The Crab and Lobster Tap in Isle of Wight

Great pub & Ale's and very good food and friendly staff.

We went for the seafood platter which looked amazing. Unfortunately it was almost all completely tasteless. The prawns were the blandest I’ve ever had, the sea bass tasted of nothing and even the lobster had no flavour. The place looks so promising but I’m afraid all of the good even the doughnuts were just bland.

Delighted with the quality of the fish and chips we had last night it was freshly cooked and first class food

Beer were great. Food were mediocre.

What an incredulous evening! We decided to go to the Crab and Lobster for our evening meal. They had no bookings that evening so we had no problem planning a time. My partner has some food allergies which I shared with the manager. He dutifully checked with the chef and we were impressed when he phoned us back to say that there were limited choices and did we still want to eat at the pub. Yes we did, one of the options fitted her bill. Being 200 yards from the sea I wanted fish pie, one of my favourite fish dishes and I checked it was available. Perfect it was. When we arrived, the manager asked whether we had changed our minds about our meals, and we hadn’t. We said there’s no rush, fish pie takes a while to put together and cook. We ordered wine and within 5 minutes the meals arrived, slightly worrying? My partner’s fries were hot but tired looking, the rest ok. I plunged into the pie, not great mash, but didn’t come up with any fish. I persevered and started to search under the mash with my fork, I struggled to find any solid fish. All very mushy and guey. Very underwhelming and deflating. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I complained about food in a restaurant, but this meal felt like mash on thick, sloppy soup. So I complained. Pretty quickly the chef returned with my meal with a couple of pieces of non- fleshy, slippery fish saying there were 6 of these in the dish and then said sorry and walked away. Clearly all fish pies had the same contents. There was no discussion as to whether I wanted it replaced or changed. We sat at the table therefore assuming it was going to be replaced. 20 minutes passed, my partner had just about finished her meal, when the manager came over to enquire about what I had ordered, because the chef had just left? We were astonished. I recounted the state of play saying there was no discussion and had assumed our wait was for another fish pie being cooked. In reality reheated. Nothing! The manager apologised and dutifully offered to return the money we had already paid for the entire meal. Strange in itself having to pay ahead of eating? Starving I popped into Tesco and bought a perfect fish pie for a third of the price!! Probably won’t be returning in a hurry!! Beware the vagaries of the chef!!

Lovely pub with good food and great atmosphere

Brilliant place for relaxing great atmosphere and friendly staff didn't review the food because we just wanted some drinks will visit here again when we come back to the i.o.w

Great atmosphere, decent beer & live music, but best of all run by an ex-Leicester resident, hence the King Power banner over the bar! COYB!

Went as four and a dog to eat and watch the football. The premises has the feel of pubs I went into in the 70s but that is not meant to detract from it. It is a very friendly and cozy atmosphere. The beer was well kept and both beers on tap were new to me so that's a plus. We are only visitors to the island but would definitely return The most important thing is that one of us has a wheat allergy and the lady cooking took great pains to make sure she was ok by setting up a second chip pan. She also came to explain that this was why the food was taking a little longer.

Nice food, good beer, great staff!

The food was ok but not exceptional. The service was extremely slow. Whether it's 2 people or a party as we were, all the meals should come out together and not over nearly 15 minutes.

Excellent welcoming atmosphere with a good selection of drinks. We visited here as a family and were blown away by the friendly staff. A good selection of beers on tap and other alcoholic/ non alcoholic drinks. If we were in Ventnor again we will certainly give it another visit.

We were on holiday from London and our friend who is a local Ventnorian invited us to Sunday roast and it was supurb . Definitely recommend food, staff and music. Thank you we will be back .

The Crab and Lobster has just been voted "Best local pub" in the local paper. Deservedly, as it has a great atmosphere and serves good value tasty food, except on Thursdays (quiz night). Good selection of beers and wine too. It is worth booking a table if you are going to eat. Went again last night, 4 of us and 1 dog, had another great meal and the barman Paul spoilt our dog all evening, I will never be able to walk past now without being dragged in!

We loved this pub, as outsiders on holiday, staff and customers were so welcoming. Husband said he got the best pint of Guinness here, with a shamrock in the cream . Wish it was my local.

We visited this pub for two meals on our weeks stay , food was good solid pub food with a variety of dishes , beer was good, atmosphere was good and staff pleasant - Would recommend

It’s a traditional pub serving basic pub food, the portions were big, the food was very average, but it was home cooked, it’s the kind of place my dad would like. The main courses are approximately £15 each. On our table we had the chilli and curry, both were homemade. And gammon and eggs (lots of gammon) and scampi, which was a decent size. Come here if you want reasonable prices and big portions, don’t come here if you want something more exciting than you can cook at home. The pub inside is bigger than you expect from the road, and the staff were friendly.

