Zita's has the honour of being the only decent Smokehouse in Exeter and one of the more underrated places to satisfy your burgery fix. Did you know that it does comedy nights as well, and open mics too? Back in the summer they redirected themselves more towards in-house smoking, American pit style food which they've done really well. Not only that but this local independent restaurant does student discount too.

Disclaimer: My son, Henry James is the chef at the new Zita's Bar and Restaurant (has been for a month or so). I was finally able to check out Zita's yesterday. There were three of us dining. My daughter and I were able to sample a new menu item - freshly made tagliatelle with chicken and mushrooms. Yes, all freshly made. Garnished with rocket, the dish presented well and was light and flavoursome. The third member of our party had a burger, called 'The Usual Suspect'. Again, well presented as a stack and a well balanced dish. Whilst Zita's takes pains to move away from the perception that it is a burger bar replacement (there have been burger bars on site previously), there still are burgers on the menu. The pricing of the dishes was reasonable and compare well with similar styled restaurants. I must repeat that the food is freshly made, not reheated frozen packages which one often finds in chain restaurants. In my opinion, Zita's has taken a bold step in allowing a chef to showcase his talent, rather than going with the easy option of 'this is how the dish has to look, because every other restaurant in our chain does it this way'. Freshly made pizzas are also on the menu which I am looking forward to trying next time I visit the restaurant. I was able to have a quick tour of the kitchen which was spotless. I was told that the decor of the restaurant is being updated soon to help cement the new image of the restaurant. The downstairs area will also be opened soon. I would highly recommend a visit to this restaurant when you are next in Exeter.