Highdown Inn in Isle of Wight

The food was delicious , the staff were polite and friendly , definitely worth a visit. We had lunch on the Saturday and roast dinner on the Sunday.

Had a fabulous meal here, very good quality food, well cooked, fair size portions and value for money. Would certainly recommend. Also our thanks to the lady serving, she was friendly, very helpful and is certainly a credit to the establishment.

Had the breakfast on Saturday it was excellent the best value in the area the coffee was really nice and the food was lovely

This is a small but busy pub with good ale selection and menu. It's got a nice atmosphere and very pleasant staff. Our food was very good. We liked it a lot. You need to book in advance if you want to eat here.

Food was very good. I had a crab salad and I loved it. It was crowded but the service was fast and nice. The atmosphere was very pleasant

Really good menu options, nice local pub with good beer choice and friendly service, highly recommend for a spot of lunch.

Booked for 6.30, our table was already taken so the other people had to move. Ordered drinks but after waiting 20 mins we had to re-order. Ordered food and waited another 40 mins before it arrived. It was certainly not worth the wait. The lasagne and burger were overcooked and the steak & ale pie was very disappointing. On a plus point the coleslaw was awesome. The staff members were very apologetic but unfortunately, for the price, we certainly won’t be going back

This has been our first visit at Highdown Inn. We ordered lobster, muscles and squid. All dishes were delicious, freshly prepared and well presented. We really enjoyed all food and drinks served. The garden is spacious and offered great opportunity for our Teddy (cocker spaniel) to roam around freely, which was an extra bonus. We highly recommend this place.

Have eaten here twice recently and both times have been so disappointed with the food as it used to be so good. We sat in the garden on both occasions, and it took a long time before anyone took our order and then even longer before we received our food - more than an hour after we arrived. When the food did arrive, it was very uninspiring - the cheese ploughman's was simply 3 blocks of cheese with 2 chunks of bread, some mango chutney and some soggy salad leaves. The quiche was a small triangle with a large helping of potato salad and a few leaves, and the mozzarella, tomato and pesto baguette was barely filled with just 3 tiny pieces of mozzarella. I used to love coming here after a walk on Tennyson Down as the location is fantastic and it's a lovely pub so it's such a shame that the food has gone so downhill.

I would highly recommend the Highdown Inn. Wonderful food, a good selection of beers and a lovely beer garden. The staff are very friendly. You can even book a table for breakfast. Their cooked breakfast, prepared by Tracey, was fantastic. We would love to return there soon.

Lovely meal great menu especially if you like something a bit different and a good vegetarian selection too

The Highdown Inn is a few minutes walk from where we live. We went for a drink earlier in the year and did not have any complaint. Thought to try it again this afternoon. Absolutely terrible food and service. If I could give it a 0 star rating I would. I ordered a cream tea for one and my husband a pint. The bar man said he would bring the tea outside to our table. 25 minutes later still no tea and having been on a long walk I was more than ready for it. In the end we asked a waitress who said she would go and see. She came back a few minutes later saying it was being prepared so clearly they had forgotten. Another 5 to 10 minutes later out to comes. No cutlery. We had to go and ask the same waitress but in the end my husband went to get said knife himself. The food - afternoon tea is my thing and something I have when on holiday or an afternoon out. This was by and away the worst scone and tea I have ever had. The scone was very pale looking - indeed my husband himself noticed it did not look right. It was warm and fell apart in lumps of rather uncooked scone mixture which stuck in clumps to the roof of my mouth and gums. The tea was absolutely awful and has left a horrible taste in my mouth. My husband said his beer was not very good either. Neither have the staff been trained - twice in tables near me the diners asked for salt, pepper etc but were told to go over themselves to other tables to get them - eg the bar man who served us told the people behind us to go over to another table and get the salt etc from there - of course he should have gone and got if for them. The tables were dirty - the table we sat for instance had not been cleared - we had to do it ourselves and was dirty with the last diners table napkins on the chairs - ugh. Such a shame as we had hoped this would be a good local pub.

Very expensive and very ordinary. Apart from the roast our meals were very small. Half a haddock filet and a handful of butter beans in tomato ragu £18.75. Then chocolate and beetroot cake which was two small mouthfuls and a scoop of ice cream £7.50.

