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Our local lobsters on the Japanese Robata Grill.   - Smoking Lobster Ventnor, Ventnor, Isle of Wight

Smoking Lobster Ventnor

4.8
4.8
1826 Reviews
£26 to £40
Pan-Asian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 13 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for scenic views
  • Neighbourhood gem
Smoking Lobster Ventnor is an award winning 2-Rosette restaurant located in the heart of Ventnor Bay, serving Asian-Fusion cuisine.


Our restaurant overlooks the ocean, so every meal is paired with breath-taking sea views.

We are famous on the Island for using fresh and local produce. Our local fisherman, Justin, catches our lobsters & line caught sea bass fresh for our use, so our dishes include the freshest possible ingredients from your local shores.

The bar menu reflects the elegant dishes from the kitchen, with precise, bespoke cocktails all prepared using freshly pressed juices.

Family owned by the Giancovich's, with recipes influenced by their extensive travels around Asia, and by their childhood of growing up hunting, gathering, and spear-fishing for seafood.

We look forward to looking after you.

SLV

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Pan-Asian, Seafood, Contemporary Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm
  • Phone number
    01983 855938
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Giancarlo Giancovich
  • Catering
    Outside catering available please inquire
  • Private party facilities
    Minimum spend required for exclusive hire
  • Area
    Ventnor
  • Cross Street
    Ventnor Esplanade, Isle of Wight
  • Parking details
    There is plenty of on street parking within 50 metres of the restaurant. As well as a car park either side.
  • Public transit
    Ventnor bus station
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan

What 1,826 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseEnergetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Smoking Lobster Ventnor excels with its "amazing" seafood and "outstanding" service. Guests rave about the "fantastic" Asian-influenced menu and "beautiful" sea views. While it can be "noisy" at times, the "friendly" staff and "cosy" atmosphere consistently win praise. Perfect for special occasions, it's highly recommended by diners.

1,826 Reviews
  1. Cara

    Isle of Wight

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing tasting experience thoroughly enjoyed the evening

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  2. Rowena

    Warwickshire

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Smoking Lobster is one of our favourite places to eat on the Island for a special occasion, the food is outstanding with so many flavours. Cocktails are amazing too, especially the Wasabi Sour!! Highly recommend especially if you love seafood, lovely place and great service too.

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  3. Daniel

    Warwickshire

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 6 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent friendly and welcoming service from the moment we arrived. The Smoking Lobster staff looked after us brilliantly and made my wife's birthday really special. We sat where we chose (window overlooking the beach), they made a special savoury birthday "cake" as requested (and did not charge!), and were just lovely. Oh - and both the food and the cocktails were the best ever! Thank you!

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  4. IRIS

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 6 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious food and warm service with sea view. Highly recommended.

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  5. Peter

    Kent

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 30 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A fantastic dining experience as always. The small plates menu was a change but the quality and choice remained exceptional. It is a privilege to have such a fine restaurant on Ventnor Esplanade.

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  6. Jess

    Isle of Wight

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 21 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We’ve wanted to eat here since it opened and were not disappointed. Delicious small plates for sharing, warm service and a beautiful sea view. The off season lunch menu made it more affordable and meant we could try a range of different dishes - would recommended.
    Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on 1 February 2025
    Hi Jess, We're so glad to hear that your experience lived up to your expectations and that you finally got to visit us! Thank you for your kind words about our small plates, warm service, and the beautiful sea view. It's wonderful to know that our Off-Season lunch menu allowed you to explore a variety of dishes. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back soon for another delightful dining experience. See you again! Best, Smoking Lobster Team

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  7. Susie

    VIP

    Surrey

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 14 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious fresh sea bream & the smoking lobster’s signature slaw. It’s a quiet dining time on the island January & a week night, even MORE important ‘to eat out to help everyone out’ Many thank to all. Thank you for being there for being OPEN: appreciated 🥇
    Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on 1 February 2025
    Hi Susie, Thank you so much for your supportive words and for choosing to dine with us during this quieter time on the island. We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the fresh Sea Bream and our signature slaw! It's guests like you who truly make a difference by supporting local businesses. We're grateful for your appreciation and for recognizing the importance of 'eating out to help everyone out.' We look forward to welcoming you back soon for another great meal. Thanks again for your kindness and support! Best, Smoking Lobster Team

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  8. kathy

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 11 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food great and waitress lovely. Just felt it was a bit expensive this time
    Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on 1 February 2025
    Hi Kathy, Thank you for your kind words about our food and service! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the quality of your meal and the attentiveness of our staff. We strive to offer the best value by sourcing our produce and seafood locally and sustainably, ensuring only the highest quality ingredients make it to your plate, hence the price point. We do, however, also offer an Off-Season Menu during the winter, which includes 2 Small Dishes and 2 Sides for just £25 which we believe is excellent value for money without compromising on quality! We'd love to welcome you back next time if you'd like to give this a try. Best, Smoking Lobster Group

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  9. Caroline

    London

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 11 January 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This is a restaurant we love and which we visited a few times since we moved on the island. The service is always very pleasant and professional, and we like the cosy atmosphere there. The food is of a great quality and the menu offers a tempting choice of fish, seafood, meat and vegetables with that delicious asian touch. It would be perfect if the size of the starters was a little more generous. The scallops and tuna tataki are truly delicious but the portions very small. The fish of the day for the main, lovely fresh seabass, was lacking company on the plate, the fries and slow looked a bit bored and, despite the tasty sauce, were not able to provide us with that flavour explosion in the mouth which we got on previous occasions from other dishes at the Smoking Lobster. One last thing, the place can get very noisy sometimes.
    Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on 1 February 2025
    Hi Caroline, Thank you for your amazing support and for taking the time to share your feedback! We’re overjoyed to hear you’ve enjoyed our service and the cozy vibe of our restaurant time and again. Regarding your concerns about portion sizes, we prioritize quality by sourcing our ingredients locally and sustainably, and recommend 3-6 dishes per person. For a hearty meal, why not try our Off-Season Menu —2 Small Plates and 2 Sides for just £25, or one of our Large Plates. We aim to ensure every visit leaves you delighted and satisfied. If in doubt, our team is always here to help with regard to making decisions with portion sizes in mind, as every dish is a little different. Thank you again for your feedback and for choosing us for your dining experience! Best, Smoking Lobster Team

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  10. Imogen

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 3 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Booked the Smoking Lobster for a family birthday celebration - service was brilliant, as was the food. Enjoyed the variety of the seafood platter. The Lobster Brioche starter was also recommended & was delicious.
    Smoking Lobster VentnorResponded on 5 January 2025
    Hi Imogen, Thank you so much for choosing Smoking Lobster to celebrate your family birthday! We're thrilled to hear you had a wonderful experience with both our service and food. It's fantastic that you enjoyed the variety of our Seafood Platter and that the Lobster Brioche starter hit the mark. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable meal soon! Best, Smoking Lobster Team

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FAQs

Smoking Lobster Ventnor is rated 4.8 stars by 1826 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 13 times today
Google Map for Smoking Lobster Ventnor

Esplanade, Ventnor, Isle of Wight PO38 1JT

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Ventnor Esplanade, Isle of Wight
  • Area
    Ventnor
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Pan-Asian, Seafood, Contemporary Asian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There is plenty of on street parking within 50 metres of the restaurant. As well as a car park either side.
  • Public transit
    Ventnor bus station
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Giancarlo Giancovich
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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