Drift: Hayling Island in Havant

Extremely disappointed with this bar / restaurant. They are advertising on their website and on a large blackboard behind the bar that they have a daily Happy Hour for cocktail. Upon arrival and asking for a cocktail the bar manager without any sense of apology informed us that they were not doing Happy Hours or had cocktails. Strange when the bar was fully stocked with every spirit possible. Their prices were on the high side for drinks, the bar had zero atmosphere and unfriendly staff. Do not waste your time driving or walking to the ends of Hayling Island. Without doubt misrepresenting what they sell and their services.

An unannounced pop in whilst out on our bikes. Stunning place and team plus greeted and served amazingly by the whole team. The interaction throughout the whole time was brilliant. We had a mixture of sharing plates as wanted to share, they were delicious! we had, Mac n cheese with Parma ham Camembert Melting brisket pot (our favourite ❤️) Halloumi Calamari Plus a cheeky cocktail - paradise pot. This place is stunning for the view and experience and we’ll be back very soon 👏👏👏

Lovely starters & main - moules & frites were very good, pizza and fish & chips too. Cater for allergies too which is great. Dessert wasn’t so good - supposed to be homemade vanilla bean cheesecake but disappointed as definitely doesn’t taste like vanilla - it’s pink in colour & very difficult to distinguish what flavour it is. If it’s not what is advertised on the menu, then staff members should make us aware before ordering!

All I can say is that I was pleased and surprised that a small place like this serve a good variety of food and drinks. Our server was Laura and she was very attentive and professional.

Came for a bottomless for our friends birthday, had a lovely time! Food was great, and the cocktails were free flowing. Special mention to Brooke for going the extra mile(s) and ensuring 6 girls got home safely! Best customer service we have experienced and really made our day!

What a great little hidden gem. At the side of the marina a great little place, Fantastic service, friendly staff & the loaded fries are amazing 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Great spot any day of the week but especially a Friday evening. Great music, great crowd really friendly and fun.

Visited with a friend for dinner on a Monday night, staff were friendly. Ordered food which arrived quickly and was very tasty. I had a chicken salad with a side of chips and a tiramisu for after. All fresh and very delicious, would recommend to anyone wanting fresh, tasty food!

We have been coming to Hayling for 30 years and have eaten at most places on the Island, including Drift. We had just returned from 2 weeks in Spain where we ate out most nights but I have to say this was by far the most memorable and most tasty dish that I have eaten this summer. The Seafood Bucatini was simply delicious. The 3 other dishes were also great, as were the cocktails, as was the service and the atmosphere. Highly recomended.

I've known about "Drift" for a while, just never got around to going. It was worth the wait (and worth the effort locating it!). The setting is wonderful on a pier in a marina if you like yachts. Maybe too many yachts if you don't. We hit Drift for a late lunch on a week day so it was quiet. That also meant that we got the table of our choice, by the window, and the service was instant and second to none. Drinks arrived in a moment, we had plenty of time to chose, and both settles for a light-bite with sides to share. I only discovered halloumi earlier this year so I'm still enjoying the novelty. Rather than the usual "chilli jam" which can be overbearing and disguise the taste of the cheese, Drift served them chip sized in a thick rich tomatoey tomato sauce with a side salad. AJ had a bowl of prawns and chilli something and lime. We shared a garlic flatbread the size of a pizza and a side of fries. And then we had a magic moment. Were these actually the best chips we had ever eaten in 60+ years. After a moments pause we decided that they actually were. The best chips ever. Just one grumble. It's hard to find, hidden the far side of a housing estate and could do with a "Yes this really IS the Drift Restaurant" sign at the marina entrance because we almost turned back. Thank you Emily for looking after us so well, N & AJ

After a long sunny walk on Hayling Island Beach we stopped off at Drift for lunch. Emily and Cam were brilliant hosts, great service, super helpful and friendly. We had pizza, fish and chips, and pasta with coke, wine and a few ciders. The halloumi side was v tasty. A friendly, bright and spacious atmosphere. Keep up the great work works.