First time visiting this lovely pub on a great windy but bright Sunday afternoon. The food was great and the staff were attentive and I'm looking forward to another visit. Hope they still have the huge pork chop on the menu!

What a fantastic find. Dropped in after a windy walk with the dog. Staff very welcoming. Had the best moules frites I have ever eaten. Very reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend.

Recently had a couple of meals here whilst staying at the campsite across the road. The menu was extensive with local seafood specials and a large choice. All the staff were friendly and service was great. A busy place to eat so booking on a weekend is recommended.

Me and me husband visited the pub twice and had dinner each time .The staff were so friendly and helpful making you feel really welcome. The food was fantastic but you need to have a great appetite as they do big portions. On our last visit there we had the prawn cocktail starter which nearly filled me up but lovely then I had a seafood special which was so delicious i was really determined to eat the scampi, Muscles and prawns but was unable to eat any of the salad or chips my husband had the ribs with chips home made coleslaw and salad

we were booked into this bed and breakfast for friday 1st September but then received an email cancelling the pre paid booking with absolutely no explanation. Emailed back and got no reply. Rung up and told the room was no longer available and that was it. So be careful if you make a booking. We were so looking forward to staying their as it seemed a good place

We booked a table for 4 with two dogs but when we got there no sign of the booking, but the lovely staff jiggled a few tables round and got us in. The food was simply amazing, tasty fresh , the seafood was absolutely fantastic and my fussy kids enjoyed every last bit which is no mean feat. Staff were very friendly and went the extra mile to help. So thank you guys for a lovely evening meal , staying just down the road so will definitely be back. So thank you guys , keep up the good work. (Try the Goan seafood curry you won’t be disappointed )

Light and airy pub, friendly staff, good quality food. Turned up on the off chance and luckily they were able to accommodate us but normally booking is essential.

Made an effort and fitted us and our dog in for an evening meal. The food was good quality, reasonably priced and promptly served. Reasonable choice for a pub with enough variety to satisfy most tastes. Sweets were large and flavoursome. We'd go again!

Dropped in on the off chance with my family of 6 eating and two2 babies. Very friendly service and six very tasty meals. 5 delicious seafood options and one very impressive pie. Catering for allergies and food intolerances as they went. Is not often I review restaurants but I really thought these guys deserved a shoutout. Hope to get there again when back on the island.

We so much wanted to enjoy our experience as staying locally we want to have good place to go back to, but alas we will not be returning. Queuing for 25mins to get served to find both drinks and menu limited. After some time food was served but it was soon clear, piri piri chicken was just chicken brushed in something, chips were limited in quantity and far from freshly cooked, bread was stale. Oh and ketchup was in a Heinz bottle, but very much doubt it was Heinz.

Took my Dad for a birthday meal , everyone enjoyed there meals , quick and friendly staff, large choice on menu. The pie of the day was packed with meet , a proper pie. Top class .

Booked a table and arrived on time, we were quickly ushered to our seats and asked what drinks We wanted before if even taking our coats off! The food choices were fine, although it just said fish of the day, pie of the day, there was no other detail written on the blank chalk board about what they were or what even came with any of the options - we were then asked to order (without this information) we ordered 2 starters, only one showed up, when the main courses came, we asked what happened to the other starter? The waiter didn’t apologise or offer any explanation. Our main courses were ok, but didn’t resemble exactly what had been written on the menu. We didn’t order deserts or anymore drinks as no one bothered to ask us if the food was ok or if we wanted anything else - despite taking the plates away. Shame as we would have!

We had a very enjoyable stay at the Highdown Inn. Lovely warm welcome, rooms are great and beds comfy. We had dinner in the evening which was delicious and everything appeared freshly made. Big shout out to the young girl who served us - sorry...

We have come here for years as the Highdown is perfectly situated to break up a walk along the Downs, which offer spectacular views of sea and the mainland. In the last few years it has started to look a bit tired, truthfully, but today...

Outstanding food and a great location. The people are lovely and accommodating, bespoke service and food. Thank you for the sausages and mash!

We went for lunch yesterday, it was our 52nd Wedding Anniversary . Although we've lived locally for nearly 7 years, we've never been before. We will be going again. The food was excellent, bring your appetite, the portions are generous. I had Lambs liver and...

