TRENDY VIBEMore of a slice of Melbourne then Benidorm the Smoking Lobster is a new restaurant from the Tramezzini boys that is really upping the game in Ventnor. It has a simple, relaxing, minimalist vibe and an open kitchen where you can see some incredible chiefs at work. Despite being a stones throw from the beach this isn’t your typical beach cafe, and while there is a Kids menu this is really a place to go to treat yourself with an ever changing menu that features a lot of Asian as well as European influences. Go enjoy!

A TRUE CLASSICThe Spyglass Inn is a stalwart of the town, perched at the sea edge at the western end of Ventnor Esplanade, it must be one of the UK’s best located pubs. Originally a Victorian bath house, for over 30 years it’s been entertaining visitors and the people of Ventnor with live music, great beer and fine food. Packed to the rafters with smuggling memorabilia food is served inside and out everyday from midday. There’s live music most evenings in the pub and some very comfortable guest accommodation for anyone wishing to stay over.

SECRET COVE!Don’t be put off by the name, Steephill Cove is well worth the walk, a tiny bay which you can only get to on foot, either from the rear of the Cricket Club or along the coastal path from Ventnor’s main esplanade. The same family have looked after this cove for generations and you can see the fisherman bring in their catch each day, with fresh crab, lobster and mackerel served up just meters from the sea at The Crab Shed.

MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER!It’s not every gallery where you can sit and chat with the artist or even see them at work on a daily basis, which is what makes Neil Williams Gallery so unique. Having swapped stalls at London’s best markets for his own studio by the sea, Neil is most know locally for his incredible landscape images, both of the local area and locations throughout the country, from national parks to the London skyline. Make sure you check out his new set of images of the town taken from the air in the fog, and you’ll see why there’s no place on earth quite like Ventnor!

SWIM IN THE SEAYou obviously can’t come to Ventnor and not visit the star attraction. Ventnor’s Beach is a great spot for swimming and (occasionally) surfing. We may not have the miles of sand that you’ll find at Ryde but we make up for it with uninterrupted views of the English Channel. During summer months friendly lifeguards look after our beach and you can find tide times on their Hut. Make sure you listen to their advice if the sea is rough and If your not a confident swimmer don’t swim too far out as the seabed becomes very deep quite quickly! If your really lucky you might even see dolphins, we’ve had several visit us over the last few years. Our beach is very important to us, to the extent that local residents volunteer to keep it clean so please make sure you help us and don’t leave any rubbish when you leave, we all want to do our bit to stop any plastics entering the sea.

COOKED WITH LOVEFeeling a long way from home? Check out ‘Two Cooks’ which is a little cafe run by sisters Debbie And Kay. It’s got a real homely vibe and is the perfect spot for breakfast or afternoon cake. There is a great selection of eccentric ethical magazine to keep you busy too and the lovely ladies will soon have you feeling right and ready to face the world. Open daytimes.

THE GOOD LIFEA longstanding beacon for the town’s environmentally conscious, Lesley’s Nutshell is part traditional toy shop, part organic and fair trade foods, but the common theme is a passion for high quality and an ethical approach to how we live our lives. Lesley is a fountain of knowledge and there’s often a queue of people inside seeking her advice. Get in the queue and ask for a tour and she’ll show you the full range of what’s on offer!

CONTEMPORARY DINING Sophisticated without being stuffy, The Bistro is one of Ventnor’s best restaurants. The first to introduce the concept of an ‘open kitchen’ to the town so you can hear and see Chef Andy prepare your meal while you wait. The Bistro runs on continental hours, with a siesta between breakfast/lunch service and evening meals. You can expect plenty of local produce and a regularly updated menu, which much like the artwork on the walls is always changing so every visit feels new and exciting. Like most of Ventnor’s restaurants it’s small so worth booking in advance!

NOT JUST FOR WINTER The striking art deco ‘Winter Gardens’ at the top of the Cascades, built in 1936, has had many guises over the years, and acted as a hub of the town for over 75 years. There is a great cafe/restaurant on the ground and first floors with stunning views of the bay and coastline, and if

NATURAL BOUTIQUE Forget the soulless chains, Blue Labelle is a local start up that’s making waves with their award winning organic, vegan skincare which have even been featured in Vogue and The Telegraph Magazine. Pascale, the owner, can tell you all about how every product is made, and she runs

BEAUTIFUL JEWELLERYA graduate of the Royal College of Art Sophie started her business just one month after graduating and her workshop and tiny boutique on Church Street, Honeybourne Jewellery is where you can see her latest collections before anyone else! You can also request bespoke commissions for any occasion. It really is beautiful work and well worth checking out!

