Ganders Restaurant in Isle of Wight

Ganders restaurant on the Isle of Wight offers a culinary delight! Intricate flavour combinations wowed my taste buds, and the service was top-notch. A must-visit for food enthusiasts.

Fantastic food, flavours and presentation 10/10. Service excellent, relaxed and professional. Vegetarian option first rate …not an after thought like many restaurants. Will return and would definitely recommend. Need to book. Thank you for a great evening.

Perfect place for a lovely dinner with friends. We stayed on the IOW for a weeks holiday and wanted somewhere to go for dinner in our final evening. We could not have chosen a more lovely place. The food was delightful and quite possibly the best pavlova I’ve ever tasted! Fab service really friendly bunch and we thought very reasonably priced. We stayed in Bembridge and it not far from there at all. It was without doubt the best place we ate while on the IOW.

Been coming to this delightful family run restaurant for some years and it never fails to delight - the food, the staff led by Joe and the warm, welcoming atmosphere. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

We visit Bembridge once or twice a year and most times we visit Ganders. The cuisine is always good and beautifully presented. This evening's visit was really special, I had a leek and potato soup, which not only was excellent, but really hot which, after a cold, wet sail over from Chichester followed by tepid showers at the Duver marina, was especially welcome. My friend had a tandopri mackerel starter, also very tasty. The sea bass and Tiger prawn curry was surprisingly good, and also beautifully presented. My dinner was completed by a top notch plum topped bread and butter pudding. The food is always good because Ian, the chef has been ensuring it stays that way since 1996 with his wife Kim and front of house manager Joe who makes his guests so welcome.And delightful friendly waitresses too. Come if you can, it's worth a drive.

This is the best restaurant on the Island in our opinion. We have been eating here on our holiday for over 10 years now. Every experience has been great and this year was no exception. The hosts are very friendly, welcoming, and attentive. The quality and choice of food from this small family run establishment is high end and exceptional with a number of specials to compliment the normal menu. The potatoes in truffle oil and parmesan are something that must be tried! We look forward to visiting for many more years to come.

Beautiful food, beautiful presentation, and wonderful staff. The resturant may be very small, but the atmosphere is stunning. Their drink selection is also very vast, and I would recommend this to anyone passing by.

What a treat old fashioned service , really helpful and friendly staff, superb food well done to Joe and his team

In my opinion the best little restaurant for Michelin star quality, beautiful well presented flavoursome food at non Michelin star prices. For me they are the best restaurant on the island I really don't think I have tasted better anywhere else.

You have to try it a lovely experience

A meal at Ganders in St Helens is always a highlight of our holiday. We always receive a warm and friendly welcome. The meals are always well presented and cooked just right. There is a good selection of deserts.

What an absolutely wonderful restaurant. Great food and top service. It was my girlfriends birthday and they went out of their way to make it extra special. A big thank you to all the staff.

What can you say about this place. It's small, clean, and nicely situated alongside a cricket green. The food was great and colourful, and the presentation of the dishes was outstanding 👌 . The host and staff were knowledgeable and polite. I would recommend this place.🥂

Visited today for Sunday lunch with my husband and his parents. One of the best meals I have had in a long time - beef was beautifully tender, and the jus/gravy was delicious! The staff were very good. Attentive, but no interrupting the meal to see if we liked it, which to me is a very good thing!! 4 main meals, 3 desserts, 2 small beers, 2 soft drinks, a bottle of water and 4 coffees.....£128, which I feel is a bargain! Well worth a visit!!

Highly recommended. Need to book well in advance. Excellent food and service

Six of my family were looking for somewhere special and one of us suggested Ganders, i had never been although the rest of us had. What a brilliant choice. From outside it looks like a family home. That impression in fact gives a clue for what to expect. Friendly impeccable service and utterly delicious meals that we all thoroughly enjoyed. The service is friendly and impeccable with nothing too much trouble. Perfection in every aspect.

The most wonderful ambience and stunning food

Had a really pleasant evening here. Staff were incredibly friendly, attentive and the food was delicious. Will definitely be back again when we visit the island!

Lovely food, beautifully presented. There were 6 of us and we all loved the dishes we chose. Very welcoming staff and great service. Attractive decor. Altogether a very good evening. We would definitely recommend Ganders!

Visited Valentines evening and had fabulous food and service. Each course was superb and definitely the best steak I have had in a long time. Highly recommend.