It's hard to choose between the 4 great pubs we have here in Freshwater/Totland. On last night's performance, the Highdown Inn would deserve the #1 slot. The beer was (as usual) in first-class condition (they came 3rd in IOW CAMRA's Pub of the Year competition)....

We have lived in the area for 6 years and never been here before. Took our neighbours there for dinner. Lovely meal. Warm welcome. Friendly staff. Cozy inside. Dog friendly. Hear they have a beer garden with music in the summer. We will return.

Outstanding service, food and drink was very good. My room had excellent views of the downs and the bed was very comfortable. A true gem in the rough, can’t wait to return

We often call into the Highdown after walking to dogs on Tennyson Down and always get a friendly welcome and great service. Today they excelled themselves and in addition to having a lovely lunch we came away with our evening meal as well. A really...

I had booked weeks earlier. I showed up and the doors were locked. All doors had a sign ‘due to staff shortages we are closed. Be back tomorrow!’ While I empathize no attempt was made to contact me and I was left struggling for a...

We chanced across the Highdown Inn enroute to Alum Bay and thought that we would give it a go on the way back. This the kind of pub that you would like as your local, It was friendly and the menu was great. It was...

The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Good selection of ales. Also a good selection of light bites , lunches and mains. The leek and potato soup was absolutely Devine with lovely bread served.

Excellent home cooked food and generous portions too. An amazing menu with fresh fish a plenty. Friendly attentive staff and lovely comfortable atmosphere.

Return visit and delicious food Thank you for adapting a dish to accommodate my allergy Definitely recommend to book as when we went someone was turned away

One night stop over in comfortable bedroom where our dog was allowed to stay in the room. Ate in the bar in the evening which was busy with locals as well as a few tourists - there was a good choice of dishes and our...

Was a little worried at first as no one seemed to be in charge however the manager popped over to apologise as had become busy, food was good and piping hot, big portions too! Desert finished off nicely and tasted really fresh! Thank you.

Warm and friendly welcome great food and beer steak and ale pie was the best I’ve had would highly recommend a visit to this pub

Stayed for 3 nights, a lovely rural friendly pub, close to Alum Bay and Freshwater Bay. Debbie could not have been more welcoming and made us feel at home right from the start. The pub is really well supported by the locals, clearly the selection...

This is our 3rd visit to Highdown Inn and we always make a point of eating here when we visit the Isle of Wight as the food is delicious and made with very good quality ingredients (Mostly locally sourced). The staff are always really friendly...

Telephoned in the morning to say we were a party of 4 who would like a cream tea at around 12:30 to see if we needed to book. Told there was no need. After sitting down we were told they only had one scone left...

We went to this fantastic pub on our yearly holiday to the Isle of Wight, it’s in a great location next to the stunning monument, and the lovely walks! There was a bit of a wait for the food, but was definitely worth it, I...

This establishment was excellent. There was a high standard of cuisine and exemplary customer service from staff. I would highly recommend for a quality experience.

We had a family gathering there this past weekend of 20 people. They were able to set up the back room for our use and it was perfect. Food, drinks and service. Everyone in our part agreed on how good it was

None pretentious, fresh food cooked right. Can't knock it. Local crab salad was superb. Good selection of beers and wines. Great service.

Beautiful place to eat, friendly efficient staff, welcoming and warm atmosphere. The food was delicious and generally all round super experience.

Very welcoming pub with friendly staff. We had a very generous Crab Tian and Gurnard Goujons to start with followed by a quite amazing Goan Fish Curry and a whole Plaice on the bone.

We were stopping fairly close by and booked a table ahead, as suggested. We arrived early but as it was so nice and sunny we sat out in the garden for a drink and then stayed out there. We were made welcome and the staff...

We had a table booked for eight at 7.30 pm for dinner at this pub. We ordered some drinks while we perused the menu and subsequently made our choices, and our main courses were served at about 8.15. After eating, we asked for some more...

We dropped in after a walk which was very welcome and had good ale and cider. Liked it so much we booked in for dinner the following evening, which was excellent.

Friendly staff couldnt do enough for us . Food was excellent and plenty of it. Loads of fresh veg . One guest had a lot of food allergies and they catered for this really well . Great place to eat while travelling around the Isle...