SHOREDITCH VIBEFor casual dining you need to head to Stripped, a new restaurant and bar from Ventnor’s most celebrated German Klaus, who also runs the brilliant Cantina just down the road. Stripped has a more urban vibe with a rustic interior of an old Midlands Bank, communal tables and sterling board bar. Records play in the background and gluten free/vegan options sit side by side with burgers for the meat eaters.

THEATRE, VINYL & CRAFT BEERLocated in an old post office on Church Street the Ventnor Exchange is an arts hub which combines a theatre, record store and craft beer bar. Pretty cool huh? The theatre has sofas for seats and has hosted some impressive names in the world of comedy, drama and puppetry with shows for all ages.

When there isn’t a show on the Exchange is open every night as a bar, with over 60 beers to choose from, including lots of Belgian and German imports. Every summer the Ventnor Exchange team run the Ventnor Fringe Festival which welcomes over 400 artists to take over the town during the second week of August.

SECRET GALLERY!With a mix of jewellery, art, ceramics and textiles Ku Space offers a mix of traditional and contemporary work, the majority made by local artists and craftspeople. It’s a great

BUZZING SOCIAL EATERY Forget Starbucks or Costa, in Ventnor our High street is filled with intimate independent cafes and coffee houses with Tramezzini one of the best. Created by chiefs Adam and Giancarlo it’s a particularly popular spot with locals in the mornings for breakfast with the newspapers. Thurs - Sat they also open in the evenings with a Mediterranean menu that’s to die for!

A ROYAL EXPERIENCEOpened in 1832 The Royal Hotel is the last of a number of grand hotels that once filled the town, and is one of only 30 establishments to be listed in every Michelin Guide since it was first published in 1911. The Royal was also the first hotel on the island to achieve Four AA Stars and has held 2 AA Rosettes for excellent food for over 20 years. The Hotel’s restaurant and bar are open

ISLAND IN MINIATUREA popular attraction for generations this little paddling pool on the eastern end of the esplanade is shaped like the Isle of Wight which you can climb over and find all the places you’ve visited. It sits at the bottom of the Cascade, an impressive waterfall.

UNWIND OR WORK OUT IN THE PARK!Located to the west of the town centre Ventnor Park is the perfect place for a picnic, to walk the dog or simply relax away from the beach which can get pretty overcrowded. There is a putting green, a bandstand with free concerts on Sundays in the summer and even an outdoor gym if you feel so inclined.

THE UK’S HOTTEST GARDEN!Making the most of our famous micro-climate is the Ventnor Botanic Garden, 22 acres of beautiful spaces to explore which are home to over 30,000 rare and sub-tropical plants and trees! For many, it’s the only place in the country that they can be grown outside.

You can easily spend the best part of a day here with a cafe, gallery, and shop all onsite. It’s well worth going on the tour underground to the mushroom chamber too which takes place most days. Check out their website in advance for details of various events and wellbeing experiences like outdoor yoga. It’s also one of the best spots to find the famous Ventnor wall lizard!

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THE HIGHEST POINT ON THE ISLAND!At some 241 metres (791ft) above sea level the summit of St Boniface Down offers incredible 360 degree views on clear days across the whole Island and out to sea. It’s well worth the steep climb to take it in, and if you really want to cheat you can actually drive to the top.

PRETTY BONCHURCHThe village of Bonchurch is about 15mins walk from Ventnor and its grand Victorian mansions have been the home to many great Victorian writers and poets. If you take a walk around this beautiful neighbourhood you’ll spot plenty of plaques naming the properties former residents. In the centre is a large pond where you can often spot herons and terrapins.

11TH CENTURY CHAPELThere are many beautiful churches around Ventnor but perhaps the most important to make a b-line towards is the Old St Boniface Church in Bonchurch. The tiny chapel was built nearly 1,000 years ago and still serves as a place of workshop today, as well as hosting live events.

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little shop to find a thoughtful gift and in the basement is a secret little gallery with an ever changing exhibition of new work! Kimiko Ure, the owner, it a jeweller herself and you can see her at work whenever you visit working on new creations.

a busy online store so you can have products delivered anywhere in the word, knowing it’s all handmade here in Ventnor. There is also some fantastic artwork from local creatives in the shop.

you head upstairs there is a huge new roof terrace which is the best place in town to sip a rum cocktail or two whilst catching the amazing sunsets. The building acts a bit like a town hall, so hosts everything from tea dances to drum and bass nights to pantomime. Because of this everyone has a story they can tell you about a night at the Winter Gardens! Its well worth checking out their listings when you arrive to see what’s coming up.

