Drunken Lobster in Isle of Wight

I love it, I love it, I love it. Ventnor is a little short on good places to go for a drink but this place excels itself and the bar food is second to none - I mean really, when we have visitors we always bring them here and not one has come away without saying its better than anywhere they've been in London. Good value too, to boot. I love it here and you will too.

Can't share experience. Was disappointed as Google said open and door sign said open but was actually closed. May be need to update opening times on Google. It was Saturday lunch time when we wanted to go.

Always a friendly a great place to eat, have been several times and we will always recommend and return again. Thank you drunken lobster for amazing food, cocktails, wine and beer

Cocktails here are amazing, challenge the traditional expected choices, with the owner's take (often Asian influenced, owned by Smoking Lobster so link there, and an Asian influenced tapas style menu) Wasabi Amaretto sours was incredible, cucumber lychee apple martini delicious, a smoking mandarin Old Fashioned and a Japanese plum liquer dessert wine to finish after dinner were all sublime

The Drunken Lobster was a great experience. There was live music at the time of our visit and the atmosphere was top shelf. The food was delicious, and the staff was very friendly. 👌

Fabulous tasty well served food in a relaxed cosy restaurant. I was solo and really well looked after. Already planning a trip to the IOW with friends for the day, just to have dinner here again, soon. Having spent the week eating at different places the Drunken Lobster came out on top for flavour and service. Quite expensive but great value.

Great variations on classic cocktails. Perfect modern interpretations of Japanese and eastern food.

Really good food and cocktails, excellent service from Lauren and Nancy. A+ attention to detail in the presentation and atmosphere, from the plates to the tables to the art to the music. Had a wonderful time.

We had a fantastic meal here yesterday, all the food was delicious (take the staff recommendations), brilliant staff, great atmosphere - perfect place when tired of the usual UK pub fare.

Fabulous restaurant. 4 of us dined and I am gluten intolerant. They were extremely accommodating and all the dishes we had were delicious. I can highly recommend.

Absolutely fabulous. Visited over the Easter weekend in the evening . 6 of us and a dog. Could not have been more accommodating and between us we must have ordered half the food menu! Every dish was a pleasure. Hannah and the team did an excellent job looking after us. A little gem of a venue in Ventnor High Street, sister to the Smoking Lobster on the sea front and very highly recommended.

Called by for a pre dinner drink - delighted to find a two for one cocktail offer available. Tried the Apricot Estate - they were both really well made and delicious - next time we will definitely stay for the food which looked outstanding!

I stumbled upon this absolute gem on a trip to the Isle of Wight when I was exploring Ventnor! The drinks are so tasty, I happened to get there for the 2-4-1 cocktails and particularly enjoyed the miso salted caramel espresso martini. But the food was mindblowing - especially the fresh seabream tempura and the chicken bao buns! It was so delicious that I went back for lunch a few days later. I also want to say how lovely and friendly all of the staff are - a particular shout out to Nancy who was so welcoming and made me feel very comfortable as a solo female traveller completely new to the area. Thank you, Nancy, you were wonderful! I really recommend checking this place out, and will definitely return during my next trip to the Isle of Wight.

Called to see if they did Cocktails on a Saturday evening, my family and friends party were treated well, staff were brilliant, even though we were all slightly loud, celebrating my 60th

Absolutely fantastic place to chill and have a super relaxed but delicious meal. Staff really fabulous and the mixologist both really great at advice and explanation of the cocktails but can also make them seriously well with the right balance - try the raspberry margherita or skip dessert and have the salted caramel espresso martini! Food is stunning and even with a mix of diets we could choose plenty of veggie and meat dishes. As mentioned by others the lamb is incredible. You can tell chefs enjoy working there when you have a quick chat and they're so smiley and happy + great place and great evening out!

