The Crab & Lobster Inn

About The Crab & Lobster Inn

The Crab & Lobster sits on the low cliff at Forelands, the most easterly point of the Isle of Wight, with nothing between the terrace and the sea. It has been a fishermen's pub for generations and still trades on that: crab and lobster from local pots, dressed crab salads, fish pie and a chalkboard of whatever has come in. The dining rooms and the outdoor terrace both look straight down over the shore.

Accommodation is upstairs, in a small number of en-suite bedrooms rated four stars by the AA. Rooms are simple and comfortable rather than luxurious - good beds, tea and coffee, television, free Wi-Fi - and the sea-facing ones are worth the supplement for the view alone. Rates start around ninety-five to a hundred and ten pounds depending on season, which is fair value for the position.

The pub is part of the Character Inns group, a small family-run collection of Island pubs, and it keeps proper pub hours and a proper bar rather than operating as a restaurant with a token counter. Local ales are on, and the atmosphere in the evening is busy and unpretentious. Booking a table is sensible in summer, when day visitors fill the terrace.

Bembridge is a good base for the quieter eastern side of the Island. The coastal path passes the door in both directions, Bembridge Windmill and the lifeboat station are within walking distance, and the beaches at Whitecliff Bay and Priory Bay are a short drive. It suits walkers, cyclists, sailors and couples who would rather stay above a good pub than in a hotel.