Which are Exmouth's top ten cafés?

WHICH ARE Exmouth's top ten cafés? Here's the current chart, as voted by Exmouth People reviewers. And if your favourite spot for a coffee, a tea, a snack or larger meal isn't here, you can review it and give it a star rating to take it up the all-important rankings...

1 THE BOOK REST (above Best Books on The Parade). Star rating: 5 

Only established a couple of years, The Book Rest has rapidly become Exmouth's number-one café. It's hardly surprising. The Book Rest's innovative approach – wholesome home-cooked food, a good range for vegetarians, fine coffee, a wide variety of teas and a Fairtrade option, combined with excellent service, comfy sofas and reasonable prices – is way ahead of the competition. The only downside is the steep staircase that can make access a little tricky. "The food is excellent, with good attention to detail," says TheGreenMan. "Not only that, but there are nice comfy sofas to relax on after the meal, a childrens' area, and a terrific ambience. All round, ten out of ten!" Schoolmaam agrees. "It's always packed," she says, "and deservedly so, since news has spread of its splendid range of home-cooked meals and snacks. It's a tremendous choice for families, with healthy children's meal choices (not a chip in sight) and a play area for the youngest ones. On our last visit we were with visitors aged from under 5 to over 60, and everyone was delighted with the food, service and ambience. Exmouth needs more places like this!"

2 THE ALBION CAFE Star rating: 5

Traditionalists will love the large full-English breakfasts on offer at the Albion Café, an excellent and reasonably priced little establishment on Albion Street. Giles Coren gave the no-nonsense eaterie a glowing review in The Times in 2008, and Exmouth People reviewers are equally enthusiastic. "The Albion continues to provide a consistently high standard of traditional café fare to its faithful clientele," says TrubblnStrife. "Cooked breakfasts (big, bigger and colossal) are the highlight, but they also provide a daily home-cooked lunch menu featuring such favourites as roasts and pies." Meanwhile Localradioman reckons it's "a good bet if you want something that's good value and without any pretension".

3 SUE'S PANTRY Star rating: 5

Nestling on the corner of Rolle Street and the Magnolia Centre, Sue's Pantry continues to have its fans, although prices are high for what's on offer. Consequently don't expect great value. "The best thing about Sue's Pantry is that you know you're going to get freshly baked cakes to go with your coffee!" says Peggie13. "The comfortable booths are great to sit in if you want to catch up on some girlie gossip and you can look out on to the town centre. Service is great, always with a smile, and everything is fresh and tasty."

4 STREAMSIDE AT GREENFINGERS GARDEN CENTRE Star rating: 4

Away from the town centre, Streamside – the eaterie set in a modern wooden building at Greenfingers garden centre – is well worth a visit. "Even non-gardeners will appreciate the delightful riverside café serving home-cooked and locally sourced food," says TrubblnStrife in her main review of Greenfingers. "This light, airy, modern space is the perfect place to contemplate your gardening plans while enjoying the view over the outside displays," says Schoolmaam in her review of the cafe. "Excellent tea, coffee and soft drinks, home baked cakes and scones may well tempt you back for the delicious home-cooked lunches, and they sometimes have live music, too!"

5 RAILWAY CARRAIGE CAFE Star rating: 4

Steaming into fifth place comes the Railway Carriage Café, an April-September treat on the seafront. "Set inside a restored 1956 railway carriage, this has become one of our favourite stops in Exmouth for a cup of tea and a light snack," says ExeCellent. Although it doesn't offer a huge range of snacks, the café gains numerous points for its unique ambience along with quality refreshments and good service at a reasonable price, and a Fairtrade option. Schoolmaam says, "It's a lovely spot for a morning coffee or afternoon tea, especially when entertaining visitors to Exmouth. Train buffs can visit the model railway next door or simply wallow in the nostalgia. The homemade cakes are good, but the lunches are unremarkable and you can get better value elsewhere."

6 HARBOUR VIEW Star rating: 4

This seafront café is an institution, according to AuntDahlia, and she should know. "Haute cuisine it's not," she says, "but it's right on the beach, with outside tables for sunny days. A perfect spot for a quick cuppa or fryup on a rainy day, too. Dogs are welcome, so it's a favourite haunt of dog walkers, whose pets are a constant source of amusement." Chloe_246 also likes it. "Everything is well priced and the service is pretty quick," she says. "It's especially good in the summer as there are benches at the back where you can sit, sunbathe and look over the beach whilst eating!"

7 GOSSIPS Star rating: 4

With a strong position on the revamped Strand and the ability to spread its tables out on the new pedestrianized section, Gossips should be really lifting its game by now. So far it hasn't, although the coffee is reasonable, the staff are friendly, the place is clean and tidy, and they offer a Fairtrade option. patel20 describes it as a "cute" café. "They serve really good coffee and have a wide variety of sandwiches on their menu."

8 SOPHIE'S Star rating: 3

Noted for its roasts and traditional English food, Sophie's on Rolle Street is not the most exciting café in Exmouth and offers rather bland fare, but it has its fans. "We were very impressed with the quality of food," says churchill48. "A lot of effort had gone into making the whole dining experience traditionally English."

9 MANGOS Star rating: 2

This café took over from Route 66 a few years ago and initially looked like it was going to lift its game, but sadly – apart from offering a Fairtrade option – it hasn't. "Mangos offers what may well be the best coffee in the town centre, but the chilly ambience doesn't tempt you to linger," says Schoolmaam. "The decor is spartan, and the only comfy place to sit is on the (now rather battered) sofas. This place needs colour, comfort and commitment – until it gets them, you're probably better off with a takeout coffee."

10 MAGNOLIA Star rating: 2

A popular lunch spot with the over-60s, the Magnolia – according to Exmouth People reviewers – falls into the perfectly acceptable but unremarkable category. "While the decor is dull and dated, the premises are neat and clean, and the food and drink are acceptable and reasonably priced," says Schoolmaam. "There's nothing I could criticize without seeming unreasonable, it's just that I find the overwhelming mediocrity of the place utterly depressing. Why don't café-owners in Exmouth feel the need to strive for excellence?"

What's your favourite café in Exmouth and why? And if it's not reviewed and rated, review it now!