Great vibe and lovely fresh, creative food. We had the £40pp chefs selection of small plates and they chose so well, we loved everything they chose for us. Asian and Japanese fusion that was so clever but tasty and filling. Service was excellent and wide selection of drinks, the cocktails were superb with the house spicy margarita amazing. Would highly recommended!

Very unusually I am going to say there was nothing I could fault about this restaurant!! Apart from !!! They ran out of the wine we were drinking??!! ( probably says more about our consumption!! Rather than the stock levels ??!!) We had a fantastic experience excellent service fabulous food. Would 100% recommend wonderful very happy I have found The Drunken Lobster

Fabulous food and a fun dining experience with a interesting selection of Asian tapas and cocktails. Every dish was fabulous. Will definitely go back!!

What a wonderful find! Best food I have had on the Island. Mixed group of vegans and meat eaters and everybody beyond happy. Lived on island for coming up 2 years and eaten out a lot - no end of mediocre food. This is the best. Can’t wait to come back. Reasonable priced too!!!

Great staff and has the feel of a 90's wine bar wonderful finger food...if in Ventnor go

Excellent service, food, and cocktails. Cosy atmosphere making an all round great experience.

We really enjoyed our evening at the drunken lobster again Fabulous food ( especially the ribeye , the tuna , the lamb , the pork belly and the prawn dumplings the asparagus and leek and the Asian slaw ) The Asahi beer was great to accompany this delicious food and the Amaretto coffee was perfect to finish Great Service and such a fun evening Thankyou everyone

Just had a really excellent and memorable evening at the Drunken Lobster - small plate after small plate of delicious food - recommend the asparagus katsu maki and the teriyaki beef ribeye - but just try everything! - friendly service throughout and accompanied by ice cold Asahi - just perfect Book, go, relax and enjoy Repeat..!

Amazing service, the food is outstanding. Couldn’t recommend it more, can’t wait to come back and reasonably priced. Hannah is the best hostess she loves where she works and recommends the best dishes

Some of the best food and drink we’ve ever had! You’d pay 10X as much in London for food which isn’t as good quality.

Some of the best food and drink I’ve ever had!

One of our all-time favourite restaurants. Cocktails are incredible, delicious food, friendly staff, lovely atmosphere. And they allow dogs. We’ve had many amazing meals here and hope to have more

The food, service and drinks were fantastic. Always feel welcome by the waiting staff, they work so hard to make sure customers have a wonderful experience..

Loved it, a great place to go. Really nice people working there. The food is fantastic but the cocktails are even better. A great addition to Ventnor, well done! Just been again. 12 months since our last visit. It was brilliant, fantastic drinks and food. Well done 👏🏼 Visited again this year and I have to say, the place just gets better! The food, which I thought was very good, has just gone up another notch. Well done.

The chefs table private dining is fabulous. A cozy space, perfect for fun evening with friends. The food is amazing with cocktails to match. Each dish was spectacular. Delicious, interesting and beautifully presented. The team are friendly and the chef is awesome. I thoroughly recommend the private space downstairs for a great evening with friends and family.

Walking into a small personal environment with stylish decor. We got a very warm welcome from Chole who also took the time to talk us through the menu. For a small tapas bar this place serves some phenomenal food. The flavours and presentation are top draw. We were lucky enough to meet the chef behind the dishes and he took the time to talk us through the ingredients, very knowledgeable and polite, thank you Jordan. All these small touches added up to a very enjoyable experience. We'll be visiting again, for sure!

Excellent quality food, well-made cocktails, very friendly and prompt service. One of the best meals we’ve had in a while and good value for the quality. Stands out in the Ventnor area. Look forward to going again.

Excellent quality food, well-made cocktails, very friendly and prompt service. One of the best meals we’ve had in a while and good value for the quality you get. Stands out in the Ventnor area. Look forward to going again.

Asked locally for a cocktail bar and we were directed to Drunken Lobster. Greeted with a cheery smile and shown to a table. They were happy to make a cocktail not on the menu which was very tasty and made well. Food offered is tapas with an Asian twist. We had the Tempura Squid which was fresh and also Edamame beans. Both dishes delicious! If you looking for a laid back vibe before dinner it’s an option.

