Pointer Inn in Isle of Wight

We visited the Pointer Inn for dinner (family of 4) after a full day of sightseeing. We almost stayed at our holiday cottage because we were all tired and sleepy... But were so pleased we went out because this pub is great. We enjoyed roast dinners, pork belly and sausage and mash - everything was delicious and just what we needed after a busy day exploring the island. We got desserts to go because we couldn't bear to miss out (but also needed to get the kids to bed). A gem of a pub, highly recommend !

had a lovely evening meal in the pointer , salt and pepper calamari starter was very nice and the steak and ale pie was superb , washed down with a very tasty bottle of malbec , we will return

The pie has never disappointed, delicious 😋 service is always great 👍

Service and food is amazing. Love the staff, they got many customers but remained calm and friendly throughout. Worth the price, highly recommended!!! 😍 We were accommodated without reservation, but would suggest making a reservation as the pub can be busy. We loved the lasagna and crispy pork belly. Liver and lamb pie was good tooo

Visiting the Isle of Wight and staying with our daughter in Shanklin, we decided to treat her to Sunday lunch. She recommended the Pointer Inn situated in the beautiful village of Newchurch. We ordered drinks then decided on the roast dinner, of which there was ample to choose from with two plate sizes available. I'm so glad I chose the small plate which was presented beautifully with my choice of pork and lamb, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, honey roasted parsnips and stuffing, (which looked homemade.) And I mustn't forget the beautiful crackling and the massive Yorkshire pudding either! There was also a vegetarian nut roast available which my daughter had. This was all accompanied with fresh vegetables, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and a swede mash. Condiments were readily available and extra gravy was provided on request... As if we weren't already quite full, we nevertheless decided on the Crumble of the Day with the choice of hot or cold custard, cream or ice cream. The staff were wonderful, very attentive and we felt that nothing was too much trouble. I very highly recommend The Pointer, fabulous food, excellent service and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

It was a lovely little pub to discover and experience. Great tasting food with great service. A good choice of food on the menu. Very busy and popular. Dog friendly, too. Easy parking just off the main Rd. Lots of little shops to discover in the area if you have time and a very picturesque street scene with the church and pub.

Great food and smaller portions available

First time here.Very helpful and friendly staff.My husband and I enjoyed a delicious roast.We are only here for a week stay,but we would certainly go back.

We absolutely love the pointer inn. The food is always delicious and the service is really friendly. We will return. 😊

Arrived without booking 1.30 on a Wed afternoon hoping we could be accommodated. Pub was busy, great atmosphere, lovely welcome. Ordered sea bass, new pots and samphire, friend had chicken dish. Both were top quality meals and undoubtedly the best sea bass I have had in years. The cost - below anything in the south for that standard. Cannot recommend it highly enough, the owner and staff were great the service quick and the environment ... well done to all no wonder it is successful and recommended by locals.

Fab pub. Food was excellent. The real als spot on. Highly recommend

An excellent find, located within a beautiful village near Shanklin. We loved the enormous outdoor seating area and access to car park for those with dogs. Food was top drawer fare and very reasonable prices, combined with a good selection of ales and wine. My slow cooked pork belly was one of the best ever!

Change of management and no food Monday/Tuesday. Still a great pub, lovely staff, great location and very dog friendly

We thoroughly enjoyed our meals here - one pork roast, one nut roast, one apple crumble and one lemon tart. The only down side was someone had brought some very reactive dogs into the pub which basically both went mental when we brought our very well behaved dog into the pub, so it wasn't the nicest of welcomes!

Booked ahead with 8 of us and myself with a dietary requirement (dairy). Sat outside and we were able to reserve our roasts for when we came in later. Staff were so friendly and accommodating, and food was amazing, presentation was really good and everyone’s food came out together, can’t say enough, recommend eating here. Prices were about average and we did have to book two days ahead (for a Sunday) as they were fully booked two days prior.

Had a lovely anniversary meal tonight & was seated in the dining room as requested when I booked. We have eaten here before & food was just as good & also the service. I had & can recommend the Pork Belly & my husband had Hunters Chicken. Both had puddings, sticky toffee with ice cream & biscotti cheesecake & ice cream, absolutely delicious. Thank you for a lovely evening.

The best food on the IOW, the pies are really good and nothing is too much trouble for the staff.

Popped in because we were passing and we were feeling a bit peckish. We hadn't booked, but we were welcomed and they managed to find us a table. I had the steak and ale pie with chips and extra gravy which was amazing and my wife had the three egg omelette for which you could choose three toppings : she chose mushrooms, cheese and tomatoes. This came with chips and salad and my wife said it was the best omelette she'd ever had. We had a pint and a half Moretti lager with our meal. The staff were friendly and the service and food were excellent. We will be back and I would definitely recommend this pub/restaurant without hesitation.