Read the reviews on Google as we were looking for a place to eat whilst on holiday near Ventnor. We couldn't have been more pleased we started with the Garlic Mushrooms on Toast which was truly epic, then for a main we had the fish pie, one of the best we have ever had great chunks of fish with an excellent potato and cheese lid. The bar was extremely well stocked with a wide selection of beers and spirits both alcoholic and non alcoholic. If your in Ventnor try this excellent pub!!

Really nice pub. Shame about the lack of tab facilities, would have stayed and ate a pudding and supped until late. But decided to move on....

Whilst saying near by, we dropped in here for a drink and dinner… magnificent pub with helpful locals and great food too… what’s not to like…!! If you’re local to the area and looking for somewhere to eat or just have a drink, go in and have look, it really is excellent.! 👏

Absolutely lovely atmosphere and a hidden gem ! Would recommend the food highly and the service of thier team was also top notch. Special shout out to Chelsea who was efficient and lovely !

Absolutely lovely atmosphere and a hidden gem ! Would recommend the food highly and the service of thier team was also top notch. Special shout out to Chelsea who was efficient and lovely all throughout the experience !

I ordered the chilli, it is the best chilli I have ever had. Hubby ordered the fish and chips he really enjoyed it. And very friendly staff. Thank you we will be back

Friendly staff/locals. Nice atmosphere. Good food, good beer and nice wine. Very busy due to popularity with locals and visitors.

Accommodated 15 of us at quite short notice on a Friday night (after some amusement when we nearly double booked…). Very welcoming landlord and personal attention throughout from him and the staff. Excellent food (some locally sourced) and good drinks and beers (again some local). Such a refreshing change from understaffed chain pubs.

This was the nearest pub to our holiday cottage, so managed to get a couple of visits there. It looks tiny from the outside, but once inside it opens into a big pub. Really friendly staff & customers. Very dog friendly. Always seemed to be busy when we went. Great traditional pub with good vibes. Fully recommended.

lovely pub great landlord great atmosphere and great food..The oldest licence on the island and won pub of the year 2023 so well wortha visit

Nice little pub just outside the town centre.

Atmospheric Pub where we had a traditional Sunday lunch of very good quality and reasonably priced. Warm, friendly & efficient service. It’s maybe not a ‘special occasion’ venue but, based on our experience of some of the other local establishments, it was the best food & service (and that included a ‘special occasion’ meal at The Royal Hotel)!

First visit to this pub. Staff very friendly and had good atmosphere. Food was good and plentiful which I like! Would certainly visit again next time we are in ventnor

Great ales, live music, amazing atmosphere.. top location in Ventnor

Awesome pub, very friendly and excellent pub food at reasonable price. I always measure eating places by say 'would I come back?' and it's a definite yes. One guy serving behind the bar and taking orders - he was so efficient and friendly. We'll be back soon.

Great staff, lovely pub very accommodating. Food is great, homely but tasty. Would recommend 👍

Excellent Sunday roast today..Turkey was beautifully cooked, veggie option equally as tasty, veg perfectly cooked along with lovely gravy. Served with a smile..hot and plentiful.

Won Best Pub on IOW award 2023 say no more.

We've enjoyed a delicious meal, thoroughly recommended

Friendly pub with great atmosphere. Booked table for 12 and we all had selection of meals from the menu and specials board. It was Boxing day and very busy but our meals were perfect .Large portions of delicious hot food and all allergies catered for too. You could see they were all home cooked and we all were totally happy and contented. Such a reasonable price too. Thank you so much.

Fantastic Inn located a couple of minutes walk from the centre of Ventnor. Warm, friendly staff, lovely interior with comfortable seating, with a great selection of ales, beers, wines and spirits. A couple log burners for those cold nights would complement the already great atmosphere. We'll worth a look.

Lovely food, very friendly staff. Quirky. Good choice of games to keep kids (and big kids) entertained. Really enjoyed it.

We were very impressed, from the warm welcome to the food and drinks. We went on a Tuesday evening and there was a great atmosphere with a good number of people in. Centrally situated, a short walk from the high street. Highly recommend!

Loved it. Excellent food, great beer and super friendly service. A little gem.

We were a large group of adults and a number of dogs. We were welcomed by friendly and efficient staff and people and the dogs served with a smile. We had Sunday roast and a desert which was excellent and very good value. Would definitely go back again.

