Union Inn Pub in Isle of Wight

A traditional old English pub with good food , well worth a visit , nice friendly staff good beer and a minute from the water front and town centre

First in for new breakfast service,staff welcoming and jovial,very attentive to providing great service.breakfast menu offered a good rage of options for all appetites.we had a full English which was well presented and hit the mark setting us up for the day,whether sailing or on dry land worth setting a course for the union inn.

As a regular visitor to Cowes by boat I’m always looking for the best place for a breakfast. Now that the wonderful Union has started to do breakfasts the search is over. A great selection of quality breakfast options in the relaxed atmosphere loved by locals and visitors. Great.

We were met by the most miserable young girl from behind the bar. She was surly and everything was a massive effort. She did however smile when the landlord arrived! My glass was covered in lipstick as well and I even apologised for asking her to change it 🙄 Such a shame as it looked a lovely pub

We popped in for a few drinks over the Xmas period. Did not get any welcome or smile from staff. There was a bald guy who must be the landlord who looked at strangers who came into the pub like he recognised them from crime watch. We did not have food so cannot comment on that. We had a few drinks and decided to have one more before we moved on. Unfortunately there was no alcohol in any of them. We got the thought that the ‘possible landlord’ did not like ‘our sort’ and this was his way of telling us to leave. A very strange experience indeed and Fullers will be informed.

Moved to the island 3 years ago and we'd almost given up finding a 'proper pub'. Spotting the fire through the window as we went for a boxing day walk I dragged my husband through the door and our faith was restored! Great environment and drinks - hospitality was first class. Well worth the ferry from East Cowes.

Lovely, friendly service. Food was really tasty and generous portions. Our dog was given a bowl of water and treats! Will come again!

We were struggling to find a place to eat that could accommodate 6 of us at nearly 8 o'clock on a Friday night when we stumbled upon The Union Inn. It was a relief to see traditional pub grub which suited the adults and kids in our group. It was also reasonably priced. Expectations were not very high as it just looked like a locals pub but we found a cosy corner and settled in. The food arrived quickly and it was really good! Steaks were cooked perfectly and the portions were generous. One of our group has the brownie for dessert and loved it. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Would definitely go back again.

The pub is very traditional and has some very attractive features. There wasn’t much of a welcome from the bar staff, who just seemed to be waiting for her shift to end while she tapped away, or chatted, on her mobile phone. Food prices were average, drink prices were higher than expected, but we don’t generally visit Cowes so maybe that’s the norm here. Pub was quite dusty pretty much everywhere, which always makes me wonder if the kitchens are any better.

2nd or 3rd stay here over a couple of years and whilst its always been good, its getting better. It's not top dollar rate but they really make the most of what they have. Its an old town tavern in the heart of Cowes. I am sorry I didn't get the Bar persons name but they were really welcoming and friendly. Be mindful, as an old building there are steps, beams and wonky bits. Rm 2 is a cosy double. In the room No UHT milk...instead 3 x types of fresh milk and nutty alternatives, and Juice, x 3 types in the mini fridge. This will make more sense to UK peps...no complimentary hard as brick ginger n chaff cookies, instead a chocolate covered Tunnocks! As I said earlier, they are making the most of what they have and the owners and staff should be commended. There is no parking, but plenty on the seafront, a 30 second walk 6pm to 10am parking is free. For my evening meal, I opted for the steak, and it was lovely. £16.00. I am travelling alone and have no concerns here at all. Breakfast is continental to the room. Could it improve? Probably,a flick of a dusty here and there If yr visiting to Cowes, snap this place up!

Amazing customer service and the best belly pork I’ve ever had xx fabulous place If you’re in Cowes this is a must Even stoked the fire when asked x

Dropped into the pub next door to our B&B for a couple before dinner. This was a cycle trip raising money by visiting all the Lifeboat Stations in GB, and the locals donated to our cause. Good old fashioned proper pub with lots of good beers.