Great food served by lovely friendly staff. Generous portions . The Raspberry Baked Alaska was particularly good . Recommended

We really struggled to get booked in for an evening meal at the Pointer all week we were here and let’s face it that’s a great reflection of how good it is! Ended up outside on the veranda and we were not disappointed! Excellent food, would highly recommend and suggest you book asap to avoid disappointment!

Unfortunately we got off to a shakey start! Within the first five minutes of arriving we we asked for our order three times! We eventually gave our order and then waited 45 minutes for it to arrive! The food was excellent and couldn't be faulted.Just a pity about the service. Sorry. .

Visited the Pointer Inn with family, the service was very poor, one young girl who was a waitress was evidentially new, the other who couldn’t crack a smile and was well above her station, also not supportive to the new waitress at all. Left her on her own to take drinks and food order, and she didn’t know many answers to our questions and we had to prompt her to go and ask the kitchen. Lack of staff training there and allowing someone to be front of house when they are clearly not confident is a failure in itself. We only visited as a couple in spring and had a lovely meal and great service, however in such a short of space of time, the food standard has gone down hill, lack of flavour, portion size poor and salad I had ordered had hardly any salad at all and such tough chicken, no one came to do a table check and ask us how our food was, it took 15 minutes to get sauces. The pub was fairly empty, which is unusual for this place, so I think that speak volumes, with this in mind, the food took an hour to come out! I would not recommend this pub now.

Real food, what more needs to be said. The portion size was spot on. Great selection of drinks and amazing puds (and proper custard). Also good value. Best to book ahead, we walked in and was lucky.

Quick service and delicious food. Great gluten free menu including onion rings and chocolate fudge cake. Will be back, thank you! 😊

Great food and really amazing staff. They managed to squeeze us in even though we hadn't booked, we got the last table inside at 5pm, recommend booking. Food was great and a step above standard pub food. The staff were really friendly and attentive and even made our 3 year old feel welcome. Would definitely recommend.

Drinking local ale is always a treat everyone we met were very welcoming, thank you Isle of Wight, we'll be back.

Socking !!!! Waited over 1.5 hrs for a main meal, when l challenged the owner, she told me they were short staffed. I wasn’t made aware of this when we ordered. She really couldn’t see my point…. The food when it finally arrived was bland at the very best….. shouldn’t be in business with this attitude. Stay well away !!!!

Traditional old English Pub a warm welcome when we first went in staff were very pleasant and helpful. We had dogs that we could sit outside or in the main bar with there was even water available for them. I lovely atmosphere the food menu was very reasonable and the food was outstanding. My husband and I have been in many many pubs for a Ploughman’s but this one gets 10 out of 10 would highly recommend a visit and we will definitely be going back.

Booked a table here for an early dinner on the recommendation of the people we were staying with. Will definitely be back next time we are on the island. The pub serves food throughout the day, something that isn't often the case with pubs but was greatly appreciated as parents of a 6yr old and 18mth old, who don't want to wait until early evening for dinner. The food was well worth the wait, good portion sizes and cooked beautifully. Great service too, wholeheartedly recommend.

Beautiful atmosphere, fantastic food and welcoming friendly staff. If you are passing by on your travels we recommend this pub.

Great home cooked food the biggest home made onion rings you will ever see good value for money in respect of fresh home cooked food made to feel welcome all 4 of us left happy and full well done

We were gratefully squeezed in at late notice as we had just arrived at our destination at IoW and we were not disappointed by the standard of food. Obviously a really popular place and despite how busy we did not have to wait any great lengths of time for our meal. The staff were very pleasant. Five stars all round

We are on holiday on IOW and our campsite was about a 10 minute walk from the pub 😀 food was exceptional. It was quite busy when we arrived hadn't booked but they managed to fit us in sat out in garden staff, although busy were very helpful, and and very pleasant

We ate here on 26th July before we headed home the next day. The pub has a great atmosphere, very attentive staff and great food. Very impressed.

We came here for our end of holiday meal after family raving about the delicious Steak and Ale pie, and I can say for sure they were not exaggerating. The food was delivered quickly with the kids stuff all coming out first. The staff were super friendly and accommodating and the atmosphere was really lovely. All around a great time.

Simply superb. Best Sunday lunch!

Great food with VERY helpful staff 👍 advisable to book for Sunday lunch, The carpark is large but not very wheelchair friendly stone chippings.

A great place for food and a drink.well done mark,lucy and team

Very enjoyable meal in this characterful inn.

