The Folly Inn in Isle of Wight

This is a amazing place just perfect the view was brilliant I would definitely come back here food menu really good and they will change an item to suits your needs well done to all staff

This is one of the cleanest and nicest pubs I have ever been to and the best pub on the island. The staff are all friendly and ready to help.

Excellent service and friendly atmosphere, food amazing, quick efficient and great location Served by Nathan who was fabulous

Great place, great staff helpful and chatty, beautiful views Family friendly. Brilliant place to drop in for food and drink before getting the ferry

Lovely food, great atmosphere, staff very friendly and assertive!! Perfect for during the day eating/drinking with outside garden area. Cosy inside seating for evening time.

A very nice pub/restaurant bright and cheerful very clean ,we both enjoyed our lunch,no pressure to leave,The ladies room was very bright and clean.Our waiter Nathan was very polite ,cheerful and made us feel very welcome ,very good service.

Nice pub with great location. I know some people may like it but please turn off the awful music blaring out. Real ale hit and miss.

Popped in for a drink but stayed for lunch! Had 5 dishes off the small plates menu. Really nice and lots of vegetarian choices too. Staff were really friendly and welcoming. Ideal location on a hot day sitting under one of the trees watching the river. A lovely touch is that they have dog water top up stations inside with a supply of fresh water and clean bowls. Very dog friendly.

Visited the Folly Inn with friends on 24.8.24 for x4 Full English Breakfasts, All meals presented were excellent, including the single Vegetarian option. So happy to report that the Folly Inn is now back on track i.e. after a number of years in the wilderness. Well done Victoria & Lee, we'll all be back again soon to try out your lunch /dinner menus........

What a beautiful place. Hubby and I went for the evening. It was so busy so didn't think we would get a table but we were welcomed straight away and taken to a table by the window with a beautiful view of the medina. We ordered wine and food and thought we may be waiting a while. We didn't wait long for either and the food was fresh and delicious and prices were very reasonable. All staff were very attentive and couldn't wish for more. We will definitely be back. Thank you to Sian,Harry, Max and Amy for taking care of us.

Visited The Folly for lunch on 21/8/24. It is located down a narrow bumpy road but worth it when you get there. Location is right on river and customers come by car and boat. Lovely ambiance and decor. Felt as if we were abroad. Lovely eating out area and snack cabin outside. We opted for the fish sharing platter which was delicious. I will go as far as to say one of the best I have ever had. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. We hadn’t booked but they fitted us in. They also accept Blue Light Card so bonus for me. Well done.

Another Green King establishment and a worthy one at that. Enjoyed good food and friendly helpful staff. The setting is fantastic looking iver the Marina. We will be back guaranteed.

We love The Folly, we come back every time we visit the Isle of Wight. Last night we had the most delicious steak. We were served by the wonderful Jan who should have ended her shift. Excellent service from a lovely Lady. Thank you.

Fab place- regular haunt. Great for breakfast too. Good evening ambience with live music some nights. Fan good value food and amazing brownies!

Sian, Harry and Vic were great for our visit the other day, we were a little tight for time because of the ferry, but they brought out the food promptly and service was impeccable. Food was Devine and was our favourite dish of the whole holiday! We went for their signature burger. Definitely recommend, is a beautiful location and decorated.

Had a lovely late lunch, staff were brilliant especially as we had some dietary requirement issues they solved it all with ease. Well done

The long drive down to the pub, feeling like we were going nowhere, was absolutely worth it!! Staff were amazing, esp as we had a food allergy in the group, and the service excellent! The soft shell crab burger was the highlight - truly delicious. Would recommend 100%. If we lived on the island we would be regulars!!

Beautifully refurbished since we came last. Accommodating and helpful staff. Food was lovely, came promptly and reasonably priced.

We visited this hidden gem back in June while heading to Isle of Wight festival. While cruising on the river, we saw this place from the distance so decided to stop and see what it's like, and moored on the visitor potoon and took water taxi. We didn't book a table, arrived late afternoon, luckily it wasn't busy so had plenty of tables to choose from. View from terrace was amazing, we chose to sit outside and therefore we had to order drinks at the bar inside. Ambience was great, place is amazing, however food wasn't as great as we expected. Arrived very quickly, Bass risotto was well presented but risotto was too crunchy, hard, not al dente, ate bass, left risotto. My partner had some beef stew, tasted good, however meat was burnt. We should have mention it while we were there but waitresses were walking around, nobody asked if we are OK or not. It's not in our nature to grab people to complain anyway. After finishing our food, we just sat there with plates in front of us, until we decided to move from the terrace, left plates on the table and choose to get comfy on outside sofa. Overall, our visit was lovely, great place, beautiful views, food was disappointing and OK ish, selection of food and drinks were great. That day might not be their chef's finest day, but we will definitely be returning when we are next this way.