We arrived at the pub on our first evening, while we were staying locally nearby . We were tired, hungry and were not expecting a local to be so good. The staff were hospitable, the food was great and they fitted us in at the...

We had a lovely evening on Monday the 7th of February, the meal was excellent, thank you Tracey the Chef and perfect service from Ali the Barmaid and Waitress, totally relaxed talking business etc a lovely ambience, would recommend it to anyone, great place to...

Fantastic Sunday roast dinner, great beer , very friendly staff , great location dog friendly, large car park

Stopped off for a late lunch after walking around the Needles. We rang ahead whilst in Totland and asked if we were in time for lunch and were told yes. We then received a warm welcome when we arrived. We ordered promptly ahead and both...

Great position for Tennyson Down, good food, friendly staff, great atmosphere in the bar. Chef knocked us up good seafood platter after our pre-order "got lost". But we felt even less important after we were told "locals come first - they're our bread and butter"...

Pre-booked a special dinner at the Highdown Inn based on the excellent reviews whilst staying nearby on holiday. On arrival at 1800hrs surprised to find the Inn very busy and we were allocated a table in the corner of the bar on a small table...

I do love coming to this pub , as the food is good and nice old feel, but if u are like me and don't like dogs forget it, there was too large dogs in here today, I sometimes feel people forget that no everybody...

Thoroughly enjoyed an unplanned lunch. Warm welcome and excellent food. The smoked duck starter was generously proportioned and very tender. The Moules Marinere were beautifully fresh. Beer was well kept. Recommended

We booked here for a meal on Wednesday 8 Sept 2021 and it was so good we returned again the following evening. I had leg of duck with chef special plum and raspberry sauce one night and Moules Mariniere the following evening; my husband had...

Today, after a frustrating time in certain areas of IOW hospitality ( l won’t bore you with details, but really did they not see staycations coming!) we went to lunch at The Highdown. Rang to book, easy done and arrived to find table in great...

Arrived late and sweaty to a warm welcome after cycling all the way around the island. Delicious fish and chips, and sea bass. Comfy relaxing bedroom and delicious cooked breakfast, those sausages 😋 The granola, fruit and yoghurt looked amazing 🤩

Just great food Wide variety of choices Friendly staff The outside area is fairly extensive Inside is ‘cosy’ However the homely atmosphere and high quality food make it an excellent choice

We came over to IOW for 1 night with our dog, and the highdown inn catered for us all! Warm welcome by Graham and we were shown around and told entry/closing times etc. Room was clean and comfortable with all the usual amenities. Dinner was...

Awful pub. Landlord very rude, grumpy and abrupt. Food was overpriced. There was a lipstick mark on the glass and I asked the landlord to change it he didn’t even apologise. There was a hair in the burger we felt we couldn’t complain again because...

This is an absolute hidden gem. The food was outstanding ! Especially the incredible Fish Curry . The staff were so friendly and accommodating even when they were hugely busy! We will absolutely be visiting again it’s a wonderful place .

We were in the IOW mid July for a week on a family holiday with friends and visited the Highdown. The food was so good we had dinner here 3 times! The Goan fish curry was amazing, pies to die for and then there is...

We were excited for this meal, but i can honestly say I have never been made to feel more unwelcome in a restaurant ever. It was as if we broke into someone’s house and helped ourselves to food from their fridge. Fussing over not having...

A fantastic gem off of the main track. This traditional friendly pub services fantastic meals and is well worth a visit. We visited for a generous and fulfilling Sunday dinner, the meal was well presented with crispy veg and a generous helping of meat. Left...

This is a lovely place and definitely worth a visit. The garden is really quirky and we happily spent two hours here. The menu is interesting, however a lot of the dishes we wanted were not available, which was frustrating. For starters we had Moules....

Nice place and the food was good however we were seated in a back room on our own lack of atmosphere music in the bar but nothing where we were and tbh I think they forgot we were there.

Our initial reaction upon arrival was of disappointment. The photo's on their website are somewhat flattering. Booking in was a slow process. Only one member of staff was working and she was busy in the kitchen making afternoon tea. 2 other kitchen staff were standing...