We visited the Drift following long walk on the coast. The restaurant was not particularly busy when we arrived. Deco is very nice and modern. Staff attentive and friendly. We had a few drinks and early dinner with kids.

Amazing place and food. We especially enjoyed the brisket toastie with homemade focaccia bread and the brisket pot. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.

We had a delicious meal here. We were placed in a table right by a door which really wasn’t nice & they moved us. service was quick, friendly and food was the same. Didn’t have to wait long st all. We had the fish & chips and seafood pasta. Perfect. Would happily come again.

Visiting with my husbands parents for lunch. A quickly google of best places to eat led us to this restaurant. We weren’t disappointed! My husband opted for a freshly made pizza, I had a scrumptious crab and prawn sandwich! Thanks, camembert and garlic prawns were chosen by the remaining guests! Totally delicious! Great friendly staff! Dogs were welcome inside so we could sit out of the sun. Lovely location at the Marina! Would highly recommend!

I am extremely fussy with my food. I must say Drift @ Hayling island is outstanding the food is such high quality. The Ambience is perfect, all staff have professional attitude and go above and beyond to make your experience extra special. This place doesn’t...

This place was recommended to us by a friend, it didn't disappoint, Lovely spot, the food was delicious,there was a small mix up with two for one cocktails however this was quickly rectify , good customer service was great experience, will definitely visit again.

Lovely setting and a warm welcome! Nice relaxed atmosphere. Best fish and chips ever! Comprehensive wine list. Will be here again. Thank you.

We'd been on the island for a couple of days and wanted a nice lunch before making our way home. The Drift was on the marina jetty just thru a gate from the car park. It was a beautiful place to sit, with boats moored...

Great atmosphere great cocktails had a lovely eve thank you Jordan great customer service will definitely return ……..

Had the special at the Drift bar today, duck, dauphinois with plum sauce - absolutely superb - duck cooked beautifully, potatoes are rich and creamy (not stodgy) it was great! - well done JD — also had a couple of rather well made cocktails thank...

6 of us went here for lunch , was amazing made even better by our lovely waitress who was so helpful especially explaining a few cocktails

Went for lunch today with my daughter and granddaughter, the food was divine and the service was excellent. Nothing was too much trouble. The staff were super efficient and professional. I would highly recommend.

Very quiet when we arrived. Ordered 4 drinks and a garlic bread as a snack (Garlic bread was soggy and didn’t taste of garlic). Found the service very lack lustre, for example my wife and I stood at the bar in front of 3 bar...

Amazing Easter roast Simply one if the best I have eaten. Would definitely come back and highly recommend.

Visited DRIFT and I was thoroughly impressed with the staff, they were very friendly. A clean venue with a good range of food to accommodate all. Would definitely recommend!

Popped in for a pint once I had finished work, lovely pint of morretti served by Jordan who was a great host. Will definitely be returning

Went to drift on my Birthday, Food was fantastic, we eat in lots of places on Hayling and must say this was the best food and service we have had in a long time. Staff were lovely, great choice of food and drinks. Will definitely...

We have a static caravan nearby and visit often. Last Saturday we came with our dog for a couple of drinks and we had a pizza to share. The pizza was delicious and we had very friendly service from Brooke. The roast dinner is also...

Great any time of day, bbq belly great, brunch, lunch and evening meal all good value for money. Very friendly efficient staff , good quality food and service. Over looking an active marina.

Went here for dinner with two friends, we booked quite late but they easily accommodated us. The servers were lovely and friendly and looked after us very well. The food was delicious, the truffle Mac and cheese initially came without the truffle oil but that...

Enjoyed a very tasty Sunday lunch. We had roast beef which was lovely. Great location on the marina. Friendly service from Brooke.