Made the mistake of visiting this place last night!was going okay until the chef being stereotypical,we were a stag party,a well behaved party at that!he accused us of snorting cocaine in the toilets!he didn't speak to anyone else, just us!food was ok,service disgraceful!he should count himself lucky that we paid for the food!first and last time I will be visiting there!

It was my first time visiting the restaurant and it certainly won’t be the last! The food was amazing, they were very accommodating with allergies (separate shellfish and nut allergy) - creating a bespoke menu with what were dishes you could have. The cocktails were delicious. Yum!

An Asian small plates experience - each plate a real delight. We had three plates and a side each, which gave plenty to eat. The chicken in a cream satay sauce was fabulous. Very interesting wine list, and good cocktails. Friendly staff, really couldn’t fault. £108 for two with a lot of booze…. Highly recommended.

Having just eaten at the Smoking Lobster, we wanted to try its sister restaurant. We were not disappointed. The two restaurants serve a similar style cuisine, but the dishes are unique to each restaurant. The Drunken Lobster is a bijou little place, but really well laid out. We started with a raspberry chili margarita and black cherry charcoal sour. - both excellent, complex and not too sweet. Our bartender/server Chloe was friendly and offered great recommendations. For lunch we chose Szechuan king prawn & pineapple katsu maki. I'm always a bit apprehensive about pineapple in a dish as it can be overwhelming, but this dish featured tiny pieces of pickled pineapple which accented the flavor of the dish beautifully. Next came Lo Bak Go, a bit like a hash brown cake, but made with daikon and topped with bonito flakes. It was crispy and yummy. The next dish to arrive was the tempura soft shell crab with chili yuzu slaw on a gorgeous black bao. The bao was soft and light as a feather and made a lovely pillow for the delicate crab. Our last dish was a Korean style barbecue lamb served on lettuce cups. Its rich and intense flavor really packed a punch. I often find that lamb can be so delicately flavored as to be almost indistinguishable from beef, but this was not the case here. It seemed almost like hogget, it was so flavorful. We had a side dish of seaweed salad, which served as a light refreshing bite between the various dishes. From start to finish, it was an amazing meal, and the prices were very reasonable. Do book in advance as its a small place and they do fill up.

We paid a visit to The Drunken Lobster and loved it. We didn't eat however the food looked delicious. The cocktails however are what we sampled and we weren't disappointed. Really friendly staff. We will go back for a meal for sure.

Doesn’t get much better than this - fabulous fusion food, attentive helpful staff and great cocktails Soft shell crab was great as were tempura squid and make sure you order the Thai lemonade and the Appleton estate cocktails

Upon arrival at the restaurant we were greeted with friendly staff who escorted us to our table. We were served incredible cocktails that were made right in front of us which was a spectacle to see. Me and my partner were having issues with the menu because a lot of the words on there I didn’t know as they were Japanese. The staff there were willing to assist us on explaining what the words meant and just ran through the menu along side us so we knew what to order. The food comes in small tapas style servings but it was incredibly well made! The tempura veg is fantastic for such a simple dish. The steak was fantastic. The avo baos were fantastic. Every single bite was as delectable as the next. The staff who served us (Drew, Chloe and Emily) who were all absolutely fantastic. The kitchen staff who made the food for us, which was absolutely Devine and we absolutely appreciated every mouthful. All in all the drunken lobster was an extravagant experience, wonderful atmosphere and in general I would recommend it to all! X

The food here is from another world, truly incredible! The staff is very nice and funny, very good energy.

Delicious food and great cocktails, ordered almost everything on the menu and still it was a reasonable price. Would come again

It is always a brilliant experience eating at Drunken Lobster. Perfect place to go with friends and everyone we have taken here has absolutely loved the food and the atmosphere . Wonderful staff that take time to explain the menu and look after guests brilliantly. 100 % recommend!

