Ventnor Winter Gardens in Isle of Wight

This place has sooooo much potential, but the owners let it down. They've let it go to ruin and it's such a shame. The vibe is great but it desperately needs investment. No food either.

Fish and chips are fantastic Local restaurant. A proven place with many grandmothers I can see the sea far away I went there once in Korea A place I want to go again The entire Isle of Wight is beautiful, pretty and cool.

Unique in Ventnor, the best view, great quality and value, friendly service, iconic building, why miss it?

Great play, lovely breakfast, recommend

Nice spot, lovely staff but!! Building in need of updating, and the food is of very low quality, and overpriced, also waited a long time and then part of the order we placed was not ordered by the staff member taking orders! This is a historic venue but sadly it was probably at its best in 1965 😢

Ventnor Winter Gardens was the perfect escape from the rainy weather outside! Inside, it felt so cozy and welcoming, like we were stepping into a family-friendly haven. The decor was a delightful mix of modern and vintage, and the comfy seating made us feel right at home. We all enjoyed our meals - from the hearty full English breakfast to the cheesy goodness of Mac and cheese, and the satisfying fish and chips. My daughter loved the sausage sandwich and couldn't get enough of the garlic bread! The best part was the friendly waitress who made our day even brighter with her helpfulness and warm smiles. And the chef was not just an expert in the kitchen but also a walking encyclopedia about the restaurant's history. Despite the dreary weather outside, our time at Ventnor Winter Gardens was filled with joy and laughter. It's definitely a place we'll come back to for more wonderful memories!

Delicious cake and friendly staff. The carrot cake and chocolate brownie were lovely and reasonably priced. Lovely view of the beach. Friendly service.

Great place to call off, choice of food some gluten free and dog friendly.

Great view food and staff great 😃

A shadow of its former self, work needed to bring back to life. Missed opportunities.

Was greeted by friendly attentive staff the moment I walked into the building, I ordered the calamari, and was probably one of the best I’ve had and for such a competitive price too! not to mention the view to go with it… would highly recommend !!!

Great art deco building with lots of character

Slow service, but food good. Mac & cheese excellent.

Alas I could only give this three stars because of the poor state of repair of the hall but the food, drink and service were 4 stars.

Amazing building but sadly totally run down. Fantastic spot though

The cake and coffee for a fiver drew us in and we weren't disappointed. Mark made us feel so welcome and the views are amazing. Would highly recommend

A building with a lot of history and the subject of a lot of effort to preserve and improve it. Large and largely unseen dance hall/stage behind the cafe where the very young David Bowie performed. Should make more of its history. We had late lunches and afternoon teas/snacks between the five of us. Superb sea views and seats outside.

Popped in to try the pie of the day ( chicken and vegetables) which was enormous, wholesome and very tasty. Really good chips too. Just a bit sad that I couldn't eat it all, but my dog is very happy 😁

We were pleasantly surprised - delicious food with a 25 per cent discount. Bit of a wait but the fish cakes were home made and absolutely lovely. Burgers were great too. Would definitely recommend and the views are perfect as always.

Lovely location, overlooking the sea. Not a very big venue. Effective and efficient service. Menu limited but adequate

Very pleasantly surprised on Saturday morning in the Winter Gardens. Very warm welcome and quick service despite having a few customers in front of us trying to get out of the rain. We will certainly go back again and try a meal there rather than a quick snack. I hope you can keep going Winter Gardens. Thank you very much for your good service.

We only had soft drink a coffee and slice of cake but, service was great cake and drinks where good, very nice coffee. Service was good everything was clean.

Amazing staff, we had a lovely lunch time snack. Nothing was too much trouble. This place is seriously under marketed, could be a gold mine . The food was lovely and freshly cooked . Great views and a bit of abba !

The vegetarian roast dinner was exceptional. Full of flavour, great vegetable accompaniments, generous portions. Wonderful views and really friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommend.

Fabulous cream tea. Good service. Very friendly.