Unions own website states pub closes 11pm, at around this time the noise started, it seemed once all the other pubs closed everyone piled into the union, doors to the rooms upstairs accessible and used as a rat run, when I went down to the bar staff and crowded pub asking when it closed I was greeted with “we’ve got a license till 2am” and that was it…… Website shows full English but a very poor bag of food left in the hallway for your breakfast. Considering b&b this is very poor, you actually need sleep and breakfast!!! No to little sleep achieved as beyond noisy and could even hear individual swearing coming from the general roar of voices. We left early to get breakfast nearby at a cafe. Save your money, we had a family room as had our daughter with us but this was definitely not a family stay!!!! Photos look amazing but once there, poor finish, not the cleanest and tired. After sleeping the sheet had become uncovered and discovered the grosse mattress, didn’t actually want to delve any further with the other mattresses. Two single beds very uncomfortable.

Lovely atmosphere when we entered, but not greeted with a friendly smile by the barmaid. She took our drinks order, served it but promptly refused my cash " Sorry, card only ". Come on - busiest night they have had for months and they don't take cash ! I don't go to a pub with plastic so had to leave, at which moment the barmaid tipped my pint down the sink ( not sure what she did with the large glass of Merlot ). Happy and Prosperous New Year Matt Parker.

From the outside The Union Inn looks very inviting, that's the best I can say. On entering the pub there wasn't even a smile from the waitress. We ordered a pint of London Pride (not the best pint of Pride) and 3 x Mermaid gins which were served in soft drink glass. Surely in 2021 it isn't too much to expect a "gin glass"? We had one drink and left. Certainly not the best £18.80 that I have spent in Cowes.

Have been dying to visit this pub for some time and finally managed it on Saturday. Lovely friendly place with a great atmosphere.

Had a couple of beers outside on Thursday ....... Freezing but interesting watching the world of Cowes go by . Local brewery ales a joy 👍👍

The Union inn, well well well... Me and my friends had just completed the Isle of White loop on our bicycles, and were extremely hungry looking for a celebratory meal. To be honest we weren't expecting a 5 star meal because it is a pub after all, but we craved some good fashioned food with a couple of nice beers (which to their credit were cold and delicious). It all started when my lovely friend James walked into the main entrance of the pub. He was abrasively met with an EXCUSE ME, COME IN THE OTHER DOOR AND WEAR A FACE MASK. There were no signs, so the level of abrasion was quite surprising. Anyway, these things happen, she was probably having a bad day, so we gave the pub a chance. Next - we were taken to the back room which had no lighting at all. When we were sat down I asked, is there any lighting in here? The waitres replied with 'no'. And walked off. Bit strange, we thought. When we come to the food later it will became rather clear why sitting in a dark room made absolute sense. Now we come to the main event, the food. Jiminy cricket it was horrifying. Lets start with the 'fish and chips'. The chips were fine, however the fish was so soggy it reminded my friend of wet cardboard. The 'burger' was just woeful - I honestly have had better burgers at the bowling alley. To start with, the bread was completely stale, the burger itself was about 20mm thick and was hard and gritty, with no garnish - essentially something you would microwave for a group of 5 year olds at a village hall party, to charge £11 for it is complete daylight robbery. Now we move onto the 'garlic' bread. Now to put this complaint in context, my friend Mikey HATES complaining, its against his nature, but everyone has their limits. The garlic bread was burnt on the edges, it was bone dry in the middle, and without a hint of garlic or any herbs or seasoning for that matter, essentially a burnt piece of bread - shocking. Last but not least, the steak and ale pie, can't go too far wrong you may think, right? Wrong. The steak was chewy, the pastry felt like it had been microwaved and again was a victim of the soggy cardboard problem they have at the Union inn. They poured gallons of gravy over the meal to try and mask their crime. At this point if you are still considering going to the Union inn, let me put the nail in the coffin, read on. All of these things can happen, rubbish food, bad days, lack of staff, etc. But what made me log onto my laptop and write this review was the lack of empathy, lack of care, and complete disregard for the feedback. As I mentioned before, we'd had a pretty long day, and know the tough position that pubs are in at the moment, so we didn't want to kick up any sort of fuss. Hearing neighbouring tables complaining about their food too made us even less willing to criticise. Saying that, however, we did feel it was right to give some level of feedback after the ordeal we'd endured at the Union Inn. As our plates were cleared from the table, I met the landlady's eye and delivered some what I felt was honest feedback, in the hope that we'd be given some sort of concession, or at least a muted apology. Sadly, however, like so many times before, we were disappointed. After totally ignoring our qualms, whisking away our plates, and actually criticising us for complaining "too late", the landlady disappeared to send junior member of staff in to collect payment. She was, to her credit, at least able to revisit in order to ask us to leave in the proceeding moments. All in all, 1 star is fair, and you do get what you pay for, but we spent a lot of money in the Union inn, and to be treated this way was appalling, shocking and upsetting. If you like soggy cardboard, I would highly recommend, but if like me you don't (and you like a bit of lighting when you are eating) then don't visit.

