The Crab & Lobster Inn in Isle of Wight

The staff are friendly and the service is great. The food is worth every penny.

Nice pub with good food & great views of the Solent but a bit off the beaten track from Bembridge village

The Crab & Lobster is a regular haunt for me when on the Isle of Wight, but over the last few visits it had felt like it had lost its edge. I am pleased to report though that things have perked up here with generally good service and better than average food to go with a decent list of ales and acceptable range of wines. Overall, the new summer menu was strong with me having to choose from a number of dishes I would have been happy to have. Whilst a crab bechamel for starter did not quite deliver (maybe a crab gratin would have delivered better), the smoked mackerel pate certainly did and came in a v large portion. Indeed they could have reduced the size of the portion of pate and delivered a bit more bread but they were very happy to provide a doggy bag for the uneaten part of the pate which was joyfully consumed the following day. On the main course a large portion of fish and chips defeated the consumer but was given a thumbs up and a fine dish of cod with clams in a creamy fish sauce served with bacon mash was a winner: perhaps the mash was a little on the thick side for me and the portion was rather too big (and soaked up the very nice fish sauce to a degree). Overall a very filling and v pleasant dinner. Downsides? Would have been nice to sit in the front part of the pub overlooking the sea as it was still light outside and the area was empty and being told that it was being set up for the morning's breakfast didn't really resonate with me. The rest of the pub is fine but being in that room would have elevated the evening. Secondly, portion sizes in fact could be a bit more measured. Funny thing to be putting portion sizes as being too big as a negative (I don't really mean it as such as it came across as the pub's willingness to please and I am saying this as a friendly piece of advice to a team that strove to please in most respects) but actually they could get away with reducing some of the size to make the plates a bit more balanced (and save a bit of costs for themselves too but overall we had a lovely time there so well done to everyone. Will definitely be back - will need to book over the summer as it is a great location with lovely views of the sea and the team in place seem to be working hard to deliver and get things right

An excellent lunchtime meal was had by my family on Saturday. We chose to eat inside on a nice corner table that our border collie dog could laze under. The mushroom and brusseta starters and scampi main meals were fresh and tasty also ample servings. The price was reasonable and service charge optional, which we obviously payed for the good service. We will return in the week for another hopefully excellent meal.

Came for my mums birthday and did not have a good experience as we previously have. Food prices have sky rocketed but unfortunately the food quality has somehow dropped. Fish pie for £22 was tasteless and had to be returned. Burger was dry and unseasoned. Veggie burger very similar. The chips have changed for the better. Tap water bottles have mould on the top or stained? Always recommend this place but won’t be coming back.

Rachel was outstanding 👏 fantastic service, my friend and I had a lovely lunch, highly recommend 😊

Poor beer quality won't be back.

Lovely looking place, just had a drink but wish we had more time to enjoy their delicious looking food.

Great location, very busy, so book ahead. Great staff make you very welcome

Came here for dinner recently. The 2 stars (rather than 1) are because the staff are all lovely, very friendly and helpful. But the vegetarian Sri Lankan croquettes and rice we had were potentially the worst meal I've paid good money for. I won't go on but the bowl of plain unseasoned (packet?) rice, and croquettes on top is not a cohesive meal, it was dry and fairly bland. I feel bad writing this as the staff really are so friendly, but I'm disappointed to have parted with my money for that meal.

Well, this dish had me excited - “spice-infused potato croquettes”? Yes, please. But what showed up was more “sad beige mash balls” than a Sri Lankan spice party. The croquettes were dry and dull, like someone whispered the word “spice” from across the kitchen and hoped for the best. The sambal, supposedly the flavour bomb of the dish, was more like a flavour blip — no heat, no tang, just… red. And the rice? Let’s just say it had all the personality of a plain side dish at a school dinner. For £16, I expected something bold, fragrant, maybe even fun. Instead, I got the vegetarian option that clearly drew the short straw. If you’re hoping for a trip to Colombo via your taste buds, this isn’t it. Honestly, for the same price, grab a side of chips and enjoy the view - at least that won’t disappoint.