Service was great although it wasn’t very busy, mainly I think due to time of day and season. Great service from Alex who took our order and Brooke who was very pleasant. Food was amazing we thoroughly enjoyed the belly pork, sea food chowder and...

Amazing fish chips and a drink for £15. Best chips on the island and best batter. Brooke the barmaid was delightful and very helpful. Highly recommend

We were lucky to sit down for food while it was quiet and got to sample many of the cocktails which were some of the best we’ve ever had. I’d happily travel down from Hertfordshire just for the food too; so much flavour and fresh....

Food is still quite good and staff professional and (mostly) friendly, but the bar/restaurant itself is really looking shabby. Plastic chairs are filthy and the whole place needs a fresh look. Surroundings are important when dining - grubby walls and tired, damaged furniture don’t help....

Fantastic service Beautiful setting . Friendly staff Very prompt service Would return Nice varied menu to suit all tastes

Visited with my mum and sister for a light lunch and cocktails. Macaroni cheese was absolutely delicious and the services was great as always. Thank you 😁

We've been here several times now having moved to the area a few months ago. Sometimes we've just popped in for a cocktail or glass of wine while looking out over the amazing views, other times for a snack after a walk (the cheesy chips...

Popped in for lunch after a long coastal walk. Friendly and efficient service. Great value set lunch menu. Good quality food. Venue was a little dirty (sticky table, toilets not exactly pristine) but otherwise faultless. Recommended.

Had a great trip to Drift today (31.10.22) very attentive service good atmosphere, nice background music. Had the set lunch / pate was delicious my friend had the fish cakes which she said were lovely! Both had the ravioli for main was absolutely fantastic -...

Booked a table in advance. Had about an hour wait for food. The pizza was sat under a hot lamp for at least 20 minutes and it was black on one side, while the other main was worked on. We decided to just pay for...

We visit this restaurant each time we visit the island due to location and food offered but every single time the service is so so poor. The front line staff really do not want to be there. We were not alone, yet again, asking repeatedly...

What a fabulous evening we had last night at Drift making cocktails with Gary the manager. Gary was amazing, the cocktails we made under Gary’s tuition were wonderful and we also had some small plates of food with the evening, the food was so good....

We were looking for a family lunch that would appeal to my mother-in-law as well as my two children aged 12 and 10. Oh. And our two lovely dogs… aged 11 and 2! The Drift exceeded our expectations on so many levels. The menu was...

This place is tucked away but well worth finding. Food is amazing and the staff do all they can to accommodate you. Jade is very friendly and Jordan does amazing cocktails- a real lovely place with a great vibe.

Only stopped for coffee which was great. Very dog friendly. Great location. Menu looked good. Toilets could do with a bit of tlc.

Our daughter was home for her annual visit and managed to get almost all the family together for a catch up over lunch which as usual was awesome. Lovely food, drinks and banter with Gary, who with his team make it a great place to...

Overcooked veg undercooked rice -waiter carried plate with his sleeve and wiped plate with sleeve upon serving- sticky table.

Drift Bar on Sparkes Marina Hayling has Fabulous views of the Marina and Chichester Harbour. A perfect place for a sensational sunset for most of the year. Wide ranging menus from home made Pizzas in their special Pizza Oven, to fabulous Crispy Chilli Beef Salads,...

Firstly, if I wanted to eat in the vicinity of animals I would have went to the zoo. This restaurant has more dogs than crufts. How can this be ok within health and hygiene rules. The amount of dog bowls that are left under tables...

Based on all the good reviews, we booked for Sunday roast as we were visiting the island. On arrival we ordered some drinks, despite the server chasing up our drinks we still had to wait over 20 minutes for them to arrive when other tables...

Visited Drifts with visiting family, we found the views amazing in the evening, and the menu was delightful, the service was great and very friendly. Would recommend!!!

Went for their Pinot and paint night - such a good evening. The local artist Paige was brilliant, she talked us through how to paint a landscape, provided everything needed and supported all the tables individually, she was positive and made everyone feel great. And...

