If you live on the Isle of Wight or in Hampshire & the surrounding areas, it’s likely you’ll have heard rave reviews about the exclusive & elusive restaurant at Colwell Bay – The Hut is located right on the water, tucked inside a small bay on the coast of the Isle of Wight across from Lymington on the mainland. The Hut is a restaurant we’ve been wanting to visit for YEARS (at least 6 I think) & we finally had the opportunity to go in September last year.
The Hut is notoriously hard to get a booking at as they’re only open in the spring/summer months & their books fill up fast – so if it’s on your must visit list, I’d recommend planning quite far in advance! We managed to get a booking for an early dinner on a Sunday in September, so naturally we ended up planning a weekend on the Isle of Wight around it – always an excellent plan! It’s known for being a very expensive place to eat (it ended up costing even more than we had anticipated) – however if you’re celebrating a special occasion or just fancy a boujie meal, this would be perfect.
If you’re looking for recommendations of other places to visit on the Isle of Wight, read more posts here.
If you’re travelling by car, there’s a small car park at Colwell Bay with a pay machine – you can also take the ferry to Yarmouth & catch a ride to The Hut in their dedicated car. The majority of people arrive by water, so if that’s you – you can moor up in front of the restaurant & you’ll be collected on The Hut’s RIB.
The Hut is the perfect spot for a bite to eat on a sunny evening – the views are absolutely incredible & it’s hard to think of somewhere else locally where you can sit this close to the sea!
We started off with some olives & crab straws, both of which were excellent – washed down with a couple of cocktails.
We opted for three different starters to share – after all, The Hut is somewhere we’d been wanting to try for a long time! First up were some tempura fish tacos which were excellent – delicate fish, fresh toppings & wonderfully soft tortillas.
Next up was some seared tuna which was incredible – this sort of dish is always a winner for us, and the combination of flavours with the watermelon & contrasting textures made this a delight to eat.
Our final starter was the smoked salmon, which was served as a whole fillet – this was also spectacular. We loved the crispy noodles on top, and the salmon was beautiful. If there’s one thing The Hut does well (and is known for), it’s seafood!
Tom opted for a steak for his main, which he thoroughly enjoyed – it was perfectly cooked & he had zero bad things to say.
I ordered the plaice which is something I’ll normally choose if it’s on the menu – it was flaky & smothered with butter. Truly decadent!
We rounded off our meal with coffees & a pavlova for dessert – the pavlova was a little underwhelming for me as it promised a lemon curd filling which wasn’t really there – the sorbet was welcome after such a rich meal though.
Overall, our visit to The Hut, Colwell Bay was an excellent experience – the service was efficient & all of the staff were very friendly and welcoming, the food was sensational (perfect for seafood lovers!) & the location really can’t be beaten.
It did end up costing us an eyewatering amount & is by far the most expensive meal we’ve ever eaten (and we’ve had sushi in Iceland!) – however, we knew it would be a pricey one & I’d say that it’s worth it for the experience.
We’d definitely return for another meal – we’ve got our eye on their surf & turf, which comes highly recommended – and if you’ve been wondering about whether to book a visit to The Hut, Colwell Bay – hopefully this is helpful for you!
Have you been to The Hut, Colwell Bay? I’d love to know what you thought! (And what you ate, of course!)
You might also like these posts:
- The Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight
- Seafood Feast at Prawn on the Lawn, Padstow
- Dinner at HarBAR on 6th, Southampton
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