From Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight looks like a day trip. It is closer to a night out. The FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour takes 22 minutes to Ryde, and RT Café Grill is on the seafront a few minutes from the end of the pier. The last boat back leaves at ten past eleven.
People who live in Portsmouth, Southampton and Chichester tend to save the Island for summer holidays. There is no reason to. Here is how to come over for dinner and be home the same night, without a car and without a ferry booking for one.
The FastCat, Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde
Wightlink’s FastCat runs from Portsmouth Harbour, next to the railway station and Gunwharf Quays, to Ryde Pier Head. It is a foot-passenger boat: about 22 minutes across, with sailings through the evening. Buy tickets online before you go.
About 22 minutes, Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head
23:10 from Ryde on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
From Ryde at 19:47, 20:52, 22:15 and 23:10 (autumn 2026)
Walk the pier to the Esplanade, or take the Island Line one stop
Timetables change with the seasons, so check the night you’re coming. But the shape of the evening doesn’t change: over in the early evening, a drink first, dinner, and a walk back down the pier to the boat.
A Friday or Saturday evening
- Early eveningFastCat from Portsmouth Harbour. Twenty-two minutes later you are at Ryde Pier Head.
- Twenty minutes laterWalk the length of the pier, or take the Island Line one stop to Ryde Esplanade. The restaurant is a few minutes from both.
- Before dinnerA drink at the bar. In summer the garden bar and the terrace are open, with the Solent in front of you.
- 7pmDinner. A table at seven leaves plenty of time for the 22:15 boat. The last tables are at 9pm, and a later table is fine if you’re taking the 23:10.
- After dinnerBack down the pier to the boat. You’re in Portsmouth by half past eleven.
Sunday lunch by hovercraft
If Portsmouth is home, the hovercraft from Southsea is the quickest way over: a ten-minute flight that lands on the beach at Ryde Esplanade, a short walk from the restaurant. It stops too early for dinner, but it is made for Sunday lunch.
On Sundays the kitchen serves a Sunday roast from noon, with last orders at 3.30pm. In winter the last hovercraft back to Southsea leaves Ryde at 18:30 on Sundays (17:55 on Saturdays); in summer, about 20:15. Hovertravel’s timetables are here. If you miss it, the FastCat to Portsmouth Harbour runs later.
From Southampton
Red Funnel’s boats from Southampton go to Cowes, on the other side of the Island, which makes Ryde a long way round. For dinner in Ryde, the simpler route is the train from Southampton to Portsmouth Harbour, which stops at the FastCat terminal, and the boat from there. Check your last train home on National Rail before you book the table. If it is tight, aim for the 22:15 boat rather than the 23:10.
From Chichester
The same idea: the train to Portsmouth Harbour, then the FastCat. If you are driving, there is parking at Gunwharf Quays, next to the ferry terminal, or at Southsea for the hovercraft at lunchtime. Again, check your last train before you settle on the late boat.
What to book when you’re here
If you’re crossing the water for it, make it count. Dinner at RT Café Grill is the à la carte: oysters and crudo, a whole fish or a steak off the grill, and a wine list of about 260 bins. On a few dates each month, Robert cooks Thompson’s, his tasting menu, downstairs in The Cellar, and that is worth planning a crossing around. This explains the difference between the two.
Groups come over for birthdays and, from late November, Christmas parties. The boat is part of the evening; nobody has to drive, and everyone gets home. If you want to make a weekend of it, our Isle of Wight food weekend fills in the rest.
Questions we get asked
How long does it take to get to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth?+
The FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head takes about 22 minutes. The hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde takes about 10 minutes, but stops running earlier in the evening.
What time is the last ferry back from Ryde to Portsmouth?+
At the time of writing, the last FastCat from Ryde Pier Head to Portsmouth Harbour leaves at 23:10 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Timetables change seasonally, so check Wightlink before you travel.
Can I go to the Isle of Wight for dinner without a car?+
Yes. The FastCat is foot passengers only. RT Café Grill is on the Ryde seafront, a walk along the pier or one stop on the Island Line from where the boat comes in.
How do I get from Southampton to Ryde?+
The simplest way is the train from Southampton to Portsmouth Harbour, then the FastCat to Ryde. Red Funnel’s boats from Southampton go to Cowes, on the other side of the Island.
Is the restaurant open every day?+
No. RT Café Grill is open Thursday to Sunday: à la carte from noon until 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and the Sunday roast from noon, with last orders at 3.30pm.