Perfect food perfect service and beautiful gardens a great experience

Fantastic food and dog friendly.

Staying up the road in a caravan/motorhome site. Never been to this pub before, visited on the Thursday, ate food and drank real ale (London Pride) and my wife drank wine and ate food, all excellent. Visited Friday for drinks, real ale (HSB) and wine, excellent. Didn’t visit Saturday as watching England in the Euros. Sunday Bloody Sunday, Sunday roast, trio of meat for me, pork for the gaffer, counted 7 slices of meat plus mash, roast potatoes, parsnips and then 4 different veg and stuffing, oh with crackling, excellent. Service from the staff, excellent. Friendly warm environment and if your in the area try it, oh and they’re dog friendly.

Excellent, traditional pub Beer and food is all good with good service and a warm atmosphere and dog friendly 👌

Simply divine. Possibly the No 1 pub/restaurant on the Island 😁

Whats a place.We just turned up, parked and went in. Great friendly welcome, took the 3 dogs, was shown to a table and ordered food. Excellent, we will back later this week.

Saw this hostelry during our holiday. We decided it looked a good place to stop for a meal. So glad we did. The food was wonderful. Service was good and staff friendly and polite. A good varied menu to suit most tastes... including children. A variety of seating...inside (bar area or dining room), on the veranda or at picnic tables on the lawn. So impressed we booked a table for Sunday roast. Oh yes I liked the way there are two size options on the main meals as not everyone are BIG eaters.

Absolutely wonderful. I asked if I could have my vegetables already on my plate for my Sunday roast and they did just that. This made me happy and the food was amazing, great sized portion. I also enjoyed a nice pint of Cornish Orchards. I heard great things and got great things.

Suggested to us and our first time visit yesterday. Excellent service, home cooked food, and big portions! Can't recommend enough. We'll be back on our next Island holiday.

We are here on holiday and would highly recommend this great pub for a great meal. Nothing too much trouble for them. Staff are absolutely brilliant. Love this place. Be back next year. 🤞

Nice place for a drink or a meal friendly atmosphere

The food was amazing, freshly cooked and delicious. The service was fast efficient and very friendly . We all think this is one of the best pubs on the island and excellent value for money.Thank you and well done all at the Pointer Inn . 👍👍👍👍

Lovely location, Sat in beer garden, excellent beers & we were staying in yurts at the Garlic Farm & Mark was generous & kind enough to provide us with complimentary pint glasses as we had forgotten to pack any. Top chap, top pub, will visit again cheers.

Called in on the off chance of some nice pub grub on Saturday evening. Luckily had a table available. Food was delicious and service just right, not in your face like some places. Very cosy atmosphere and the main pub area was very busy, which goes to show it's a popular place to eat. Would recommend

Not a bad meal,but luke warm coffee let it down

Food is always good. Staff are friendly & helpful.

Down Downs at The Pointer Inn....the roasts looked and smelt delicious.....Great atmosphere here...

Very happy with the food, does small versions of everything which was great for me and young teen, but even the small version of bangers and mash and onion gravy had two gigantic sausages. Prices are decent. Lovely friendly helpful staff. Beer garden for nicer weather. Hope to be back here in future.

We had a great evening, service and food were great I have no problem recommending this place.

Just had a lunch at The Pointers INN New church, never been before,the service was brilliant the food great and atmosphere and to top it all the toilets were excellent never seen such immaculate facilities.We will definitely go again Thank you all!

A lovely old fashioned pub with excellent food served by friendly staff Prices very reasonable too. An enjoyable visit

Difficult to rate as they could not accommodate us when we arrived. 2 stars represents how we felt as we left. Walked up from the local campsite on a wet evening to the local and got a strange reception when we asked if we could get food. It appeared that we should have known that they would be full... didn't feel that they were interested in squeezing us in... I'm pleased for them that they were full. If you want to go, book ahead to be sure of a table. We just ended the day tired, damp and disappointed.

Such a fabulous meal! We were absolutely stuffed ! The staff were so friendly, it was such a lovely experience - super dog friendly - although I left my little ones at home to have a peaceful meal! Only suggestion - do book as it is so popular and we couldn’t get in on a Sunday… but definitely worth a visit for authentic gastro pub!! LOVED IT! Thank you guys ! X

Brilliant food and the waitress was fantastic. Be careful when you go though as unfortunately due to the limited space it can sometimes be slightly cramped. Well wroth going though. We've been 3 or times now and been great everytime.

