I first came across the Bay Grill on Matt & Cats web site. They did a review a short while ago and on the back of that I decided we would give it a try.
Ryde is one of the last places I would normally think about going for a meal however lately a couple of places have come to my attention that seem worth trying at a later date.
Having never been to this venue before I wasn’t 100% sure where it was or where to park so on the morning of the day we had chosen to go Craig and I went for a run along Ryde seafront so that we could check it out.
It turns out that you can park the car very nearby at the very end of Ryde esplanade just before it turns into Apply Park
Satisfied that it looked like a nice place to have dinner we returned later that evening with James. As we walked up the stairs to the restaurant it seemed a bit quiet and I was worried that we would be the only table. I hate that as I worry why a place is empty. To be fair it was a Monday night and its very early in the holiday season. Anyway when we went in it turned out there were a couple of other tables already eating which pleased me.
We were greeted by a really friendly girl who showed us to a table with a view. To be fair nearly every table has a view out over the Solent .
The room had a really nice feel to it and was styled in a New England beach type style with wooden floors and bare tables. This gave a nice relaxed feel.
Menus in hand and drinks ordered, I had a cocktail called a Pink Dragonfly. This was made up of citron vodka, strawberry puree, lemon juice, pineapple juice and sugar. When the waitress brought it over she let us know that it was the first time she had made this particular cocktail and if I didn’t like it she wouldn’t charge me for it. I thought this was very generous of her however it was wonderful and I very happily drank it.
The menu had a nice selection of dishes on it including four different deli platters to share with selections of cheese, meats and fish.
Starters included soup, grilled scallops, whitebait, and baked Camembert. Craig went for the salt & pepper calamari to start which he very much enjoyed. It was nice and crisp and golden brown and garnished with a wedge of lemon and accompanied by a little pot of mayonnaise.
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James didn’t have a starter and I had the Isle of Wight tomato and Mozzarella salad. The island grows a huge number of tomatoes over at Arreton in massive greenhouses so I was pleased to see something local on the menu. The salad came in a stack with a decent amount of both cheese and tomatoes both of which were very good. I did find the sprig of fresh thyme garnishing the dish a bit odd however it looked very nice.
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For his main course Craig had the Fish & Chips. This came presented on a wooden board with a wedge of lemon and a pot of tartar sauce. The fish was a nice golden brown and very crispy and the skinny chips were well cooked. Craig was really pleased with his choice as he loves fish and chips.
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Neither James nor I had much of an appetite so we both ordered a starter portion of the salt & pepper calamari with a side order of fries each. Unfortunately neither of us liked the calamari. It was really greasy which hadn’t been the case when Craig had the same dish for his starter. We didn’t finish it and just had the chips. It was a shame as it is the only complaint I had all evening.
We didn’t have dessert or coffee as we were all really tired and wanted to get back to the house and have an early night.
We all really enjoyed The Bay Grill (despite the calamari) and will be returning next time we visit the Island . If I lived on the island it would be on my list of regular places to eat and I would recommend it to anyone. Its in a really good location, with a great view, a nice atmosphere and a good menu that’s not too expensive. What more could you ask for.
Sharon x
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