The Pilot Boat Inn in Isle of Wight

Stunning atmosphere, stunning staff, and wonderful selection of beers from around the world

Was brilliant. Then got took over. Nothing but a glorified restaurant of sorts. There was a great bar. But snobbery and new people turned it into a, I don't know what. Shame really, was a brilliant pub. Now sells home made beer at extortionate prices. Would not recommend to stay at either.

Heard lots about the Wightknuckle beers, I thought it was about time I tried it myself. Ordered a pint of pale ale, probably the worst pint I've had in my life. Cloudy with a harsh fruity taste. Was it off? I couldn't be bothered asking as beer at this price point should be spot on every time. A pale ale it is not.

IOW lager 4% is delicious. Happy to support local businesses. Cheers!

Just had a cup of tea which I enjoyed this place only take credit card which I thought strange for a cafe

Stayed here for a night a couple of weeks ago with my husband and toddler. The room was lovely and well-equipped and so comfortable. Loved the continental breakfast the next day too. Very friendly host.

Can't comment on the rooms, but the service and location were lovely

We had a one night stay during our coastal path charity hike. The cafe/ bar area has a great chilled out vibe. The bar team were fantastic, really approachable and helpful. Food and drink were hood and reasonably priced. The room was well equipped, with extras in the hallway if needed. The beds were comfy, the bathroom extra spacious and we had everything we needed. I didn't realise about the external shape of the building until we returned from the very nearby sandy beach. It's a great location. I'd return to discover the area again. I'd also recommend The Pilot Boat Inn as a great place to eat, drink and stay. Thanks to George and the Team!

We sailed here from Southampton and this place was recommended to us by locals. We were pleased to find it very dog friendly as we have two. The food on the whole was very nice...... a great pizza, great beef burger, great chicken burger. However, the plain Ceasar salad would have been very disappointing...... (£9 for lettuce croutons and a few slivers of cheese) but paying the extra for the chicken made it enjoyable. Overall a very good experience with really friendly staff. And a nice atmosphere.

Great staff and service with cracking real ales !

Arrived at this pub after a lovely coastal path walk, hot and tired and in need of a drink. What a lovely pub it is. It was day of England's quarter final and we hadn't booked but staff were happy for us to sit at a reserved table until they arrived, which they didn't, so we ended up staying for food and to watch the game 😊 The beers are really good local brews, very tasty, and delicious fresh cooked pizza. The atmosphere was very welcoming, warm and friendly and this is credit to the lovely staff working there. Everyone of them was friendly, smiley and ensured everyone felt welcomed and comfortable. Thank you for a great evening

Fab pub lunch to break up the Coastal path walk. For some reason it was quiet (on a Saturday, when the neighbouring harbour view cafe was so packed it had run out of food). We were blessed with peace and quiet and a delicious fish goujon baguette. Own brewed beers looked great but we couldn’t try them this time as we had another 6 miles to walk after lunch!

We arrived in Bembridge Marina by boat and were looking for a nice pub lunch. After taking the Water Taxi, the Pilot Boat was right in front of us, what a great find it was. A good selection of sandwiches, baguettes and other meals to choose from and everyone enjoyed what they chose. Really pleasant bar staff, friendly and swift service. Desserts were delicious too. If only it was closer I’d love to come back. Only one suggestion for improvement: the seasoned fries were lovely, but it would be nice to have the option of plain, unseasoned fries as well.

Great beer flight from the brewery, food not bad but not great, although a limited lunch menu may mean we didn't get their best stuff. Adha, Faux lager, Pale Ale, Black IPA, Zapp, White light, fantastic selection of beers

We went for a walk from Duver Marina to Bembridge village and on our way back we stopped at The Pilot Boat Inn for a drink. I am not an ale drinker normally but the ale we had was very nice. Their ales are all brewed on the island, so very local. It is nice to give good local products our support and the ales here is definitely one of them. Friendly staff in the pub was telling us about their own brew and gave us a taste of each one before we buy. I would say if you like good ales The Pilot Inn is a good place to good. Even if ale is not normally what you would go for in a pub, this might be the place you give it a try.