Stopped by without having booked for a meal and were thoroughly delighted! Everything was done in accordance with social distancing and track and trace so no concerns there. The menu had a fine selection of meals, we chose the pie of the day which was steak and ale with chips and peas. The pies were lovely, a good size and fine quality fillings. The chips were amazing! Nice big chunky chips with a golden crispy outside and smooth centre - perfect!

Good service with a welcoming smile. The Sunday lunch was lovely and incredibly value for money. Will definately return.

Visited Union Inn for lunch and had great food, great service whilst sitting in front of open hearth fire. Whats not to like on a cold, wet November day.

First visit. Had heard good things. We had a one year old with us. Although we understand it may be a small and old pub it had no high chairs. Fine we worked around it. Leffe on tap was a winner. We ordered food which despite the pub being virtually empty took ages to arrive. The fish and chips was ok but the fish was a little overdone. Staff were friendly but I also ended up changing my son on the floor of the ladies as there was no baby change station or disabled toilet from whatvis could gather either. Nice enough pub but not sure I would rush back.

The Union Inn nestles on a slipway off Cowes’ old High Street, a great location for wondering down and looking in all the small shops. It is a quaint looking small building that looks like it fits in with its surroundings.A Fullers tied house, the beer range is all from the standard range so not a great visit if you’re looking for something unusual beer wise. We didn’t eat here but popped in for drinks late afternoon. It was quiet with only a few regulars in, the beer and gin were good. The interior is a little worn in places (such as the wing back chairs by the fireplace) but overall the decor is ok and not too over the top. Out the back is a larger dining room with glass roof and beyond that the gents, the area around which was rather oddly filled with a couple of folding beds and other detritus at the time of our visit.We didn’t eat here but food looked to have a reasonable choice.Would probably try again if in the area.

Fantastic place really friendly staff and a great feel in the pub. Food is very good pub fair and a wide selection of beers and largers

Eaten here several times and thoroughly enjoyed a hearty meal. Today a new chef had arrived and only sandwiches available for lunch. However, we were served a drink and when we asked if a recommendation could be given for another place for lunch this was given happily, and a booking made for us by the most fabulous Rachel. Because of her outstanding service and friendliness we shall go back and test the new chef's dishes. Thank you so much Rachel.

Great location BUT awful service. Very short staffed ( the only member of bar staff was great, but needed help ) wouldn’t take my food order as kitchen couldn’t cope. Chef swearing at customers who quite rightly left without paying. The owner arrived mid-evening & clearly didn’t care.

Party of six. Food took over an hour to arrive, of which 2 orders were incorrect. Had to remind the waitress of one order which then took another 15 minutes to arrive. Food was far from special. Mostly over cooked and pretty bland. Didn’t seem to be particularly busy, so the wait for food was unacceptable. Will not be visiting again

Spent some time wandering Cowes on our family holiday, and we stopped for a quick drink (husband, myself and two children). I'm glad we did stumble across this place... Friendly staff, lovely interior (traditional pub decor) and a good choice of drinks on offer.

This pub is such a great location and it is obviious that some money has been spent on the interior design but it is tired, dirty and too dark. The location is fab and one of the few places you can sit outside and watch the sea and boats coming and going but its just very tired. The loos are filthy and neglected. This place really deserves to be loved and should be bright, clean and busy as the location is spot on.I would not eat there

Pies are fantastic in this old pub. Great service, great food and good decor. Well worth an evening.

We had late lunch on a quiet Tuesday Reasonable menu quite good choices I had fish and chips, my partner had sea bass which he recommends

Had lunch in there this afternoon 8/07/19 did not rate the food at all

This place was recommended by our landlady, and we were not disappointed when we popped in for a drink and meal. I tried the local gin and tonic, while M had a Guinness. We both ordered the lamb shank which was simply delicious! Very tender and tasty, served with plenty of gravy, mashed potato, carrots and beans.

This is a characterful pub, with a fun landlady and good atmosphere. A proper pub, rather than a trendy bistro. This was exactly what we were looking for.

