Ryde is the first thing most people see when they arrive on the Isle of Wight: the pier, the sand running for half a mile at low tide, the Solent behind you and the town rising in front. It is also, quietly, one of the best places to eat on the Island.
Getting to Ryde
Ryde is the easiest arrival point on the Island. The FastCat foot-passenger ferry from Portsmouth Harbour lands at Ryde Pier Head in about 22 minutes, and the hovercraft from Southsea reaches Ryde Esplanade in ten. Both leave you a short walk from the town centre. With a car, the vehicle ferries into Fishbourne and East Cowes are a ten to fifteen minute drive away.
Which matters for one reason: you can be sitting down to lunch overlooking the Solent less than half an hour after leaving the mainland.
Breakfast
Breakfast is where the day should start slowly. At RT Café Grill the kitchen serves breakfast from 9am to 10.15am, Thursday to Sunday: proper cooked plates, pastries, good coffee, and the view doing the work while you wake up. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar if you have not booked.
Lunch, with the Solent in view
Lunch is RT Café Grill at its most relaxed. A seasonally written menu of grills, plates and classics, Island produce where we can get it, cooked with care but never fuss. Wide windows wrap the dining room, so you are looking out over the water while the ferries cross. In the warmer months the terrace opens for lunch in the sun.
Lunch runs from noon to 5pm. It is the easiest table to get and, for a lot of visitors, the highlight of the day.
Afternoon tea
If you want something between lunch and dinner, afternoon tea runs Thursday to Sunday from 2.30pm, with last orders at 3.30pm: finger sandwiches, warm scones, pastries and a pot of tea, from £35 a head. Add Prosecco, English sparkling or Champagne if the occasion calls for it. It is pre-booked only, with 24 hours’ notice.
Dinner
Dinner is the same room turned down a few notches: candlelight, the water going dark, cocktails from the bar. The menu shifts with the season and with what has landed that day. Dinner is served Thursday to Saturday, 5.30pm to 9pm.
Drinks, and the sea-view bar
You do not need a table for the best of it. The bar and terrace are open from 9am to 10pm on the days we are open, for drinks and bar snacks: oysters, a glass of rosé in the afternoon, cocktails as the light goes over the Solent. Walk-ins welcome.
For something special
Two experiences sit a step above the everyday, both downstairs from the restaurant.
- The Cellar — two private dining rooms looking into the wine cellar. The 1982 takes 8 to 16 guests, The 1945 takes 10 to 20. Menus planned with you, no room hire fee and no minimum spend; a £10 per guest deposit confirms the booking.
- Thompson’s — Chef Robert Thompson MBE’s tasting menu, six, seven or eight courses from £100 a head, served at lunch and dinner on selected dates each month.
The practical bits
RT Café Grill, Royal Maritime House, 17 St Thomas Street, Ryde, PO33 2DL
Thursday to Sunday. Breakfast 9am to 10.15am, lunch noon to 5pm, dinner 5.30pm to 9pm Thursday to Saturday
Bar and terrace 9am to 10pm on open days
FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour, 22 minutes to Ryde Pier Head. Hovercraft from Southsea, ten minutes to Ryde Esplanade
Tables for one to seven online, up to two months ahead. Eight or more, call 01983 526118
No guest parking on site; two public car parks within a two-minute walk, one opposite
Frequently asked
Where is the best place to eat in Ryde with a sea view?
RT Café Grill on St Thomas Street has a 180° view of the Solent from the dining room, plus a terrace open across the day. It is the most complete view-and-food combination in the town.
Do I need to book, or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome at the bar and terrace for drinks and bar snacks. For a table, especially at lunch and dinner in summer, book ahead: one to seven guests book online.
What time does RT Café Grill open?
Thursday to Sunday. Breakfast 9am to 10.15am, lunch noon to 5pm, dinner 5.30pm to 9pm Thursday to Saturday, with the bar and terrace serving from 9am to 10pm.
Is there anywhere in Ryde for a special occasion dinner?
Yes. The Cellar has two private dining rooms for 8 to 16 and 10 to 20 guests, and Thompson’s serves a tasting menu at lunch and dinner on selected dates. Both are beneath RT Café Grill.
How do I get to Ryde from the mainland?
The FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour takes about 22 minutes to Ryde Pier Head; the hovercraft from Southsea takes ten minutes to Ryde Esplanade. Both land a short walk from the restaurant.