We did not stay here but enjoyed a delicious meal. The burgers were delicious and the staff were genuinely friendly. And it is dog friendly!!!! Highly recommend.

I've always quite this place we stopped by to try that dark IPA they have brewed however I was easily swayed when I saw the opportunity to try six of their own brews for £10 it worked out about two pints. It was worth doing and included a chocolate Porter and a couple of lighter ones. They do have a menu for food however we didn't stop as we had plans but I written here before and it was really good food I definitely recommend it and go back. They have some benches out of the front and a small Courtyard out the back with some seats which got a nice amount of sun in the afternoon which was lovely just be mindful it is on about main road but there is parking outside the pub or opposite.

A lovely little bar with rooms. We had the taster flight of beers and loved them all. Great service, when a mistake on the bill was noticed the staff were already sorting this out for us as we asked. Will definitely be back next time we're on the island!

A real gem. Had the 6 beer taster and loved all of the beers. Would definitely come again.

The room was comfortable and slept well..disappointed about the breakfast given the impression it was hot food… Walk to local restaurants good..

Nice modern bar/restaurant in a good location. The building is very unique in appearance and looks great.

Driven passed it many many times, but glad we finally went in. A great micro brewery pub with lots of choices & a great manager who was very welcoming and explained all about the place. Cant wait to come back when the Pizzas are on the go... Try the 'tasters' - small glasses of all the beers on offer - good value too.

Great beer, and fantastic pizza. The young lady serving was so friendly, when we explained we were catching a ferry, she arranged for us to have our pizza 30 minutes before the kitchen officially opened. Tried 3 halves of beer, the pick of which was the Black IPA, so good, I purchased 4 cans to enjoy at home. Oh I wish I live in Bembridge!

We had a great time the roon was amazing i would go Back again no trouble

Great food and fantastic locally brewed beers

Enjoyed the real ale brewed locally. Food limited to pizzas. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.

This was our first visit to Pilot Boat and it certainly won’t be our last we booked with booking.com but would suggest booking direct. We had 2 rooms 1 with king size bed and 1 with Twin beds ,the king size bedroom was a nice size and very clean we had a small fridge and loads of tea and coffee in the room although the twin room was again very clean it was a little smaller but still ok. There is some noise from the main road and the windows would have been better if double glazed. We all had a good sleep the beds were really comfortable the breakfast was nice Continental but was really nice and plenty of it this is where we met the owner George he was very friendly and would like to enforce he was the owner but this was ok he greeted every person each time they came down to breakfast. This place has its own micro brewery and all the beers were really nice I did try all of them and really enjoyed them,the only issue we had was food on the evening as the pilot board does not do evening meals although it has teamed up with a pizza company and they looked nice and smelt nice but one person from our friends did not like pizza, George the owner is looking into a menu for future ,we had to go up to Bembridge villiage for evening food but it was only .2 miles away within walking distance and can recommend the Villiage inn . I would highly recommend the Pilot Boat for staying and beers

If you like a good choice of ales brewed on the premises, this is the place to come. Its only small but it was very busy when we came with a lot of tables booked out for the evening. Only serve pizzas but a couple came out whilst we were there and looked, and judging by the comments of the diners, very tasty.

Walked there, had a couple of home grown pints. Nice fresh, homemade pizzas. Quite small and warm inside. Sat outside. Selection of beers great, selection of other drinks pretty poor - a Prosecco for the Mrs on something? Was good not great.

Sadly having had a good visit earlier in our holiday it appears that The Pilot Boat is following the approach being taken by a number of hospitality venues at the moment. Not wanting your business!! Accepting that we arrived at 8.30 when the place closes at 9 ( I find that odd as well) we asked if we could order 1 takeaway Margarita pizza as well as two beers. We were told the kitchen had closed 5 minutes prior to our arrival (Why??) and it would take 30 minutes for the oven to heat up again. Not sure I get those maths. Anyway there was no thought about the loss of custom and a possible £25+ sale. Just, no can’t do it sorry. In the current financial climate I am amazed that small independent outlets like this can afford to turn customers away without a thought for the consequences. It wasn’t a staffing issue as there were 3 staff front of house and no doubt a chef out back cooling the oven down. If businesses like this fail and staff lose their jobs then I’m sorry but they only have themselves to blame.