Was greeted by a very welcoming front of house staff member then taken to our table by a waitress who sat us down without menus advising us that the crab and lobster were all gone. She was blunt, unprofessional and clearly wasn’t interested in ensuring we had a good experience. We then waited nearly half an hour for the waitress to come back and take our order. My burger was dry and tasteless, and the rest of the meal for the other party members was underwhelming. We deduced not to bother with a dessert as the whole experience had been ruined . When I went up to pay my bill the gentleman taking payments said he would remove the service which is optional anyway! Very poor. He could have taken a drink off the bill. So very disappointing. My advice, dont bother! Such a shame because the location is wonderful.

Very nice restaurant and good food

The food at the crab and lobster was amazing. You could tell it was home made and not just a reheat jobby. They only source their food from the local area, so it is fantastic quality. We had a Sunday roast. The meat was so tender and it was the perfect portion size. We decided to go again later in the week and had the seafood linguine and the fish and chips, and once again, they didn't disappoint! The quality was amazing. So fresh and the fish was huge! The staff at the crab and lobster were so welcoming, friendly and attentive throughout our whole experience. Especially the gentleman who welcomed us at the door. Nothing is too much trouble for them. Such a great experience. Thank you! We will definitely be returning.

Constant changeover of miserable staff, outside of once pristine pub now tired grubby and in need of repair and attention. Men’s toilet floor covered in urine and torn wallpaper with graffiti written on it. Current owners obviously don’t care about looking after this iconic local pub.

Great service here. We sat inside and it's a lovely pub atmosphere. Service was good and menu is varied and lovely

What a little gem! Food was amazing, owner accommodated a table for 8 at short notice but I think we were lucky. Phone calls and walk ins constantly so I’d recommend booking early. Great location and views. Can only imagine how great this place is on a lovely summers day!🌞

Had a lovely evening meal here recently. I started with the Korean cauliflower while my wife had the mushroom arancini. Both starters were very tasty and beautifully presented. For mains I had the fish and chips and my wife had cod and clams with bacon mash. My fish was a really good size and perfectly cooked, chips were good too. The cod and clams dish was also very good with a good size piece of fish and plenty of clams. Nothing to fault with both main courses. All washed down with some good beer and wine. Great service from the staff who were pleasant and friendly without being intrusive, perfect. Very well done Crab and Lobster team, we will be back.

Food was nice service was below par but it's the start of the season so they will hopefully improve.

Great pub with friendly staff and a great view.

Great service, tasty food and they allow dogs.

Friendly staff, dogs welcome & excellent food!

Lovely friendly staff. Nice location outside, plenty of space in and out. Fab walk down to the beach. They also serve Murphy's ☀️

Stopped here for lunch, great food with lively and engaging staff. A great start to our holiday

Great welcome , efficient, simple well cooked food . Thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Lovely setting and lovely inside. Patio outside has great sea views and right in the sea front. Went with my toddler and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Good choice of beer (2 local ales on) and food was nice. I would have liked more sea food options given the nature of the inn, no lobster on the menu but I did have a crab linguine. Free parking for patrons, but not loads of spaces. Overall very pleasant experience.

Had lunch only. Staff extremely friendly and helpful. Food was excellent, accompanied by a really good local bitter.

Superb attentive service, not just us, everyone. Great varied menu and beautiful location plus so much more. Definitely return 🥰

Food terrible the chicken ceasar salad was barely edible as the wrong dressing had been used and whilst palatable spoiled the meal the chicken was so salty and the wafer thick. Croutons were soggy. My friends fish was so soggy with grease it was inedible and soiled the whole evening ! They comped the fish but the damage was done.

It's such a lovely pub and the meals are beautiful

Lovely atmosphere, delicious food and all the staff are attentive and responsive. I had the pot roasted Pork Chop which was succulent and delicious (cooked in cider) along with creamy mash and some delicious bacon and shallots. My father had the braised Beef and Ale pie which was absolutely packed with large chunks of flavourful tender beef. We will definitely come again!

