BITE user comments - JandJ
Comments by JandJ
The White Horse has always been popular, and remains so
The feature of this pub restaurant is the excellent food, which always comes in huge portions. The menu is very extensive and more restaurant based than pub food. Examples of the portions included �double pork escalopes�, half a roast duck and a special mixed grill that boasts 52oz of meat
Booking is only possible for parties of 10 or more. Otherwise, you need to turn up and wait for a table or arrive after 8pm. Tables within the pub are nicer than the �family room� but you seldom get the choice. The service is impressively quick and the staff very friendly
Strongly recommended but make sure you�re hungry
Saturday, 9 August 2008
11 Aug 2008 23:24
Very popular pub with a large garden and trout pond. We have not been for a while because we got bored with always having to wait at least 45 minutes for our food. Despite the pub having changed hands, we regret to say that the same problem remains.
The menu is a list of pub favourites with an appropriately short specials board and, when the food does arrive, is always worthwhile
Good selection of beer. The staff are very friendly
Recommended but prepare for the wait
Thursday, 7 August 2008
11 Aug 2008 23:18
Long established pub in a superb position overlooking Ventnor bay. Always busy but plenty of tables on two levels of terraces. Inside is very dark and dreary, but it�s the outside view that you come for
The menu is very extensive, almost too much so, leading you to think that not everything can be �home prepared�. I had a fish pie, which definitely was homemade and very nice, and Judith had a crab sandwich which was filled with plenty of crab. The food is not cheap but they do give generous portions
They have a good selection of beer from Ringwood and Ventnor breweries. Pleasant staff
Recommended
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
6 Aug 2008 22:35
The Wheatsheaf was refurbished a couple of years ago and provides a very welcoming atmosphere with a modern feel. It is very popular and as you can�t book you need to get there either early in the evening or late
We arrived at 8.30pm, not late by most people�s standards. On a Sunday, they stop serving food at 9pm, which is not unreasonable, although the barman seemed to take great delight in saying we were lucky they were still serving.
They don�t do starters, very odd seeing as they rely on their food trade. We therefore jumped straight into our main courses � I had loin of cod with a prawn and leek sauce. This came with two large chunks of garlic bread, odd since there was also plenty of potato nestling under my fish. Judith had Singapore noodles, which was good although not as good as last time we were here
We then decided to have pudding and coffee and were staggered to be told the kitchen was now closed. It was 9.30pm by then. We can accept that they will have stopped serving any new customers but surely you can expect to arrive before they stop serving food and still have a complete meal
Disappointed, we paid and left
This is Cowes week, the pub should have expected to be busy, there were still customers wanting to buy food and surely any normal business would want to satisfy that demand. The staff seemed to take great delight in turning away at least �15 worth of additional custom (increasing my spend by 50%), and I�m sure we weren�t the only ones. In these economic times, no business can afford to turn away custom
Any pub or restaurant with that attitude will not get my custom. We are unlikely to return
Sunday, 3 August 2008
6 Aug 2008 18:00
The Crab and Lobster, Bembridge
Very popular pub in Bembridge that has recently changed hands and hasn�t lost it�s appeal. Booking is possible and is recommended
The menu provides a good mix of pub favourites as well as an extensive specials board. Anything involving crab or lobster is worthwhile and the seafood platter is a real treat, particularly on a hot summer lunchtime
Good selection of beer. The staff are very friendly
Strongly recommended
Sunday, 10 August 2008
11 Aug 2008 23:32