This place has an air of quirkiness about it from the moment you approach it. The pizza menu is equally quirky - never before had we come across a pea and potato pizza with salsa verde so thought we'd give it a go. Absolutely delicious - the sourdough base was super, crispy and delightfully chewy. The combination of topics worked perfectly - delightfully herby. All piping hot and looked appealing. Rounded off the meal with pots of ice-cream. This place has lovely beer, good wine and fantastic pizza. A simple menu done extremely well and so worth a visit.

Very strange pizzas. Flavours were really odd. My margarita pizza included stale parmesan which smelled and tasty awful. The bases were quick thick and hard to chew. Would definately not return

Visited tonight for beer and pizza. Excellent place with great beer from own microbrewery (check out the black IPA) and great pizza. Sat outside and watched the sun set over the harbour. Great place - check it out. Oh and dog friendly too.

Nice friendly pub, great selection of in-house brewed and guest beers and ciders. Nice food, especially the pizzas.

Popped in for a couple of drinks and ended up staying to eat too! Been coming to theIsland since I was little but never been here before. Now a micro brewery with a couple of guest beers. The Hogans cider was fantastic and the pizza’s and salad were brilliant. The staff were lovely and helpful. Well worth a visit and you’ll be supporting a great small, local business.

Amazing beer, amazing pizza, very friendly and helpful staff. This is a dog friendly, pub/restaurant/micro-brewery which I have enjoyed a lot. The pizzas are very good quality, and there is also a gluten free option for the base. The beer is good, with a wide variety (all home brewed). They allow dogs in the pub and they have treats and water. They do all sorts of other drinks from coffees and soft drinks to wine and, as mentioned, good beer. Highly recommended for a meal or just a quick drink. They are in high demand, so I would booking in advance.

We were a family of four first time visitors, particularly there for the pizzas. We had garlic bread & three pizzas and fries. Everton including our 7 & 12yo thought the pizzas were great. One extra missed from a pizza was quickly rectified and the customer service was fantastic. Micro brewery pale ale was 5 star too. Only slight downside are the toilets in an external block. No lights!

We are a family of four, visiting for the first time. We were a little unsure from the look of the place but thought it seemed a little quirky. We were not disappointed. Lovely beer and cider and amazing pizzas. In addition, the atmosphere had a real happy vibe and the ladies were friendly and attentive. A great experience.

Whilst on holiday in the village we went for drinks a couple of times and then booked for family meal on jubilee day. Lovely quirky place , with excellent beers and ales that were much enjoyed. The tasting beers was great idea too. Pizzas were lovely as were the salads. Would definitely recommend

We popped in for a drink at lunchtime and were seduced by the menu. We had the chicken and bacon salad which was delicious. We also had some excellent chips, a great guest beer and Pinot Grigio. All served with smiles and much appreciated.

Nice Inn on the harbour. Serving their own very good beers. They only serve pizza but they are v. nice as well. Good place to visit

Our third visit of the week, and this time with further Wight Knuckle Brewery experience plus pizzas. We had 5 of the available 6 pizzas on the menu - they were delicious and sufficient for lunch tomorrow as well! A great evening all round and...

I came here with my friend to get some sunday evening dinner, and bearing in mind I'd never come to the pilot boat before, I was really pleasantly surprised by what was here. In December a new on site brewery opened with new taphouse bar...

We had walked down from the village to look at the harbour and decided to stop of for a spot of lunch. We both had a toastie and it were excellent. The staff were warm and friendly and very welcoming. They also have rooms for...

Amazing beer and delicious food. We walked in and thought it's all a bit quiet saw the menu and thought it's a bit tiny and we all worried. But we where booked and we tried it. The house beers where some of the best I've...

