The quality of the food and the menu choices were amazing. Everything we ordered exceeded our…read moreexpectations and was exactly as described on the menu. We came on a night where they seemingly had a staff shortage which meant a slight delay in our food order but did not detract from our experience. I'm only mentioning it as some other diners around us were less tolerant of the longer wait time. Definitely more on the gourmet fancy food side! Great place for a date night

What a great place right at the waterfront. We were there with a group of eight and so I was able…read moreto try most of the food. It was incredible. The cheese soufflé, the pork belly, the scallops, all appetizers we're just stunning. For the main course, I had the vegetarian gnocchi, in my opinion too many vegetables and too little gnocchi, seafood and lamb dishes looked really great! I also had the winter salad which I can highly recommend. The only downside was my dessert, I had the trifle and it was just really not good, one of my colleagues had the passion fruit soufflé and that was incredible! make sure to get that! All in all, a great experience, especially if you love sea food.

One of my favourite restaurants - the food is always good quality, beautifully presented, service…read moreis attentive without being intrusive. Great for any celebration. During the interval you can sit back at your table and enjoy drinks. If you want a special night out then enjoy a show and dinner here.

I booked on the Thursday before & somehow managed to book on the same day as booking. They were…read morevery understanding & sorted it all out for m. Suddenly became a Widower in Sept 2019. Friend & I were going to see the Sat Matinee performance of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which did not disappoint. Just under £22.00 each for a Starter, Main Course & coffee. I went for Heritage Beetroot Salad, Battered Cod, Chips, Crushed Peas with Mint & freshly made Tartare Sauce it was yummy. Took the stress out of trying to find somewhere else to eat before the performance, as we had travelled on the train from Gosport. Would do again

Food was varied, inclusive, and flavorful but portions were small to my American eyes and fairly…read moreexpensive. Ambiance was warm as was the temperature, which was great on a cold rainy day. All of the background music really wants to be Amy Winehouse. Service changed dramatically around 1530 from terrifically slow and inattentive to much better and friendly. I'd go back.

We went with the 6 of us to Cosy Club during a short break in Salisbury. Very attentive staff,…read moredespite a table of 20 close by, great atmosphere and good food. Nice sharing starters, great mains, the burgers are lovely, and some nice desserts as well. A very good experience.

I had a 3 course dinner which exceeded my expectations. The staff is very pleasant and…read moreknowledgeable. The interior is typical of the British hotel restaurants I've been to. The food tasted very nice. I had a very comforting roast dinner with tasty red wine recommended by the staff. My only criticism is that it is very pricey but had it included as part of my stay. Oh, and it is part of the tastecard scheme!!

Black Rat is a wonderful dining experience. We were lucky to be seated outdoors on a beautiful…read morenight, beautiful garden setting, very comfortable seating, wish my whole family (not simply my son) had been there to enjoy it. Started with the duck confit and beetroot on the server's recommendation, it was perfect. The duck was tender and plentiful, the pickled beetroot made worked great and made it interesting as well as tasty. The lamb shoulder was also delectable, to the point that I spooned out every bit of consommé that was part of the dish. Looked like a great wine list (good wines by the glass and half bottle) as well as a very interesting gin list, unfortunately I was driving so had to pass on both. I look forward to returning with my family as The Black Rat was a tremendous experience.

Although I have lived around Winchester for years, I have never been to the Black Rat and so booked…read moreit for a birthday dinner, remembering that it once had a Michelin star and hoping for the best food in town. Sadly that was far from the case. Disappointment started the moment I sat down - on one of the smallest and most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat on in a restaurant. An old school desk chair made for small people's bottoms and certainly not for comfort. I stole another one from a nearby table and just about managed the evening, but 'good' restaurants must have comfortable chairs, preferably with arms. As starters we had 'lamb sweetbreads, cooked & raw peas, burnt onion oil, ash yogurt, charred onion rings' - an unfortunately they tasted of burned onion oil, ash and charred onion rings with a dull pea sauce! Not a good taste at all. The main course was guinea fowl, which lacked flavour, while the birthday girl had puntarella, which was seriously dull. Most disappointing. Matcha ice cream, sea buckthorn posset, manadrin granita, fennel meringue was ok but looked awful on the plate. £280 for four seemed a little over the top for such a meal.

Cordon bleu menu aka small portions but beautifully presented. Our me for two (olives for…read morestarters, 2 fish meals, one dessert and an Italian coffee) set us back £50 and my husband's meal had no veg as that costs extra. Nice for a special occasion but not the place I'd go back to.

Had a great dinner here , good service a little slow at times but they were very gracious. The food…read morewas very good it had a lamb dish which was incredible and my partner hake ...the only thing I didn't like was the biscuits with the cheese, they were savory shortbread and crumbled. On their own were nice but did not go with the cheeses.

The Bistro is out of the HdV cookie cutter clattery space with wine bottle & photo decor, shortish…read morebrasserie menu with specials. Plat's du jour are mainly off the main menu, which defeats the object. A recent lunch had salmon fishcake with a poached egg, and mustard sauce (which was ok but nothing special, and the egg was cold); a spicy warm butternut squash and lentil salad which was acceptable, but barely tepid, and a dry and bitty mushroom risotto. The wine list seems to lack wine by the glass or house wines, and is generally very pricey. A Californian Viognier was pleasant, but dear. All round, to be honest, a disappointment. Food at the HdV chain in the past has been very good, and this wasn't. Service was friendly enough. There is outside space for warm weather.

The charm of a full Sunday lunch with a relaxed, homely atmosphere…read more Excellent four course lunch in the bistro for £20. Starter was soup, followed by a buffet with great selection of seafood. Choice of mains and desert. Nice atmosphere, parking could be problematic, recommended.

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.

Have some great memories in this island. Nice meals, lovely service and the views are great. Visit…read morewith confidence and enjoy. We sure did.