Ventnor was the turning point on a walk from Godshill, all we were seeking was a coffee, but on a quiet Sunday morning in September there wasn't much open in the centre of the town and we stumbled across The Winter Gardens. Glad we did! I will support other reviewers that the place is a bit of a walk back in time and jaded in appearance, but on a sunny day that terrace overlooking the sea is a wonderful location. Unfortunately the concrete was too hard for her so the staff treated her like royalty and she was made her comfy inside :-) . Cream tea for two was £9 which was excellent value. There were quite a few cakes as alternatives, they all looked delicious. We spent the rest of our holiday on the island telling all and sundry where to go should they visit Ventnor, the staff were lovely and if the rest of the food was as good (and as good value) as our cream tea, then make sure you drop in on them. With or without a dog.

Sandwich not that nice bread to dry salad well over it's sell by date. The tables inside weren't clean and some hair hung off the table.

Only had a couple of beers here, but menu, food looked and smelled good 👍 😋

Great atmosphere. Lovely staff, nice and friendly. Will be back again.

Visited at 11 am. Wanted breakfast as shown on the menu, but no food available and no reason given. Coffee available but not on the menu.

Nice location with lovely views of Ventnor. Popped in whilst walking the dog for a beer and sat in the sun enjoying the peace, warmth of the sun ☀ and the sea.

I would not recommend. I visited this place this lunch time in the hope for a drink with a view - it was disappointing. Upon ordering the milkshake, it was just a simple whirl of the machine and the milkshake was done (wasn't what I was expecting). It was small and didn't taste of the flavour I brought, Vanilla, which was disappointing and to top it off, it cost £4! On the way out, I used the male toilets and the tap was stuck on. I told a member of staff, and they didn't seem to care at all, and during this drought this isn't the best thing to have. The views were stunning but that was the only good thing - hopefully this can change for the future.

Only stopped for a drink lovely view

We may just have called in at a bad time in the morning, very lovely staff but one of the worst coffees ever .

Great meals and drinks fantastic staff.

You have to try their cream and jam scones delicious

A bit run down but OK for holiday makers. Excellent terrace overlooking the sea.

Breakfast (particularly my bacon and mushroom baguette) was really good, the coffee was excellent, as was the view over the bay, the staff were friendly and efficient. It wasn't cheap (not a rip-off, just more than the cafe we usually use in Ventnor) so probably best for evening dinner and drinks.

Old large art deco style place ( all white) with great views in a prominent position...only stopped for soft drinks & a coffee

I had creamy garlic mushrooms with baguette. Everything was fresh and very tasty

Only have a drink here..they sell limited food.

We enjoyed a half of lager outside in the sunshine. Beautiful views and scenery. We were blessed with good weather. Will go back .

Went to a motorcycle show the venue was perfect with dramatic view's good coffee

Lovely place to chill with a beer and great view

Great day looking at all kinds of bikes

There for the vintage motorcycle show and the setting was great.

It was excellent service coffee was hot cake fresh and tasty , service second to none

Very friendly service and staff. Dog friendly

Great old venue. Doing a conference. Great Staff. Views and great side bar. Even got a parking place...rare as hens teeth in the Isle of White. Really good nearby cafes and restaurants. Made it wonderful even on a blowy day in winter.

A striking building on Ventnor Skyline. With stunning views across the bay.

We stopped off for a drink around Christmas time. It was pretty much the only place that was open. It wasn't bad but I imagine it would be a lot better in summer. Great views out to sea.

Do not recommend. Poor service, poor food.

The Winer Gardens was exactly the halfway point of our cliff hike that day so we stopped there for coffee, hot chocolate and a sweet snack. Drinks and sweets were OK, but we were left with rather sad impression about the place: empty, sleepy atmosphere, decor like from the seventies ... Perhaps it was due to the season and weather (we've been there at windy day in mid-October), but the worn out equipment and faded colours are probably the same when the place is more crowded, in the middle of the summer season.

Arrived in Ventnor yesterday, not sure where to have Sunday lunch so we booked the Winter Gardens ‘on spec’. Not many people in so a bit lacking in atmosphere but the food made up for that in spades. The best Sunday roast we have had in a very long time. My wife had pork, I had the roast half chicken. Excellent vegetables, beans, parsnip, carrot and cauliflower, all flavoursome and well cooked with a superb Yorkshire pud full to the brim with gravy. Too much delicious chicken for me so the staff put the rest in a ‘doggy bag’ to bring home for a cold supper. Staff welcoming and helpful. If you want a really good traditional Sunday roast, can highly recommend.