Nice place, the prawn and pineapple fried maki were my favourite thing. Window seat seems good in theory but in reality you kinda just stare at Coop supermarket, unless you have someone's eyes to gaze into (optional).

Lovely menu, food served quickly, friendly staff.

Interesting menu, loads of different meats/types of food. Portions are not big but variety is large.

This place is incredible. Genuinely one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Generous portions, absolutely fantastic waiting and kitchen staff, so friendly. Great drinks selections. The lamb is one of my favourite ever dishes. Could not recommend more!

Small and absolutely lovely! We will be back! Great service food and marvellous cocktails! Highly recommend!

Superb food. Very friendly and attentive staff. The menu does not do justice to the food. Lo bak go (turnip cake) was packed with flavours. The pork belly bun with pickled cucumber was just top. The King Prawn rolls were full of texture and simply...

The best food I’ve eaten for a very long time, I would highly recommend going here not just for the food but the staff too, really friendly and nothing was to much trouble. Excellent

Absolutely stunning venue in Ventnor. Good drinks with incredible food. We had the omakaze and that was an awesome choice. The food kept on coming and it was all delicious. The team was great too - I wasn't drinking but they happily made me a couple of non alcoholic cocktails. Also, we don't eat spicy food and they made sure all dishes were mild and didn't have anything we disliked on. Will definitely return. Thanks Drunken Lobster 🦞❤️🍹

Amazing experience with the best food and flavours. Staff were fantastic and they certainly know how to make a good cocktail.

We went to The Crab Shed but it's not open. Walked around with my daughter and found this lovely one to have something instead. You know what? It's lovely. Food is great and people are nice. Yes, I am talking about two gentlemans who gives up their table for our family. We will come again in IOW. definitely recommend it to everyone love drinking with nice food.

Absolutely superb and like a breath of modernity in the southernmost town on the Island. The Drunken Lobster serves small plate, heavily Japanese influenced asian fusion food and modern, delicious cocktails. This is presented in a tiny restaurant with a maximum of 20 covers. The...

Absolutely cracking food and brilliant service. Cocktails are great and wine or sake for any taste. Couldn't recommend more highly!

Possibly one of the best meals we have ever had! The food was amazing, the service was great and the cocktails were fantastic. We dined in a few restaurant's during our visit and this was by far the best. There was a really good energy...

Early Friday evening visit. Had booked as very busy. We had a selection of wonderful small plates, served by charming and attentive ladies. Several delicious cocktails were had too. Will definitely return.

They were closed and never said so on the website as they open in season Very disappointing

With such good reviews, I called in with some friends just for a quick cocktail on a Saturday evening. Even though there was no one at the bar and an empty table, we were flatly refused. The service was blunt and unwelcoming - if you haven't made a booking then we can't even serve you a drink. Despite the good reviews and checking their website, there was no reason to think that we couldn't even get a cocktail. But the worst bit was the blunt service without an apology. So instead of sixty quid or more and a good review for 15-20 mins 'work'...I think 2 stars is the best I can offer. Perhaps you can make it clear on your website that it's reservation only or you don't take walk-ins. Given you're only open 3 days a week we didn't have much choice.

Drunken Lobster 🦞….. enter through the period curbed glass frontage, you’re absorbed into a period piece, timeless, of tall ceilings, chandelier lightly lit, glistening against the fixtures, outshined only by the welcome and amazing smiles. This artisan emporium, soaked in a dark gothic asian twist,...

