Dine In, Or Eat Out
The bungalow is fully equipped for self-catering including a picnic table on the patio where you can sit and watch some of the best sunsets on the island. A guest favourite is to BBQ on the private beach – please clean up after yourselves and dispose of the bbq afterwards.
As a family we’ve always struggled on UK holidays to find places to eat that are both family-friendly and don’t just serve fried-something-and-chips, so here are some of our favourite places to eat while staying:
The Blue Crab Fish & Chips (Takeaway)
Who doesn’t love fish and chips while on a seaside holiday?
The Blue Crab is 10 minutes drive away in Yarmouth but is super popular so either order in person and wander around Yarmouth while waiting (which we’d strongly recommend…it’s one of our fav towns on the island) or phone ahead and pre-order.
Most people pre-order for a fixed time as waits can be long in peak season. Everything’s cooked to order and as chippies go, this is one of the best. If you continue walking along the road, you’ll come to an area overlooking the Solent with plenty of space to sit and eat, or head over to the carpark opposite the ferry terminal where picnic benches are overlooking the River Yar and the marina. Or take it back home!
There’s another fish & chip shop about 5 mins drive away in Freshwater – Rainbow Fish Bar – which is equally good but a more standard chippy menu.
The Bugle Coaching Inn in Yarmouth
Sophie calls this the “Pirate Pub” and it’s easy to see why – it’s been there since the 1500s and would once have had 16th-century sailors and pirates singing and drinking while in port. It’s only 5 mins drive away in Yarmouth and is part of the Character Inns chain. Family-friendly, and clean – the food is great. We eat here time and time again.
Gossips Café – Yarmouth Pier
This has always been a firm favourite with us for lunches – it’s Yarmouth’s only waterside café and serves all sorts from coffee to sandwiches, light bites to meals. They use local produce wherever possible – try their fresh local crab salads or baguettes!
Fort Victoria Café Verde
Another favourite of ours, many people don’t realise this is here because it’s only on Facebook and doesn’t have a website. With seating inside in the original fort arches as well as out the back overlooking the Solent and Fort Victoria beach, this no-frills café serves excellent sandwiches, home made quiche, and pies – you know the sort of place.
You can walk here from Brambles Chine by heading to the Cliff End part of the site, going into the Fort Victoria Country Park and following the paths, keeping the shoreline on your left.
The Steamer, Shanklin
Shanklin is on the other side of the island, but nothing is much more than 40 mins drive on the Isle of Wight!
We’ve had lots of great nights in The Steamer since long before we had Sophie and we love to go back now. If you’ve had a day out on the East side of the island then head to Shanklin promenade to find The Steamer. The terrace overlooks the open ocean (can you call the English Channel the ocean?) and the food is superb.
They serve anything from sandwiches and baguettes to pub meals and specials, and we recommend visiting for an evening meal.
As with everything on the IoW, the fish dishes are excellent. If they have the seafood pasta dish on the menu then James highly recommends it!
The Horse & Groom, Ningwood
Another family friendly pub that’s about 10 mins drive from Brambles Chine – at the top of the lane turn left and follow the road for 10 mins and it’s on your left. Simple as that! The menu is standard pub grub with some excellent specials, and the kids play area and garden is great to let the little ones let off steam. We find that it’s usually fine getting a table without booking even in peak season which is handy for those last minute meal decisions.
The Cow at Tapnell Farm Park
Great for families but if you’re a fan of burgers then visit even if you don’t have kids with you!
The Cow is all about homegrown and local ingredients and has a huge outdoor terrace so you can enjoy the views while tucking into one of the best burgers you’ll find on the island.
As well as burgers they have a good selection of other dishes and a larger than usual kids menu. Very highly recommended by our entire family!
The Cow and Tapnell Farm Park is just 12 minutes drive (4 miles) from Brambles Chine.