We have dined at Ganders twice this week with our dog; for both a delicious lunch and dinner. Whenever we are down on the island we always make sure we have booked at least one meal at Ganders; as the food and service are always brilliant. Special thanks to Joe for always greeting us with a friendly smile and making us feel very welcome each time we visit. See you soon.

Good food but a bit to expensive to go regularly

Excellent menu, unmarketable food, great service attention to detail. Each time when we dine in Ganders I am coming back with more inspiration for a new dishes and incredible taste combinations. Loved, loved, loved....

We happened to spot Ganders Restaurant on our walk around St Helens to the coast and decided to give it a try. I have to say it was the best meal we have had on the island the service and food were excellent. It’s a pity we have only found it on our last night of our holiday as we would certainly be returning. Well done keep up the good work.

Our first visit this evening. Food was delicious, highly recommend the seafood bisque and sea bass & tiger prawn curry. Absolutely lovely meal, atmosphere, and service.

Very special. We had a table for 6 and the food was truly excellent. The main courses our table had included Beef Medallions, The liver, a vegan curry, the fish curry and the Duck. Everyone was impressed and delighted. Lovely service. It was our second visit and this time we took friends and we were not disappointed. We will be back. 👌

Fabulous family run restaurant. Unfortunately no kiddies' menu but always have a lovely time.

A really great meal, friendly lovely staff, beautifully presented and tasted fabulous, thank you, we will definitely be back when we’re in St Helens.

Had a lovely meal here - food was amazing and the owners and staff lovely. Thank you!

Our first visit to the restaurant … we were made to feel welcome by super friendly staff! Great food and service … very enjoyable evening! Highly recommend.

Lovely little restaurant, excellent food and really attentive staff. Our favourite place we’ve eaten at on the island. The whole menu sounded delicious, everything homemade and the dishes we had were brilliant - the dessert was a particular highlight.

Fantastic restaurant; excellent food and service for a family gathering of 20. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed all three courses - this never happens 😀

Our first time on IOW and found this lovely little Restaurant only 2 miles down the road from the touring park we are staying at. Absolute little gem of a place, great that they allow dogs, really accommodating, Staff and owners are amazing, food is superb, they will also adapt to suit your palate. Would highly recommend. Many thanks

An absolutely wonderful little restaurant Looked after so well, a must place to visit but make sure you book.

This is a small family run restaurant that provides first class service with excellent food. There were six of us for dinnner and no-one had a disappointing dish. The sea bass and king prawn curry was delicious, as were the chicken dishes and steak medallions. The restaurant isn’t open every day but book ahead and you’ll have a lovely meal.

We have been dining at Ganders for over 20 years and would say we have always had great food, great service and friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. Last night was the same, we were warmly greeted by Joe who made us so at home, there is a great menu and the food was wonderful, beautifully cooked and presented. The atmosphere was lovely and just spot on! Well done Ian, Kim and Joe as always!

Our first visit this evening for about 4 years due to Covid etc and not being able to stay on the IOW but still as great as ever. Lovely food, great service, wouldn't go anywhere else for a special meal. Thank you.

Another great meal at Ganders. Out to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary with friends, the food and service, as ever, really spot on. The broccoli soup had a real depth, the Thai fish curry delicate and full of flavour. All in all a lovely experience- thank you.

Delicious food and friendly staff.

We stayed in Nodes point, just round the corner and a 15 min walk from the restaurant (via the beach road!) and ate here for Sunday lunch. Absolutely top class, in fact the best roast beef we’ve had! It’s only a small restaurant so booking is recommended. Service was brilliant. Highly recommend if you’re in the area, esp on a Sunday. 10/10.

Visited Ganders in St Helens for lunch today, our first visit though won’t be our last. The welcome we received was lovely and our experience got even better whilst we were there. The menu is varied so plenty to choose from, we chose a fish dish which was absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection, served with amazing roast potatoes, so crispy with a divine soft centre plus a selection of steamed veggies and tartar sauce. All beautifully presented, very much enjoyed with a glass of white wine. For dessert we chose the pavlova and sticky toffee pudding both of which were truly yummy. Thank you Ganders for a wonderful meal and for the great service we received. 5 star for sure.

Went for Xmas dinner...........2 courses........delicious, tasty food, lovely wines and best service ever! Can't wait to go back again!

We have lived on the island and visited for nearly 30 years, why has it taken us this long to visit this fantastic restaurant?! Ganders is a real gem in the heart of St Helens. The hospitality was superb, there was a great selection of drinks and the food was delicious. It was dog friendly too, which was great for us. Thank you!