Good food, friendly staff, overall a good experience. Would recommend

Run extremely well by a family who care and do their best. Recently celebrated a 90th birthday there and all the food came out hot, tasty and in a decent amount of time. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended

Hadn't been here for a while but had a really good lunch. Food and service were excellent.

Excellent. A very rare find. The service and staff are very professional. The food was very good, lots of choices and of a very high srandard. We made another booking before we left. A jewel in Wight's crown.

Dropped there after a walk around All Saint’s Church to see the lovely blanket of snowdrops. We didn’t have a booking but we were warmly welcomed and served well. The service, food (and price), and atmosphere is amazing.

A gem! Sunday lunch is a must (advise you call ahead to reserve your roast) Staff are super friendly & well behaved pups welcomed.

Lovely meal but always is. Chicken pie had loads of meat and the pastry is to die for. Had a flat tyre on the way, told them we were going to be later than booked, no problem and even though fairly full of customers there we were still made welcome and chatted to. Lovely place, and lovely staff, and lovely food. Recommended.

From the moment we walked in we felt welcome, the staff were very friendly. Nicola was our server, she was amazing. The starters arrived quickly and this was the beginning of what can only be described as a journey, a journey that you didn’t want to end. The food was amazing, I had the black pepper squid and my partner had BBQ wings starter. Followed by the hunters chicken, fish and chips, finished off by a chocolate brownie and apple & pear crumble. A feast for the eyes and the mouth, if you haven’t been here then you’ve got to go. For my first meal on the Isle of Wight it will be one I will definitely remember, highly recommend.

A group of us went here this evening for a meal and I can honestly say, it was delicious, the staff couldn't help enough with food allergies and all the food was so nice! Would definitely recommend and will be back again soon.

Lovely cosy place, staff friendly and service good. I had a lamb roast , as you can see so much meat which is hard to find sat on a bed of buttery mash and 4 roast pots. Not alot of atmosphere but that was more the time of day we went .(4pm)

Beautiful pub, top-notch food (plant based burger was delicious!) and lovely staff ☺️ will definitely make a return visit!

Had a meal here on new years day. I can't fault it. Everyone had a great time. Food was great, service, everything

The kindest and thoughtful waiter I've ever met, huge portions (you can order anything, you won't stay hungry), everything is extremely delicious and served like a fine dining! Couldn't be more satisfied! 🇬🇧🙏

Had a lovely afternoon meal with the family. We all had something different, which all looked lovely and the cheesy garlic bread 10/10!! Staff were nice and helpful will be back soon!

Went to The Pointers with the famalam and were so plenty surprised when they could seat the family of 10 without issues All the food came out together and it was piping hot and of very good quality. I would thoroughly recommend going there for meal. Really good service, friendly and good quality food which was really well priced. Brilliant thank you for a great meal

Food was excellent. Beer was excellent but the pub was quite cold especially for the elderly relatives with us.

The food was very good. All homemade from the garlic bread to the sticky toffee pudding. Friendly staff great service

Recommended to anyone who enjoys good food and a friendly pub owners.

We received a warm welcome when arriving and the pub has a cosy traditional feel which we love. We arrived at 12.30 and there was no delay in service. I would recommend booking as all the tables had received boards on with atleast 2 sittings. My son has a dairy allergy which can make eating out a pain or he has the same food everywhere. It was a nice to see dairy free/vegan options available. He had a jacket potato with beans and cheese. It was a good size potato which was oven baked, loaded with beans and cheese severed with side salad. My partner had the homemade steak and ale pie with mash and veg, he said it was the best he has had for a very long time. I had roast and couldnt decided between lamb or beef so had both (pork and vegan nut roast are also an option). It was severed with roast potatoes, parsnips, mash potato, veg (carrots, broccoli, red cabbage and mashed swede) stuffing, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. My son had a pudding, which is a treat for him (due to allergy) he had vegan chocolate and caramel fudge cake served with dairy free chocolate ice cream. He said it was really good. All the portion are of good size, we all left feeling very full. We highly recommend and will visit again soon.

My partner and I have visited The Pointers Inn many many times with our dog Oscar. I would almost say its our local haunt even though we live in Ventnor. The Inn is a small cosy pub in a small village with very traditional food cooked and executed well and very fairly priced. Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed with the food at our last visit. I had the duo Sunday Roast which was Beef and Pork. The food was presented well but it didn't meet the standards of previous roasts which I have had. The Yorkshire pudding was massive yes but it was overcooked and a little tasteless. Only 2 roast potatoes, not roasted, 1 parsnip which I found deep in the mash potatoes. The meat was very disappointing, very thin slices and again a but tasteless. My partner had scampi and said it wasn't as good as before. The chips used to be triple cooked and served in a small silver basket but not this time. The chips were thin skin on and only 7 pieces of scampi. A little poor but we are comparing these meals to previous ones which have always been excellent.

