’ve been to other board game cafes)
Really friendly service (I think we were served by a guy called Patrick who was great, super friendly service)
Food was good, freshly cooked cafe staples- burgers, wraps, chips, all tasty and hot. Staff were there to help with game choice if needed but we just sorted ourselves out as knew what we wanted.
We will definitely come back and would recommend to others! Probably a good idea to pre book as not a big place.
Really friendly service (I think we were served by a guy called Patrick who was great, super friendly service)
Food was good, freshly cooked cafe staples- burgers, wraps, chips, all tasty and hot. Staff were there to help with game choice if needed but we just sorted ourselves out as knew what we wanted.
We will definitely come back and would recommend to others! Probably a good idea to pre book as not a big place.
Written November 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ethan D
Exeter, UK8 contributions
Oct 2022 • Family
Far too overpriced. While I like the idea of a restaurant where you can play board/card games, and was impressed with the wide selection of games to pick from, the ÂŁ6.50 price of adminission (for 3 hours per person!) is absurd. As a party of 4 this meant paying ÂŁ26 before anyone orders any food or drinks.
Especially when you consider alot of games work best with larger groups, 4-6 people etc, this per person based admission fee is a deal breaker.
Were it instead a price per table, say ÂŁ15 for 3 hours, we would be inclined to invite several friends to join for a meal. You'd soon make the money back on the larger food and drink orders you'd receive from larger parties attending.
Will be sticking to game nights at home until the price is made more reasonable.
Especially when you consider alot of games work best with larger groups, 4-6 people etc, this per person based admission fee is a deal breaker.
Were it instead a price per table, say ÂŁ15 for 3 hours, we would be inclined to invite several friends to join for a meal. You'd soon make the money back on the larger food and drink orders you'd receive from larger parties attending.
Will be sticking to game nights at home until the price is made more reasonable.
Written October 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Ethan,
Sorry to hear about your disappointment with our pricing structure. It is quite usual for activities like us to charge an admission fee and we do promote ourselves as a venue to enjoy a premium experience with your friends or family as opposed to just playing a board game at home.
For our admission price you get seated at one of our oversized custom-designed tables with plenty of space for a board game, a guaranteed 3 hours in a warm and comfy environment, unlimited access to our huge library of games, including help with the rules and tailored recommendations, plus access to our food & drink range that we can bring straight to your table.
Perhaps a good analogy might be to compare us with a visit to the cinema vs watching a film at home? Sometimes we all just want to stay at home and watch a film and that’s ok, but other times we might also want to get out of the house and have a bit of a day out with our friends or family and that’s what we focus on.
Written February 12, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karen
7 contributions
Jan 2022 • Friends
Was looking forward to visiting this place with some friends as we love trying new games, we were with a friend who had visited before. However it was very disappointing, my friend said previously the staff came over and recommended games, helped with rules, told you abit about them.. whereas we didn't experience this at all, we were sat down, drinks orders taken and not told anything game wise.. this made us begrudge the ÂŁ6 entry fee we each had to pay.
Waited 40 minutes for our first round of drinks, food came out slowly and at different intervals despite ordering together... even my burger and chips came out at different times... not great.
We decided to cut our visit short due to the very slow service, disappointing as all tables were booked in advance so the venue should know how many staff would be needed to ensure good service. My friend was disappointed at how downhill it had gone since his last visit.
Waited 40 minutes for our first round of drinks, food came out slowly and at different intervals despite ordering together... even my burger and chips came out at different times... not great.
We decided to cut our visit short due to the very slow service, disappointing as all tables were booked in advance so the venue should know how many staff would be needed to ensure good service. My friend was disappointed at how downhill it had gone since his last visit.
Written February 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Kiayakins. I’m very sorry to hear about your experience, this isn’t what things should be like when you visit us. I should say that we did have a period around the time you visited where we were severely short-staffed due to Covid illness spreading quite widely at the time. We eventually decided to close early some days and restrict customer numbers to help with this, but I wonder if you were unfortunate enough to visit before we put those measures in place. Please email me: exeter@board.uk and I’ll try and make things right. Please accept my apologies again for the sub-par visit. - Luke
Written April 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Genevieve F
Sandbach, UK10 contributions
Aug 2020
We were welcomed in and had everything explained to us, how the place works and how they were dealing with the pandemic restrictions.
I had read the reviews and feel that some of them are a little unfair. This place does charge an entrance fee, which is clearly stated on their website, and is fair enough as they have a large choice of board games and you are not made to feel as if you have to purchase any food or drink.
