vouchernaut
If you want to meet new people in Devon, I would start with an event where turning up alone is ordinary and there is a reason to see the same faces again. My first picks are a hosted dinner for easy conversation, a regular walking group if you like moving while you talk, and a class or volunteering shift if you would rather do something together first. A random night in a pub can be lovely, but it leaves the introductions entirely to you.
Devon is a big county. Pick something close enough to repeat. One enjoyable Exeter evening is less useful to your social life if you live in North Devon and will never make the journey twice.
Want conversation straight away? Book a hosted dinner
Dinners With FriendsDinners With FriendsHosted dinners at Devon restaurants for people who want to meet new friends over a proper meal.Buying guide · View store → is the clearest option here if the point of the evening is meeting people. It puts a small group at a Devon restaurant table with a host to welcome guests and make introductions. Its current guide says tables usually have 10–12 seats and run for two to three hours. This is friendship-led social dining, not speed dating. How Dinners With Friends works
I would book it when I wanted a proper evening rather than another hobby to maintain. The shared meal gives everyone something to discuss; the host takes some of the sting out of arriving alone. Check the current dinner listings for the venue, menu and credit cost. Credits reserve your seat, while you pay the restaurant separately for your food and drink. How Dinners With Friends works
The trade-off is that a single dinner gives you one chance to connect. If you click with someone, suggest a specific next thing before you leave: a walk next weekend or another dinner date.
Prefer talking side by side? Try a walking group
Exeter and District Ramblers runs walks across Devon, from shorter midweek outings to longer Sunday routes. Its published guidance welcomes people for three taster walks before asking them to join. Contact the walk leader before turning up, both for the meeting point and any late changes. Exeter and District Ramblers
This is my pick if a two-hour face-to-face conversation feels like too much too soon. A route gives you pauses, scenery and a natural way to fall into conversation with different people. It also offers the thing a one-off event cannot: the possibility of recognition next week. Choose a distance you would actually enjoy; a miserable nine-mile hike is a poor networking strategy.
For an idea of what a local group run looks like, this short Radio Exe film of Exeter Riverside parkrun is from 2019. It shows the Quay setting, not today's course or schedule; use the current organiser page for those. Radio Exe video
Want an activity to carry the first conversation? Choose a class
Exeter College's adult pottery course has demonstrations, group work and one-to-one guidance. Beginners learn hand-building, throwing and glazing. A course beats a drop-in if you want familiarity to build across several meetings. Exeter College pottery course
If you want less commitment, The Jolly Pottery offers painting, wheel-throwing tasters and longer courses. Check which session you are booking: a one-off painting table may be a good afternoon out, while a multi-session course gives you more time with the same people. The Jolly Pottery
The activity gives you a conversational opening that isn't “so, what do you do?” You can ask what someone is making, compare your very crooked first attempt and talk again the following week.
Like games? Join a group before booking a private table
Board has a large game library and staff who can explain the rules at its South Street venue in Exeter. Its normal booking flow reserves a table for your own party, so I would look for a group event or arrange a public meetup first, rather than assume a solo table booking introduces you to strangers. Board Exeter
Check Board’s Google Maps listing and reviews before going.
Games are good at giving strangers a shared problem to solve. If you are new, ask the organiser whether they teach games and welcome solo arrivals. A game with a fixed four-person table can be brilliant once you're seated, and awkward if all the tables arrive as established groups.
Want a general social calendar? Try Exeter Socials
Exeter Socials lists dining, walks, games, theatre and other meetups for adults around Exeter. It explicitly says newcomers and people arriving alone are welcome. I would use it to try two or three different formats before deciding what deserves a regular place in my diary. A broad calendar gives you variety; the drawback is that faces may change from event to event, so choose one recurring strand if friendship is the aim. Exeter Socials Meetup
Want a reason to keep showing up? Volunteer
Devon County Council points residents towards Devon Connect and Devon Voluntary Action for local roles. Choose a recurring shift with other volunteers if meeting people is part of your reason for going. A solo remote task may still matter, but it will do little for your social calendar. Devon County Council volunteering routes
Look for a role you would still value after the first month: a community garden, event team, food project or local charity. You are giving time to a real organisation, so reliability matters more than treating the shift as a social experiment.
How do you turn one good evening into actual friends?
Pick one social-first plan and one repeating activity. For example, book a Dinners With Friends table this month and try a Ramblers walk twice. After the second encounter, make a small, specific invitation: “I'm going back next Thursday; fancy coming?” That is much easier to answer than “we should hang out sometime.”
If the first room isn't yours, try another format. Dinner rewards conversation; walking allows quieter moments; games and classes give you a task; volunteering gives you a shared purpose. The useful question is not “where are all the people?” It is “where would I enjoy returning?”
Frequently asked questions
Can I go to a Dinners With Friends event alone?
Yes. Solo arrival is part of the format. A host welcomes the table and makes introductions; check the current event listing for the exact venue and menu.
Is Dinners With Friends a dating event?
No. The organiser describes it as friendship-led social dining. If you specifically want dating, look for an event that says so explicitly.
What is the easiest free or low-cost way to meet people in Devon?
A taster group walk is a good start if you enjoy walking. Exeter and District Ramblers allows three taster walks before membership; check transport and any event-specific costs with the leader. Volunteering can also create regular contact without buying a ticket.
What if I am nervous about turning up alone?
Message the organiser first and ask where to meet, who will greet you and whether solo arrivals are common. A hosted dinner or led walk answers those questions more clearly than an unstructured night out.