The food was ok, just. The place looks like a tip, rubbish dumped in car park. A very amateurish knocked together construction to sit under. One picnic table was collapsing. No umbrellas on a hot day. Beer was good. Come on Sue! Sort this out.

We did visited for an evening meal - the food was decent and the young lad serving us did a fantastic job despite some other challenging customers and clearly being thrown into the deep end a little with how busy it was! Lovely outdoor dining...

Hi , Great food and service quirky little pub , and if you’re dog owners it’s a must ! Dog biscuits with the condiments and on the bar 😂 Great stuff ! I’ve given you a five star rating because that’s what you deserve for...

Great food, maybe too much (is that possible 🤔 )but great value and quality. I reviewed the rating and was very pleasantly surprised as I think It Is under rated. Thoroughly recommend, great local dishes but some with a ‘spin’. Fish curry really really good...

These guys are try hard to make things safe. Plenty of waiting staff and a nice varied but not too large menu. Drinks sensibly priced unlike some pubs in the area. It would be good if they filled pint glasses to the top as they...

I contacted the Highdown looking for somewhere to go following a funeral. Sue replied very swiftly and offered us a outside covered area where she could seat the limited 30 people socially distanced. It had to be table service only due to restrictions but she...

Nice walk to this place. Big open beer garden. Busy blackboard menus and reviews suggest seafood specialities abound. Unfortunately after sometime sat in the sun waiting for apparent table service I decided to take a strole to the bar to be advised to take a...

Best food we have had in a long time! Seafood curry was amazing. Idilic location and really friendly staff. We will definitely be returning and recommending to any friends coming to the area

Difficult to assess in current circumstances. Visited twice, with dog, during long walks. Beer was a bit over-priced compared with another local seafront bar. Owner clearly trying to improve outdoor area, with blankets and comfortable seating. Service a bit slow at times. Plenty of dog...

We dropped in after a walk on a glorious Tuesday lunchtime, they were very accommodating as the kitchen was about to close. The Hot Crab Pot and the Gurnard Goujons were really nice as were the beers. The garden was really sunny and sheltered with...

Just visited the Highdown Inn for lunch. Had a cold cider and lovely linguine, great staff nice campany and a chilled atmosphere. Such a shame that local troublemakers paid a visit at the weekend, drank too much and when asked to leave came on here to give a bad review!!!! Down side of trip advisor that people can do this.

Visited the Highdown with my mum and daughter, we waited over an hour for our overpriced food which was really disappointing it tasted as if it had been reheated 3 times with the price I paid I was expecting it to be enjoyable but it really wasn’t. I tried to talk to the barman who kept ignoring me then when he finally spoke to me he was extremely extremely rude and told me we should expect to wait a long time due to them only just re opening which I would understand if the place was busy which it wasn’t there was minimal people eating. My child cried that they were hungry and he was looking at my child as if he’d never seen a child cry before which could have been avoided if they didn’t take so long to bring the food out in the first place. I do not recommend this place and I will certainly not be returning on my visits to the island

We booked for lunch, and had a lovely meal.We had a warm welcome from the waitress, there was a lovely log fire that created a nice atmosphere.The menu was varied with plenty of choice.The meal was plentiful and hot and of good quality.The service was quick and efficient, and everything organised for Covid.Great location at the foot of the down,We will certainly return.

We ate as a family of four with 2 teenagers. Menu was generally good but the hugely overpriced seafood platter was very disappointing and, to put it nicely, it didn’t stay down resulting in poorly parents and a day of our holiday ruined :(

Popped over to Isle of Wight for the day and happened upon the highdown. So glad we did. Lots of sanitiser around the whole place, plenty of distance between tables. Food was delicious, hot and definitely a generous portion. Staff were attentive and friendly. Such a shame we're in Leicester and not closer.

Great food and nice staff. Booked beforehand and they asked us to register on arrival but also use nhs app if we had it. Squid starter great to share and main courses plenty to eat. They also serve cream teas during the day, may have to call in after a walk from the local car park to the needles.

