The SpyglassInn

The Spyglass Inn occupies one of the oldest buildings on Ventnor Esplanade, a structure dating from around 1830 at the western end of the seafront overlooking the English Channel. Neil and Steph Gibbs have run the pub since 1988, building up a collection of seafaring memorabilia that covers the walls and ceiling, from ships' wheels to diving helmets. Their daughter Rosie has helped develop the food menu, which leans on seafood landed close by: crab and lobster arrive from the Ventnor Haven fishery a short walk along the beach. The pub keeps real ales on handpump and serves food through the day, with outside tables on the esplanade for watching the sea. Muddy boots and well-behaved dogs are welcome inside, a policy the pub states outright, and live music plays on some evenings. The Spyglass has traded as a family business for over three decades and remains a reference point for pubs on the south of the Island.