Eating at Exeter

Dining at Exeter, in hall or at Cohen Quad, is an integral part of the Oxford experience. You are encourage to eat many of your meals in Hall at Exeter or at the Dakota Café at Cohen Quad; prices are very low and it is a good way to meet people! The Dakota Café at Cohen Quad offers great lunch options that are often better than Hall, and you can eat in the great Cohen study spaces.

Paying for Exeter Meals

You will be charged a portion of the Williams College Board Fee on your Term Bill. Your Exeter Meal Plan of £100 per term is included in your Oxford Board Fee and can be used towards the purchase of food for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner at Exeter.

Once you have used up your allowance for the term, you need to make arrangements to top up your meal account at the Porter's Lodge or via UPAY at your own cost. At the start of each term, your account will be credited with £100. Any balance available at the end of Michaelmas or Hilary Terms is automatically carried over to the next term. You will not be refunded for unused credit from the £300 provided by from your Board Fee, so we strongly encourage you to use up those funds.

Breakfast & Lunch:

During each term (from the Sunday of 0th week to the Saturday of 9th week, inclusive) you may eat breakfast or lunch at Exeter, in either the Undercroft Bar, Dakota Café, or Hall as frequently as you like. 

Prices are heavily subsidized and you will not need to pay more than approximately £1.90 for breakfast or £3 for lunch. Breakfast is served on weekdays from 8-10am, and lunch is served daily from 12:30-1:30pm. Breakfasts and lunches are paid for at the time of the meal at the cash till near the servery by swiping your University ID Card. After selecting your breakfast or lunch items in the servery, present your ID Card at the payment desk. Your Exeter Meal Plan will be debited accordingly and a receipt issued.

Brunch is normally served in Hall between 11am-12:30pm on weekends. 

Your Meal Plan allows you to to purchase baguettes, soup, and soft drinks at weekday lunchtimes from the Exeter bar. The Undercroft Bar and Dakota Café are open from 10am-4pm for baguettes, paninis, hot pies, homemade soup, sweets, and soft drinks.

Dinner:

First Hall is buffet style and does not require pre-booking. You will be charged according to what you eat. However, if you wish to dine in Second Hall, you will need to order your dinners in advance. The price for a 3-course meal at Second Hall is higher (approximately £6.25). Book online via the UPAY system to pre-order your Second Hall dinners in advance. At the more formal Second Hall, you are required to wear your commoner's gown.

You will be able to order a meal on the date selected for Second Hall, and choose either the meat or vegetarian option. Your account will be debited for each meal selected, and a receipt will be printed. The catering staff will have a record of your booking and all you need to do is present your ID card and ticket from your pidge on arrival. If you do not turn up for a pre-ordered Second Hall dinner, you will not be entitled to a refund. Orders for Second Hall dinners close on Tuesday at 1:30pm for Wednesday meals and Friday at 1:30pm for Sunday meals.

You may invite guests to dine with you at Exeter. You will need to borrow a commoner's gown from the Porter's Lodge if you plan to invite a guest to dine at Second Hall. You can order and pay for a guest dinner in the same way you order a dinner for yourself. A receipt will be created for each guest's meal, and must be presented to catering staff. Normally, guest meals are not subsidized and are, therefore, charged at a slightly higher rate and to include 20% VAT (tax). Your receipt will indicate the amount deducted.