Turned up enmasse in a big group without a reservations. Drinks served quickly and service friendly and efficient!

On 28th January i booked a stay at the Union Inn pub for May via booking.com. Was told that no payment would be taken and that i would need to pay when i arrived. £158 was taken from my bank account on 28th January by the property. I then had to cancel due to personal reasons on 5th February. I received a confirmation of the cancellation telling me this was free of charge. I did not receive a refund from the property so i sent an email. I received no response so i sent another email, still no response so i sent a 3rd email. Still no response so I called the property to be told they had no record of the booking or cancellation and told me i had to ring their central reservation team. I did this, they found the booking and cancellation and said they could not process a refund as they had to get authorisation from the owner, they said they would call me back. They did not. I called again, again they told me they had to get authorisation from the owner. I had to call a 3rd time and a 4th time as nobody got back to me and i was told the owner was in Spain and there was nothing they could do without his authorisation. I have had to call again today, 22 February and was told that finally my refund has been authorised 2 days ago but i queried why it was still not in my bank account, now been told it could be another 2 weeks! Dreadful, outrageous! Beware of booking with any of this owners properties!!

Booked for a couple of nights for a family birthday. Recently renovated rooms, attentive staff, very warm welcome and nothing was too much trouble - even making us amazing bacon sandwiches on a Sunday night after the food was closed down. Great shower!!

We were forced to eat next door as the restaurant was closed. We were not informed of this before we arrived.

Went in for a meal but due to a private function the staff could not tell us when or if they could serve food to the pub restaurant. We did stay for a drink and the staff were friendly, but as they were recommended we were disappointed.

Pretty average meal, nothing special but nothing bad either. I've had better and I've had worse. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place but equally I wouldn't avoid it either. I think there are much better options near by.

A lovely little pub in Cowes town centre, so glad we found this place. The beer and wine was really nice and decent priced. The fireplace was crackling and so welcoming. Perfect cosy evening and the staff was so lovely!

On a cold evening this pub was a warm welcome and the staff were chatty and friendly and the food was great. Highly recommend

We stayed at the union inn and were instantly taken back by its vintage but modern decor, the pub has come on leaps and bounds since our last stay and has a new contemporary look,(new ownership we were told) we really enjoyed the atmosphere and variety off food and drink.. the room was comfortable and the weather made our stay 10/10.... looking forward to septembers visit already *****

Pub was completely closed for a few days during our holiday in Cowes, we understand it's going through management changes. When we eventually found it open, the interior was down at heel and toilets badly in need of an upgrade. A toilet roll to wipe hands on? And strange, random additions of pink paint as if a child had been allowed to run free with a can of emulsion. This pub is in a nice location, in an alleyway just up from the harbour, and should be a flagship for Fullers in Cowes. Let's hope it is refurbished and brought back to life, as it used to be a nice pub to visit and hopefully will be again soon, though not currently.

A lovely friendly pub near the sea front in Cowes. We came as a big group for lunch and were not disappointed. The house burger is very good. Fries portion was a little small but overall very happy.

Called on for lunch to be greeted warmly by the landlord Had a drink whilst looking at the menu and there was a good choice Portions were generous and quality was fine Will return

Popped in for a sandwich and a pint .The roast beef sandwich was delicious , nice medium rare beef with lashings of horseradish on fresh bread , delicious . A pint of HSB to wash it down went down well . It’s a fullers pub but friendly manager behind the bar , a pleasant pub . Beware it connects to the Globe pub on the seafront also Fullers so u get through traffic .

Pub inglés con juegos de mesa y una carta aceptable de vinos y cerveza. Chimenea para los días de frío, muy agradable.

Dated, dirty and bar closes at 10pm. A positive: Bed comfortable, another negative: a view of someone's knickers on the roof top was not the best

Food was ok and beer good. Service was also good but decor and furnishings are seriously in need of an upgrade.

Went for a walk around west cowes ,went into the union pub for a pint .pleasant traditional pub offering a reasonable menu for lunch with the trad Sunday lunch ,pork or beef .we ordered pork .kate would have liked mulled wine but they didn’t do it ,shame .so a pint and a G and T .the lunch exceeded my expectations ,three good slices of pork ,roast potato’s ,carrots and parsnips ,cabbage and Yorkshire pud .really good gravy .lost a point ,could have been warmer .well worth a try .