Family over, wanted to treat them to a lovely dinner, we were not disappointed, in fact they were amazed at the beautiful food at such a good price and the great friendly service. The Fillet Steak medallions were so tender and tasty, whilst the Raspberry and White Chocolate Bread and Butter pudding was to die for. Highly recommend and thank you for a great dinner 😁

A complete joy! The staff are friendly and attentive, and the chefs create utterly delicious dishes of food. Our second visit this summer and equally as good as the first. Scallops, Brie parcel, Thai fish curry, and saltimbocca - all equally tasty. Sadly, no room for the delightful looking deserts. Our thank to all the team.

What a wonderful little gem in St Helens had a excellent meal, the staff were very attentive & professional. If you want something special visit Ganders. Thank you..

Couldn’t fault our evening. Fabulous service ( nothing was too much trouble)- delicious food - great little restaurant

Fantastic food and service. Wonderful find , wish we had been earlier on our visit as would have revisited, inspiring menu and specials too.

This was our 3rd visit to this lovely friendly restaurant for Sunday lunch. The food was up to the usual high standard. The portions are sensible which means to have room to sample the wonderful deserts. It has become our “must go to “ eatery when we are in the IoW.

Had a lovely meal , in fact best meal I have had for a long time . Could not fault the service and food . Would very much like to come again when over here and will let friends know who live here to come . Amazing food at good price

Super food, good service, great menu that they were willing to adapt for dietary issues. Loved the Thai fish curry. A most enjoyable evening.

Lovely restaurant and great staff. Can't fault the food or the atmosphere. Best roast potatoes on the Island too! Would definitely recommend a visit.

We were at this intimate restaurant on a quiet evening and spent a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours. The service is welcoming and amiable but above all, the food is excellent. The calves liver was the best I have ever eaten, served in a jus...

We made a point of returning to this restaurant whilst in the Isle of Wight having been impressed on previous visits. We dined here twice this week whilst on holiday. Sunday lunch was delicious, roast beef was tender and the portions perfectly sized to allow...

Wonderful food. Can't wait to go back. Thank you

Very nice cosy little restaurant. Very friendly, clean and lovely food. Highly recommended. Will visit again for sure.

We had such an enjoyable and beautifully cooked Saturday dinner, and the staff and service were impeccable, we returned today for Sunday lunch. The quality of meat was superb, extremely tender roast beef, beautiful gravy and a dessert of pineapple and rum brioche tarte tatin...

A lovely little restaurant, tastefully decorated. The menu is small, but with plenty of variety to choose from. My fillet steak was very tasty, juicy and cut like butter. My friends salmon parcels were delicious. Service was very friendly and efficient. I would definitely like...

Really lovely meal tonight , I'm a really picky eater what an amazing dinner we had this evening brie was excellent duck cooked to perfection, friendly staff good service

Don't have the plaice because they are all bones and carcus and almost no meat. Otherwise an ok restaurant.

The food here is of a very high standard and the service is friendly and efficient. We noticed that the tables and chairs were much more thoroughly cleaned than we have seen at most other places. Well worth a visit.

We appreciated the excellent service and the food was generally good, although we both thought that our mains could have been better. The skin of the fish was burnt in places and the vegan dish promised much but seemed to lack much flavour. The Starters...

Food very nice but expensive for what we had

This is by far the best little restaurant in the area, the service is exceptional and is matched by superbly paired food and wine. This is our go to place whenever we visit the area. Every course was seasoned and presented perfectly. The only issue...

Unbelievably good food, very covid friendly- an absolutely amazing experience. Will be back!

What an amazing little restaurant, sitting overlooking the lovely village green at St Helens - Isle of Wight. Ganders is nicely decorated and has very friendly, helpful staff. We visited on two occasions during our one week stay and the food was excellent - starter...

Sunday lunch was well presented and and delicious , with great roast potatoes but missing a Yorkshire pudding presumably as I had a lamb roast ; lovely genteel family run established restaurant ! If I lived nearby I would visit again but we were on holiday and could not get booked in unto the end of our holiday , so can’t visit again 😑the menus provided gluten and dairy free options 🙂

The best restaurant around! Starters, main and desert were delightful 👍

Great service, food and ambience.

