I cannot say how much I loved this place! From the warm welcome to my whole family, the amazing advice on which drinks would be best with what food, happy to have a discussion about how the place came about, sourcing of the food etc. But none of that compares to the amazing food we experienced, just beautiful! Perfectly cooked and seasoned. We have our meal and had to go back for more as we had to try it! Have already chosen what we are going to have on our next trip when we come back! Thank you for the best meal on the island! Good luck guys keep going from strength to strength and best wishes for the new arrival when he/she comes xx
My grandfather had seen the place being refurbished and asked us to take him for lunch yesterday (30th September) we certainly were not disappointed! The decor was light and airy. The staff super friendly. The food was amazing! I had a special, crab salad with crab & coconut croquets the taste explosion was fabulous. My husband had the beef teriyaki burger, the steak was melt the mouth and again the flavours were so good. My grandfather chose rum & raisin ice cream with a tot of rum, the smile on his face was something to cherish.
I recommend this restaurant and will be back next month
Super attentive staff who were more than helpful in finding us a quiet corner for our dog (they also gave us water with ice cubes for him on a blisteringly hot day).
The turnip cake starter was sublime and the mains were lovely especially the half lobster. Highly recommend the chocolate pandan to finish up.
Excellent!
The menu reflects the quality of the restaurant as close to as a michelin star as you can get.
The food is fresh and very well cooked, the service is friendly and attentive. The wine selection is very well chosen for the food on the menu, the deserts are wonderful.
One of our guests had some dietary requirements and they were very accommodating.
There is parking just outside or a small pay and display parking just up the road. The restaurant is very accessible for wheelchairs or other accessable needs.
What a wonderful place for dinner! Easily missed, but this gem of a restaurant is a must visit when you come to the Isle of Wight, easily one of the best meals I’ve had here. The lobster and duck were both cooked to perfection, and the staff were ever so friendly. Nothing to criticise at all!
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Ventnor is a casual little seaside town with the usual seaside fish and chips, etc. Imagine my delight when I went there for lunch at the recommendation of a neighbor and found a foodie paradise!
We started with 2 of their special cocktails of the day, a passion fruit mojito and a mandarin maraschino margarita, both really tasty and not overly sweet.
Since we prefer grazing rather than pigging out on large meals, we shared 4 small plates and one side.
We started with the confit yellow fin tuna with wasabi and avocado mouse and togarashi chili gazpacho. Lovely, with just the right amount of spice. Then we had the hot applewood-smoked venison haunch with char siu watermelon and watercress salad. It was like no other venison I have ever eaten. The taste and texture were perfect, there was just the right amount of smokiness and no gaminess at all. Next we had the yuzu miso black cod with kohlrabi, apple and local crab tian served with a lotus chip. The fish was cooked to perfection with one side fabulously charred, while the rest of the piece was just done, giving it such a supple mouth feel. Lastly we had grilled lobster with miso bernaise served on a sesame brioche. This is one of those dishes that will stay in my memory for a long time. I only wish we hadn't booked a late lunch as the kitchen was closed by the time we got to that dish and I would have ordered another one. The complexity of flavor was astounding. Along with these amazing plates we ordered soy and sesame stir-fried vegetables. They played off nicely against the richness of the other dishes.
Lovely wine list as well, with excellent wines by the glass. We chose a Picpoul de Pinet, Les Parades and a Chablis Louis Michel.
I'm gutted that they're closed on Sunday and Monday and we're leaving the Isle of Wight on Tuesday morning. I would definitely book in again. Speaking of which, do book a reservation as this is a relatively small place and it books up quickly.
Excellent and good quality seafood with friendly staff in a small, cosy setting facing the sea. All dishes were good but the desserts were particularly special. Expensive but worth it if you fancy treating yourself.
Visited Smoking Lobster with my family (wife and two daughters) whilst on the IOW. It was our daughters 4th birthday. The staff could not have been more welcoming. The food was outstanding. Very nice cocktails. The seafood platter was amazing. You pay for the food quality and we felt it deserved the price. The waiting team kindly sang happy birthday to my daughter which blew her mind. Only criticism which relates to the score of 4/5 for service was things were slow and when trying to get the bill and was available pay the bill took ages.
Over all a lovely place to eat on the IOW.
Absolutely brilliant time at the Smoking Lobster. Food was fantastic (have to try the lobster brioche) and the staff couldn't have done enough for us. Excellent setup for the kids too. Very rare you see kids' meals with as much thought gone into them as the grown ups' but was spot on here. Our group had ages 2 through to 7 and all of them loved it. Cannot recommend high enough. Book up!
Went to the restaurant yesterday evening. Customer service was excellent, swift and welcoming. Food was amazing and felt like it was worth it. Definitely recommend the seafood platter for 2 and having the sea bass deboned, and the lobster tempura. Try the japanese tiramisu dessert and japanese coffee, excellent desserts. The daijingo jumbai sake was a great drink also.
Beautiful fresh ingredients, cooked perfectly and served by delightful staff in a clean simple tasteful restaurant. Add a glass of chilled wine. Super. Thank you
Having been to the Smoking Lobster in Cowes on three occasions with three different experiences from superb to mediocre, we decided to go to the original one in Ventnor. It was a very pleasant experience. It is a bit stark and bland inside and not quite a five star rating in our opinion but still a lovely evening. The service and food were good.
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