Beautiful location, delicious food and a very friendly staff. We could choose from Sunday Roasts to specials from the days and an a la carte menu. Loved the experience!

Delicious food! Reasonably priced. Staff were very welcoming and attentive. One of the best views I have had for breakfast!

This place is awesome! The food is so delicious and the staff are really friendly. It's a beautiful spot to enjoy your meal, and you can choose to sit indoors or outdoors. Sitting outside is especially nice because of the sea air. I absolutely recommend this place for a visit!

Visited by boat. First class for prepared with some care. Staff attentive and obviously well trained but does mean that for some of their staff to whom"hospitality" does not come naturally it appears a bit forced. That's a niggle and overall I cannot as a reasonably regular visitor fault the experience. Definitely recommend.

What a beautiful place. We were fortunate to visit on a glorious evening with the hot sun shining on the estuary. The Folly has ample seating inside and out, all with fabulous views and plenty of choice on the menu. The seabass risotto was delicious. There is also an outside bar and food station for entertainment evenings. It is a long, narrow road to the Folly but worth the journey and ample parking space. We will definitely be visiting again when next on the Isle.

Nice staff, great service, sorry but portion size was disappointing. Cod chips and peas was almost £17. One table spoon of peas and 14 chips (I counted) and a rather small disappointing piece of pretty average cod!

Great views over the media, have walked and sailed to it.

Nothing better than chilling by the water with friends and family

Great little find , friendly staff and great food

Great food & reasonably priced, in a beautiful spot. We were served by Sam, who was very friendly and helpful! Photo is the view from our table

Visited twice on our island stay x 8 of us were seated for breakfast which was fantastic. The service amazing and a rare appearance by captain Jack sparrow was epic. Then we were again accommodated for dinner on friday night. We were not disappointed our server who has 10 grandkids handled our rowdy troup one little terror in particular. Cannot fault any of it. Will visit again nxt time. Reed and Scott family.

Visited here 08/08/24. The food was delicious and well prepared, the staff were welcoming and friendly, especially Jan and the atmosphere was relaxing and enjoyable. Would highly recommend and use again.

I used to go to this pub often, the food was excellent, they had a brilliant one-man-band on a Saturday evening and after eating everyone danced on the tables. It's obviously changed hands. We visited at lunch time on a Monday so were not expecting it to be busy and it wasn't. We explained we just wanted a bowl of whitebait, some chips and a couple of drinks. They had to check if they had any "blanchbait". Yes they did. But we couldn't order anything until we had a table number. We went outside, sat down and waited for the er, waiter. After a few minutes he arrived, faffed about cleaning a spotless table and then asked what we wanted. Apparently the "blanchbait" might be a problem as it as it was on the fish and chip menu and they might not have it. We explained that we'd already asked and it was available but he wanted to double check. Eventually we ordered the WHITEBAIT and a couple of drinks, by which time we'd been there well over ten minutes. The drinks arrived fairly promptly and the food a little while later. It was easily the smallest portion of whitebait I've ever seen, consisting of a total of five fish. They tasted fine and the chips were OK. I know we only wanted a snack but that was ridiculous. The Folly used to be known for serving proper sized portions. Well, not any more. Don't go there if you're hungry! In short, the menus are confusing and the staff are nice but they are also confused about what's available and when. The portions are pathetically small. My partner said that the ladies' loo was fabulous, so well done on that!

Amazing, first time being there since refurbishment. The decor is so good with colours and mixing of textiles. Lots off different seating areas, we had a booth which was fab. On a nice day there is loads of outdoor seating with views over the harbour and beyond. Food was delicious we had mushrooms on toast and calamari to start. Burgers for main, no cheap meat here!! Only criticism which is nothing to do with The Folly, the road to get there is atrocious. Watch out for numerous pot holes and barely visible speed bumps. Worth putting up with that for a fab evening out.

The food was excellent. The service was excellent.

Some of the outside tables are not served by the staff. Take your table number and order at the bar. Staff will bring the food to you once it's ready. Food is good and reasonably priced.

Relaxing and delightful place to have a coffee, great view.

Had a lovely meal with a friend we shared the fish platter it was very good.The waitress jan was very friendly and helpful.We will definitely be back

The view is beautiful, the staff were really friendly and attentive and the beer garden had a great atmosphere with music and children playing. The food was good for the price and we really enjoyed it.