Very friendly family run restaurant, you can always rely on the food being spot on, highly recommended

After having a superb Sunday roast in September 2020, it was a no brainier where to go this time. We were not disappointed. Meals were of the same high quality, as was the service. Can’t find fault with this lovely little restaurant.

Booked by phone as visiting locally. Lovely little restaurant with sensible anti Covid measures. Interesting menu but selected main of seabass and a mango meringue. Seabass beautifully cooked with the most yummy chipped potatoes and very good vegetables. Mango meringue could not be faulted. Both...

The restaurant was quiet and we had to eat early because of the restrictions due to virus control. We thought it would make it less special but it didn’t. The attentive but not sycophantic staff somehow created an nice buzz with less than four tables. It was like being welcomed as important guests to someone’s house. Despite small customer numbers it didn’t feel awkward at all. Food was faultless. Local produce cooked very well. Menu adapted to our preferences- fish filleted on request rather than served whole. Affrogato served off menu, Perfect fillet steak. Homemade bread. Vegetables with a little bite still. Delicious. We ate and drank too much but had no regrets. One to return to, definitely.

Great food excellent staff .very good social distancing

Roast dinners were among the best we have had. Service was excellent. Very organised on the Covid-19 front. Highly recommended and would visit again if we come to the island again.

Returned here while visiting the area and family. The food was tasty, fresh and superbly cooked with balanced flavours. The staff are lovely and make the experience all the more enjoyable. For the quality it is exceptionally reasonable.

Had a lovely meal with the family (6yo and 9yo) My 9yo ordered plaice and they returned to say the chef could fillet the fish for him, this was not requested and really appreciated, the sauce was also put on the side just in case, but he loved the sauce. My 6yo had a soup starter and really liked it. They have clearly worked very hard to be open during COVID and remain safe. Really tasty food, very good service and four happy diners.

We had a booking here based on a sail into Bembridge. The weather got in the way and we took the Fastcat instead staying in a hotel in Shanklin at short notice. As it was a Bank holiday weekend we thought we would use our booking and we didn't regret it. We had difficulty in deciding which of the appealing items on the menu to choose. Between us we had 6 different dishes over 3 courses and could not fault any of them. The service was attentive without being intrusive and we will try and visit again

Delicious food and fantastic service. Traditional menu done beautifully. The chocolate and whiskey bread and butter pudding is not to be missed!

I was very impressed by all the measures that the restaurant has taken for managing the pandemic situation. You could see that they took safety very seriously! The food was fantastically delicious, definitely worth the visit just by itself, but the servers were also incredibly attentive, and they surprised me with a birthday decorated dessert, that was the perfect way to finish my celebrations for the evening! I am really thankful that I managed to book a table here, and if you are a Pimms fan, you should not miss their pitcher deal. ;)Ps: The truffle and parmesan potatoes are also the best :D Cannot recommend this restaurant enough if you are looking for a special experience!

Great little restaurant. Friendly staff. Good food. Nice atmosphere. We'd definitely go back. Would be better if they had a nice Provence Rosé on the wine list though!

A hidden little gem. Excellent food and service. Friendly and welcoming and nothing is too much trouble.Well worth a visit. We visit every time we are in the IOW.

Joined friends for a meal. Lovely crab and prawn filo tarts.Main fresh plaice and sea bass calves liver and mushroom strogonoff. High levels of safe distancing spare table on the end of ours to deliver food and drinks and clear. Excellent space aware staff. Great atmosphere fresh ingredients. Watched staff sanitised any untouchable areas after each diners. Would happily return.

A most delicious Sunday roast dinner enjoyed with my family. Despite these difficult COVID times, the restaurant have adapted well in terms of service and the food was top notch. It was our first meal out on our first holiday on the Isle of Wight and I can’t believe the rest will live up to this standard!

Delicious food and fantastic service

Brilliant Sunday lunch in a friendly and quiet athmosphere. Serving the famous Minghella ice cream. Very pleasant staff.

We had a delicious take-away meal from Ganders this evening. My husband, Anthony, thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Supreme (the vegetables were up to Iain's usual high standard) and I enjoyed every mouthful of the Butternut Squash Curry. Take-away meals are a new enterprise for Ganders and I would thoroughly recommend them on our first experience.

