The Yachtsman in Isle of Wight

We had a poor dining experience, one meal in particular, the stir fry chicken was very strange with slices of raw tomato and bottled silverside onions. The other meals were indifferent, chips not really hot, a real bugbear with me as it's something that's so easy to get right. They close tomorrow until March so were obviously just not that bothered and keen to get off home. It's a shame as it's an attractive venue with live music and a real nautical vibe.

Can see there have been a few below average reviews so wanted to share my view. Seafood was extremely fresh, prompt service and two very polite staff. Every dish was lovely, as you can see the quality of the food was high. If I was super critical the mussel sauce was average and could have been better but I think this place believes in letting the seafood speak for itself. I can handle that purely down to the quality we had but that would be my feedback. Location is lovely with great views and based on our experience it was a good one. If you want some lovely seafood then it’s well worth a visit.

Stopped off for a light lunch while exploring the area. We had a delicious prawn sandwich which was served with salad and crisps and coffee. Very friendly staff and highly recommended!

nourriture copieuse et de qualité. Le pub restaurant est idéalement situé sur le port de Cowes. Seul bémol le service lent et pas toujours réactif.

A friend invited us to lunch, we have been to the restaurant twice before and the food has been reasona bly good.Today we ordered starter and main course on our arrival.The starter never arrived the main course which were Lingjuni ham and chicken and pie of the day Had little sauce on the liguini and the pastry on the pie was so hard it was impossible to cut it with a knife.The staffasje were very help full and apologetic ut didn't help.

Arrived at 7:45pm, food didn’t arrive until 9:30pm. Chips were not cooked, scampi soggy, red snapper was not red snapper, full skin on beer battered cod.Bad service and communication, questioned arrival of food several times, kept being told it was “being plated up” serving staff were so embarrassed they didn’t even make eye contact. Maybe an off day with the kitchen and front of house staff, although reading other reviews it seems like bad business as usual. Avoid like the plague - horrendously substandard and poor.

Poor Quality steak, microwave cooked. Not very good. Tuna steak salad also not well cooked. Disappointed!!

Stopped in a couple of times recently for lunch. The food is good and the service is very attentive. It’s also nice just to sit with a pint on their decking and eat the world go by.

We have been here before & enjoyed our meal(s) The view is great looking out to sea watching the many boats & yachts on the water.I had the scampi & chips with a side salad. All was good. More enjoyable if it had been served with a wedge of lemon. My husband had a burger & requested no cheese. It arrived with most of the cheese scraped off, so presumably this was a ready made burger.

Came here with friends for a Cowes week meal and was impressed by the service (well done to Josh who had only recently started) and the quality of the fish and seafood. I ordered the hot seafood platter (see photo) and it was delicious. The mussels were the highlight, but all cooked really well and with respect to the quality produce.

Very poor. Feel sorry for the hard working front of house staff who were great. We ordered posh fish and chips, seafood platter and a sandwich. Others were served before us who had arrived after us so we had to ask a couple of times about our food as it was well over an hour since ordering and unfortunately when it came the fish was accompanied by the worst greasy,less than thrice cooked, flaccid chips reminiscent of when your mum had a chip pan in the 70s and hadn’t heard of kitchen roll... the plate was swimming with so much grease I had to use the serviette to lay under the food to mop it up. Posh was not an adjective I would use... so sadly will not be returning as it is in a good setting. The apologies that only one chef was on was not acceptable as during the busiest time in Cowes a business should know better, but even one chef should know how to cook fish n chips...?

Very tasty food (although the number of vegetarian dishes seemed less than I remembered) A very relaxed atmosphere with pleasant staff. Because it was Cowes week we were able to listen to live music from the Parade too. A good selection of beers as well.

Visited on 24/07/2019. Food good size portions. Seafood paella was lovely , Tuna steak and salad good but forgot the buttered potatoes however they appeared within minutes with an apology. Friendly staff would recommend. Nice views overlooking sea if sat outside. Would definitely return.

This restaurant looks good the interior design was very current and was right up my street, the location is excellent if sat outside for people watching too and Cowes is a great place to watch people as they strut about! The menu and specials were very tempting I had the tuna and it was delish plus the puddings were great too. It was the lovely young lady who served us who made the night she was a total legend and couldn't have made us more welcome and was totally efficient. Would definitely return.

First visit to Cowes so didn't know this restaurant, however very pleasantly surprised lovely staff food was delicious lovely outlook all in all a very pleasant experience

We enjoyed a lovely meal, with delicious food and very good service. The weather was warm and so we enjoyed sitting by the terrace and looking out to see all the yachts passing by, it was like being in the Mediterranean!