Had lunch at the Drift yesterday. The food was great and we were extremely well looked after by Justin and Lauren. Not eaten there before but would definitly come again. Good ambience and great view

Went on a Friday afternoon. We were the only customers there with several staff laughing and joking with each other at the other side of the restaurant. We were going to see whether we might book for the following night. We ordered two special hot...

We were a group of 10 who sat inside for lunch. The service and food was excellent, I had the roast which was very nice. Very attentive staff, we felt very well looked after.

Stopped here for a drink and some loaded fries. The fries were delicious, as was the wine. Thank you to Yas (I think) who served us for looking after us. Would highly recommend

Came down on a nice afternoon, enjoyed the duck and the swordfish bowl, with fantastic company. Nice bar, good atmosphere.

Popped in for a drink to come and get away from the gloomy weather outside, barmaid behind the bar ( Think the name was Jade ) was bubbly and served us with a smile. The waiter was running around the restaurant with a smile on...

We brought my parents here for a birthday celebration for mum. We’ve never been before but thought it was an ideal setting with a gorgeous view. The food was absolutely gorgeous - initially we thought we might have over ordered but ended up perfect amounts....

Gorgeous food. Large appetite required. Very pleasant server .Yaz and Jade are happy and very helpful. Lovely views over the marina. Wonderful sunset.

Brilliant customer service. Stunning food. Couldn't do enough for us. Highly recommend for friends and family meal.

A lovely lunch to celebrate my husbands birthday. Would definitely come back. Very enjoyable, thank you

Thank you for accommodating with 5 of us a child and a dog. Lovely food, drinks slow but worth the wait. We will be back for definite

Fabulous service and food from Gary and the team as always. Welcoming, clean and a good range of specials. Children were well catered for and left happy.

Hands down the best bar/restaurant on the island!! Chilli beef salad is an absolute delight and is the go to each and every time we visit!! Staff are very helpful and Jordan went to extreme lengths to make sure everyone in the venue was served...

Great night out brilliant atmosphere, met some fun new friend's. Really lovely choice of cocktails, food was good. Our waitress was brilliant very attentive giving good service her name was Teri, well worth keeping her and visiting.

Superb We love the drift Great food, staff are accommodating and polite. Don't all go because if you do I won't get to be served as fast as I normally do.

Another fantastic visit so nice to have everything cooked fresh .staff absolutely brilliant thank you Gary Robyn and staff oh special mention to Yazz lol 😆 will see you all again soon

A surprisingly good find. A varied menu with really good food choices at a reasonable price. The staff were friendly and attentive.

Visit here quite often as it's on the doorstep. Food is amazing, a good variety of dishes. I particularly enjoy the fish. A good cocktail menu and friendly and helpful staff. The views overlooking the marina is amazing 😀🏝️☀️⛵

The actual meal was very tasty, although the chip portion was meagre. What alarmed me was the outside tables were really dirty, no one even attempted to wipe them down prior to laying the knifes and forks directly on them and then serving the food,...

Fantastic friendly service. Nothing too much trouble. Food tasted great.Cocktails were flowing and very refreshing. Great ambiance and lovely setting with amazing views of the marina. Would highly recommend this venue. Many venues could learn from this type of amazing customer experience.

My first visit to The Drift with five friends for the bottomless brunch. We were looked after from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Summer was our waitress and she was such a sweetheart! Gary kept the cocktails coming and they tasted...

Visited on a Saturday evening. Wanted to sit outside so booked in advance and put down a £10 deposit which was then taken off of the bill. There were lots of people ordering food and you could tell that everyone who was working were doing...

Visited Saturday with 5 friends. Wow! What a fabulous experience. The setting and atmosphere was so lovely. The service was exceptional, our waitress, Summer was very attentive and so friendly, in fact all the staff were wonderful. The cocktails were delicious and looked good, food...