Staff lovely. Food great ,seafood cocktail full of seafood. Manager doing a great job has attention to detail 😊

Lovely people, great food, highly recommended and great location

Lovely food and great service as usual

Lovely atmosphere and staff. Great food. Dog friendly.

Lovely place, so kind and inviting. We had children with us and they made them feel so welcome.

I stayed in bed and breakfast for four nights, and from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. I was made welcome by all the staff. My room was immaculate with everything being thought of. Breakfast was amazing being served by again an amazing lady. Sorry, i forgot your name, but nothing was too much trouble she even offered advice on places to visit. And what can I say about the restaurant food was fantastic. Great Sunday roast. And the haddock scotch egg starter wow plus had one of the best pies iv tasted. I had an amazing stay. Thank you, one and all I will be back, Andy

I had very little in the way of previous knowledge of this pub/hotel and booked it as I was attending a funeral in the village. From the first moment in the premises I was made welcome by Chelsea and Mia. I booked in for the night and was shown to a very well appointed room with terrific views of the coast line. ( I have travelled extensively in the UK on Business). Even had free drinking water x4. I went to my car to collect my shirt and suit for the morning to discover windscreen wash had leaked over both my shirts. Unbeknown to me, the area manager, Bruce was in the car park and I showed him what had happened to my shirts. He immediately directed me to Chelsea and over night the two shirts were washed and pristine ready for me in the morning! I ate in the restaurant that evening, which provided an excellent choice of uncomplicated options. The Beef and Ale Pie was amazing! After a very comfortable night sleep I went for breakfast (full English). Michelle ( the Breakfast Fairy) ensured my shirts were ready and took them to my room. During breakfast a Gentleman noticed my car lights were on and my breakfast was kept warm whilst I swiftly started the car. So there is always a third... After breakfast and mindful of time, I returned to the main outside door providing access to the rooms. to discover the the lock wasn't working correctly, a fellow guest tried his key no luck either. Tracy, the housekeeper, came to the rescue, as I was now imaging a jeans and T shirt late arrival at the family funeral. My experience over 15 hours was seriously unusual but all the staff were exceptional and so very helpful. I would sincerely recommend this great Pub /Restaurant/Hotel. So thank you all, I will be returning. That's if I can get booked in after this review!!

Thank you to Bruce and the team for a delicious lunch today! Friendly and warm welcome, with all the staff obviously willing to go the extra mile to make our meal a brilliant experience. Highly recommend and will be visiting next time we're back on the island!

Well what can I say but amazing xx the staff sò friendly Phil boss man was so helpful even put the log fire on in the cosy corner for us, renata new her stuff about the Isle places too go and see and do, the food amazing if u go u must try the crab and garlic bread wow and the steak and ale pie wow again, rooms so cosy and clean. Definitely be back thankyoy natalie for this morning breaky and service and talking pics for us and the hug xxxxxxxx your all amazing friendly kind and professional thankyou from Lisa and steve

We visited The Crab And Lobster Inn for dinner this week and what an amazing dinner it was! Firstly we were warmly welcomed by Phil, who is lovely, down to earth and does everything he can to make your experience a pleasure. We had starters, mains and desert and all were delicious, one of the best pies I've had on the island. Service was smooth and quick, they have two open fires and a large decked area over looking the sea which will be great in the summer. I highly recommend and will be back!

Was really good and great tasting food and because was a Friday enjoyed a pint of Amstel for a £1. Totally recommend a visit

Visited here last night as we were staying in the area. Very warm welcome from Phil the manager. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We had two dogs with us and they went out of their way to make sure we had a table with plenty of room and were very dog oriented. Service was great and the food was very good. The menu was well explained as were the specials. The time of year meant the it wasn’t too busy but I would think it will be jumping throughout the summer months. Really good beach vibe and the pub has great quirky decor. Lovely location and good parking. We will definitely be back.

We've had a number of meals here and it's our preferred stop when we're out walking. Yesterday only spolit by them having run out of pie!

