Bonchurch Restaurant Guide

The building has a history dating back to the 1780s, and its current occupant has developed into a real local staple since launching in its current guise in 2003: an airy bistro with a conservatory and terrace. Adam Maker has headed up the kitchen for the past few years and, while he no longer seems to be doing small plates mentioned in last year’s edition, has settled on fixtures like fish ‘n’ chips, pizzas and a popular Sunday roast: cooking that’s “always reliable”. Oenophiles NB: Camber Wines sits above the restaurant, so top tipples are guaranteed.

For a “Californian beach vibe in Ventnor” [??? Ed] head to this restaurant with a “bouncing atmosphere” on the esplanade; “they own their own fishing boat so the fish is wonderfully fresh” and “consistently interesting” (being “cooked with a Japanese accent”), not least the seafood platter with miso-grilled lobster, which got a shout-out in Grace Dent & Ainsley Harriot’s ‘Best of Britain by The Sea’ series. This is the first link in a mini-empire that now extends to local wine, sake and cocktail bar the ‘Drunken Lobster’, and a spin-off directly across the Isle of Wight in Cowes.