Had some ales and burger. Lovely food and drink. Friendly and efficient service, dog loving staff! Would recommend 🙂 will come back again

After a walk on the beach last night, wanted to eat something at 6pm. Places on the beach were closed and in the village everything booked up, but wandered into the Pilot Boat. Enjoyed a great home-brewed beer and lovely food outside, watching the world...

Had friends staying for a couple of nights at the Pilot Boat. Wonderful rooms and at a very good rate, especially for the time of year. Best thing of all was there's a microbrewery at the back of the premises, and a lovely sunny place...

Booked this quirky boat shaped band b /cafe bar for one night.The room adequate and shower was good. I didnt think it was value for money.Not usually one to moan but paid £108 for one night expecting more. We were texted with details including parking...

Stopped here for a much needed drink after a good long walk around Bembridge and what a lovely pint we had. So good we just had to have a second!! It was their own brew😋

A real gem for lunch, coffee, english wines (!), REALLY nice art gifts, and cornish ice cream. Incredibly tasteful decor with great owner. Very highly recommended.

Fantastic service very shock how it looked inside all new and fresh coffee was very good we didn't eat their but what I saw the food look very nice

Closed permanently. Tragic response to Covid lockdown. No sign that it will ever reopen. Before it shut, very nice landlord to over to lots of plans for the pub but alas not to be fulfilled.

We're walking the coastal path so specifically booked the pilot boat as it provided breakfast and evening meals. When we arrived I received a text saying no food was available and that we should try to find somewhere in the town. It's on the corner...

No restaurant available nor bar. Outside area messy. Really not what was advertised so we didn't bother to stay there. Spoke to owner/ manager on the phone and she tried to blame everyone but herself....these included the government, booking.com , etc.... No sorry, even tried...

The ‘All New’ Pilot Boat Inn... Warmth, people, food & a selection of red wine! We had a 5-Wing with 2 sides for £9.45 and as the Boss is a veggie, we asked for the veggie bit to be kept away from them there wings......

The Pilot Boat Inn has a very different and interesting menu compared to many of the other local eating places. I think they have the best burgers and the soups are great. In the summer, sitting outside and people watching is lots of fun with...

Visited this pub at 8pm on a Saturday night. Maximum of 6 patrons! Ordered a pint of islander real ale. Either the pipes aren't being cleaned properly, they aren't selling enough beer and it's gone off in the barrel or it's out of date beer. Worst pint I've had for some time and at four quid a pint

Cold and dismal bar person very friendly but not a place to visit and I would never eat there just looking around the placeVery dissapointed as I expected a quirky nice pub sadly let down by limited beer choice and the place itselfNever again

After a walk along the Coastal path, past the Windmill we arrived at the Pilot Inn ready for snacks and drinks.We chose to share a large crab sandwich with salad and crisps. It was really tasty and was washed down with a glass of lager.No music so it was nice and peaceful to relax before continuing our walk.

We did the 4.5 mile walk around Bembridge & stopped at the Pilot Boat Inn for refreshments. Good beer and choice of drinks. We ordered a crab baguette which came with salad and crisps and this was very tasty. Pleasant surroundings & staff. We have called in here on previous visits but I think it is different owners.

What a disappointment, my husband and I came to the Isle of Wight to explore, our only disappointment was the hotel, the whole concept is tired , no atmosphere in the bar, only one bitter on sale, went out to eat one evening came back everything closed up at 2145 unable to have a night cap. The room was to hot, this windows rattled, carpet had stains on it and mould on the tiles in shower, breakfast came on hot plates but the food was cold microwaved ? Certainly not worth the money.The public toilets outside the pub gave off an unpleasant aroma . Sorry won’t be back.

Stayed here in August lovely room nice and clean very comfortable bed nice bathroom would definitely stay again

This place looked big and tempting when we drove past, but actually it’s quite small and no good for food. Might be ok for beers, but done bother taking your family for a bite to eat.

Popped into the Pilot Boat in yesterday (Thursday Lunch Time) with my wife Edna. And had the most fantastic Baguettes. I had the King prawn and crayfish and my wife had the Cheese and pickle. They looked too good to eat, but I'm glad we did both delicious and good value for money. Well done Thank you.