We visited the Drift on a weekend trip to Hayling Island and decided to book for the bottomless brunch, I've done a few but this has to be the best cocktails I've had.. Gary the manager was so kind and helpful went above and beyond...

The setting is fabulous with very friendly service and super food, hasn’t disappointed. A must visit.

Fabulous evening at Drift last night - sitting outside watching the sunset with friends - the clientele were friendly and the was a nice buzz. The staff were helpful and attentive and Gary the manager came to check we were having a good time (which...

I’ve eaten at Drift a few times now and although the food is generally fairly good the service is pretty bad. It’s very slow. Today was the second time that our food arrived before our drinks. We asked for some water halfway through our meal...

Wanted somewhere special for our granddaughters 13th birthday. Whilst the food was good, staff were lovely, it was I though quite expensive.

Great ambience and friendly staff who helpfully noted there was a bit of a delay on Pizza this evening - obvious really with the buy one get one free deal! Anyway we had a super pulled pork starter and Pizza came quicker than predicted so...

Jill and Lawerence the bar staff where absolutely amazing, never let us get an empty glass and wher so welcoming!. Food was delicious! Worth the money for a brilliant time!

Food fab Service fab & so efficient Cocktails to die for Ambience lovely Venue & decor beach like & lovely Staff friendly & helpful A great anniversary night & meal was had …. Definitely be going back xx

Good food, good service, good ambience. We have been a few times now and always fabulous food - wine list isn’t bad either!

It’s a real pleasure to pay for an excellent meal! We had lunch with my cousin and aunt and I have to say the food was fantastic. The catch of the week was superbly presented and perfectly prepared. The starter, king prawns were also delicious...

Girls bday brunch at Drift did not disappoint. The sun was shining and the atmosphere buzzing. The food was delicious and the staff were fantastic and nothing was too much trouble, great service. Will definitely be going back.

Visited here a few times, bottomless brunch twice with girlfriends, Sunday roasts with family and grandparents and the 241 pizza deal on a Monday is the kids favourite so far!!! Winning every time. Love all the staff and amazing chefs, they all go above and...

Went for a lunch at what was a very regular haunt until we moved off island, though we still go back just to eat here. The food is really really good and the majority home made using local fresh ingredients. Hubby had his staple, the...

10 of us went to bottomless brunch, the food was ok, the service was nice but slow, when we asked for more drinks we all felt they were purposely taking too long to bring more even though it was supposedly bottomless. A nice location and...

Indifferent staff member did not seem to be interested in our visit - no warning given that they had closed the kitchen by 2.15 pm

Went to Drift for some food and cocktails for my friends birthday on Saturday 2nd of April. The food was absolutely amazing. I had the ribs which were just falling off of the bone and the calamari which was cooked perfectly. One of the best...

Excellent service from the staff especially Marlon despite the restaurant being busy. He was very helpful, even arranging for 1 member of the group to have her dessert at the same time as everyone else had their starter. Food was very nice with good portions.

Our Evening at Drift was very special and I want to say thanks to Clem for how friendly and personable she was :) A truly wonderful evening and a place that we will be returning to in the future :) The spicy Beef Salad is...

Went today for Mother's Day lunch. Very popular place so make sure you book well in advance. Having read some of the previous reviews detailing somewhat poor service, I was a little bit worried but I can honestly say that from the minute we walked...

My wife and I went to Drift for lunch. Found the staff to be attentive and helpful. The food was excellent. The portions generous. Would recommend.

So I had been the previous week at a quieter time and had a lovely meal and service. Friday night after extolling their virtues to a visiting friend. Slow service , drinks order wrong twice , starters came with our mains and they looked perplexed...

Came here with my family, instantly warm environment with welcoming staff. Fabulous service, & food was amazing. Everyone cleaned their plates and even went for deserts.

Very welcoming and friendly waitresses. Nice food, the toger prawns are absolutely sensational... just a lovly place!