It was almost as if the staff were not expecting any diners. First waitress very off hand in welcoming guests leaving us to find our own table amongst those not already reserved, having said to sit anywhere. Took an age for what was then apparently the new shift to bring menus, not bothering to take drink orders. Service poor all night, including waiting a long time to pay the bill, whilst waiter felt laying tables was more important even though no one was waiting to be seated. Food was at best average.

Four of us had lunch here. It was an okay meal. Pretty average to be honest. From what I'd read I was expecting better so I was a little disappointed. Maybe it was just my food choices. I had the scallop started off the specials board. It was nice but there was onlyone very small scallop. The 'Posh Fish as nd Chips' really weren't anything special. I've had so much better at non-seaside venues. The peas were bland, chunky chips okay and the beer battered fish.......not the best. Sorry but it really was very average.

Have been to Cowes today and decided to lunch at "The Yachtsman".

We were a table of 8, Saturday evening and the place was buzzing when we arrived.

When the food came it was good. But it took the kitchen 35 mins to tell the waiters that they had no smoked salmon do in the end we waited for 1hour for food. Disappointed.

Staff run off their feet, clearly understaffed. Great effort by the 2 staff on but could have done with an extra pair of hands. We were served within good time but got in just before the rush. Saw other guests waiting 20mins to have orders taken, saw others walk out-fed up waiting. Shame really. Food was nice but not really hot enough-probably as no staff to run food.

We recently ate twice at The Yachtsman within a week. The location is wonderful on Cowes Parade and the weather was warm enough to sit out on the patio where we could watch passing yachts and various ships. At our first visit we selected our food from the lunch menu, and the second visit we chose from the main menu. Our meals were very well presented, tasty and there was plenty to satisfy our appetites. The Yachtsman staff were very friendly, polite and efficient. We will definitely be returning.

Enjoyable lunch time meal lovely view by sea. View of sea and boats. Visit here when visit island. Service very good and friendly

The Yachtsman is the only pub with a sea view in Cowes so it was a natural for weekend guests from Somerset. Booked for Sunday lunch and very pub does a roast, yes? No, we were very disappointed to find that it hadn't got its 2019 season act together. Two had Fish 'n Chips which were fine - but not what we wanted. Two had the Steak Pie with what seemed like a small portion of powered potatoes.

Turned up as a large party without a booking, managed to look after us quickly. Drinks and service all good!

We visited The Yachtsman recently and were very disapointed.It was early evening and half of our choices were unavailable.There was a roudy group who the staff were quite happy to let disrupt everyone who was out for a quiet evening.This is not the first time this has happened but it will be the last.

We visited the Yatchman on a recent trip to Cowes, IoW.

Visited today, had a nice meal and nice service, but when ordering a kids meal we were told that there was “no mash potato left, only chips”! We found it a bit odd that you could run out of mash but make chips! This didn’t give us confidence in the freshness/cooking of the food - presumably mash is bought ready made??!!

Very pleased with our lunch at The Yachtsman - relaxed atmosphere and view of the harbour - it’s right next to the car park. There were families, couples, dogs, regulars but no over hectic atmosphere. Service was terrific - they brought a bowl of water for my dog and helped my disabled husband to the loo as well as being super attentive. Food was delicious we ended up greedily eating 3 courses when we saw the dessert menu. There was (discreet) live music too, don’t know if this is a regular feature. Will be going back!

We visited the Isle of Wight for the day whilst staying in Southampton. The Yachtsman is in a great location overlooking the sea. We managed to get a table outside and were not disappointed. Staff were very friendly and the food was excellent. Could have stayed there all day just looking out to sea. Will certainly return again and try one of their daily specials.

Great for lunch when topped up with a few starter dishes to get fishy variety. Nice open veranda and busy lunch time service but being warned food would be a while before we where seated the estimate was easily under shot. Friendly staff to - this is how to do it!

Good food and nice and friendly service, would go again. The puddings are first class. The sea food platter for 2 is enough for lunch and good value at just £14.00.

Whilst staying over in Cowes on the Friday of Cowes Week, my wife and I with friends eat here for lunch. We have been here before so knew the food was good as well as very pleasant surroundings...and that hadn't changed. Good selection and good quality, so would recommend this place to eat either lunch or dinner or even just a coffee/drink stop. Was amazed the waiter who took our order remembered anything we ordered and didn't write it down, good service too.

We had a late lunch of fish and chips. It was delicious. Fresh, crisp and very well cooked. The service was very good. Warm welcome, attentive and courteous. Thank you. Would come again.