Bisque very watery. Haddock mousse borderline off, although egg was lovely and runny. Would not recommend

Great food, great service & wonderful atmosphere. Vast selection of beers and wines. Went at Sunday lunchtime. Friend had the lamb roast which was huge as well as delicious…all the trimmings I would’ve been jealous of it wasn’t for the fact I had the fish pie which was fantastic and fresh. My partner had fried halloumi chips and crushed peas all of which were incredible and him being an ex chef he gave all dishes his tried and tested seal of approval. Will return not just for the view but for the professional team who are happy to oblige. Recommend the table by the fire for added ambience!

1st visit to Bembridge this year & this Inn was a great find on a cold & blustery day. Very Christmasy & welcoming.

Lovely friendly charming pub ,good atmosphere and lovely location log fire for the winter days

Had a really lovely cosy lunch in here on a cool Autumn day. Really warm service and the food was enjoyable. Great location for looking out to sea.

Didn't eat but shared a beer with my son by the fire. Super location and a lovely country pub on a cold winters day. Attentive bar staff - could have stayed all day!

We came here for our Christmas get together, the food was excellent , the Turkey was so tender and the Christmas pudding was amazing . The service was great and very helpful , all the staff were amazing . A big Thank you for a lovely Lunch and will definitely be back again.

What a lovely place. Beautiful log fires, so cosy, great music and first class food. We didn’t want to leave, staff were very friendly.

Amazing Sunday lunch today. Thank you to all the team at the crab and lobster

Fantastic meal at this pub. Lovely service, delicious food and really helpful staff. Highly recommend this place to anyone!

Large group of us went for dinner and the food was absolutely amazing! Really lovely atmosphere and great service as well. Couldn’t recommend enough!

Had a splendid evening at the pub! They accommodated the party of 8. The staff were friendly, helpful and service was top. The food was fantastic and was enjoyed by all. Reasonably priced and even had a live singer for entertainment. Great evening. Thank you for your hospitality.

Incredible meal at the Crab and Lobster, lovely service and cozy feeling inside. Recommend the fresh lobster!

This is a really nice restaurant and pub. Highly recommended. Excellent food, very good staff and a really pleasant ambience.

This hidden gem is so worth seeking out the staff are extremely welcoming the crab sandwiches are to die for and local real ales on tap What more can you want - well its bang on the coast with direct access to the beach and the coastguard station alongside.

Ownership, management, front of house personnel and kitchen can all take credit. We were there on a busy Sunday lunch time and left thoroughly pleased.

Nine of us stopped here for a light lunch and we were not disappointed. Would highly recommend.

Just popped in for lunch and it was lovely with very welcoming staff

Booked a table for the evening and was looking forward to dinner on the last night of our trip to the Isle of Wight. However, a really disappointing experience. Shame as the pub had a lovely atmosphere on arrival but service was so slow , staff didn’t seem particularly engaged and it took 1hr 30 minutes for us to be served our main courses. Thank god we didn’t have starters or opt for desserts. Food was nice but overpriced £28 for steak and chips and niether were cooked as we requested. Lots of mistakes , mishaps and people not happy with their meals too. Also be aware the service charge is added to the bill. All in all a disappointing evening on what could have been something really special.

Terribly disappointed with the meal tonight. The fish and chips, which we expected would be a great choice given the location, was truly inedible. Service was also very slow: we waited 1h15m for main course to be served. Maybe an off night, but we wouldn’t recommend.

Spent a very pleasant hour at this pub. We called in just for a soup and a roll at lunchtime. Mine host was very accommodating and found us a cosy table in his busy pub. Soup and roll were first class and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Also there was a young woman who started singing, who we could not see, but could hear, with a lovely voice, who apparently came from Ryde and had been booked. Clean toilets, would certainly go there again. On a nice day, lovely place to sit out overlooking the sea.

We stayed for a few days - food was great, views were lovely, staff really friendly

The crab sandwiches are to die for. The Best. Amazing views.

Great food, lovely staff and fabulous entertainment evenings.

Nice welcome at this little gem. We loved the way it looked outside and in. The view was wow ! Natalie behind the bar was chatty and informative. So nice to meet someone happy in their work..