Drunken Lobster 🦞….. enter through the period curbed glass frontage, you’re absorbed into a period piece, timeless, of tall ceilings, chandelier lightly lit, glistening against the fixtures, outshined only by the welcome and amazing smiles. This artisan emporium, soaked in a dark gothic asian twist, is a true wonder. Passing the well stocked bar & delicately dressed tables, down the wide “easily accessible” staircase to “chef’s table”, middle earth’s engine room. Comfortable seating for 8, or a very cozy 10, but a five, we found ourselves luxurious in space. Balanced lighting against the bright night huddle of a working kitchen, resembling that of an organised Victorian steam engine. Bustling with colour with the right amount of steam being let off, as the magical creations are seamlessly streamlined out of the production pass. Little yelps of, “yes Chef”, “4 all day” and “ready on the pass” is mixed with an unusual playlist collation. Enough to keep the pace of the kitchen’s pistons turning without disturbing the groups experience. Course after course flowed, after the cocktails were ordered. Like delicate flowers presented on a lake, opened petals of colour, pleasing to the eye and taste buds alike. Matched only by the great company and jollification of, “more wine please!,” The experience of the Yakitori taster menu is second to none, an incredible burst of creativity that will leave you lifted, excited to return. This option, should really be the only choice for the novice and fine diner alike, for you to truly enjoy the wonder that this collaboration has to offer. All good things come to an end. Finally, bill presented you’ll be looking to anxiously return. Simply book, relax and enjoy this little gem. Thank you and Old Fat Cat.

Everything about this place is just right. Located in a beautiful art deco fronted small emporium, the staff are as much a delight as the food and drinks. And they are slowly growing across the Island - Smoking Lobster on the sea front at Ventnor,...

Fantastic restaurant with amazing value omakase menu and excellent cocktails. Beautiful decor and friendly, efficient service. Do book in advance as rightly very popular.

So good! The menu is fabulous and food is absolutely delicious. Small plates are great for sharing and the cocktails are fab!

Great small plate Asian food and creative cocktails that wouldn’t be out of place in a high end venue in London’s West End. The staff are friendly, the service excellent and the limited number of tables means this intimate setting is perfect for couples or...

Great food and a lovely place, staff are lovely, would definitely recommend

I would say go while you can. Asian tapas was fabulous - some unique dishes all of which were very tasty. Cocktails also top drawer - Thai lemonade is exceptional.

Had a selection of starters here with a couple of G&T’s. Squid ink buns with tempura crab were outstanding as were the tempura prawns and monkfish. Ambience was great as place was busy with happy chatter. Loved the eclectic decor and laid back ambience whilst...

Having tried the sister restaurant, we decided to give the Drunken Lobster a try. We liked the idea of tapas style small plates instead of a full meal. We weren't disappointed. The flavours were exquisite and the dishes beautifully presented. The cocktails were pretty average,...

Amazing food and great cocktails. Slightly too pricey for the amount of food per plate. Very accommodating staff who couldn’t do enough, especially Chloe who was professional and welcoming. A great place to visit. The Avacado buns were gorgeous and the lamb dish was a...

Wasn’t sure that this place was open on a cold lunchtime in January, but we were so glad we tried the door. It’s only small but beautifully decorated and the food was amazing! We had four small plates between us and, after we’d ordered, the...

Super evening out with a friend, delicious food, great atmosphere and friendly service

This gem of a restaurant is a must go to for a special occasion, or even a regular haunt. I won't embarrass myself to explain what we ate, check the menu out for more details. But hooray at last food that you would not make at home, haven't tasted before, and served up by a waiter [Rob] who actually understood the food he was serving. The wine we had with the meal was top draw. The whole experience was above and beyond the normal, not cheap, but I can equate it with the experience. I think, and I will need to check it out; that you can just pop in and have a drink, and one of the lovely dishes, without going the whole hog, so if you want to start off that way, give it a go. Sorry no images of the food, I was in too much of a hurry to dive in to get the camera out.

Amazing Food Amazing Staff. We arrived without booking on a quiet evening on a rainy day. The welcome was fantastic and the array of choices was wonderful. We opted for a lovely wine whilst we selected our food. Food was deliciously fresh and tasty and...

Brilliant tapas sized portions of Asian fusion food...much fine seafood and a miracle of spices and flavours...superb wines and cocktails and 1st class service and ambience...