We were made to feel very unwelcome at the Yachtsman’s by members of the staff who seem to have no concept of good customer service whatsoever! Give this place a swerve and check out the union instead, this was a much nicer experience.

Don't bother. You can do bigger and better at home. Weak. £12 for a plate of precious little. Staff defensive when tackled.

We had breakfast there a couple of times during cowes week. It was OK but nothing special at all. The female staff seemed engaged but the boys seemed brusque and unfriendly. Food was OK but only OK.

The first restaurant we found as the rain came down....and then I read the recent reviews.

Best piece of battered cod I've had for years. Must have been fresh as the flakes were firm and tasty.

We attempted to visit this restaraunt on Saturday 4th Aug. Granted, it is Cowes week and as expected it was busy. HOWEVER, there was nobody waiting to be seated, so we took a chance and stood by the door waiting to be seated. Well, we were stood there for at least 15 mins being completed ignored. The waitresses were so snobby!!! They kept looking at us as if were dirt on the bottom of their shoes and soon as we made eye contact and tried to get their attention, they would suddenly pretend to be busy and walk of in the opposite direction. Will never attempt to go there again.

We arrived for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon in a near empty restaurant. On asking for the WiFi code was told "it's a really weak signal".

Seated very quickly service was fast and friendly , steaks were great and very tasty but burgers were cheap and nasty 🤢 staff were apologetic but no refund offered so I recommend anything else from the menu

Poor food, service and rude management. Best avoid. Far nicer more pleasant places to eat along the seafront. Also over priced and poor value.

Entered The Yatchsman around 11:50 and asked for a lunch table, to be told by the young male waiter that lunch didn't start until 12. Fair enough, we said we'd get settled and order in due course. The same waiter took our drinks order at 11:57 but refused to take the food order until midday - a bit silly really.

I expect that this restaurant serves decent food and the location is excellent overlooking the Solent. The perfect venue for a sunny evening. Unfortunately I wouldn't know as I walked out after 15 minutes of being ignored. The staff refuse to acknowledge you as you walk in and you're left standing around like an idiot trying to decide whether to take a table or be directed to one. Eventually one member of staff reluctantly acknowledged me but I was then left at a table and ignored for another 10 minutes. Eventually I decided there were better ways to spend my evening........

I'm very rarely Impressed by a restaurant as you can see from most of my other reviews. The ambience and cleanliness was spot on. Lovely views of the boats,and the food was lovely. Ordered fish and chips and for the cost it was a big portion, even the kids meal of sausage and mash was large and good quality. All of us almost polished it all off and that's saying something with both my kids. Even the chips were good quality. Very impressed. If I was to visit the isle of Wight again I will definitely make a return visit

We often visit the yachtsman because of the lovely location and view and lovely food.You get good friendly service in a romantic setting.

This pub and restaurant is situated on the Parade in Cowes.

Good meal. Outside and inside tables. Rustic and nautical. Overlooks harbour with brilliant views. Good variety of food. Apparently gets very busy during the Yachting Weeks. Friendly service. Good value.

Great little find! Crab ramekins to start we’re gorgeous. I had the steak & ale pie which was very nice & full of tender meat. My wife chose the crab macaroni, well this was gorgeous. My wife couldn’t finish it all, so I’m embarrassed to say that I polished it off. Would have that next time. Very young staff were friendly & very professional/knowledgeable. All in all, I highly recommend!

Is aardig voor de snelle hap gewoon standaard niets bijzonders vrij eenvoudige kaart.

We came for a classic big fry. How hard can that be? The service here is bright, friendly and helpful. They were quick to apologise for running out of hash browns and gave us a bowl of chips instead - nice thought and good initiative, although chips for breakfast was a step too far after the Festival chips!

Visited on a Sunday and had half a pint of shell on prawns, salmon in a prawn & cream sauce plus seared tuna steak, couldn’t fault it , staff really friendly and professional

This pub is great. The location is fantastic at the entrance to Cowes Harbour. The food and service is great and good selection of drinks too

Location right by the water, large menu and good quality food. Seafood is especially good. Fun atmosphere and friendly service.

Cod and chips, salmon with prawn and white wine sauce, apple pie and Eton mess Lovely view of the sea and noats

We've been here many times for breakfast as they do great coffee and pastries. We visited a few days ago for dinner and it was great. I had the salmon with prawns and white wine which was gorgeous. My husband had beef hotpot which he really enjoyed. I had the apple and cinnamon crumble with custard which was delicious and a huge portion! The view is brilliant, especially when you can sit outside and it's definitely one of our favourite places to eat and drink in Cowes.