We were stuck as the ferry had been delayed . A quick Google search and we found a gem. Perfect for family’s. Huge outdoor seating area right in the harbour side. Food was excellent and we ate the lot. Will definitely visit again if coming to the island. Thanks.

We was a last minute booking has our ferry was delayed, you cannot fault the food for the price steaks where absolutely cooked to perfection if I could give ten stars I would

Nice, cosy and friendly place by the river. The food is tasty and the portions are generous. The restaurant is very well run with friendly and fun staff. Definitely recommend.

Found this pub hidden away on the Isle of Wight. Our server ws polite and very smiley very welcoming. Food was good, my kids ate theirs which is a shock lol. Overall great food great service. Would definitely come here again next time we are on the island.

Come here every time I visit the island. Decent menu good selection of food and views are brilliant

The food and service were amazing! The only reason I have marked down for atmosphere was not because it wasn't good...it was there was a live band and some enthusiastic followers. We did not book however and were seated in front of the band and had to shout to hear each other

Great food in the best surroundings - always worth a visit.

Booked this place whilst holidaying on the island. It's a bit off the beaten track,but set in a beautiful location. When we arrived, we were seated straight away, bearing in mind we were a tad early. Service was very prompt. The food wasn't piping hot but very nice all the same. It's a little bit pricey, but as I said, it was nice. Toilet facilities must have been the cleanest and most poshist public house toilets I have ever used. All in all, it is a great location, lovely food and excellent service.

Amazing Food! I had hunters chicken it was wonderful full of flavour! Brilliant atmosphere from friendly staff to live music. Will definitely be coming again!

If you are arriving by car don't be put off or think you have got it wrong as it IS at the end of a narrow and bumpy road. But the bumps are well worth it, great food and lovely staff.

Service was good ,Atmosphere okay ,food average.

Lovely food andexcellent service. Great location.

Had a fabulous birthday lunch with family. We all ordered differently and all were very happy with their choices.

Nice place to dine, the view is amazing. Food is standard pub food. Can't fault it at all. Thanks

Absolutely outstanding dining experience. Food was fabulous. Service was spot on and it felt like we'd been transported to a foreign place. Sun came out to play too

Seriously impressed with the Sunday roast, highly recommend! Great service with a great view, entry road is a bit bumpy though but it’s worth putting up with the bumps.

Been in yesterday for a roast dinner it was excellent. Been in again today as we are on holiday and some of us had cod crew pot and some of us had the beef stew. Simply Devine food but was is impressive is the excellent service and staff all seem cheery which makes the experience all around . We will be back next year

Booked for a wedding celebration meal. Staff were fantastic from the start making us all feel comfortable. Food was great and considering there was 15 of us all the food all come out on time. Dogs being allowed in as well is always a bonus with avaliable snacks and water. The view is great. Highly recommended for a events or just a visit. Or a pit stop during a ramble (nice walks nearby) Also the website is very handy and easy for bookings etc.

A lovely looking old pub situated in a serene and picturesque location on the banks of the river Medina estuary. First impressions were good. Entering we received a really warm welcome from Victoria the landlady. There's definitely a really homely feeling to this place so relaxing was easy.. We ordered drinks and sat outside on the river terrace to read the menu. The food when ordered arrived quickly, was cooked nicely and very tasty (squid, burger, steak.) Staff were extremely polite and helpful so recommending is easy. They've even got 3 taxi boat/ferries to get you there and back safely. Five star Folly.

Not your usual Greene King, we booked in expecting standard fare from a reliable chain and were more than astonished. The quality of the food was second to none, particularly the Lamb Shank, simply falling off the bone. Our dog was also welcome! Lovely views, a shame that it was raining but will definitely be returning when the weather has improved!

Food was a bit dissapointing,bit cold,roasted veg really were not roasted,bit soggy. Excellent veiw's and staff were freindly and polite. As this place is a bit out of the way road was bad going down the the restuarant

The Folly was recommended by a local lady. We were there on holiday. It was so good we went twice. The sea food sharing platter was out of this world and 10 times better than the over priced Best Dressed Crab. Next year we are going again while on holiday on the IOW. The owner and staff were so brill. Well done.

Lovely place down by the water. Good menu. Service exceptional.