Excellent Sunday roast today..Turkey was beautifully cooked, veggie option equally as tasty, veg perfectly cooked along with lovely gravy. Served with a smile..hot and plentiful.

This is a really good pub serving good quality meals. Some of the meals are home made and we sampled a couple of them which were really nice. The pub has a good atmosphere and the landlord and staff are particularly friendly. Would recommend.

Average pub. Nothing to rave about. The waiter was friendly though. We expected the food to be better. We were a bit disappointed about the experience.

Friendly pub with great food and a good atmosphere.

We went here four times during our stay in Ventnor and the food was great, especially the Sunday lunch which was amazing and really good value. There was a choice of beef, lamb and gammon. The beef was beautifully cooked and the Yorkshire puddings were outstanding. The staff here are very friendly and the pub does a nice range of beers. This is a must if staying in Ventnor.

We called in on a Saturday evening and were seated and ate a superb home made fish pie. The pub is lovely and the staff helpful and friendly.

Definitely recommend a visit here. It's a beautiful looking traditional pub. Great drink selection, recommend The Ale of Wight if it's on. We enjoyed it so much we went back for Sunday lunch, which was delicious. Service was really welcoming and friendly.

Went for late Sunday lunch. Welcoming staff and good value food and beer. Nice to see local IOW beers. Not too busy or loud despite big screen football.

As a young family with an 8 month old, this place was exactly what we needed while visiting Ventnor. The most welcoming pub we visited for the week we visited to the point that most nights we'd come for a drink with the little one. I cannot overstate how great it was to feel genuinely welcome in a pub far from home. The food is home-made and uncomplicated, again a perfect offering for a safe evening with a little one in tow. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to anyone I know visiting the area!

Very friendly staff and locals. This pub serves a good selection of ales and wine. Plenty of board games if you want a challenge.

Great local pub to spend a late afternoon / evening watching the rugby (apart from the result) and enjoying a few beers and G&Ts. Plus a really good dinner from the choices on the menu. First time of having the "large" fish and chips which was actually huge. Will definitely opt for that again. All options were very good value for money and the staff, as always, were friendly and helpful.

The food at The Crab & Lobster Tap was absolutely delicious.We had a Sunday Roast and puddings to follow.We will definitely have a meal there again.The staff are very friendly too.All in all a superb pub with fantastic food.

Fantastic little place. Food was really good, we had the goat curry and beef lasagna, but lovely. Friendly staff and good beer.

Was voted best pub in the IoW earlier this year, and I can see why. Friendly staff and great atmosphere. Busy with locals and tourists, but we had no trouble finding a table mid-week. Good beer. Delicious home-cooked food that you don't find so often these days. I had the lasagne and others had the goat curry and a veggie chilli. All very good, and inexpensive. Big screen on one wall for sports fans.

Great little pub, only had a drink so I can't comment on th food.

You need good fresh fish and well made batter for fish and chips and The Crab and Lobster achieved both in our meal last night. The batter was crisp and light, a kind of tempura batter. The fish was fresher than a bloke on his first date. Having been involved with pubs for years, this was simply the best pub fish and chips I have had to date. I told them so myself before we left and said I would tell you too.

Good value friendly pub with games for the kids/family to play whilst waiting for food.

Lovely home cooked food, good beer selection & friendly, helpful staff. A really fantastic place.

Good food tasted very nice, although the portion of the chilli con carne was a bit small. The other portions of gammon eggs and chips and goat curry were big, and I've been told they tasted very good

Great food and well kept beer. My fish was huge .Very friendly and attentive service.

2 minute walk from main centre car park. Deceptively spacious Inn off the main Ventnor Centre just round to the left from the Ventnor Heritage Centre. Reputedly once the only Inn in Ventnor and visited by Charles I. Staff friendly. Nice atmosphere with comfy sofa seats at one end. Large bar. Large TV presume will show sports. Music videos shown on my visit in afternoon. Dog friendly inside. Well worth a visit if in the area.

Fab selection of real ales and ciders. Able to sample a few too. Fish and chips was massive could have shared it and been satisfied.

Can't speak high enough of this wonderful little pub. Only visit it for Sunday lunch while on holiday on the IOW. Just like having your own home cooked roast dinner but better. Very polite & friendly staff and reasonably priced. I urge you to give it a go, you won't be disappointed.