We have always wanted to eat at the Crab & Lobster as the last time we visited it was during Covid times & the pub was closed. We booked in for lunch, upon arrival the gentleman asked us to take a seat at the bar whilst our table was being prepared as we were early. The place had a lovely feel to it, they had a singer performing & he was fantastic, it really added to the feel of the place. We ordered a Pork & Beef roast & shared the meat, oh my word, absolutely melt in your mouth amazing!! We both said it was the best sunday lunch out we have ever had. The staff were lovely & friendly & asked us several times if everything was ok with our meals. We cannot wait to visit again.

From start to finish and everything in between was nothing short of outstanding. Went in on the off chance of getting a table after trying two previous places (now extremely happy the others couldn’t fit us in) we were immediately sat at a lovely table with our menus and offered water for the table. After looking at the incredible menu we finally decided on our chosen meals. I had the risotto and my partner had the scampi and we had the shell on prawns to share. The flavours were amazing and the perfect portion sizes if not a little too much which is perfect, better than not having enough. The service we received was incredible and we have already decided on a date to go back. Thank you to the whole team 100% recommendations from both of us

I’d like to think we were just unlucky but we sat in an area with 3 other tables and all were unhappy ranging from over priced, to poor service, to small portions (the man on the next table had 9 chips with his fish and chips at £18). For our experience, we booked for 18.45 and were told they needed the table for 2020 which was fine. We ordered at 1850, drinks arrived 15 mins later followed by the starter nearly 45 mins later. We got our mains an hour after the order in and the vegetables were cold. We were given replacement veg but by this time we had finished our meal. My wife ordered plaice and I would say it was the smallest I have ever seen severed (they should be put back at less than 270mm long) and this one might just have hit the limit. Whilst the manager made some adjustment to the bill to compensate, it was too little too late. In summary, poor service and very poor value for money

We visited on a Monday lunchtime and had the mushroom and feta tagliatelle with extra chicken followed by chocolate orange tart - absolutely delicious, but I do feel the dessert deserved a scoop of ice cream with it. We had a voucher to use, but unlike the table next to us, we weren’t offered the removal of the “optional” service charge from our bill which was disappointing as it costs enough to go out for a meal as it is.

Brilliant service . We went for my husbands birthday lunch food was delicious . We would defo reccomend a visit to this place

Fantastic lunch in a great location. Well done service staff.

Great location. Let down by the state of the toilets.

Outstanding pub! Inside and out.

A bit disappointing really we have been regular visitors for many years the food is ok but with a little more effort could be so much better. For those that don’t know the Crab and Lobster it’s a lovely old coastal pub in a great location and has a fantastic outside eating area as well as numerous inside tables and dogs are welcomed. On this occasion I had Moules & Frites, the Moules were perfect fresh and tasty while the fries which I’d consider to be easy to cook were well overdone and looked like they’d been cooked in old oil in fact they weren’t edible. My wife had a crab salad again the crab was lovely but the salad was very average. I hope this review can be seen as constructive as the staff are always so welcoming and I’d like to think with a bit of TLC it could be 5 stars next time.

I've been coming here for many years, but had a few years gap recently. The pub itself is very similar and provides a cost atmosphere for a catch up with friends. I noted that parking is even more limited there now they have taken half of the already small car park and added extra outside seating. Service was reasonably - not overly quick and one dish had to be remade as it was dropped so one in our group had to wait Food is good quality and tasty, however the prices are significantly higher than they used to be. A whole lobster at their market rate was £70. Seems quieter than it used to be and feels like the prices have gone up to balance that out. Probably will not return as there are better options for seafood in the village.

Friendly welcome and a lovely view, the drinks were great, however having placed our order, various young waitresses tried to deliver the wrong food to us on three occasions before the correct dishes finally arrived - they didn’t seem to know who had ordered what! The burger and chips were great, but I was very disappointed with the seafood risotto - it was heavily overspiced and contained no identifiable chunks of crab or lobster meat, just thin shreds of something (not good quality) along with tiny prawns and some little pieces of broken shell (gritty!) and a few shellfish on the top. This meal didn’t warrant the high price charged (around £25), although on commenting about it the lady in charge did knock 10% off that part of the bill, so we ‘saved’ £2.50! Such a shame as this was meant to be a special ’end of holiday’ treat on our last day.

