There are easier things to plan than a proposal. Get the setting right and you will be telling the story for the rest of your lives. The Isle of Wight, as it happens, is built for it: the water, the light, the sense of having slipped somewhere quieter than the mainland.
Sunset over the Solent
The terrace at RT Café Grill looks out across the Solent, and on a clear summer evening the light over the water is as good as anywhere in the country. A table by the window, or a drink outside as it drops: oysters, a glass of something cold, the ferries crossing.
No staging, no fuss. Just the water and the question. If you would like a glass of Champagne ready, tell us when you book and we will bring it over quietly when you want it.
The private room
If the thought of doing it in a full dining room fills you with dread, take it downstairs. The Cellar is two private rooms beneath the restaurant, each looking into the wine cellar, candlelit and entirely your own. The rooms are built for groups (The 1982 takes 8 to 16 guests and The 1945 takes 12 to 20), so this is the one for a proposal with family and friends waiting, or a celebration straight afterwards. Menus are planned with the kitchen. Each room has a minimum spend on food and drink, which depends on the day and the season. It isn’t a room charge.
For two of you alone, the better answer is usually a quiet corner table upstairs with the window beside you. Ask for one when you book and we will do our best.
Make an evening of it: Thompson’s
For the couple who want the evening itself to be the event, there is Thompson’s: Chef Robert Thompson MBE’s tasting menu, six, seven or eight courses from £100 a head, served in The Cellar at lunch and dinner on selected dates each month. Dates are limited and go about a month ahead, so book early and tell us it is a special one.
The morning after
However the evening goes, and it goes well, there is the small matter of the next morning. Come back for breakfast with the ring on and let the news settle in over coffee and the Solent. Breakfast is served from 8.30am Thursday to Saturday and from 9am on Sunday.
Making it happen
Whatever you choose, tell us it is a proposal when you book. We do this more often than you would think, and the difference is in the details: the right table, the timing, a glass ready when you want it, and a team who know to give you the room. None of it costs extra.
How we help
RT Café Grill and The Cellar, Royal Maritime House, 17 St Thomas Street, Ryde, PO33 2DL
Ask for a window table when you book, or call 01983 526118 and we will do our best to keep one for you
The Cellar: The 1982 for 8 to 16 guests, The 1945 for 12 to 20. Each room has a minimum spend on food and drink, which depends on the day and the season. Deposit £20 a person on the room’s minimum numbers
Arranged quietly and brought at the moment you choose. No charge for arranging it
The Cellar is on the lower ground floor without step-free access. Tell us if that affects your party and we will seat you upstairs
Frequently asked
Where is the most romantic restaurant on the Isle of Wight?
RT Café Grill in Ryde has a 180° view of the Solent and private dining rooms downstairs. For a proposal, we would suggest a window table as the light goes, or a private room in The Cellar.
Can you help arrange a proposal?
Yes. Tell us when you book and we will handle the details quietly: the table, the timing, and Champagne when you want it. There is no charge for arranging it.
Do you have a private room for a proposal or celebration?
The Cellar has two private dining rooms, for 8 to 16 and 12 to 20 guests, with menus planned with the kitchen. Each room has a minimum spend on food and drink, which depends on the day and the season. It isn’t a room charge.
Can we have a private room just for two?
The private rooms have minimum numbers of eight and twelve guests. For two, we would give you a quiet window table in the restaurant instead: ask when you book.
When can I book Thompson’s tasting menu?
Thompson’s runs at lunch and dinner on three dates a month, released in advance. See the current dates on the Thompson’s page; they typically sell out about a month ahead.