We booked a party of 26 weeks in advance choosing all food and time to eat

All I can say, if you like Aunt Bessie Yorkshire puddings - give it a visit. One of the most bland Sunday roasts I have I ever tasted 😱

Sunday dinner followed by live music. Very helpful polite staff and good service made for a pleasent visit. The steak and ale pie is huge and very tasty. Roast dinner was also a good portion and cooked to high standard. Good selection of ales n drinks. Nice atmosphere and chatty regulars complete the scene. Music just kicked off and very pleasent.

Not keen Only visited twice n both times didn't feel that welcome and were commented on as being Overners lol.... But I live on the island! Very compact & bijou ie., tiny Didn't enjoy it

Spent 3 nights at The Union Inn as a base for exploring the Isle of Wight.

I have visited the Union before.. and it is always a friendly pub to visit. Great beers on draught and a well stocked bar generally.

Excellent food friendly staff, dogs welcome average prices for the area. We ate lunch and enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service.

We dined as a group of five for lunch.

Stopped off with the family for a quick drink, friendly bar staff , nice clean and tidy pub, child friendly and looks like they do some very nice meals. Will come again , keep up the good work guys. Simon

Out in Cowes. Friendly staff and good pricess, a bit too dark in there . We couldnt see what we where doing. But apart from that not to bad little pub for a drink

We called in to this lovely little pub whilst on a day trip to Cowes, it is a proper "locals" pub with a warm atmosphere, cosy corners to sit in and pass the time. Food very goo, home cooked, the seafood chowder was the best Ive had in a long time, could have eaten another portion, it was delicious! Recommended, can imagine it gets busy on weekends, but well worth seeking out.

We were drawn in by an offer of two steak dinners, with two sides and a glass of wine for 25 pounds. Soon after we sat down a large group of yachtsmen came in. We feared we might be forgotten, but alas that was not the case. The two bartender/waiters could not have been more pleasant and efficient. The food was top notch as was the service. A great find.

Stayed here a few times now....a great location, nicely decorated rooms....it is quirky and has lots of character. Rooms are ok, stairs to access, staff friendly, fantastic location a flat 10 mins walk to the marina. No noise that's obvious from the pub. Room 1 had an annoying water leak/drip right outside the window that's obviously been there for a while...would stay here again.

This is a place you could spend hours it's so cozy. Also a fantastic beer selection. Definitely worth seeking out.

A group of us went here for an evening meal and found the food to be very enjoyable, tasty and a struggle to finish, due to the size of the meals. The menu is not the largest but has all the 'traditional pub foods' that you would want, and from what I saw were done to a good qualityThe pub itself was very busy and with only 2 people serving, the service was a bit slow, but if in Cowes well worth a visit to this quaint pub

Don't go if you want to eat outside of normal lunch time. We had a bit of difficulty eating in Cowes. Wouldn't recommend coming here.

Didn't try the food but the have very well priced steak dinners which we have noted for a future visit.Friendly bar staff who work hard and who are very attentive so please sign their petition for a pay rise!Nice real ale but no Seafarers which seems a bit strange for a Fullers pub.

as always the food was superb, massive and tasty steak, mushroom & ale pie with mash, decent veg and perfect gravy. Justine's Pork roast was also top notch.

I stayed here on a Monday, which has the added advantage of 1/2 price food. The burger and chips were of gastro quality at near Mac D's prices. On the basis you can also get a pint of real ale at the same time, its my idea of heaven. The rooms are spacious with a comfy bed, plus feather pillows & quilt. The Full English breakfast was the best I have eaten in many years of staying in hotels and B&B's. Everything was properly cooked with crispy bacon and grilled black pudding, none of that half cooked / almost rare rubbish you get at the majority of branded budget hotels. I would highly recommend this pub / B&B, and will stay here again the next time I am in Cowes.

One of Cowes best pubs with a cosy atmosphere, friendly staff and good quality food at reasonable prices. But if you go on Mondays food is half price so an absolute bargain. They also do live music on selected days too.thedealhunter

Pet friendly, cold beer, locals, friendly service. Good feel of an English pub. Located on a side street, you can't miss it as you walk the main street. Waterfront right there.

Visited on last night of holiday. Very quiet but staff friendly and nice atmosphere. Oliver Island beer superb.

