The best restaurants in Cowes North Isle of Wight South East

A very lovely young man served me and my friend. 10/10 he bakes the most amazing cake and the toasties were overflowing with cheese and the milkshakes are divine

Friendly for sure. Good sized breakfast but feel the sausages could be of a better quality as it let the meal down. I couldn't eat them as they were not meaty and felt rubbery.

We visited The Smoking Lobster to celebrate our anniversary. The service was fantastic as were our meals. Our waitress helpfully guided us through the food and drinks menus. Highly recommended definitely 5*. Look forward to seeing you again on Christmas Day. John and Karen

I had a meal at the Holmwood Hotel today and was waiting for my main course carvery in a small queue when I overheard the chef being very loud, rude aggressive and abusive towards a lady guest on receiving her food. Her husband questioned the chef about his attitude and also got a barrage of abuse, the chef was unbelievably rude, aggressive and in my opinion totally out of order, her husband asked for the manager to which the chef replied that would be a waste of time as they wouldn’t do anything, the chef then threatened the customer to come outside to continue the debate. The chef had a very long beard that was not netted which was in my opinion most unhealthy. This is not the first time that me and my wife have eaten there but it most certainly will be our last.

10/10 breakfast, service and drinks! Very affordable, they could even charge more money as the food was that good! Everything is made fresh! Sometimes the service was a bit slow as the waitress who takes your order, does your order by herself which can slow things down. But I'd definitely visit again!

Ideally placed in a busy part of Cowes, this longstanding ice cream parlour delivers an absolutely fantastic range of ice creams. I will be back!

Poor experience I'm afraid. Before I start, I'm a huge animal lover; I own 2 dogs, cats and several chickens. But dogs in a café, nope. And big scruffy dogs, left free to wander around a cafe, eating scraps off the floor and licking and sniffing at customer's legs. Absolutely nope. When I asked the lady behind the counter if it was the cafés dog (not that it makes any difference really) I got a simple "no it's a customer's" and that was that. No "oh I'll ask them to put it back on it's lead". I guess that would have been a crazy idea?! I think I could get over the dog being in the cafe as I'm probably being a bit harsh on that point but I really don't think it's appropriate, hygienic or considerate to other customers in the slightest to allow this to happen. The coffee was pretty good but to be honest I was a bit out off after Mutley licked my leg.

We love Grace's bakery, very friendly staff, yummy cakes and bread. During the lockdown Grace's has been a Godsend for takeaway coffees and cakes when most of the other cafes were closed, but please make sure the lovely staff there have enough milk!! Yet again this weekend, 'sorry, run out of milk' and a whole queue left disappointed. Not even Alpro!

Excellent bar, good choice of interesting wines, lager, great atmosphere, good service and loose pistachio nuts Reccomended

Really great service little confusion over changes to order but sorted quickly with a smile, excellent food, quality and service thank you

Nice Levazza coffee on the go whilst walking to Cowes. Friendly service. No complaints whatsoever. Stop by.

Looking for somewhere different to go for lunch, we decided to channel our inner sailors and popped on the ferry to Cowes. Our mission? To discover a gem we’d found in the Michelin Guide, nestled midway up a hill so steep it could double as a ski slope. We arrived early and, naturally, indulged in a pre-lunch cocktail. I savoured an excellent dry Martini while my wife enjoyed their Signature Cocktail. Both were top-notch, though the chairs were so low I felt like I was sitting on the floor at a toddler’s tea party. Seriously, they were lower than a limbo-ing rattlesnake. We made it to the restaurant and embarked on a three-course Sunday Lunch adventure. For starters, we had Beef Carpaccio and Trout, which were delightful. For the mains, we chose Roast Beef and Guinea Fowl (delicious but portioned like I was on a diet). We finished with treacle tart and Mille Fois, all accompanied by a delicious Rosé that danced on our taste buds. A delightful surprise was seeing the owners dining in the room, tucking into the same Sunday Lunch. It’s always reassuring when the owners eat their own cooking – it’s a sign they believe in their food as much as we did. My only beef (pun intended) with the place was the table and chairs. I get that it’s a 'Bistro,' but white tablecloths would elevate the New England-style decor from charming to downright chic. In summary, a fantastic dining experience with cocktails to die for and food worth the ferry ride. Just remember to bring a cushion if you don't want to feel like you're dining in the Shire.

Long established. Great food. Very quiet on the night we went. Use it or Cowes will lose it.

If we just go there, that's good. Enough with me.

I paid £15+ for two drinks, and it comes in plastic. Band was tuneless and depressing and the outside area smelled like landfill.