The Knowhere Guide

Eating and Drinking in Cowes, Isle of Wight*

Cowes, Isle of Wight Pubs, Cafes, Coffee Shops and Restaurants

Food

• Lots of chip shops. Chip Ahoy is the best one to go to as there portions are at an ok size (unlike the ones in the town)

Pubs

• The only decent pub is the Painters Arms in Cross Street. Decent beer, decent juke box, pool table and full of what polite people call eccentrics. First point of call for the police when they're looking for someone. Chippy nearby when you're full up with beer. The Three Crown was good till some eejit tried some DIY and it fell down. Probably a good end 'cause it was being turned into a wine bar.
• DO GO TO THE WHITE LION as of Summer 1999 when it gets new management
• The "Spyglass" in Ventnor is a really nice place, especially on Thursdays, when "JC and friends" are giving a concert. The surrounding is quite amazing, and the beach is near. In the summer it must be fantastic.
  Another nice pub is the "Wight Mouse Inn". They've got excellent food. And every monday night you can listen to really good music by "JC and Angelina"!!! Finally go to "Waterfront", Totland. Mostly on Friday night there is a good concert of an excellent combo, "JC and Angelina".
• Other good pubs:
  • LongShoremnan, Shanklin. On the waterfront... good Bass
  • The Chequers, main rod from Newport to Ventnor. Excellent food
  • The Spyglass, Ventnor. Excellent position
• When on the Isle of Wight go to the Arreton Barn for a pint of Bass. It is run by an eccentric Yorkshireman named Seefus who wears shorts and sandles in the middle of winter! He was the cornet player from the "Temperance Seven"...a band who had a hit with "Girl from Pasadena"(?) in the sixties. The Barn also does excellent food and is THE place for pub games especially dominoes. It lies adjacent to large number of craft shops at the Arreton Craft Village and therefore is an excellent place for the whole family.
  DO NOT GO TO THE WHITE LION, also in Arreton. The new management have recently fired staff who had worked at the pub for over 10 years! Besides, the beer is not as good.

Cafes and Coffee Shops

• Tiffans

The Knowhere Guide started out as a list of places to skateboard in the UK. It is a compilation of (unedited) information and views supplied by users like yourself. It is not a conventional tourist guide!

In most cases, the information in each section has been submitted by more than one contributor (the credits at the bottom of the page list some, but not all, of the contributors) and some of it dates back to the 1970s.

We make no claims as to the accuracy of the information in the Guide - our only purpose is to provide a forum for users to share their knowledge and opinions. So please keep a large bag of salt handy and be prepared to read between the lines!

If you disagree with a comment, or information is out of date, please submit an update! The contributors come from all walks of life, and their opinions are bound to be subjective, so if your view isn't represented, please speak up and contribute to the balance of the Guide. See below in the 'Have Your Say' section for how to add your voice.

If we have helped you out or made you laugh you can buy us a pint.

Have Your Say...

You can tell us more about Cowes. This is also the method to use if you want to correct some of the information already here. (But please remember you're not mailing the person who actually wrote whatever-it-is.)

You can use the add an event form to tell us about events happening in Cowes.

Or, if you'd just like to leave a message for other users of this site, take a look at The Knowhere Board (handy if you're just trying to get in touch with someone).

Credits

Last updated: 2007-08-12