Als je er echt van houdt kan je hier terecht voor klassiek English Pub-food. Het worst geserveerd door vriendelijk personeel. Er staan buiten een paar tafeltjes doch op dit ‘terras’ zijn alleen drankjes verkrijgbaar. Biertje £4,60 ! De gevel maakt het beeld compleet: zie foto...

Our room (one of five) was very comfortable with nice on-suite facilities. We had an extremely warm welcome from George, our host, who was very helpful. There is parking on site and the centre of Bembridge is only a few minutes walk away (up hill). Unsurprisely, given its name, the inn has a nautical theme and may be seen as a bit quirky by some people - but we like places that are a bit different.

Roast beef to die for plate full of meat great Yorkshire pudding a fresh veg could fault it at all great value for money

We had booked a table and so we must have been expected. We were about twenty minutes early for our table time but planned to have a drink beforehand. When we walked in we felt unwelcome as though we were intruding on the staff sitting and chatting at the bar. The door was open but nobody seemed to welcome us or come forward to take us to a table. The service was a little haphazard. The lady who brought out the food was friendly however we had no idea what was on offer in the “bistro style” no menu set up.

George had tremendous success with his pub on the mainland and clearly has done it again here. A very welcoming pub with good attitude and great food!

This Inn is situated alongside Bembridge harbour, with a closeness to lovely walks and coastal views. The interior has been updated and is warm and welcoming. It has recently changed to offer accommodation, which look fine if not a little expensive out of season.

This was the first time we had had a Sunday roast at the pilot, it was really really good. Lovely roast potatoes, great selection of veg perfectly cooked and huge Yorkshire puddings. We will be back thank you to the chef.

My first trip to Bembridge and only my second to Isle of Wight. I visited with an older relative and we had a twin room which although fairly small, was clean and comfortable as was the ensuite.

Called in to the Pilot Boat Inn tonight for a meal with my daughter which we both thoroughly enjoyed, the food was delicious, staff very helpful and pleasant. I am happy to recommend and will be returning on our next visit, also love that they have art on display by local artists,

This place is right on the coastal path, which was perfect for our walk. The food was good and the room was clean, albeit a little on the small side. Unfortunately we didn’t have the best night’s sleep as we were woken at 2am by returning guests trying to get into their room, and there is very little soundproofing between rooms. George was a delight at breakfast-time.

A bit rustic, but superb fish lunch. Lovely ambience, very friendly staff. Very fairly priced.. Thoroughly recommend a visit.

This was within walking distance if the wonderful Harbour View B&B; & recommended by the owner Tony. The welcome was lovely, the service excellent & the crab & salmom salad was superb, the steak also comes highly recommended. An excellent menu & very good wine list together with lovely service made this a very pleasurable evening. I’d highly recommend this pub

My mother in law, my wife and I went for lunch here on our visit to the Isle of Wight on a Sunday afternoon. As you walk in you are met with a dark wood feeling, so if you want the look and feel to be bright and white, this is not it. Personally, I like the look. We were friendly greeted by Hollie who then continued to orchestrate what I can only describe as a lovely experience. Hollie and her co-workers looked after us with great customer care.

Had a lovely stay here on the Isle of Wight after a family wedding near by. Beautiful rooms with very comfy beds!

The pub is very close to the beach. The food was fine, but not a great choice if you don't eat meat or seafood. The staff were all friendly, the only criticism would be that dogs are allowed where you are eating, which I appreciate is an advantage if you're a dog owner!

And the burgers looked great too. There was a choice of beef, pork or a fish option. Between us we had the beef and pork. Beef in particular was thinking sliced medium rare and delicious. Always judge a pub roast by the potatoes. This place cooked theirs in goose fat and we're crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Lively. Definity worth a Sunday lunch visit.

Very friendly service, beautiful decor, great food and lovely atmosphere. Would definitely recommend. My son says their Burgers are the best! I really enjoyed the fish & chips.