Three of us, trying a new Pub midweek in the summer & Sunday lunch off season. Parking, plenty of elbow room, quick & friendly service by an experienced team. Had a pint, pork 2 small & 1 normal, will ask for more gravy next time 😁, 3 pudding & 2 coffee for £25 head. Will return as a very good experience, nice chat with the owner. Pudding is exceptional.

We arrived for our first family holiday on the island on Friday and did a quick Google search for places to eat. We arrived at the pointer inn and we immediately felt the warmth from the staff who were more than willing to accommodate us at short notice. I must say as a picky eater I had the most beautiful jacket potato not normally something u get to brag about: my partner has a lovely ploughman’s sandwich and my daughter had in her words the best mac and cheese ever which if u knew her u would know is high praise. In leaving we decided to book for Sunday dinner. We arrived today to enjoy a Sunday roast before heading home on Monday. My daughter was immediately upset that she couldn’t have roast turkey as it wasn’t an option. This didn’t stop the staff going the extra mile and creating her the perfect roast dinner nothing was too much to ask. What can I say this was by far one of the biggest and best roast dinners. My daughter asked if we can travel over weekly for her own tailor Made dinner she was over the moon with her dinner. The staff were phenomenal and catered for us all with a smile and little joke even with the miserable weather making us a little glum. With special that’s the lovely gentleman that arranged Freya’s special dinner (I didn’t manage to get his name) and Freddy for chatting with us and making us feel welcome. Freddy you were right the chocolate fudge cake was amazing….. this will definitely be our first stop the next time we head over to the island 😊

Amazing food; very high quality for the price. Child friendly with a calm atmosphere. Really enjoyed our lunch.

When I last reviewed The Pointer Inn I was disappointed with the experience and recorded that I would call in again in a few months to see if anything had changed, after alerting the publican to my misgivings. Today was the promised revisit and I am delighted to say that I could not fault the service, cleanliness, beer condition or food on this occasion. I must add here that I did not eat a meal myself, relying upon the comments of others and my own view of the food being served at each table. What brought about this change? Well... I was pleasantly surprised to see a new face at the bar and discovered that the management was now in the capable hands of Mark and Luci, the new management pairing. The return of a former chef of The Pointer was also noticeable, with a visible difference to the food presented to each table. A special mention for Beth, who was a delight to chat to between customers.

6 adults 1 child, no complaints with the food, it was very good. Had mains and pudding, all very tasty and well presented. Would go again.

Having had a dreadfull family meal the day before when half the food went back, and the manager was not interested, it was refreshing to have such an excellent meal. Hot plates, great service, wonderful main courses and the puddings were even better. We were a large party, booked at only 10 minutes notice and when we arrived the staff were busy reorganising the dining area with a large dining table and high chair. Could not ask for better service.

Roast dinner stacked up in a big pile to look fancy the food in the middle went mushy the cauliflower and broccoli was nearly raw Yorkshire pudding was massive but hard to eat over cooked had to wait nearly half an hour after we finished the main meal before we were asked if we wanted desserts and then the dessert was nearly cold all this for over £100 for 4 people will not be returning

Classic pub and food. Very friendly staff. We really enjoyed our time here.

20 plus years of going there new owners terrible service

Been going to the pointer for twenty years plus . Very disappointed will not be going back in a hurry. Went for Sunday lunch booked a table . Waited for ages for a menu to be given had to go to the bar. No one came over to take order for some time serve was terrible. Food was ok no one was interested in serving had to ask as staff walked past . New owners need to sort out the service

Was a delight lovely food and service also dogs are allowed which was helpful

Always excellent food in lovely surroundings

Very pleasant lunch with friends, food was good and so was service, would definitely visit again.

We went here for lunch on a Saturday and loved it. Very relaxed atmosphere with lovely food, good portion sizes and great service. Friendly staff who were happy to adjust a meal to suit customers and when booking the table gave us a half hour window to arrive in. We had a great family meal and I'd happily go again.

Well. Under new ownership. Previous owners were.....best left unsaid! Anyway, new couple in charge are trying really hard to make it work and they get 5* for welcome, menu variety with specials too, great service, absolutely home cooked fresh food very well presented. Food is delicious and this place is worth a visit. Massive car parking. Dog friendly. We're going again later this week. These guys deserve to win! Tony Perrin, West Sussex.

A newish menu and friendly service

Visited for an evening meal and again for a couple of pints. Food and drinks were great, with portion sizes just right. Nice character place with a good mix of locals and visitors.