Lovey food, coffee and service.. and of course location. Definitely worth stopping off there.

Food was really nice but could do more for kids

Enjoyed our coffee cakes and doom bar beer...with a beautiful view on a beautiful sunny november day

Possibly the worst tea stop ever! Stopped here after a walk along the front. Staff not sure what they were doing, charged me and took my money and probably only got one of the items right. Cream teas at the end of their life. Scones more like Rock cakes and inedible. The kids wanted caramel iced lattes but got hot normal lattes. Forgot the cakes we ordered and when we complained about the scones had them swapped for chocolate cake. That had probably been there all week as it was incredibly dry. Waited over 15 mins for anything to be served and they totally messed it up. Not the cheapest of places so the worst £25 I’ve spent this week. Whilst I won’t be coming back to Ventnor in the near future if I did I wouldn’t come here. Incompetence and really poor customer service left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Don’t mind paying, don’t like getting ripped off!!!

We have visited this playa few times and enjoyed a pint or two at sunset. It’s a fantastic location but it’s being purposely run down so that it can become flats which would be such a shame. This has the potential to be a thriving (Five🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅) Cafe, bar restaurant. Don’t let it go.

Parked in the town and walked to the front good variety of shops and eateries. Nice walk along the front plenty of coffee shops and a good pub at the end we had ours in an art deco hotel that's halfway down/up the hill overlooking the harbour and sea scape

Old building art deco style, friendly staff with fantastic views

Great place for a light bite to eat and a cheeky pint while overlooking the wonderful view

Nice views from the panoramic bar. Quite good Sunday roast but limited - we got there about 1pm but only 2 left and it wasn't busy.

Good for soft or alcoholic drinks with a views of the sea and ships. Meals looked good but did not try them.

Apart from the view not much going for it, very shabby

Very nice place.very friendly staff.the view over the ocean was great

We stumbled across The Winter Gardens when looking for somewhere to enjoy late afternoon tea and cake...sadly we actually didn't! With hindsight perhaps we should have trusted our first instincts that the place didn't even look open, but we were drawn by the views from the (basic) outdoor seating and the fact that a handful of people were seated there already. The fact is we faced considerable confusion with our order, which really wasn't complicated, due to the lateness of the hour and therefore limited choices. I have no issue with the latter, but the former created a strange atmosphere whereby the server didn't know what to do - this isn't intended as criticism of the server so much as constructive feedback for the 'supervisor' who verbally intervened yet offered no practical help and clearly hadn't provided the necessary training. Our cake was dry and overpriced, even by the standards of enjoying the lovely view...clearly this has been a beautiful venue in years gone by, but is in desperate need of an upgrade in all areas. On returning home and in the interest of writing a fair review, I checked the website of the WG - all I can honestly say is that I cannot begin to reconcile anything I read there with the reality. I truly hope this can be turned around and improved because the location is outstanding and doubtless the staff are doing their best.

Definitely in need of a face lift, tired and shabby looking, that being said, wonderful view of the bay! Food not for the faint hearted, massive portion but mouthwateringly lovely - suggest you share unless you are really hungry!

Lovely spot to have a drink overlooking Ventnor beach and gets the sun for much longer than the beach front cafés due to its higher position.

Staff were so very very friendly. Only had chips and a cheese and pickle sandwich but it hit the spot. The chips were the best I've had in ages. Nice balcony to enjoy views especially with the scorching sunshine. One of the highlights of my trip to the IoW.

Spent a few days in Ventnor for our Honeymoon.Had 2 meals at Winter Gardens.Really friendly,great service the chefs are superb.100 percent recommend.

My wife and I ordered fish fingers was told it would be 30 to 40 minute wait which we accepted . What was not acceptable was the way they were cooked, so much batter very little fish greasy on the outside and dry on the inside . My wife's dinner turned up 5 minutes later with a hair in it

Average food, very slow service 40 minutes for a sandwich

Great staff, good venue. Drinks are reasonably priced. 10/10

This eatery what can I say 1,,Food was late and almost uneatable 2..Asked about GF options staff had no idea what we were asking them 3..Drinks order forgotten 4..When we complained the attitude not my problem 5..No salt on the table and pepper shaker was fithly

Fantastic service. Friendly staff. Amazing food. Breath taking views.