Fabulous Sunday roast - delicious and a dog friendly place - staff were lovely too Roast lamb was to die for. We turned up out of the blue and found us a table - excellent service and food

A great pubb overlooking Bembridge harbour. Good food and good choice of drinks at reansable prices.

We ate here while on holiday in IoW. Food was good - fish very fresh, well prepared and tasty. Certainly a notch above pub grub put not fine dining of course. Small but nice selection of local beers. Staff were friendly and efficient. Recommended.

Apologies, it has taken a few weeks to write this. To be honest we booked more for the location than the hotel itself, so were really presently surprised. Two couples for two nights over a very hot July weekend. The building is quirky, but the rooms are spotless and well equipped with imaginative use of space for the ensuite bathrooms. George covers breakfast himself and he is an absolute gem, very welcoming. The staff for the rest of the day were absolutely brilliant. Well trained, cheery and pleasant. Absolutely recommended, a great find.

Had lunch here today and were grateful that they found us a table. Two of the meals were excellent but the fish pie, whilst tasting good, was a little on the wet side! However the staff dealt with the situation very well and we would have no hesitation about returning.

Very good food. Friendly staff that are accomodating to your dietry requirements. Would visit again. Quaint town.!!!

Excellent food, fantastic staff, very dog friendly, made a fuss of my 5 month old puppy and was no trouble when we had to move to outside tables due to puppy being over excited by other dogs, service was great and didn’t have to wait long for our food and not expensive, we will be back

Nice lunch with my dog. Very friendly staff who made a nice fuss of my Border Collie. Local beers were good and enjoyed my lunch. Will certainly return soon

We went in on a Sunday lunchtime. It wasn’t very busy and we were a little disappointed that they weren’t doing a Sunday roast. This was because it’s been hot weather and nobody has been ordering it. The food we did have was lovely. They have a good selection of specials as well as the normal menu. We are regular visitors of the Isle of Wight and have been here the last few years and not been disappointed with the food.

Arrived last minute and luckily got a table. Looking for Scampi our granddaughters new favourite- as it was on the online menu -sadly menu had not been updated however all of our meals were great. I had a delicious fish pie. Will return one day hopefully! The lovely lady who served us was great with our granddaughters- good job!

Cracking pub, have been a few times over the years and the service and products have always been top notch.Be aware of a busy road (for the IOW) right next to the venue.

We stayed at the Pilot on a trip to friends who live here . From the moment we got there we had great service . The rooms were lovely and George the owner was so friendly . Breakfast was great . We never had dinner here but the food looked amazing . It was an easy walk to everywhere we wanted from here .

We're here until tomorrow and can safely say we'll be back. The room is lovely, the bed is so comfy I want to take it with me. The freshly cooked breakfast is cooked to order every morning. Hubby very happy with beer.

We stayed for a weekend, our room was well furnished, the bed really comfi and the en-suite had a really good power shower. We were going to eat for one night in the restaurant but the food was so good we ate both nights. Good range of beer on hand pump from the Island. Excellent stay and would recommend.

We didn't have the best experience here although we suspected this was not the norm.

I have given a five circle rating, I would stay there again as the room was very nice, the bar staff particularly welcoming and friendly and the food was really good. There were a few small things that needed attending to as they took the edge off the ambience of an otherwise pleasant stay. The grouting of the shower walls was black and stained, the bedroom window was broken, the hand basin drain was partly blocked, the TV was intermittent and the wind vane yacht at the front of the building needed replacing as it had seen better days. There was a bit of confusion when we left as the manager said we had not paid for the room and that the booking agent only reserved the room and had not received any payment. Luckily I had a receipt with me and he refunded the room cost from my bill. I suggest that, if you have booked through and agent, be sure to take the receipt with you.

Very friendly all staff,holy, storm,polish girl.xxx George a hoot, area outstandi g beauti great chef.

As part of a round the island cycle trip I stayed here with a friend for one night. the accommodation is high standard good bathroom with power shower. The pub itself is great with a good selection of beers and a broad mid priced menu. Breakfast was great and plentiful for hungry cyclists.