Having seen this restaurant from the ferry, we thought it's location and views over the Solent were worth a visit. We booked with 2 friends and turned up on a quiet midweek night and were welcomed by Jolie who was pleasant and helpful. We think Jolie was as amused by us as we were with her ! We asked about the Gins and Tonics she stocked and bless her, she admitted knowing nothing at all about them ! Much preferring honesty to b*s* and as she was interested to learn, we gave her a quick run down before she served us 4 Bombay Sapphires and tasty tonics!

We enjoyed an evening here, overlooking the harbour, eating great food. We were in the ‘almost outdoor’ section but it wasn’t too cold, despite being at the start of may and they had overhead heaters, just in case. The staff were attentive despite being very busy. All in all a great evening out on our last night on the island.

We popped in here for a quick lunch as were shopping in the area, I was really impressed with the interior its beautifully decorated and had a live singer even better.

Had a really good night out. Had the steak which was cooked perfectly. Lovely peppercorn sauce. Partner had the steak and ale hot pot! Good range of drinks on show. Although we were driving so could only have a pint. After dinner had a to try some indulgent desserts. Great crumble! Had a chat to the lady manager and the chef who were really good chat! Would highly recommend

Five of us popped in here for an early dinner on Easter Sunday. It was very quiet, but lovely inside. We all had starters and mains, all were good, except that they forgot my main and by the time it arrived everyone had finished and I didn't finish it. They did however immediately deduct it from the bill. Service was a little slow, as was the food, which was strange as there were only a few tables taken, not sure how they would cope if they were busy.

Went here for an evening meal while visiting the island. We was seated straight away and service was very efficient. The food was lovely and you could tell it was home made / freshly made. We sat by the window so could watch all the ship's going by. They do have an outdoor seating area too. We enjoyed starters, main course and dessert here. Would recommend and would return again! Great little restaurant, great service and great food!

Decided to try out this place due to its location, great to sit and enjoy the view, watch the boats coming and going.

We popped in without booking on Easter Sunday, and were found a table, even though there were seven of us and we said that we didn’t want to eat. In the end we did eat, and all of the food was just fantastic. Delightful table service provided by Rowena and Jolie who were both lovely. Live music was provided by Alex Katz, which was perfect for the venue, a great selection of songs, played and sang beautifully, at a sensible volume (we could hear the music perfectly but were also able to chat comfortably).

From the outside this looks like some sort of rough estate watering hole. However do fo inside and it is a charming pub. Food is very good, we had specials that were great and they serve local real ale. Service was a little random, but not in an offensive way

Came in for a Sunday roast as we usually do.. This time we were served by a new member of staff and I was not very happy with the outcome.. I am heavily pregnant and celiac, when I ordered my gluten free roast she did not write it down therefore when my meal came out it was not gluten free and I only noticed because of the Yorkshire pudding otherwise I would have eaten it not realising and could have made me very ill. I then had too watch my friend eat while I wait for mine too be cooked. The food was lovely as always.

We went here on a sunny fresh March day. We sat outside on the sun terrace. The view was beautiful with all sorts of boats passing. I imagine this place is fantastic in the summer!

We have avoided this place for years largely because it doesn't have the kirb appeal that so many other places in Cowes do. That was our mistake as the inside it lovely and the view from inside is arguably one of the best in Cowes

A very enjoyable meal, in unique surroundings overlooking Cowes Harbour. The Service was efficient and friendly, we will definitely return

Really stunning interior, called in for lunch,

We hadn't been booked but ordered our food at 6 pm. Unfortunately due to a number of large unbooked groups arriving the following hour the chef was unable to produce a dessert without a 35 minute wait. Disappointing

A little bit outside of the main town area but well worth a visit, the food was really good and prices were not bad either, I'll happily make a return visit.

Been a few times always been very happy with the food.. But have too say I had a gluten free roast on Sunday and it was delicious and they were more than happy with my fussy order.. Lovely service x

After walking around the waterfront and historic town we settled into the cosy interior of The Yachtsman for a delicious dinner. Great menu and reasonable wine list - would have liked a Pinot noir by the glass but good beers on tap. We shared a seafood antipasto style entree and then seafood mains. All great, we finished with a dessert of bread and butter pudding so we had a reason to stay and listen to the live music duo. The entertainment made a reasonably priced meal a while lot more value.

Lots of space and lovely pub. Good choice on the menu, and food was lovely and well cooked. With large portion sizes. Very much enjoyed.

We were killing some time with our two year old twins prior to our ferry crossing later that day, we happened upon the venue by pure chance.......

Popped in here for a quick sandwich, smoked salmon, Brie & bacon & a fresh crab with triple cooked chips!

