The Spy Glass Restaurant in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

This is a quirky nautical themed pub, full of a collection of fascinating seafaring artefacts... worth a visit just for this. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and as a pub it has a good selection of beer. However, the food. I ordered a chicken marinated with garlic and herbs with chips, my wife the crab. I was surprised to find the chicken was a breast, with the lumps of garlic / herb butter placed on top... even after allowing the butter to melt on the chicken it was still a bit dry and flavourless... not exactly marinated. The crab was ok, however both meals also let down by some of the driest chips I have ever had, I practically had to take a sip of beer with each mouthful to get it down... I am old school and brought up to clear my plate, however in this case we both just had to give up and leave a stash of chips... finishing the chicken just out of principle not enjoyment. It feels like a place that has a cook rather than a chief. Ok for a beer but better places to eat.

There’s a great atmosphere as soon as you enter, with wonderful nautical antiques on display. It’s great to find an oldy worldy pub like many used to be. The staff were friendly and the food was great and reasonably priced

Went here as 4 of us for lunch, managed to get in fine as mid October, good choice and food was very tasty, great views and atmosphere.

Ordered 3 alcoholic drinks but unfortunately my 18yr old forgot his ID so he wasn’t allowed his drink which was fair enough,his own fault ,went back for a second drink about 45 mins later 1 pint of beer ( for my husband ) a Diet Coke and a glass of water for my son ,was asked by the barmen “my colleague has told me to ask you if that pint is for the dude who hasn’t got his ID !!!!! I said no it wasn’t but I was extremely offended that he asked that ,we had already accepted he couldn’t have a drink as no ID but to be asked that was totally out of order !! I asked to see the manager and was told management had gone home and Dean presented himself he served me in the first instance ,I questioned him as to why he asked his colleague to ask me that ???? He said it was policy ! So it’s policy to ask a 58 year old who her drinks are for when it was already established my son had no ID and it wasn’t for him ! wont be coming back they are much nicer in the mill bay down the road !!!

Great place for food and drinks with lovely views across the sea. Shout out to the young man who was collecting glasses (wore a cap). Was lovely to talk to and took an interest in my small doggy. Lovely to have pleasant and helpful staff

Great views, healthy portions, cold beer and a friendly staff made this a great choice for a family Sunday lunch in Ventnor!

Great location views out to sea plenty of indoor and outdoor seating food is very generous sized portions can get very busy and you may need to wait for your food but it’s worth it parking can be a pain but top car park is normally available at cost If there are a number of you best to book ahead so you have a table

It was fine. It served a purpose. No one in our party loved their food - we all said it was we okay which was a shame. We won’t be back. Huge wait time for food with no warning at ordering. Lovely views - imagine it would be great to stop for just a drink.

This pub restaurant deserves to be rated much higher on trip advisor. Always had a good meal here and it’s open 7 days a week. Service is always fantastic even during busy periods. Great to sit outdoors when sun is shining but also love sitting indoors in the cosy surroundings when weather is not so agreeable . Cannot fault this place.

Trip to Ventnor!!! Lovely place, pity everything was closed. Great food, lovely atmosphere and quite a busy pub. Staff very professional and views amazing. Highly recommended.

The views from outside across the sea and beach are amazing. We came here for lunch, I had a baguette and my friends had the chicken strips and soup of the day. We all enjoyed our food and the views.

We were in Ventnor on the Friday of our holiday, and being lunchtime, we were drawn to the idea of fish and chips overlooking the sea. The Spy Glass was already busy and whilst it meant queueing to order it did provide a great atmosphere. Surprisingly the food really didn't take very long to be delivered to the table. The portions were very generous and cooked to perfection. We thought that this was a popular haunt for locals but we were pleased that we could join them and savour the atmosphere and views, along with our meal. A great end to the week.

Personally I think this is one of the best pubs on the Isle of Wight..fantastic views and such an old style pub..small bar but not a problem to queue ..food also very good and a decent specials board

This place is in an amazing position at the end of the beach. Well staffed, the food that came out of the kitchen looked excellent. Service is good, clean and tidy, would recommend

We have visited the Spy Glass for thirteen years. I have always had a crab sandwich which normally are amazing. This year not only did the weather disappoint but the crab baguette was very disappointing! There was very little crab on it, the price has gone up and all I could taste was bread and margarine, very disappointing!!!!

I personally think this is one of the best pubs on the island.it retains all the features from years gone by..terrific position at the end of the town..great food ..great service and a great choice of drink

Second time coming here. Last time we had alcohol but this time had a hot chocolate and a capaccino. Lovely outside seating right on the beach. Went inside to powder my nose and you could spend ages in there. They have wall to wall relics of items from ships. So interesting.