Love it here,great food and service

A bit like a social club but nice views from outside drinking area

Enjoyed a very nice but non traditional Sunday lunch overlooking the beautiful views along the coast - magical! The lunch is served in a bowl with a Yorkshire pudding, thinly sliced beef, roast potato and slender roast vegetables. This suited my small appetite but for some, possibly not enough. Desert was of similar proportions served in a Champagne flute with macaroon biscuits which, again, I enjoyed but would not suit the larger appetite. Will be back for more another time.

We called in for a couple of drinks and decided to have a Penne Arrabiata each off the bank holiday specials board,what a treat absolutely delicious.Top marks to the Chef and to the staff who served us,a very pleasant afternoon,many thank to all at the Winter Gardens in Ventnor.

Bank holiday weekend - Saturday evening, we didn’t expect to get a table anywhere and luckily got the best view in ventnor at the winter gardens. Special menu surpassed all expectations, really delicious ottolenghi style tabbouleh with lemony chicken, we had some cod goujons to start which topped the terrace at Yarmouth. Really well executed- the chef here knows what they’re doing. Can’t say anything for their normal menu, but can’t be a bigger advocate of their specials. Moules frites, the sunset over the channel- perfect end to the evening

A nice cafe but needs doing up.

A big old hall with a terrific sound system, bit smelly, decor needs a refresh

Great hosts...very welcoming, good lunch

Top top top time!! The organizers were stellar! The friendliest people you could wish for the atmosphere was electric and of course the general smashed it what a night WELL DONE 👏

Moules were great but veg soup was not so good.

The venue looked beautiful, food was excellent as was the service at the bar. Highly recommend booking the balcony room for private parties.

Excellent bacon sandwich, pot of tea plus best view in Ventnor. Perfect

Very basic food etc but lovely staff, toilet and plenty of seating,in and out. ageing building and decor.

Thank you for a lovely evening. Food was excellent, mussels, nachos, whitebait, incredible onion rings. Kids food was lovely and served really quickly. Honestly we were a bit disappointed when the menu was quite small but everything we had was delicious. Attentive and friendly staff.

Great service. We only had drinks, but there were a lot of us. Service was super.

Staff was excellent very cheerful and makes you feel welcomed, had a full English breakfast very nice to

Good place to shelter from the storm with a cappuccino.

Great views over Ventnor beach and well made coffee.

Normally I don’t leave reviews but had to on this occasion on account of how incredible the chips from here are. My partner and I stopped here for lunch recently and ordered a halloumi & pepper sandwich and chips, and whilst the sandwich was very good, I’m not exaggerating to say that the chips were maybe the best I have ever had. What is your secret, Ventnor Winter Gardens? Additionally the staff were lovely and the view was absolutely phenomenal. Would definitely recommend!

Lovely people. Amazing cocktail

Great location, excellent staff, good value.

Yummy food and lovely, friendly staff

Total disorganised mess.Booked a table to watch the football in the bar with food. The volume on the TV would not go up so we missed all the build up. When we ordered the simple bar food of pasty & chips and burger and chips it took almost an hour to arrive and then it was vile. We complained and were offered a table in the auditorium where the football was being shown on a big screen. It cost £5 each entry and we purchased 2 raffle tickets at £10 each . Each ticket entitled us to 3 glasses of wine or 3 pints beer or 2 double spirits. This was also a joke. When we handed the tickets in for 3 glasses of wine and 2 double whiskies, 1 glass of wine arrived and not whiskey but southern comfort. Again, when I pointed this out, they said the SC was whiskey, I said no it was bourbon. They said that they had no whiskey. Unbelievable. The place was also tired and needs a over haul. You can see that it was once a nice venue. Considering covid, the hygiene was very poor and the toilets were dirty. Don't bother.

We stopped off to grab a quick bite and was really pleased we did. The egg mayo tasted freshly made with real Mayo, and the bread wasn’t the normal limp cheap bread stuff but firm and very tasty. The home made tortilla chips were a nice touch. We also had the home made scones which were also very good.