There was only one person serving and he was really busy, however nothing was too much trouble. We chose a game which once we took it out the box realised there was no way we were going to be able to learn it in one evening, the staff member then recommended a different game for us which we thoroughly enjoyed. My teenage kids did not want to leave but it was very late so we had to! It looks like a great place for teenagers to go and spend a couple of wholesome hours with their friends. It was great for our family and there was a good choice of games for all ages. The menu is quite a limited choice but the food was freshly prepared and very tasty. It was more about the overall experience rather than going out for a meal. If we ever go back to Exeter we will definitely revisit.
I had read the reviews and feel that some of them are a little unfair. This place does charge an entrance fee, which is clearly stated on their website, and is fair enough as they have a large choice of board games and you are not made to feel as if you have to purchase any food or drink.
There was only one person serving and he was really busy, however nothing was too much trouble. We chose a game which once we took it out the box realised there was no way we were going to be able to learn it in one evening, the staff member then recommended a different game for us which we thoroughly enjoyed. My teenage kids did not want to leave but it was very late so we had to! It looks like a great place for teenagers to go and spend a couple of wholesome hours with their friends. It was great for our family and there was a good choice of games for all ages. The menu is quite a limited choice but the food was freshly prepared and very tasty. It was more about the overall experience rather than going out for a meal. If we ever go back to Exeter we will definitely revisit.
Written August 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Henry D
2 contributions
Sep 2020
Staff were very friendly, even when one member of our party was late. The food is great, the onion rings are like doughnuts, they are so big! the staff were very happy to recommend games for us to play and we got to try some new ones. these games were also available to buy, they were a bit expensive but it is a nice touch.
Written September 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lewis M
Torquay, UK50 contributions
Oct 2021
I came here with the University of Exeter Lib dem society as part of a board game social and we all had a great time. There was a wide variety and selction of board games and its good value at ÂŁ6 for 3 hours admission which works out to ÂŁ2 an hour. The milkshakes here are also quite good. Dident try the food though since i ate before coming. What would make it better though is if they did a set menu or package where you get admission, meal and a drink for a set price. All in all it was a great visit.
Written October 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica
Exeter, UK98 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
The board restaurant is so much fun! It’s £6 entry fee for 3 hours of games which I think is really reasonable. They have a great selection of games, and the staff are always happy to help out if you need recommendations or any help with the rules of each game.
Food and drink were also great (milkshakes are amazing) but the main great thing about this place is the customer service - everyone I have spoke to on my several visits have been super helpful and friendly. It does get quite busy though so if you can book then do it!
Food and drink were also great (milkshakes are amazing) but the main great thing about this place is the customer service - everyone I have spoke to on my several visits have been super helpful and friendly. It does get quite busy though so if you can book then do it!
Written January 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HazellSW
Exeter, UK42 contributions
Dec 2019
After first going to Board about a year ago, we now visit pretty regularly. There is a huge variety of games to choose from, helpfully categorised on the shelves so you have an idea of what you're getting yourself in for. The staff are knowledgeable about the games and happy to help set the game up quickly so reading the rules books from cover to cover isn't necessary and doesn't eat into your 3 hour slot.
The food is simple but really decent and comes in large portions - nothing too fussy so is exactly the type of thing you'd want whilst trying to focus on games.
There is a ÂŁ5 cover charge per person, which to me is completely reasonable considering the great care that's clearly taken over the games and the care the staff give to you when visiting.
It's a great place to visit if you want to do something a little different and have a good distraction from screen time. Cannot recommend enough.
The food is simple but really decent and comes in large portions - nothing too fussy so is exactly the type of thing you'd want whilst trying to focus on games.
There is a ÂŁ5 cover charge per person, which to me is completely reasonable considering the great care that's clearly taken over the games and the care the staff give to you when visiting.
It's a great place to visit if you want to do something a little different and have a good distraction from screen time. Cannot recommend enough.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there any shorter games please? I want to visit but have chronic fatigue. I'm an adult.
Do you do dairy free hot drinks?
Thanks.
Written August 17, 2021
BoardExeter
Exeter, United Kingdom
Hi, we have games that last from 15 minutes up to 3 hours, so we have a big range! And yes we also have soy milk or oat milk for all our hot drinks :)
Written September 24, 2021
BoardExeter
Exeter, United Kingdom
Hi Anne, we have games for all ages. 9-12 is an especially good age as they can start upgrading to the more adventurous games. Pop in and our team will be happy to walk you through some good game selections! :)
Written April 9, 2019
Are there any good games for 2 players?
Written February 9, 2018
BoardExeter
Exeter, United Kingdom
Hi Natalie, lots of great games for two players — a whole portion of our library is devoted to it!
Written February 11, 2018
Are you able to book a table? I really want to take my boyfriend here on next Saturday night and want to make sure we get a table as we are only in Exeter for one night.
Written September 4, 2016
BoardExeter
Exeter, United Kingdom
Hi Jay! Yes, you can book! You can shoot us details over a message on our Facebook page, via email, or phone us on 01392 791396
Written September 4, 2016
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