Smoking Lobster Ventnor

Review summary

1. C

   Cara

   Isle of Wight

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing tasting experience thoroughly enjoyed the evening
   

   • 
   • 
   • 
   • 

   Is this helpful?

2. R

   Rowena

   Warwickshire

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on February 8, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The Smoking Lobster is one of our favourite places to eat on the Island for a special occasion, the food is outstanding with so many flavours. Cocktails are amazing too, especially the Wasabi Sour!! Highly recommend especially if you love seafood, lovely place and great service too.
   

   Is this helpful?

3. D

   Daniel

   Warwickshire

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on February 6, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent friendly and welcoming service from the moment we arrived. The Smoking Lobster staff looked after us brilliantly and made my wife's birthday really special. We sat where we chose (window overlooking the beach), they made a special savoury birthday "cake" as requested (and did not charge!), and were just lovely. Oh - and both the food and the cocktails were the best ever! Thank you!
   

   Is this helpful?

4. I

   IRIS

   London

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on February 6, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Delicious food and warm service with sea view. Highly recommended.
   

   Is this helpful?

5. P

   Peter

   Kent

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on January 30, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A fantastic dining experience as always. The small plates menu was a change but the quality and choice remained exceptional. It is a privilege to have such a fine restaurant on Ventnor Esplanade.
   

   Is this helpful?

6. J

   Jess

   Isle of Wight

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 21, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We’ve wanted to eat here since it opened and were not disappointed. Delicious small plates for sharing, warm service and a beautiful sea view. The off season lunch menu made it more affordable and meant we could try a range of different dishes - would recommended.
   

   • 
   • 

   Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on February 1, 2025

   Hi Jess, We're so glad to hear that your experience lived up to your expectations and that you finally got to visit us! Thank you for your kind words about our small plates, warm service, and the beautiful sea view. It's wonderful to know that our Off-Season lunch menu allowed you to explore a variety of dishes. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back soon for another delightful dining experience. See you again! Best, Smoking Lobster Team
   

   Is this helpful?

7. S

   Susie

   VIP

   Surrey

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on January 14, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious fresh sea bream & the smoking lobster’s signature slaw. It’s a quiet dining time on the island January & a week night, even MORE important ‘to eat out to help everyone out’ Many thank to all. Thank you for being there for being OPEN: appreciated 🥇
   

   Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on February 1, 2025

   Hi Susie, Thank you so much for your supportive words and for choosing to dine with us during this quieter time on the island. We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the fresh Sea Bream and our signature slaw! It's guests like you who truly make a difference by supporting local businesses. We're grateful for your appreciation and for recognizing the importance of 'eating out to help everyone out.' We look forward to welcoming you back soon for another great meal. Thanks again for your kindness and support! Best, Smoking Lobster Team
   

   Is this helpful?

8. k

   kathy

   London

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on January 11, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food great and waitress lovely. Just felt it was a bit expensive this time
   

   Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on February 1, 2025

   Hi Kathy, Thank you for your kind words about our food and service! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the quality of your meal and the attentiveness of our staff. We strive to offer the best value by sourcing our produce and seafood locally and sustainably, ensuring only the highest quality ingredients make it to your plate, hence the price point. We do, however, also offer an Off-Season Menu during the winter, which includes 2 Small Dishes and 2 Sides for just £25 which we believe is excellent value for money without compromising on quality! We'd love to welcome you back next time if you'd like to give this a try. Best, Smoking Lobster Group
   

   Is this helpful?

9. C

   Caroline

   London

   6 reviews

   4.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on January 11, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   This is a restaurant we love and which we visited a few times since we moved on the island. The service is always very pleasant and professional, and we like the cosy atmosphere there. The food is of a great quality and the menu offers a tempting choice of fish, seafood, meat and vegetables with that delicious asian touch. It would be perfect if the size of the starters was a little more generous. The scallops and tuna tataki are truly delicious but the portions very small. The fish of the day for the main, lovely fresh seabass, was lacking company on the plate, the fries and slow looked a bit bored and, despite the tasty sauce, were not able to provide us with that flavour explosion in the mouth which we got on previous occasions from other dishes at the Smoking Lobster. One last thing, the place can get very noisy sometimes.
   

   Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on February 1, 2025

   Hi Caroline, Thank you for your amazing support and for taking the time to share your feedback! We’re overjoyed to hear you’ve enjoyed our service and the cozy vibe of our restaurant time and again. Regarding your concerns about portion sizes, we prioritize quality by sourcing our ingredients locally and sustainably, and recommend 3-6 dishes per person. For a hearty meal, why not try our Off-Season Menu —2 Small Plates and 2 Sides for just £25, or one of our Large Plates. We aim to ensure every visit leaves you delighted and satisfied. If in doubt, our team is always here to help with regard to making decisions with portion sizes in mind, as every dish is a little different. Thank you again for your feedback and for choosing us for your dining experience! Best, Smoking Lobster Team
   

   Is this helpful?

10. I

    Imogen

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on January 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Booked the Smoking Lobster for a family birthday celebration - service was brilliant, as was the food. Enjoyed the variety of the seafood platter. The Lobster Brioche starter was also recommended & was delicious.
    

    Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on January 5, 2025

    Hi Imogen, Thank you so much for choosing Smoking Lobster to celebrate your family birthday! We're thrilled to hear you had a wonderful experience with both our service and food. It's fantastic that you enjoyed the variety of our Seafood Platter and that the Lobster Brioche starter hit the mark. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable meal soon! Best, Smoking Lobster Team
    

    Is this helpful?