The best restaurants in Shanklin South Isle of Wight South East

We have been here many times over the years and looked forward to our visit again this year. What a disappointment. We had a cream tea which consisted of a pot of tea, 2 scones, butter, cream and jam. The jam and cream pots were half the size they used to be and the butter was barely there, adequate enough for one scone but certainly not two. The jug of milk supplied did not have enough milk for one cup of tea and we had to ask for extra. I do not drink tea and asked for my tea to be substituted with coffee, big mistake, it was undrinkable. Went we went to pay we were told 'cash only' and I was lucky to find some cash in the bottom of my bag. This should be made clear when you enter and before you order as a lot of people do not carry cash. Our experience was so different to every other visit we wondered if there were 'new owners' but overheard the owner telling other visitors that she had been there 17 years. Sadly will not be returning.

What an amazing tardis of a place which draws you in with its thatched roof and promise of Wight shaped scones. It has extensive seating both inside and outside with an adjacent council car park. Bit pricey to park there ☹️. Visited three times:lunch, afternoon visit and early evening meal. There is a small bar inside and this room is the lively one in terms of engaging in conversation with one of the owners or other guests. The menu is varied and everything is freshly cooked. The scones are light and fluffy!! It is very easy to eat a lot here 😀 Very easy to reach by bus and a wee walk from the station We thoroughly enjoyed visiting.

The worst and soggiest calamari fritti I have ever had served, with overlarge salad and no dressing. Large dog carpeted the floor. Italian version of Mrs Overall waited on, in character. Huge rectangular comedy plate dwarfed the already tiny tables. My Italian relatives will not be coming here.

My first time trying this place. Just like Chinese and Indian food it’s westernised to cater for the western tastebuds, but I do love their fish cakes and coconut rice.

A gem of a place. The food is all home made with ingredients sourced locally. A good menu of light bites, sandwiches etc. I had a pork & leek sandwich & my wife had a large sausage roll. Both were delicious. They also run a charity “Kafuta Tumbung School Trust. Building a nursery school & another school for the local children of the village in The Gambia. An amazing story. Beside the cafe they also have a gift shop, with proceeds going to the charity. Well worth a visit.

The food was certainly delicious in this cosy, very busy restaurant. Staff are friendly and attentive. The restaurant is small and tables close together which gives a shared experience and intimate atmosphere. Definitely a dining must, with sming faces everywhere.

The Aqua is now luxury apartments, ive stayed here for the past 3 months while working on the island. I found that the owners are just as lovely as the apartments are. This is a great location and would highly recommend a stay at The Aqua to anyone visiting Shanklin.

Food used to be amazing....now I would not even feed to my dog. Over cooked, cheap pre made rubbish. Major lack of care or quality. Not fresh like it used to be. Ordered over the phone for delivery. Firstly there were missing items. After waiting over an hour for delivery, we then had another 30 minute wait for the rest to arrive. Secondly, phoned to order as wife can not eat onions as they make her poorly. Food arrived covered in onions despite stating no onions. On top of this cross contamination, no sauces ordered yet the hot dog had spots of hot chilli sauce on it. Contacted them, to have a manager or whoever it was blame it on us.... how when you missed items and put onions on even after telling you not to....then to sum up the experience, when we asked for a refund we're told they would refund, but only if we went to them. Refused to refund to the original payment card. Normally, I praise local business, but on this occasion, hell no.... Original post deleted and resubmitted. Have just recieved a rather nasty facebook message from the owner.... People need to realise the sort of vile people that run this place. Don't ever make a complaint as you will just be told a pack of lies and fed abuse. 30+ year business or not, you do not treat your customer as if they are a piece of s**t on the bottom of your shoe.... Please avoid. There is better choices else where....

Perfect location, relaxing, great breakfast.

Great oven baked pizzas! I got to try a new vegetarian pizza and can really recommend it (i.a. artichoke, pine nuts, sultanas). The owner and pizza baker is also super kind.

If you go to the Isle of Wight you have to visit the lovely late night Donut Hut. It is perfect for a visit after a visit to the Chine. The litte huts have twinkly lights creating a magical atmosphere after dark. The pancakes are especially great. Highly recommended.

I recently visited Lookout Cafe and was thoroughly disappointed by the disgraceful and rude behavior of the Lady(may be owner). From the moment I walked in, it felt as though I was an inconvenience rather than a customer. The person behind the counter was dismissive and barely acknowledged my presence, making me feel unwelcome. The overall service was shockingly poor, with showing a complete lack of basic courtesy and professionalism. Even simple requests were met with eye rolls and sighs, creating a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere. It's clear that customer service is not a priority here, and I left feeling thoroughly disrespected. I would not recommend this place to anyone who expects to be treated with common decency. The man was Utterly RACIST. I couldn’t tell every bits of conversation was made here - however contacting the local council to have a decent check on them.

As in most years, myself and a friend went to the Island for five days in October to attend the Isle of Wight Bus Museum's running weekend. One evening, we were heading towards the Crab Inn for an evening meal (it was around 7.30pm) and passed this cafe on our way. We were aware of it being there, but assumed that like most cafe's it would have opened early in the morning and closed in the middle of the afternoon. Not so. This cafe stays open till around 8.00pm. We decided to give it a bash. We were warmly greeted by a most personable lady (presumably the owner) and sat down. The menu was as expected, not pretentious in any way, but quite comprehensive and with a number of daily 'specials'. We were served with a couple of very nice meals, both delicious and hot. Just what the doctor ordered. The added bonus was the sheer value. We honestly think you will struggle to find such reasonable prices anywhere else in Shanklin, or indeed the whole Island for that matter. We will certainly return when we are next on the Island. Thoroughly recommended.

Gorgeous cafe. Lovely staff. Very clean Every tea you can think of and homemade cakes...thanks ladies ♥️

We were so glad to get a table for myself husband & Daughters on a busy saturday morning. The full english breakfasts we ate were absolutely spot on. The food was cooked to perfection & you get so much for the price. I would advise anyone to go for the Copper Kettle full english it's truly delicious. We will definitely visit again when we come to the island. Carry on the great work guys!!