Bonchurch Inn — Restaurant in England

We booked a table here in advance of our stay on the island after careful consideration of the menu ensuring it suited the needs of our family - including a vegetarian, and other dietary needs. On arrival we found it difficult to park close by as there is no car park and the surrounding roads are mainly double yellow lines. We were greeted in a friendly manner and shown to our table, where we ordered some drinks. We were then told of various items not available from what was already a fairly limited menu. One of these unavailable items was veggie lasagne with the alternative given to us as meat lasagne (not much use to the vegetarians in our party). We were really struggling to select what to eat from the depleted menu. When our drinks were brought, the water was unclear, the soft fizzy drinks were flat and the beer was warm, flat and sour tasting. We decided at this point to leave without eating and to go elsewhere.

Following leaving this review on a different review site, I have been contacted by the manager/ owner of the establishment, asking if he could talk through my review. I agreed to do so - they have a right to know why we were unhappy with a view to ensuring this doesn't happen again to future customers. What then followed was paramount to bullying. I have been shouted at, talked over and ridiculed for my thoughts, to a point where I refused to continue the conversation. I will not be bullied into removing a review of what are my genuine experiences. Prior to this evenings phone call, I was surprised to be one of only a few negative reviews. I'm now starting to...

I've been coming to the Bonchurch for years. Its a local, tucked away down a side road, with a lovely intimate atmosphere, with both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff are always friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They have a fantastic menu with many dietary requirement options which is perfect for my partner who is dairy and gluten free. The food is made fresh to order and is always delicious. Their vegan lasagne is the best I've ever had, anywhere (and I have travelled extensively throughout UK, Europe and the U.S.). They have a lovely selection of wines and beers on tap and will gladly give you a wine pairing recommendation. Which is really helpful if you want good wine to go with your meal but don't much about it- like me! They are very upfront about the fact that you may face a bit more of a wait for your food than in a big chain restaraunt as everything is made fresh to order but as they say - the best things in life are worth waiting for - and to be honest it's such a nice atmosphere that you just end up chatting and drinking and the 'wait' for the food goes by pretty quickly anyway. They make delicious fresh garlic bread and bruschetta starters which go down a treat while you wait and they have an extensive range if seafood pastas that my partner loves, with locally sourced fresh crab and fish often on the specials board. It's a hidden Ventnor gem. If you do have time stop by this local hidden treasure, but you might want to call ahead as this IOW best kept secret is often full of locals who already know...

This is the best place i have ever eaten. The staff, service, food, decor, organisation and location are all amazing! We came to the IOW for a week and ate here twice, would have been more if we discovered it earlier. The menu is great, with a great selection of basic food, and a great array of more sophisticated meals on the specials board. Some people have said that it is “tacky” or “needed updating” but that is simply wrong. It is how a traditional pub should be! The pricing is fair, all the staff are friendly and welcoming, really helpful and make your whole time there an extremely pleasant experience. The courtyard is a nice entrance to the well arranged and maintained bar/restaurant. The walls are nice and quaint with traditional styling rather than the sleek and rather boring design of some recent trends. Overall i would 100% recommend a trip to The Bonchurch Inn. With great food, great people and surprisingly great prices, this is a...