There are three names at Royal Maritime House and the same kitchen team behind all of them, so it’s a fair question. Our answer usually has less to do with the food than with the people you’re bringing.
RT Café Grill
This is the restaurant: an à la carte, Tuesday to Sunday in June, July and August, Thursday to Sunday from September to May, breakfast through to dinner, with the Solent filling the dining room windows. Everyone orders what they like. One of you has the ribeye, someone else has the mussels, and the only thing you need to agree on is the wine.
It’s where we’d send most people, and it’s the only one of the three where you can simply book a table for any week we’re open. From September to May it serves lunch from noon to 3pm and dinner from 5.30pm to 8.45pm, Thursday to Saturday. Sundays are the Sunday roast, with last orders at 3.30pm. There’s a Little Adults menu too, which makes it the easiest of the three with children.
Thompson’s
Thompson’s is Robert’s tasting menu. It ran as a restaurant in Newport for nine years before closing there in 2024, and it now returns on selected dates, served downstairs in The Cellar. Each date is a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with lunch from noon to 3pm and a single dinner seating.
You choose the length, six courses at £100, seven at £125 or eight at £150, and the kitchen takes care of the rest. There’s a vegetarian menu of the same length. Beyond that the menu is set, so allergies and dietary requirements need at least 72 hours’ notice, and if a requirement would decide whether you can come at all, ask us before you book.
It suits a table that enjoys being cooked for and wants the food to be the point of the evening. It suits rather less well someone who has been looking forward to a steak all week.
The next dates are on the Thompson’s page. They usually sell out about a month ahead.
The Cellar
If the point is having a room to yourselves, start here and choose the menu afterwards. There are two private rooms downstairs, The 1982 for 8 to 16 and The 1945 for 12 to 20. Each room has a minimum spend on food and drink, which depends on the day and the season. It isn’t a room charge. A booking on a Thompson’s date is a table in a shared room. The private rooms are yours alone.
The two can also be combined. For groups of eight or more, we can serve the Thompson’s tasting menu in a private room, at lunch or dinner, on a date that suits you, subject to availability.
One thing the downstairs options share: there’s no step-free access. If that affects anyone in your party, talk to us before booking.
If you’re still not sure
Think about the person you’re booking for. Do they like reading a menu and choosing, or do they like being surprised? And how long have you got? Thompson’s is a long meal, and the last boat back won’t wait for the cheese course.
As a rough guide: a birthday for twelve is probably The Cellar. The two of you, and you both love food, probably Thompson’s. For nearly everything else, the restaurant.
- Book RT Café Grill: tables for one to seven online, eight or more on 01983 526118.
- Book Thompson’s: choose a date, then lunch or dinner. Tables of two to eight online.
- Enquire about The Cellar with your date, numbers and the occasion.
Questions we get asked
Is Thompson’s in a different building?+
No. It’s served in The Cellar, on the lower ground floor of Royal Maritime House, beneath RT Café Grill.
Can I order à la carte at Thompson’s?+
No. It’s a set tasting menu of six, seven or eight courses, with a vegetarian menu of the same length. For à la carte, book RT Café Grill.
Can we have Thompson’s in a private room?+
Yes, for groups of eight or more, at lunch or dinner, subject to availability. Start with a private dining enquiry.
Which is better for a special occasion?+
It depends on who it’s for, and how many of you there are. A birthday for twelve is probably The Cellar; the two of you, if you both love food, probably Thompson’s; nearly everything else, the restaurant.