We were looking for somewhere inexpensive and dog friendly to eat over the period between Xmas and the new year and were running out of options. And then we found this place! We all ordered the burgers - two of us had beef burgers and I had the chicken burger. We also ordered fries which were separately priced. We weren't expecting much but the food, when it came was good and the burgers also came with a reasonable amount of salad. The chicken wasn't a coated burger (thankfully). The service was quick and efficient and we felt the pub had a nice feel to it. There was also a real fire near to the alcove in which we found a table.There were quite a few people eating, despite it being past "lunch time", and quite a few also had dogs. I'd certainly recommend this pub as a place to eat or go for a drink, with or without your four legged friend (s).

Nice friendly pub, does food and rooms if you want to stay in Cowes. Convenient location in the high street near all the restaurants and sea front

I was the designated driver so was drinking coffee. I can highly recommend their decaf cafetière - I had two! The others had real ale which was the best served ale whilst we were on the island. If you like real ale they definitely know how to store and pour it. We also had dinner here. I had the UFC chicken which was extremely tasty (it's their very own recipe). Portion sizes were generous. I'll definitely visit again.

The white wine was bordering on disgusting. However, there was beef stew on the menu which my husband loved. The platter I had was good but not as advertised and definitely over priced. Wouldn't bother, there are better places to have a drink and meal.

What an amazing place!! We went with our 2 dogs who were welcomed and offered water and bonio biscuits. The staff were adorable and treated us as if we go every day. As for the food...oh my goodness!! We had the homemade pies which were full of huge chunks of meat and delicious. The vegetables (not just two veg but four!!!) were cooked to perfection. A fabulous meal all round served by friendly staff. I can highly recommend this place if you're in Cowes.

Lovely traditional pub and being dog friendly helps on the cooler days. The barmaid obviously a dog lover happily sat with our Jack Russell and fed him biscuits. A great visit all round.

We popped in here for a quick coffee as it was dog friendly. I can see why they won four in a bed title very friendly and eager to please . If in cowes please drop in and try it out for yourselves.

Food was great and the staff were lovely and friendly. The location was on the HighSt of Cowes. Locals go here so must be good.

This is how all pubs should be. Good pub food and a nice atmosphere. When I arrived late Dan the chef had his coat on and was about to leave, but he stayed behind just for me. All the bar staff are friendly. Karianne's wit, kindness and guileless charm are truly exceptional. I sail (which is why I visit Cowes) but thankfully the pub has cosmopolitan punters and is not packed with yachties.

Called in here recently as there was live music on which drew us through the door. Lovely inside, friendly staff, beers good and the musical duo just made it a great place to be.

Such a friendly place, lots of banter, dogs welcomed, good food, excellent staff and, along with a great pint of beer, not to be missed. Pub is much bigger than it looks when you peer in the window, just go inside. If you want an honest, good pub - this is it.

Visited here with friends and family on Saturday night for a drink. Lovely atmosphere which appears to have been recently refurbished/updated. Bar staff were friendly and drinks a reasonable price. I do believe they serve food. Would visit again!

Meals at 50% off Monday evenings - fantastic deal and this didn't mean you had smaller portions!! Can recommend eating here.

Loved our visit. Thank you for the food it was lovely. And the dogs were well looked after.We ordered food and drinks all of which was great.My wife's order was slightly missed but the Manageress couldn't apologise enough and was soooo nice.Thanks again.

We stopped here for lunch after getting off the ferry at East Cowes. The food was very well prepared with ample portions and the service was very efficient, albeit the place was not busy at the time. There was a good choice of ales on tap and a decent wine list. The place was also very dog friendly with water and a treat offered to our four-legged friend. The only slight downside is there is no car park, so you have to pay for parking at the quayside and walk back up the hill.

We stayed 2 nights during Cowes Classic week. Having read previous reviews we asked for one of the larger rooms and were not disappointed with Room number 3. The beer was good whilst a little pricey and the BnB rate fell into the same category. Slightly slow service at breakfast and an undercooked egg meant only 4 stars I'm afraid but the location is perfect and parking is available on the seafront and is free between 6pm and 10am.

Stayed. For. 2. Nights. Great. Stay. The. Room. Very. Clean. And. Tidy. Lovely. Comphy. Bed and. Shower. Breakfast. Very. Good. Great. Choices. Will. Be. Back. To. Stay. Again. Once. Again. Thanks. Very. Much. For. Your. Hospitality.