One of my most favourite pubs on The Isle Of Wight as I've been coming here ever since I was a kid. It's right next to the sea on a really warm day or evening it's beautiful, especially since it's right next to the sea. So you get an amazing view of all the ships and boats out in the water. The food is perfect and super fresh with lots of choice from their menu, plus the desserts are delicious. The staff are lovely as well

Absolutely wonderful staff , food and views . Our waitress Molly really looked after us and was so friendly and attentive nothing was too much trouble. Will definitely be returning soon . My new fave place on the Island

Poor quality canned food, embarrassing service, 5 star prices. Save your time and money, avoid it

6 of us came over for the scooter rally , and found this gem, great food great staff, good price.will definitely come back next year, would 100% recommend this place

Party of 13 came for dinner and was super impressed with the seamless service and excellent food. My husband and I shared the pint of prawns, fresh crab and mackarel pate, it was absolutely divine and extremely well priced. Would highly recommend for excellent service, lovely location (children played on beach) and superb food. Many thanks

Not as good as it used to be. The table was sticky and we asked for It to be cleaned, the restaurant had only just opened at 12. We had fish and chips it was over cooked and our drinks did not arrive until we got our meal and the waiter asked us if we had them. However he apologised and gave them to us for free. Other people had prawns and fresh granary bread which looked a lot better.

Really pleased we booked this after being let down by another seafood restaurant in Bembridge . 2 of us had the crab salad and it was delicious. Friendly helpful service. Dog friendly and fantastic views.

We enjoyed our night at the Crab and Lobster after eating at their sister pub. The waitress serving us was extremely attentive, the shortrib was very tasty and we benefitted from the dog friendly nature of the venue. We did however come to learn that the optional service charge on the bill does not go to the staff that were serving us. I'd highly recommend bringing some cash to pay tips for any good service!

The BEST salmon and tiger prawn penne I have ever tasted. Would very much recommend

Only popped in for a drink, but very busy, good atmosphere and good service. 👍

We just stumbled across this delightful Inn by chance on a visit to the Isle of Wight. We were served by the charming, friendly and intelligent Marcy, who recommended the crab sideplatter with mackerel pate, and it was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended. It also has the bonus of a sea view.

The staff were fantastic during our stay in bembridge - they helped with every need and we're all so lovely!

A welcome stop after walking from Ventnor. Good real ale

Fantastic food and really friendly staff, shame the weather wasn't better or we would have eaten outside and enjoyed the view

Great place and the view is amazing.i love the decor and the food is really good. Inhad fish and chips and I enjoyed it.

Beautiful view , beautiful staff, beautifully set out and organised , Beautiful food, And beautiful clientele

Grubby pub with barrels stacked outside and a dingy corridor to the toilets. Smelly toilet. Understaffed for peak season. The main view is the coastguard building blocking 60% of the sea. Sandwiches were thinnly filled, bolstered with a lettuce leaf. Used to have a good reputation, but now it's all a bit sad. Not recommended.

We ate there and I wasn't impressed at all,the food was pretty average and overpriced ,service was a bit hit and miss. Outside patio are needs relaying as it's loose slabs are noisy and loose when you walk on them. Needs a bit more attention to detail

We decided to pop here for lunch earlier today after visiting the Steam Railway. Greeted by a friendly and jovial gentleman called Bruce who showed us to our table ( we had a booking and judging by the amount of times the phone rang it is highly advisable to do so as this is place is popular ). The location is amazing it overlooks the coast and can imagine on a summer's evening the view must be stunning. The food was good and decent portions. Service was okay but I did overhear that they were shortstaffed. Please don't let the negative reviews put you off visting here as I can highly recommend it

Food is overpriced for quality. Service is appalling, If ever you are told it will be 30-45mins wait time ...just walk away unless you want to wait 2 hrs. You are paying for the location and certainly not the service. Far better places nearby.