Hi everyone! My name is Rachael and I’m a third-year student at the University of Exeter. Now that I’m way further in to my final year than I would like to be, I’ve decided to make it my mission to visit as many coffee shops in Exeter as possible before I graduate. Why, I hear you ask? Because at this point, tea and cake are pretty much the only things getting me through my degree and if I’m going to waste my student loan on anything, it’s going to be on things that make me happy. So, I decided to bring you lovely readers of Her Campus Exeter along with me in my search for a new favourite coffee shop.
To kick off this series, I decided to start with the most Exetah coffee shop I could think of: The Glorious Art House. While I’ve been in Exeter for three years, I had never actually been to The Glorious Art House before, despite it being so popular amongst uni students. So, determined to not be missing out anymore, I persuaded my house mate Jess to drop her work and join me on my quest for coffee (she didn’t really take much convincing).
The Visit
As soon as we walked in, I was struck by how colourful it was inside. I instantly felt both happy, cosy, and a lot less stressed, which was an unexpected plus. The appearance of the shop more than lives up to its name. The walls are brightly painted, and there’s beautifully colourful armchairs and mis-matched cushions scattered around, giving an overall charming, and artsy, feel. It’s easy to see why The Glorious Art House features so much on Instagram: the bright colours and quirky décor makes it seem like a coffee shop straight out of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, and the cute garden decorated with fairy lights is a nice feature, although it was way too cold for us to sit out there. When it came to ordering, my eye was immediately drawn to the drink simply called the ‘Glorious’, and I knew that I had to try it. Jess ordered a chai latte, and we went upstairs and had a sneaky little photoshoot while we waited for our drinks to be brought up to us.
I had high expectations for the Glorious, and I was not disappointed. This drink was everything a hot chocolate should be and more. There was so much cream on top that I ended up getting it all over myself. This was also one of the sweetest hot chocolates I have ever tried, and despite the fact I have a very big sweet-tooth I really did struggle to finish it. That being said, I have no regrets at all.
The Verdict
Price: We paid £3.50 for a Glorious hot chocolate and £2.80 for a chai latte, which is a pretty average price for Exeter. Plus, these drinks were HUGE, so I definitely think it’s worth the money.
Range: Not only did The Glorious Art House have a full range of hot drinks, but they also offered a variety of cakes and bakes, a lot of which were dairy/ gluten free and vegan! They also had a small range of baguettes and cold food platters, so it could be a good place for lunch/ brunch too.
Location: While not on the High Street, Fore Street is still pretty central to Exeter, so it’s very easy to get to from town. Walking down Fore Street makes a nice change too – there’s plenty of different shops to poke around, even if it is on a bit of a hill.
Overall?
I absolutely loved The Glorious Art House. The decoration, atmosphere and drinks were all great, and I will definitely be going back to try some of their food. It’s more of a ‘drink and chat’ kind of café than a place to study, so I wouldn’t recommend to anyone looking for a new reading spot. They also have a ‘table top sale’ room on the top floor, which is well worth a look, especially for quirky and unusual gifts. For the serious hot chocolate lovers out there – or anyone who wants to up their insta-game – this place is a must for you!
Check out The Glorious Art House:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheGloriousArtHouse/
Instagram – @thegloriousarthouse