Very helpful and kind honest people They make you feel welcome Kind regards Dave Pickin

Absolutely fantastic! The staff are very attentive, condiments come out before your meal, huge plus to me. This is where to go for your Sunday roast! £10 a roast! Dessert £4 95 I recommend the ice cream sundae, Not only Great value for money, but great food too!! I had roast beef and turkey, Absolutely beautiful turkey was cooked to perfection. A choice of beef, pork, turkey and gammon with vegan options also available. A bottle of cõtes du rhõne for just £18.50 :-)) I WILL BE BACK FANTASTIC

This pub is great. An amazing Sunday roast, Which was home cooked for £10 and lovely pudding. A lovely bottle of French red wine for under £20 and amazing bar staff to add to the experience . Forget the tourist pubs in Ventnor and come here instead.

Booked meal based on previous reviews must have been an off day as the fish pie was gloopy with v little taste.

Nice pub, nice staff, good value and one of the best pubs in Ventnor. From outside the Crab and Lobster looks tiny, but step through the door and it is a great deal larger than you would think it could be. Paul was on the bar when we first visited and found time to give us some really useful local information. Since we had not long moved to the island, it was a brilliant introduction to the area. Locals are friendly, atmosphere is always relaxed and it has become one of our regular go to pubs. There's an amazingly good value Sunday Roast, but you are going to have to book to enjoy that little delight!

Only went to watch football on the big TVs, but loved the venue! Very friendly bar staff who couldn't do enough for our party of 10, one of which is in a wheelchair. Food is excellent (I had the fish pie but enviously eyed the scampi and the gammon, eggs, and chips)! Drinks are typical pub prices but what grabbed me most was the great ambience.

What a lovely welcome! Extremely friendly and are looking forward to going again this week! So good that we are thinking of booking for my husbands birthday meal!

Smashing cosy locally run pub :) Staff were really friendly & accommodating, food & drinks were great. Plus dog friendly. We enjoyed a nice chilled afternoon playing the pub’s cards & board games, then tucked into some nice homemade food. Recommend the fish pie for hearty homemade grub.

Cost of meals seem high now and small portion same everywhere I guess friends stopped going because of it most things £ 15 now seems alot .

Always a joyous experience, tremendous people and excellent beer

Great pub! Friendly staff. Awesome beer selection

Comfortable pub with good selection of beer. Very friendly staff. Fairly standard pub food but quite good value for this part of the world.

Such a great visit, we thought it would be a bit chi chi but it's a proper British pub with great roast dinner, ale and atmosphere

Food lovely and nice atmosphere

nice little pub food was pretty good 👌

Visited on Wednesday 1st Feb Took advantage of the half price menu offer. Was not disappointed, great food and drinks. Friendly service. My steak was cooked perfectly and my wife's gammon was delicious. Thank you

A real pub . Good food, good beer and a place the locals go of an evening.

Well liked local pub great food and beers

Had a Christmas lunch there very goid

What appears to now be Dave the landlord was really rude with us because we were sat near the entrance to the cellar. We only sat there when the pub was busy and there was nowhere else. We didn't move the chairs there - that's where they were when we found them. Had been there several hours and only asked to move for him to get access once. Could have just asked us nicely to move but ranted and wouldn't let us speak. Really disappointed. Been before but won't be returning.

Warm, dog friendly welcome. The Sunday roast is exquisite. Proper home cooked food, delicious. The vegetarian option of nut roast is very satisfying. We highly recommend the experience.

Excellent Roast & very good service

Great little pub, fantastic value Sunday roast.

The staff were friendly but slow at taking food orders. Our food was nice enough but meagre salad was disappointing.

A cosy pub with a great atmosphere. A wide selection of draught and spirits

Brilliant Sunday lunch and such good value. Lovely accommodating staff and a nice feel to the place. I will be visiting again when I'm in the Isle of Wight.

Fabulous little pub, one of quirky Ventnor's best! Great atmosphere, friendly service and an excellent selection of real ales and real cider (Grazed Knee). Occasional Live music!

An amazing place, really good food, fish pie was best I've ever tasted and the apple crumble and custard, mmm Staff were so helpful and friendly. Highly recommend, we'll be back.

Nice friendly pub/staff, booked in for a Sunday dinner, looking forward to it........................had the Sunday dinner and all the great 👍 reviews are right! Wonderful food, great service.............cannot fault it!😀😀

Lovely home made food and thoughtful attentive service. Felt at home here. Would recommend.

Very pleasant chap managed to fit us in as a booking on the day for a Sunday roast, highly recommended. The roast was perfect, service was excellent, and a pretty cool pub to boot.

Friendly staff and good service

Very friendly staff and locals. Food average but drinks were nice.

Great dinner and friendly atmosphere

Amazing had fish pie 🥧 Saturday, then went back for the Sunday Roast the best I've had in a long long time..... delicious 😋