IMPORTANT: Please note that previous reviews on Yelp relate to earlier owners, not the current…read moreones.
This review is as the result of two visits to the Folly Inn. My wife, who is American, and I, visited the Island for the first time in twelve years and chose the Folly Inn for lunch. I grew up in East Cowes and have fond memories of family picnics down by the river there. I've revisited the Inn many times over the years and it has continuously improved over the past decade or so. We had a great experience last time that we visited and weren't disappointed this time. The improvements are very noticeable.
We chose different starters and main courses and every one of them was perfect. They were tasty, beautifully cooked and presented and good value. We even stretched our appetites to a dessert that was equally good. The selection of drinks and wines was great too. It's nice that they have the best local beers and the Island's own Mermaid spirits, for instance.
The service and staff were wonderful (That's something that I don't often have the pleasure of saying) - informative, attentive, friendly and timely without being intrusive. The location is beautiful, of course, and the Inn is in perfect condition, clean, inviting, spacious and tastefully decorated. We spent time looking at the many little features on our way out.
Things don't always go as well on subsequent visits to places that you visit on your travels, but this was an exception. Having looked at a few other places by the sea and in the countryside, we decided to go back to the Folly Inn. It was the right decision. We enjoyed a perfectly balanced seafood "sharing" plate. The nicely presented combination of smoked salmon, shellfish, squid (calamari) and whitebait was excellent, as was the dessert, which we also shared. I've had inferior dishes in places with Michelin Stars.
We heartily recommend the Folly Inn for everything from a "pub lunch", to a special occasion. It will be our first meal venue next time that we visit the Island and we recommended it to relatives on the Island. A place that was once a slightly weary hangout for the locals and a few mariners is now well and truly on the map. Thank You to the Folly Inn team for adding some extra lustre to our trip.