Harden's survey result
Summary
An island in the Med? In the Caribbean? No, this “amazing, great fun place” brings the island beach party vibe to our own Isle of Wight, with “fantastic views and really decent food” – most of it South Coast fish and seafood, of a much higher quality than you might expect. Founded by brothers Matt & George Adams in 2013 on a remote stretch of the island’s shoreline, the Hut is now, in the March 2025 words of Daily Mail restaurant critic Tom Parker Bowles, a ‘British seaside classic’ – with a sliding roof to ensure the weather doesn’t spoil the fun. Access is via the ‘Hut Truck’ shuttle from Yarmouth harbour, better still from your own boat, or if you insist (and arrange in advance) by helicopter.
Summary
“It’s all about the setting” at this island beach party venue (with a roof that closes during poor weather) that’s “pricey but fun, fun, fun when the sun’s out”. The food is “surprisingly good” even if “the view’s better” – and getting there (from your yacht, via a chartered rib from the mainland, or on a one-ton truck shuttle from Yarmouth Harbour) is part of the adventure. After 11 years, founders Matt & George Adams were scheduled to launch their first spinoff Hut on a private island off Antigua in November 2024.
Summary
The “fabulous seaside location”, “lively, super-buzzy atmosphere” and resident DJ lend a Balearic Islands vibe to Matt & George Adams’s 10-year-old venue – helped by a roof that closes when the British weather disobliges. Getting there can be an adventure in itself, either by charter boat from Lymington on the mainland opposite, or via ex-army one-tonne truck shuttle from Yarmouth Harbour. “Food (mostly seafood) is fine”, but “can be a bit hit-and-miss”.
Summary
It’s “like being in Ibiza” at this “really cool”, “super-fun place right on the beach promenade”, established 10 years ago Matt & George Adams – “now with a huge opening roof” and a “DJ who plays her various mixes at a modest volume all night”. “As the night draws in and you’ve taken in the glorious sunset views”, “the roof is closed and it becomes more intimate”. The “really decent food” from Catalan chef Lucian Romocea has a suitable Med seafood vibe, and earns a general thumbs-up.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Hut?
Colwell Chine Road, Colwell Bay, PO40 9NP
Restaurant details
The Hut Restaurant Diner Reviews
"On a sunny day there is probably nowhere better to enjoy lunch looking out over the Solent. Food is consistently good and the service is very friendly from all the staff."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £31.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
Colwell Chine Road, Colwell Bay, PO40 9NP
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Friday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑12 am |
