Recommendations for IOW lunch - Bembridge /Sandown

[VMC-on-top]

Planning to pop down to IOW for lunch with a few friends in a couple of weeks. Can anyone recommend a nice restaurant (not an airfield one) within a relatively short drive / taxi ride away - preferably a coastal one? Presumably easy to gets taxis from either Bembridge or Sandown?

[Jameschillman]

Hello,

The Crab and Lobster in Bembridge is a very good pub to eat at (The Crab and Lobster Inn - Home (http://www.crabandlobsterinn.co.uk/)) Fairly close the bembridge too + costal location.

Cant comment on Sandown really as ive never eaten there. But would seriously reccomend the Crab + Lobster in bembridge :)

(Am based in Cowes/IOW)

[wigglyamp]

Life-boat view cafe is very good - excellent fresh sea food even if the place does look rather like an overgrown garden shed than a posh restaurant. I prefer it the more popular Crab and Lobster pub.
You can reserve a table before hand by 'phone and definitely worth doing - it gets pretty packed on nice days, not just from visiting pilots.

[Cusco]

Two years ago I would have said Crab & Lobster no argument>

But the vibes are its gone a bit downhill.

That said it's hard to beat a nice lunch on the clifftop (outside if its not blowing) and the a walk along the beach afterwards.

Bembridge will arrange for a taxi if you radio them with 10 minutes to run.(IMHO its a bit too far to walk)

Cusco.

[Fuji Abound]

Sorry - but the C and L, which was very good, is truly dreadful since the change in owners - and I mean truly dreadful. It is still a lovely spot and fine for a beer (well if you are not the one flying) but beyond that .. .. ..

There are far better places.

[Intercepted]

There are far better places.

You can always take the steps towards the beach (from C & L) and you will find a beach cafe where you can buy hot dogs and burgers :hmm:

[G4FKK]

I'm told, by a local, that The Propeller is now very good. It's only just off-field though. I was at the C&L on Friday and the lobster was still OK but not local at the moment.

There was a restaurant in Shanklin (a taxi from Sandown), called Ferrets where you could get zebra, kudu, crocodile etc. Fabulous place with a 'survivor-of-the-60's' owner. Not sure if it's still there though.

[VMC-on-top]

Fuji - any suggestions?

[Dan Dare]

Crab and Lobster is not quite what it was, BUT it is still hard to beat.

It is definately NOT too far to walk - it is a very pleasant hour stroll. I normally check tide times (easy via Google) and plan the walk accordingly. 3 of my favourite walks are:-

1. Along the beach - tide permitting. It can get a little messy half way along where the sand turns to clay, but the walk alon the beach is worth the effort.
2. If the tide is in there is a costal path along the cliffs, which naturally takes you past the Crab & Lobster. It is actually rather lovely itself.

both of the costal options require a walk through the Hillview caravan site

3. There is a nice walk throught the woods near the airfield, which comes out at the National Trust Windmill. From there to the village there is a walk along a narrow road without pavement, but everything is slower on the island, so it doesn't feel too bad.

I wasn't clever enough to embed it so a link to the approximate routes should be here Google (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Bembridge+Windmill,+High+Street,+Bembridge,+Isle+Of+Wi ght+PO35+5SQ+(The+National+Trust)+to:32+Forelands+Field+Road ,+Bembridge,+Isle+of+Wight+PO35+5TR+(The+Crab+and+Lobster+In n)+to:50.674406,-1.0952+to:Unknown+road&geocode=FSxLBQMdPCnv_w%3BFU9mBQMdr0vv_yFrYGKd2bQ1QA%3BFTVZBQ MdGpzv_yErc67rFn8beilZBW7_jl90SDHM24ydsfRJmg%3B%3BFTJLBQMdQi nv_w&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=2&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=3&dirflg=w&sll=50.680063,-1.087818&sspn=0.015854,0.045362&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=15)

[Cusco]

If I'm out flying for the day and for lunch I would not want an hour walk each way for my lunch.

Deffo too far: Taxi required.

Cusco:rolleyes:

[wigglyamp]

Anyone got opinions on the pub next to the monument on the hill above Bembridge? Walked up a couple of weeks ago and saw the old WW2 gun emplacements but pub was closed.

[flybymike]

Dan Dare that was a great post and link. Would be very interested to see further google map links to airfield walks from anyone clever enough to start a thread with links like this.

[rogerbucks]

Went there late last year (can't remember the name)
It's a hard walk up from the airfield (depending on your fitness or lack thereof!)
but a beautiful view awaits- We had lunch, and the food was fine, but the landlord seemed a bit brusque, and there is a combination lock for the loos to keep non-customers out! We still like the Crab & Lob!

[vectis lady]

from bem it takes 25-30 mins to get to the top of culver down, the pub is nice enough but i never find the staff to be that welcoming, too many rules & swipe cards for the loo's. You will certinally get a friendly welcome at the prop. i have drunk in there many times but never eaten but it does seem to be popular.

if you go into sandown then a taxi ride to the beach and i would reccomend the reef for food. its a bar / restuarant right on the front and on a nice day you can sit outside on the deck. lovely food aswell

[john ball]

Last time I went to the C&L I thought it had gone down hill. A good walk up past the windmill then down to Bembridge or leave the airfield head east up through the caravan park and down to white sand beach, which has east facing so looses the sun early but there is a beach cafe that does sandwiches and salads. The pub up on the top of the hill is very soul less
and i do not think the food is good, but the walk up there is good with views back over the airfield and across to Portsmouth. Alternatively take a taxi to the 'Island hotel' on the north of the island, have lunch then walk back along the beach to another large hotel ( name cannot remember )
which has pool, gardens and afternoon tea --- we then got a taxi back from there to Bembridge. Somebody would know where I mean ? On takeoff from the westerly, if you turn right and look down you can see the hotel and gardens. Sorry for my lapse of memory.

[Pegpilot]

Lucky enough to be invited by a relative for a trip from Kidlington to the IOW for lunch last autumn. Spent a very pleasant couple of hours at the Priory Bay Hotel (Seaview), just up the road from Bembridge - if the weather permits, the tables in the grounds are lovely. Bit noisy with the chopper traffic lobbing in to the hotel grounds from time to time, but then I could be accused of hypocracy, given that our arrival was also by rotary means....

[john ball]

Yes, reminded by the previous post;- Taxi to the SEAVIEW HOTEL not ISLAND HOTEL as this is the wrong name. Had lunch, then walked for a few minutes along the north beach to the PRIORY HOTEL, afternoon tea then shortish taxi back to Bembridge airport.

[ivor toolbox]

ah, yes, the Culver Haven (on top of Bembridge/Culver Down) has always been a bit hit and miss, why go a little further afield, Ganders in St Helens, there's the SpyGlass Inn on Ventnor seafront, or at the back o'the Wight, try the Wight Mouse/Clarendon Hotel at Chale <--- popular with families, has a large kids play facility.

ttfn

(ex-pat from IOW)