Had a great time on our recent visit with some friends from the mainland. Good food and good service. Lovely location Will definitely be back

Great location. Great food, have to make a special mention to Sam, who served us he just could not do enough for our party, Great customer service from Sam and a lovely person with it,a total asset to the Inn

Seriously busy on summer weekends. The building works are all finished and it is now huge and very posh. No dancing on the tables anymore, I think. Vast outdoor spaces, semi shaded, but you need to book on a sunny Friday or Saturday evening. The views are as stunning as ever. Dog friendly in most areas. Still only Green King ales which are passable but underwhelming. Better luck with the ciders. The showers are now run by the Folly Harbourmaster, codes come with payment of berthing fees.

It's been a long time since my last visit to The Folly Inn, and it is much improved in both decor and food. It's a place not visible from a main road and is a little off the beaten track. Situated on the edge of the Medina River, it is popular with the boat users as well as us land lubbers. That would usually mean extortionate pricing, but not on this occasion. The food is good, with a decent menu that caters to all tastes, including vegetarian and vegan. It's a Green King pub, so I assume there's a common menu throughout the chain. Inside, the decor is modern and comfortable. Tables are well spaced, and being on ground level is wheelchair accessible. Outside is a great seating area overlooking the river and containing an extra bar for busy periods. The pub is dog friendly. There is carpark available for patrons.

Noticeable change for the better, staff really good. Very helpful and attentive. Food was ok, would benefit from being hotter! Beans at breakfast just, burger the previous evening also just warm still very edible, on the other hand Risotto and sea-bass, excellent. Will definitely be back.

Our favourite pub/restaurant on the island, always made to feel welcome with our two little pups Ted & Coco, Lee & Victoria are great hosts & the food is delicious, see you in October

We went on Monday, the day everyone went as they left the IOW Festival and had some food before the ferry. The staff were lovely and helpful, the location is gorgeous and the food was good. Lee was particularly accommodating and very chatty, which really made the visit more enjoyable - thank you all!

Been in Sunday for a roast dinner with the family. Place was packed however service was superb and food was delicious. Thank you from me and all my family.

We waited for over an hour,then to be served a cold roast dinner, inedible meat & the saltiest gravy that was also inedible Will not be recommending or returning, very disappointing as it was a family gathering

Stop for lunch post festival we go every year hear lovely pub beautiful setting and views. Lucky to have the sunshine to sit in the large garden. 10 of us great food.

Booked a table for 4 breakfast took our order and paid after 30 mins ask they said 5 mins after45 mins coming now after 1 hour they said just going on the plates we asked for a refund they were reluctant but did however charged us for the teas and no apology and it wasn't at all busy we were regular not any more

A great pub with an amazing view, plenty of seating inside and out. Amazing food, I had the grilled salmon, it was beautiful. Jan our server went above and beyond to entertain our children and made us feel right at home. Made our evening and our holiday

This place was a lucky find on our way out of the Isle of wight festival. Some really yummy food in a lovely location. Highly recommend Folly Inn. Staff were particularly great service and nothing was too much hassle. 👍

Lovely place with amazing views. The food is amazing and the staff are great. Lady called Jan is truly lovely. She made my kids so happy and made them laugh. I would certainly recommend this place for how amazing Jan and the staff are.

Great service! Perfect location! Super food! Victoria tended to us like we were on private dining!! Amazing xx

Lovely friendly welcome on arrival . We hadn't booked a table I did try but nobody answered the phone but we were given a choice of table as it wasn't too busy. We chose to sit outside as it was a lovely evening so we had to go to the bar to order. This wasn't a problem and the staff member Harry was very friendly and helpful with our order even suggesting some changes. Food was hot and very well presented. Over all a very good evening will definitely go back again.

Service was great and the setting is superb, turned up by boat for a fab Sunday lunch with great company

We had a very nice lunch at the Folly Inn with super service and tranquil views of the river Medina. Highly recommend a visit Thank you all at the ‘Folly’ .

Visited pub on arriving in East Cowes. The lane leading to it is pretty rough and pot-holed, and feels like it isn't leading anywhere. But stick with it because the Folly Inn is at the end and it's a lovely pub. We were there early so the only visitors (hence 4* for atmosphere). We received a warm welcome and ordered breakfast. Tea came in teapots which is always a nice touch. Breakfast was excellent. The chef came over to see if we were happy and we had a nice chat. The location is great and would be a lovely place to sit outside on a summer's day. Happy to recommend the Folly Inn, well worth the trip.

Lovely service and fab food. Highly recommend. Mussels were so tasty

Food and ambience were very good, however, our server, Nathan, really made our visit extra special. We had our dog with us, who is usually quite nervous when we're out which leads to our having to shorten our stay anywhere. Not this time! Apart from Nathan making us feel very welcome,he also greeted and made a fuss of our dog, who was extremely relaxed for the duration of our lunch. We found all the staff to be pleasant but we have to give a special mention of Nathan who was professional, friendly and attentive. We will definitely visit again and highly recommend the Folly Inn.