Welcoming staff, beautiful decor and food to die for, a truly divine experience will definitely be returning. Going to try the other venues soon!

Lovely food and brilliant cocktails the raspberry and chilli cocktail wow

Visited with a group of friends on a Friday evening a couple of weeks ago and can't say a bad word about the place Staff were very friendly and happy to give cocktail recommendations when we were struggling to choose The food was brilliant and has definitely cemented itself as the best place I've eaten on the island Will definitely be coming back next time I'm visiting

Small friendly restaurant, recommend booking. Great atmosphere. Really interesting food. We chose the Chef's Selection of Small Dishes. We ate everything. Definitely worth another visit.

Lovely original food. Great service. wonderful cocktails

Fabulous place. Went out of their way to accommodate our unusual requests. The house special starters were delicious & really great cocktails Thank you!! We will be back

Wonderful experience! My wife and I came in to this cocktail restaurant by chance. It was packed, we did not reserved any table but the staffs arranged us to a private dining place downstairs which was perfect for us. Got to say, I love the Asian fusion food menu and it was one of the best Asian-inspired western meal I've had. Cocktails were good but not the best. Still, a memorable night.

Very unusual place and menu - but really great if you like Japanese food. Unusual cocktails as well. Staff really nice.

As the main restaurant was sadly closed due to an electrical fire we were called and offered a table at the Drunken Lobster which was the first nice touch. The place is pretty small and intimate but nicely decorated and which adds to the great...

Fantastic food. Small tapas style plates that were delicious. Great service. Really budding atmosphere and lovely surroundings

I visited 3 times for food and twice more for a quick holiday cocktail between events at the local Fringe Festival. It had friendly relaxed staff but the service was excellent and the cocktails ranged from good to amazing. Why doesn't everybody use chilli in...

Not what I originally expected from the description on the website, it’s more Asian fusion small plates than a Japanese yakitori place but food and wine was great none the less

Amazing place.. book in advance! Great concept and food.

Not impressed by seriously large ice cube filling up the glass of this cocktail. I appreciate that it melts slower and therefore does not dilute the drink but there was little room for the cocktail itself.

Spotted this place & got a table as a walk-in because I was so early. I got to sit in the window and watch Ventnor life go past. Super-friendly and chatty service, plenty of cold water & an interesting mango mojito. The food was great...

Really great way to spend an evening - great food, highly recommend the beef bon bons, great wine and great professional service with a smile…… Book and go - you will not be disappointed

Excellent experience with friendly staff, a lovely restaurant, interesting cocktails and amazing food. It was even dog friendly with our pup being given treats and a bowl of ice water as it was such a not day. Can’t recommend highly enough. Top tip -make sure...

We’d been at the sister - the Smoking Lobster for lunch so popped in here on our way home, not that we really need anything more to drink! but the place super cool and service great. Food coming out looked good so one for next...

Love this hip funky cocktail bar with wonderful staff

This is where we ate yesterday. It’s a bar with some excellent Asian inspired food and great cocktails. Dog friendly as well which was a plus. Food was delicious and service was warm and welcoming.

We are on holiday with my daughter and her friend. They adore japanese food and so we booked this. I was a bit unsure about taking 2 12 year ilds as it looks very trendy but the staff were really lovely, really helpful and made...

Omg, this place is just brilliant. A quirky, unique gem of a place that does Japanese tapas. And we went twice during our weeks holiday to Ventnor. First time we tried about 4 of the dishes, all delicious. And the 2nd time we did the...

Fab food and service. Loved it - best food we ate on the IOW. Front of house staff were also so nice and friendly.

Fantastic experience. Atmosphere, food and drinks/cocktails on point. Talented chefs. Attentive and personal service from the staff, Lucy, Ruby and Nina. Highly recommend if you are in town and want to experience the best! Big shout out to the fact they not only take dogs but are so good with them.