Came here for lunch in July 2015 and were impressed with the food and service then.Came today for a return visit. The seafood platter and UFC large meat platter were excellent and displayed good value for money.The freshness of the smoked mackerel and the trout pate was wonderful.The service was friendly and very efficient; the welcome one of the warmest anywhere on the island. Rachel is a marvellous host!We recommend the Hop Ale on sale today. A light and refreshing accompaniment to any meal.We will be back!

Having eaten at the Union Inn quite a few times on numerous visits to the IOW, we were really looking forward to our return. We hadn't been back since the refit and were hoping that it was simply an upgrade - maybe a few licks of paint and new flooring, that sort of thing. Sadly, although the pub does look fresher, it seems to have lost it's special something in the process :( Gone are the comfy chairs and sofas in front of the fire that we loved to relax in; having been replaced with shabby chic mismatched hard chairs and tables. The rack of free magazines and newspapers have disappeared too, with only a few scattered bits of the paper left on random tables for us to seek out. Not very inviting and sad to think of how many times we've sat with a chunky paper over a meal and a pint in the past. We ordered our usual burgers hoping that the food had stayed the same. To be 100% fair, the quality is still suburb and the prices are very reasonable. Everything is still handmade and well cooked, but we felt the portions were smaller than before and the presentation had gone all 'hipster' with food served on wooden boards (ugh) and only a handful of chips in a clay plant pot. The staff are lovely, very polite and attentive, but the atmosphere was dead. This is currently high season on the island, and Cowes itself was rammed with people, but it was just us and a few others quietly eating inside the pub. No chance to chat with the locals like before as everyone had eyes down. On previous visits we looked for reasons to say longer, such was the warm feel of the place, but this time we left as soon as we finished our drinks. I think if you had never been to the old Union, you would be quite content with this one, and as I said, the food is still great, and reasonably priced, but for us it is no longer somewhere special. It could be any pub in any sea side town in England trying to be modern with food served on boards and 'worthy' music on the sound system (think Diana Krall types doing Police covers and you are there). We're really sorry Union Inn. Everything changes of course, but these changes are just not for us.

Lovely real Pub/ Inn (you can even stay here). Always friendly, food is excellent and reasonably priced. Favourite haunt of the RNLI crew when they are not saving peoples lives.

A lovely pub with friendly service, good beers, a selection of bar snacks, good food and, from time to time, good entertainment. Freinds have stayed there and they say the accomodation is also very good. If one wanted an English pub of the year this would be a very strong contender.

Great food and beer. Mad Monday.... all food 1/2 price. Pub with local character and charm right on the water edge.

Stumbled across this pub by accident and was pleasantly surprised by choice of food and friendliness of staff. Our teenage son has recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease and the staff couldn't have been more helpful (menu showed GF foods) but they made him a special dish that he could and more importantly wanted to eat resulting in a special cheesy chicken bacon and chips dish. When we came to pay they told us it was half price Monday (even though Bank Holiday) so excellent food, excellent service and a real bargain on top. Definitely be back.

Called in for a drink with partner and kids with a view to eating, waited patiently while the locals were served first then when it got to my turn after making eye contact with me went into the back without serving me!. I promptly left and went to the Anchor pub where I have all always good service. If you can afford to turn down a potential £50 spend on a quiet wed afternoon good luck to you as I will never return

Worth going for the proper pies, actually all the food I've had there has been really delicious. Friendly happy & attentive staff.

Food is ok here. Some nice touches, lots of homemade dishes, lots of thought to gluten free options. Monday is half price food which is a good deal. The service needs some attention. I was there on a busy Monday and there were just two bar staff who doubled as waiters. They couldn't give us anything other than scant attention. This could be easily improved (and would probably pay for itself in extra sales).

I used to eat here over August Bank Holiday visits to watch the Cowes-Torquay powerboat race - and that was a long time ago. It was good to find that The Union is still a pub and has not been tarted up too much. We both had burgers which came in good buns and with proper 'chip chop' chips. A side salad was offered as an extra - they have stopped adding one to the plate unless requested to save throwing away so much food. I think this is an excellent idea. I hate food waste but I like to have some salad on my plate so we paid the £1 extra per person. I doubt it will be another 35 years before I visit again (I'd be well into my 90s by then!!)