Das Pub war an einem Donnerstag Abend sehr gut gefüllt, aber wir bekamen mit vier Personen noch einen Platz im „Boatshouse“, welches unmittelbar neben dem Haupthaus liegt und in dem jedenfalls die Luft besser war, wenn man auch leider nichts von der Musik mitbekam, die später am Abend noch gespielt wurde. Die Auswahl an Essen und Getränken ist sehr gut, diese muss man im Pub bestellen gehen und die Getränke dort mitnehmen, das Essen wird einem dann gebracht. Die Schlangen waren lang, aber die Menschen an der Essensbestellung und der Theke sehr freundlich. Das Essen kam relativ zügig und war sehr gut, wir hatten Lasagne, Salat mit gebackenen Shrimps, Chicken Fingers mit Fries und Chili con carne. Die Lage des Pub ist grandios, direkt am Meer.

The have a seating area the size of a small village, the bar is the size of an ice cream booth, too many different levels a too longer queue at the bar. Not for us thank you we will go somewhere smaller and friendlier

Went here early evening, lovely views while eating outside, I had fish and chips and it was lovely but a friend had plaice and it was bit disappointing tad overdone. Some of the staff were very friendly

Really disappointing food. My wife had fish and chips, the fish batter was burned; I had “homemade Chilli con Carne” which was frankly awful. The setting on the sea shore in Ventnor is special, based on our experience the food should be avoided!

What a find! The position of this restaurant is fantastic. We spend a lovely relaxed few hours there. We had lovely food and service was great. The view outstanding and we would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant

Have eaten here on several occasions with my family and have done there best to accommodate my daughter who has disabilities. All the staff are very friendly and welcoming. The food was very good and the service was very good. Would recommend

This quirky pub is an excellent place to have a meal, and watching the sun set. Food is served in generous portions, lovely and hot.

I just love The Spy Glass Inn .. People are friendly and it's a relaxed atmosphere .. You are right above the beach and on a sunny day the terrace is full.. I had the green-lipped mussels and they were FABulous , I even mopped up the garlic sauce with my bread .. I would recommend ..

This is my favourite place to eat and drink on the Island (just topping it’s sister pub, the Steamer Inn in Shanklin). Great food, generous portions, a wide range of drinks, friendly and attentive staff, everything reasonably priced and wonderful views of Ventnor Cove. It’s...

Me and the wife were recommended this place and it was great. Great views, old style boozer with character, good choice of beer and the food, we both had fish and chips , absolutely lovely, I’m a good eater but even I struggled to finish...

Just stopped for a drink, great views on a sunny day and heaving with people who all looked to be enjoying their seafood. Seemed like a really nice vibe,

Have always loved the location of the Spy Glass, so thought I would take friends there for a meal. Found a great table outside, went inside to order, where we spent at least 30 minutes in a cramped, dark bar area, waiting to order food,...

Been visiting this place for years and as much as we love its location the food has got progressively worse its basic pub grub very expensive for what it is £13 quid for macaroni cheese,i think a deluxe burger is £15 ! and its not...

Arrived here, to a lovely setting. Had high hopes as it was so busy. Queued for 50 minutes just to order the food. When the food arrived it was all clearly microwaved or deep fried. The food was very 80s. Golden rule I’d say. If...

We have been eating at the Spyglass Inn for many years and always try to visit it when we go to the Isle of Wight. We usually have the Seafood Platter. On our previous visits this provided enough for two people. Last week the platter...

Great service, local beers and drinks and lovely fresh seafood. Very busy when we arrived after 5 but we found a table and enjoyed our time.

Perfect meal in great location I haven’t been here in over 8 years and my god The fish platter is still as good as o remembered Staff professional, friendly & helpful

We visited on Sunday about 4 pm, queue not to bad and we were seated quite quickly. Menu typical pub grub, no what you would call wholesome offerings, no vegetables in sight just chips and salad or garnish, the only veg they could offer was...

Pleasant pub and restaurant on the sea front, in an ideal location. Food was fine and plenty, but always had a que outside, which went down, but be careful what time you arrive. After 7pm it’s quite lengthy even though it was quiet in the...

If a microwaved fish pie and straight from the blister mackerel fillets are your thing, be my guest. Usual sad, poorly executed, pub grub. Never again.

We had a late afternoon visit to Ventnor Beach. It had been a miserable day weather wise and we hadn't eaten lunch and were on our feet. We queued 30 mins at 6pm to get in and the queue did not get smaller before we...

Lovely sea view and thoroughly enjoyed the shared seafood platter which was perfect for grasing . Even the dogs had a share.