Sitting by the sea on a sunny day in the most beautiful and very comfortable outside space. The food is incredible and as soon as I saw their crab burger on the menu, of course I had to give it a try. A whole soft shell crab deep fried, yes my head was boggled too but it’s definitely worth trying, it was as amazing as it sounds. The Scottish man behind the bar gets a special mention, his efforts went above and beyond and even my son came away saying how nice and funny you were. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and I’d give more if I could. From a Ronaldo fan

Had an amazing time, the waiter we had was brilliant! He was a natural entertainer, made us all laugh, great member of your team, unfortunately I don't remember his name but he had a Newcastle accent. Great guy! The food was excellent had no complaints, and the overall feel of the place was comforting and friendly.

Visited for breakfast on Thursday morning. Really friendly and welcoming staff. Dog friendly and the food was delicious. Great value for money and lovely location.

Great location and good service

Truly saddened to say, but part of our meal didn't come out (albeit when it did eventually after the meal was finished,it was removed from the bill at the end). The batter fish was very tough and chewy, minimal chip portions, Caesar salad ok, garlic breadfelt like it had been there for a while, lamb shank was good though. Considering the bill at the end, we felt it was over priced for the quality of food. It's a lovely location, and the waiting staff could not have been better, very attentive.

Always a great spot. Soft-shell crab burger was brilliant.

Lovely place to stop after a beautiful day's sailing. What an amazing view!

A lovely evening spent by the water with some amazing food and great company. What a great place to come and relax.

Feels recently refurbished. Wonderful location and good food but it was the service that made it. Lee was brilliant with our kid’s dietary requirements couldn’t have made us more welcome. We had such a great dinner that we came back for breakfast.

It's a Green king pub but seems more like an independent pub. Right on the water with lots of seating outside. It has a 'Yacthy' feel about the place with lots of boats on the water. It gets busy, so you might want to book a table if you are eating.

Stopped in for breakfast, it's a random little drive down to it, but well worthwhile. It's a great place and will definitely go back now we know its there. Big thanks to Lee, who is fantastic. He was great with the kids and made them feel very comfortable while still working to top standards. He made our visit.

Lovely food and very reasonable on price

Steak overdone, not as on menu things missing that we're supposed to be included definitely not worth the money but it was very busy so maybe the wrong time to visit

Food was good but the drinks were too expensive.

What a location! Really good food and excellent friendly staff. Would certainly recommend.

This review is as the result of two visits to the Folly Inn. My wife, who is American, and I, visited the Island for the first time in twelve years and chose the Folly Inn for lunch. I grew up in East Cowes and have fond memories of family picnics down by the river there. I’ve revisited the Inn many times over the years and it has continuously improved over the past decade or so. We had a great experience last time that we visited and weren’t disappointed this time. The improvements are very noticeable. We chose different starters and main courses and every one of them was perfect. They were tasty, beautifully cooked and presented and good value. We even stretched our appetites to a dessert that was equally good. The selection of drinks and wines was great too. It’s nice that they have the best local beers and the Island’s own Mermaid spirits, for instance. The service and staff were wonderful (That’s something that I don’t often have the pleasure of saying) - informative, attentive, friendly and timely without being intrusive. The location is beautiful, of course, and the Inn is in perfect condition, clean, inviting, spacious and tastefully decorated. We spent time looking at the many little features on our way out. Things don’t always go as well on subsequent visits to places that you visit on your travels, but this was an exception. Having looked at a few other places by the sea and in the countryside, we decided to go back to the Folly Inn. It was the right decision. We enjoyed a perfectly balanced seafood “sharing” plate. The nicely presented combination of smoked salmon, shellfish, squid (calamari) and whitebait was excellent, as was the dessert, which we also shared. I’ve had inferior dishes in places with Michelin Stars. We heartily recommend the Folly Inn for everything from a “pub lunch”, to a special occasion. It will be our first meal venue next time that we visit the Island and we recommended it to relatives on the Island. A place that was once a slightly weary hangout for the locals and a few mariners is now well and truly on the map. Thank You to the Folly Inn team for adding some extra lustre to our trip.

There were 15 of us for a rally dinner. Orders taken efficiently and 15 dinners arrived close together - no little achievement. The food was excellent as was the service. We'll be going there again!

Service tonight was horrendous and it's not even the height of summer yet they really need to sort their staffing levels out before the summer rush don't think I will be going back.