Recently moved near The Hawthorn and after my first trip was sad I had never tried it sooner. I…read morehave been making my way through the best restaurants on the island but the Hawthorn never seemed to be in the picture. My meal today left my wife and I wondering why. We started with some onion rings. They were crispy, not too greasy and full of onion (rather than primarily breading). They also came with a great garlic aioli and a sweet and sour sauce (the type served with egg rolls at a Chinese restaurant). The star of the meal was the Sunday roast. I was recently disappointed in one down the road and even the best I had on the island was just good. This one was great. The lamb was tender and felt freshly cooked. The Yorkshire was huge. The roasted potatoes were clearly made fresh and made properly. The mash was also clearly home made. Even the carrots and green beans tasted like they were just made. Overall, a great meal and I plan to return.

Excellent tapas. We ordered the local scallops, meatballs, mushrooms with blue cheese and roasted…read morevegetables. Everything was delicious. The local scallops or Queenies are the tenderest and tastiest bites and pair well with the pancetta sauce. The mushrooms aren't stuffed but are sautéed and floating in a sauce of blue cheese. Get an order of focaccia to dip in ALL of the sauces. The gin fizz was very good - not to sweet. The staff was very polite and efficient and they were constantly buzzing around cleaning and organizing. Very good spot.

Both times this week we were lucky and able to sit outside. Kippers, queenies, and crab salads…read morewere all good and the portions more than adequate per person. There is something for everyone on the menu. Place your order at the bar and it will be delivered a short while later. Reasonably priced and has a nice view of the Harbour but not the Castle.

The Creek Inn was definitely my favourite pub on my recent visit to the Isle of Man. Situated in…read morePeel, right next the the harbour, I imagine the outside tables would be a fabulous place to sit while sipping a pint during the summer. However, on this late November afternoon, escaping the wind and the rain, the cosy insides of The Creek were just what the doctor ordered! The pub had a reasonably large seating area, but designed in such a way as to feel comfortable and intimate, We positioned ourselves next to the fire (artificial but comforting none the less) and were quickly brought the specials menu by one of the bar staff. The normal menu is already extensive, and the specials board contained approximately 10 further dishes, so much choice! I decided on The Creek Burger - a beef burger with cheese, tomato and onion. This was served with fries, coleslaw and a huge side salad. Unfortunately, the burger was slightly overcooked for my likely, in fact it was a little char grilled, and my preference is rare. My friend ordered the Loughton Lamb burger which he said was delicious. This pub obviously specialises in real ale which straight away wins it bonus points in my eyes. A selection of eight ales and ciders on taps, on top of your usual lagers, wines etc. I chose a pint of Autumn Gold which was perfect in the cold November weather. Bar staff were friendly, atmosphere was warm and food was good. They have WiFi available, just ask for the password at the bar. A perfect four stars in my book.

A nice friendly back street pub with an Upper Bar and Lower Bar. We favored the tiny Lower Bar and…read morethere is a fire for winter. Pablo had the Titanic plum porter which is from Stoke on Trent, not Liverpool as one might expect. It was delicious and now Pablo's go to. He continues his quest for the best Odin half a mild and it was good but not the best of the tour. Super friendly bartender.

'The Whitey' is a proper Peel pub - that means it's down some back street that you think nothing…read morewent on in, you wander through the door and before you know it have a pint of beer in your hand. It's basically like wandering into someone's front room - but one that sells great beer from local Okells and guest pints from across the water. There's a small lounge which is my favourite of them all (prob seats about 20 peeps) with a roaring fire and a great place to get snuggled in for the evening - I bet some stories have been told in there over the years! There's also much bigger bars to the back which make this place seem quite the hidden gem if you're looking to hang out with a larger group of mates. Like most neighbourhood bars in the the IOM, the beers are cheap and 2 pints of Okells MPA (Manx Pale Ale) and a half of imported cider was £8 - bargain!

I've lived near the Crosby for about a year but never stopped in as it looks like a typical pub…read morefrom the road but went for lunch today. It was fantastic, plan to go back within a week. First, on the inside, it is great. Very bright and open, large windows, clean. Much more modern than I expected. I had chicken schnitzel, which I enjoyed. Large piece of chicken, well breaded. Liked the salad with it, it had a nice dressing. I am also partial to skinny fries, so it was a great lunch. Service was also nice. Overall, a really nice place to get a meal.

Well situated out on a limb on the west coast of the Isle of Man in Dalby (10 mins drive from Peel)…read morethe Niarbyl is a stunning spot full of natural beauty. From it the coast line is stunning all the way down to the South and on a clear day you can see Ireland while also looking for basking sharks, seals and dolphins. To be here is the good life and even if the weather is awful (like it was for us), there is something amazing about the power of a storm lashing the coast! The visitor centre does good traditional pub/cafe meals - so be expecting things like Fish and chips, beef burgers, pies and the usual starters and desserts. They also do a great selection of sandwiches. My wife and myself ordered the cod and chips and it was more like whale and chips it was that big - very light batter and a taste of just by the seaside. The chips where homemade and were lovely, plus it all came with fresh (possibly homemade )mushy peas and tartare sauce. My grandma had a child's size portion of this but it was still the size of a normal portion somewhere else. My Dad decided to break the cod and chips rule by having a crab and watercress sandwich which he thought was excellent and their sandwich selection was pretty impressive with lot's of variety. All in all, lunch for 4 plus soft drinks and a tip came to £45 which isn't too bad when it came to enjoying a day out with family in a lovely unique setting!

Went to Niarbyl this Sunday and thought the food was good and the views were wonderful. As it was…read moreSunday, the primary option was Sunday Roast. Roast here was a choice of ham, turkey or roast beef, carved to order, and then a buffet of your typical Sunday roast accompaniments (vegetables, two types of potato, etc). The meat was good but not something that makes you stand back and say one of my best meals ever. I would say it was a very typical Sunday roast. Service is very friendly but inconsistent. It does not seem like they were really trained, they sometimes forgot tables, but they were trying hard and were quite nice. I'd love to try the restaurant on a different day, the menu seems quite interesting, and would even go back again for Sunday roast but you need to enjoy the view as much as the food.

A few years back we got to to here as the Belfast telegraph had a promotion on and even though its…read morea fair distance from Belfast we thought we'd take a gamble on it, definitely worth the drive as the food and atmosphere were above expectations with being in the winter and the open fire lit, really nice and cosy. The tables by the entrance are the best but don't be fooled by the small appearance its like Dr who's tardis as the space through the next set of doors there's a massive room for dining or dancing. You have to park in a car park on the opposite side of the road which is a bit inconvenient but its just added character and the food was nice too. We'd love to go back sometime soon .

Found Saltwater Brig by pure chance on a filthy dark winter night while on holiday from Scotland…read more But what a welcome inside! The staff were so friendly and helpful with my disabled Wife. As for the food, we have eaten in a lot of places in a number of countries but this was as good as anything we have come acrooss. And the finishing touch was dining beside the huge log fire on a freezing winter night. It was so good that we went back another couple of times during our week's stay. We are going ti Ireland again shortly on holiday and Saltwater Brig will be our number one priority for another visit. We were back in Ireland for another holiday in November. The Saltwater Brig was top of our agenda for a return visit.......and we weren't disappointed. Once again everything about it was superb - the beautiful location beside Strangford Lough, the cosy surroundings and the welcoming staff (especially Olive who is the friendliest waitress you could meet). Then there is the food. The extensive menu is fantastic and we cannot speak highly enough of its quality, and all very reasonably priced. If you enjoy "a taste of Ulster" put The Saltwater Brig on your MUST VISIT list. We guarantee you will love it.