Food is nice if a little pricey, but this is made up for on the surroundings and views over the solent. Could quite happily sit here for hours with a drink and a bit of sunshine.

Stopped here on spec before a pre wedding drink. The fish and chips were very good, the moules not bad, although there were quite a lot of broken shells. I would recommend for the location but would be unlikely to return.

I enjoyed the company and the atmosphere, but I will admit the prices are a little high as the name would suggest. I had crab cakes that had no visible crab chunks in it and to be honest I was not impressed with them because of that.

A beautiful house with everything we needed. Close to the shops and the sea. We would definitely stay there again.

As a family group of ten we were pleased to find we could be squeezed in without booking. Great location on the seafront and a window view to boot. Food was wellcooked although the otherwise excellent steak and ale pie was oversalted. Reasonable prices for the quality and location. Lack of wifi disappointing and needs addressing. We shall return.

We stopped here for food and realised it was part a small chain including the crab and lobster in Bembridge, which we thoroughly enjoyed so happy days! As that was 5 star!

Three of the seven main courses (burgers) were very over cooked to the point of being burnt, whilst they were eventually replaced the manager was totally indifferent to the point of avoiding us! Whilst the serving staff could not have been more helpful, a totally underwhelming experience.

Great location for watching the harbour. Very good food and atmosphere with proper,not fast, food. Nice décor and an enjoyable restaurant to sit in or out.

Lovely outside eating area with great views of the Solent. This was our first visit but will definitely go back, the food was excellent and the staff were very efficient and friendly.

Had a lunch here with my husband and two teenage children. My daughter reckons her Hunters chicken was the best she's ever had! My other daughter loved her creamy, filling macaroni cheese. The seafood starter platter was good too. Service friendly and welcoming, even to our dog! Food took a while to arrive but that's ok by me when it's good. Chips are divine. Would recommend.

Splendido pranzo all aperto con all interno chitarrista bravissimo. Cibo di ottima qualità (la crab cake era davvero buona), bella scelta di vini, locale caratteristico e personale cortese e velocissimo. Davvero top!

As it was the Friday of Cowes week we were expecting it to be very busy. Didn't fancy the standard burgers or the obligatory mexican food from the many food stalls along the front, so went for a pub lunch instead.

I don't often make a roast dinner for myself at uni so whenever I come home to the island we always make an effort to head out to a local pub for a family roast. I had the beef at the Yachtsman and I have to say I was really disappointed with it as it was quite tough and dry and the potatoes weren't crispy at all.

I love Cowes Week, even if you are not interested in the racing, the atmosphere and buzz is great, so it is super to find somewhere near the centre of the action to eat without having booked a table. We were fortunate to be able to sit on the veranda, a bit of a tight squeeze, but overlooking the street. My duck, off the specials menu was lovely,with new potatoes and a dish of veg, just the right sized portion and beautifully cooked. My companion had her favourite, fish and chips, we both cleaned out plates. Will definitely be going back next time ai am in Cowes.

A very nicely presented place with very polite staff, only big issue was the time to get served and get our food.

Alhoewel het eten eenvoudig is, wat je zou verwachten in een pub, was de smaak uitstekend. Daarom zijn we na de eerste dag nog twee keer teruggegaan. Prima eten, goede service, leuke locatie met zicht op de haven. Zeker een aanrader.

Good food and good selection. Service was good but staff took a long time to come back to take our order both for main course and dessert. Reasonably priced

We were trying to find somewhere to eat with a view of the sea and stumbled across this lovely pub restaurant. It is on the sea front has fantastic views of the sea so it is in a great position and is excellent. We all had crab sandwiches with salad, chips, with a bottle of wine. It was excellent, the staff were friendly, very nice and clean. Will be back again, when we visit next time. You can sit inside or outside, so it is well worth a visit.

The service was slow , the meals were not hot, myself and my son were poorly after our visit. It was a real shame as the atmosphere ,location and live music was excellent On a positive note our complaint was dealt with swiftly.

Four of us visited Cowes on The Isle of Wight on a very hot Wednesday lunchtime. This pub is in a fantastic position overlooking The Solent. Luckily we managed to get a table out the front which was in the shade. Two of us shared the Yachtsman Grazing Platter and a Pate starter. It was typical good pub grub and with a decent drink each we enjoyed our time chatting and watching the boats.

This is a beautifully situate restaurant on the shore with great views. The menu is extensive and reasonably priced. The food and staff were outstanding and I could not fault it in any way, in fact we took a vote and each of our party of 9 gave it 10 out of 10 (apart from one - a begrudger- who only gave it 9!). Over all an excellent experience and I would fully recommend it.