My belated birthday/Mother’s Day meal was taken at Ganders on Wednesday night with my adult son and partner. It’s a long time since I have managed to eat three courses, as many places just want to fill you up with stodge. Here it’s different.A starter of melon, mango and raspberry sorbet was feather-light and woke up my tastebuds for the main course.We all had T bone steaks which were large but thin enough for me to finish the lot! Tender, juicy, cooked to perfection and very appetising, the steaks were accompanied by the best potato wedges I’ve eaten on the island. A mixed salad fit well alongside.Oh but the desserts! No description can do justice to the nectarine tarte tatin , the strawberry pavlova and the apricot and amaretto baked cheesecake that truly melted in the mouth. I did not leave bloated or uncomfortably full, but perfectly satisfied.We were attended in a very timely manner by one waiter and one waitress, never waiting too long for anything, and never being pressed or unduly interrupted at all. Both were very pleasant, efficient and helpful.In all, the perfect dining experience.Thankyou Ganders.

A hidden gem. Excellent food, great presentation and the staff are very friendly and attentive. Even offered myself and my fiance and drink on the house to celebrate our engagement. Must try!

Enjoyed a celebration meal here for my 60th birthday; with immediate family. Everything about the evening was simply wonderful.The food and service were both superb.The set menu and a la carte choices / specials are good value for money, and the ambiance of the restaurant is delightful.A special thanks to the waiter, who was so kind and understanding when my mother suffered an acute pain attack just after we arrived. The ice pack and your empathy helped enormously.We hope that we can return one day. Thank you!

An excellent birthday celebration. Lovely atmosphere, first class service and super food. Will certainly go again.

I was in a party of five today to dine at Ganders for Sunday lunch to celebrate a birthday. The restaurant was warm and cosy with an homely ambience. The staff greeted us warmly, took our coats and were attentive throughout our time there. The meals ordered were a Pork Belly roast, two Roast Beef meals and two Mushroom Strudels. All served with fresh vegetables and the most amazing roast potatoes I have ever eaten. Perfection, golden, crispy exteriors with fluffy white interiors. Only one of us managed a dessert of a warm Cherry and Chocolate Brownie with a scoop of Minghella ice cream. Delicious. There seemed to be a good choice of drinks available from the small bar. A small birthday cheesecake was presented with a lit candle too. The toilet facilities were clean and well equipped.

Thought we would go out for a Saturday night meal for two & chose Ganders , having checked out the menu and booked for 8pm.Warm & friendly welcome , with good atmosphere from fellow diners.Starters. Crab & avocado and mushroom followed by bouillabaisse- all delicious good sized portions , washed down with a good quality house white. Bread & butter pudding with custard added the finishing touch . Will certainly return.

Excellent choice of food. Quality was excellent and staff very pleasant and accommodating. Good choice for pescatarian. Will return

Booked for four there and three of us had the sedt menu, one a la carte. Great food, well presented and in warm, clean surroundings.

My husband and I visited the Isle of Wight for the first time in September. The weather was very wet and windy for most of the week but luckily just a short walk over the village green in St. Helens we came across Ganders. We visited the restaurant 2 times and on both occasions the food, in both quality presentation was fantastic. Being Gluten Intolerant this restaurant is one of the best at catering for allergies I have ever come across.The owners and staff are very friendly as well as professional and made us most welcome.Unfortunately I was unable to smuggle the Chef back to the mainland, so today we have booked a return trip to St. Helens in 2020 and are absolutely looking forward to dining in Ganders once again.

Significant business and family celebrations here - always impeccable service,amazing food of the highest quality and standard of preparation . Highly recommend

BIRTHDAY CELBRATION I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. Me and my family were attending a family wedding in Ryde on Saturday 31st August and it was my 60th birthday the following day on Sunday 1st September, so it was a great opportunity to get all of my close family together for a celebratory meal. It had been 35+ years since I last visited the Isle of Wight so I did not know of the best places to eat. I therefore looked at the on-line reviews and approached 5 local restaurants in the area to see what they could offer for a Sunday lunch time. Iain was the first (and only one of two) to respond and he quite happily put together a menu for me based on his popular Sunday dishes. The choice was fantastic and included catering for three under 5's and those that were vegan. As well as a delightful and attentive service the food was excellent. It was beautifully presented, extremely well cooked and delicious. Iain and his team certainly helped make the occasion. When I next get back to the Isle of Wight (hopefully not too far away) I will certainly be paying them another visit. Thank you again Iain.

Excellent evening meal, food beautifully presented, great service. Restaurant was full but the staff still had time to chat . Easy walk from the Duver Marina, we will definitely return next time !

See above. Somewhat limited menu but good quality and service.good ambiance . Small venue so booking probably recommended at peak times.