Went in this pub a couple of days ago. Very disappointed. Didn’t look like any less seats than before the pandemic. No where to sanitise our hands. No track and trace. The menu was on a black board on the wall in the main bar and as our table was in another room, had to take a photo on my phone so we didn’t have to keep moving about to see the menu. From start to finish the food was awful and I so wish we had complained. The main dishes were cold, medium steak was almost raw, veg undercooked. No presentation whatsoever. Staff not attentive at all. Not even asking why a person in our group left so much of his steak on the plate. Will definitely not be going back.

Revisited after three years. Food definitely better. The seafood is still the speciality (crab, lobster, fish). Good cask ale. A pub for locals as well as gastro visitors. Dog friendly. Covid precautions sound without spoiling welcome. Recommend the (large) goujons of gurnard starter, though many would find it big enough as their main.

We visited at lunchtime today. As soon as we walked in we were told to put a mask on. We did so. Howeverz whilst we were there multiple people came in and out not wearing masks and no effort was made to say anything to them about wearing a mask whilst they wandered around. The manager was sat at a table talking with friends and wandering around without a mask too. We complied but why did we bother? Service was mega slow - you can't go to the bar and no one comes to take your plates away or ask of you want another drink or to get you your bill. Not a good experience. We've been to other pubs and they do things properly. This place didn't.

Went for Sunday evening dinner. Nice pub. Very friendly welcome. Tables well spaced out in current circumstances . Good food menu . We had sea bass, cauliflower cheese and a crab salad and were all well satisfied. Starters were good too... prawn cocktail, squid and the deep fried Brie was excellent. Looks good for seafood. As we were quite late unfortunately they had run out of lobster. Staff looked after us well. Had booked via email and that was all very efficient although did try to change time via email and phone but couldn’t get through. Pub had emptied out by 9pm on a Sunday evening but enjoyable night.

Walked from Freshwater to the Needles and back along the road. Dropped in to the Highdown for Lunch.Cask beer was light, Wight Pale Ale, and not too cold. Mussels were superb and the good ladies plaice was great.Staff were friendly & efficient with great garden service. The place looks a little scruffy, but do not be deceived. Lovely pub.

Popped in this lunchtime, half expecting to be turned away, but were found a table in the garden, all well socially spaced.The staff were flat out, but pleasant, and soon had drinks on the table, and a steak and a prawn and avocado salad ordered.The food soon arrived, and the quality was excellent, and well presented.Pint of ale was also well served, best pint on the island so far.The only think that slightly dampened the experience, was after asking twice for the bill, eventually having to go to the bar with cash and leave on the bar.

We stumbled upon the Highdown Inn while exploring and decided to stop in for a pint after a 10 mile hike a couple of days later. Based on the menu, we then decided to return for dinner that same evening -- WOW!!! What a find! Absolutely incredible food - the chef really understands how to prepare fish perfectly. The seafood platter and plaice were absolutely done to perfection. Service was super - friendly, kind and a welcoming atmosphere. Will absolutely be returning on our next visit to the island -- I am still thinking about our meal - a highlight of the week after being let down by a couple of places that were 'highly recommended' in the rough guide and various sites.

We stumbled across this pub today whilst touring the Island, the waiter was very helpful and helped me choose a very nice ale by giving me a few samples.My wife wanted a gin and they had a very good selection all listed on a gin menu.We both ordered a ploughmans lunch which was very nicewith a nice big piece of cheese.We found that the service was very good and friendly even though it takes a little longer because of table only service due to covid19 but it was well worth the wait.We will definitely seek out this pub on our next visit to the Island.

Nice looking pub inside and out. Efficient service. The bar manager (owner?) was not particularly warm and friendly, more curt, but I can live with that. As I said, service was always quick and efficient. The young female waitress (from London, I think) was lovely.Loved the daily specials menu and the sound of many of the dishes. Although they were on the pricey (gastro-level) end, I'm more than happy to pay that if the food matches. Unfortunately it didn't. Salt & Pepper Squid starter (£8.25) were IMO frozen bought in ones that I could get from Tesco (they looked and tasted as such). Bread and olives (£5.25) was 2 pieces of bread (quite nice) and a pile of awful canned olives - small, watery, little flavour. The mains were ok but not matching the expectation or price. Perhaps the other dishes are better; I can only comment on what we had. In any case, a restaurant that uses canned olives doesn't fill me with hope.Won't be returning, unless it's just for a beer.