The Isle of Wight is very limited in its Yelp reviews, and it's hardly better on TripAdvisor. But…read moreat least there are a lot more, so I'd suggest checking that website out if you're trying to find a nice bite to eat or a pub somewhere. That was the case for Stokebury, so I wanted to share the love and add a review on Yelp as well. We had just purchased a tourist parking pass, and weren't ready to check in to our hotel yet, and we were STARVING. I made a search for nearby fish and chips places, and this one popped up. It ended up being the first and only time I was in England and got fish and chips, and I really wish I'd tried somewhere else during the trip, but I'm just super partial to the meat pies that are everywhere.
PROS:
-HUGE portions.
-Very affordable, especially considering the portions you can get.
-No bones; just crispy, greasy fishy goodness.
-Wrapped well in several layers of paper. I can't imagine how the grease would have pooled if that hadn't been the case.
-That "fishy" taste apparent in cheap cuts of fish was not super apparent here, probably because it's an island and their fish is fresh!
-I think it's charming that it's the oldest fish and chips place on the Isle, which gives it a bit of history.
-Nice and efficient staff, despite the long line.
CONS:
-Too greasy for my particular palate, but then again, I also don't eat fast food in America.
-Nowhere to sit inside the shop, or even directly outside. You'll have to wander around a bit to find somewhere.
THER VERDICT:
It's a pop-up shop, super small, where you go inside and there's nothing but a tall counter and menu. It can get pretty happening, and is obviously a local favorite. There isn't any seating, but there are some benches dotted around the square where we ended up. The price is pretty good, actually damned good for the amount of food that you get. I got the cod and chips for about 5-6 quid (website says 3.50, but that's not accurate, so please see my attached pic of the menu). The chips were steak fry size as we call it in the states (not sure If that's something people in the UK know about), so about an inch thick, with crispy edges. Really yummy, but it ended up being too greasy for my particular palate. We ate about half the fish and all of the chips, but I couldn't manage to get down the rest as I started to feel a bit sick. My body doesn't process grease very well, but the fish itself was good up until that point.