BUNKER DOWN!Located on Ventnor Esplanade Lady Scarlett’s Tea Parlour is the place to head to for all things vintage, with the toilet decked out as an air raid shelter, retro china and wartime memorabilia from floor to ceiling .Cream tea and savoury cheese tea is their speciality, plus more unexpected combinations like chocolate and even rhubarb tea! Lady Scarlett’s is also licenced, so prohibition drinks are available, just speak to major – schhhhh – alcoholic sorbet, slush and lollies also available for the grown- ups throughout the summer – but remember “mums the word”. If your feeling hungry you can get great crab pasties here among many other homemade treats. In fact they even make doggy Ice cream and doggy popcorn which is so good you might eat it yourself! If you spot the picture of Lady Scarlett’s grandmother on the wall be sure to ask about her fascinating story.

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to the public as well as guests staying at the Hotel and is a great place for a special night out of Afternoon Tea in the gardens!

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WE MIGHT BE HIDDEN AWAY BUT IT’S WORTH THE TRIP. GET READY TO DISCOVER THE ISLAND’S MOST ECCENTRIC TOWN!Visiting a place in which everyone seems to knows each other by name can be pretty daunting so we’ve put together everything you need to know so you can act like a true Ventnorian, as local’s are known, and avoid standing out like grockle (tourists!)

Not so long ago Ventnor was viewed with disdain as a rundown resort best avoided. These days it has a fast improving reputation, with celebrity sightings (some of which we may have made up) and rave articles in the national papers. There is a very vibrant gastronomic and creative scene here for such a small town, much to the bemusement of the rest of the Island.

Ventnor has a famous microclimate, with more sunny days then almost anywhere else in the UK and while we might exaggerate just a little bit your sure to notice tropical plants you’ve never seen before as you walk around and wall lizards galore in the summer months!

Ventnor is a built on the slopes of St Boniface Down, and is a bit like a giant game of Snakes and Ladders, with many little stairways cutting in-between winding zig-zag roads (yep that’s actually the name of one) It’s worth making the journey to the very top where you can get an incredible view out to sea.

Visit during August and you might be lucky enough to visit during the Ventnor Fringe (7th – 12th August 2018), when the whole town comes alive with theatre shows, comedy, gigs and more in weird and wonderful locations throughout the town!

Local’s refer to the Isle of Wight as ‘the Island’ without a drop of irony and while they will tell you Freshwater or Cowes are very far away, in truth nowhere is more than an hour’s drive away so it’s easy to explore the rest of the Island from a base here in Ventnor.

Oh... and it’s pronounced Vent-ner, never Vent-nor!

CONVERSATION DO’S AND DON’TSWant to get to know the locals? Here’s a few helpful tips about what to bring up and what to avoid!

Have you ever thought about a fixed link? Complaining about ferries is as normal here as complaining about politicians but whatever you do don’t mention the idea of building a bridge or tunnel! This is the one topic that divides families and is guaranteed to lead to you wishing you’d never asked!

Part of Hampshire? Let’s get this clear, despite the fact we share some services (You’ll notice the Police here are Hampshire Constabulary) the Isle of Wight is not part of Hampshire thank you very much. In fact we didn’t even swear allegiance to the English Crown until 1293.

Is it true Ventnor has a micro-climate? Yes, and we love to tell people all about it! Our unusual location, facing south with St Boniface Down’s sheltering us against the north winds means this is one of the sunniest places in the UK (Does Jersey even count?) We get very few frosts with a mild climate year round. Sometimes you can even notice the difference in weather between Ventnor and Shanklin 15mins drive away. We love to hear compliments about the weather, even when it’s not living up to its reputation.

Any famous visitors? Of course! What do the likes of Charles Dickens, Karl Marx, John Keats, Edward Elgar, Winston Churchill, Robert Pattinson, Amy Winehouse, Kristen Stewart, Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch all have in common? They’ve all been spotted in Ventnor! Ventnor has been welcoming famous visitors for over 100 years and there is often local gossip about celebrity sightings or speculation on who has moved into some of the town’s most impressive houses. Why not start a rumour of your own?

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!See if you can make use of these Island words...Nammet: Today used to mean lunch, but traditionally a mid afternoon snack taken out in the fields.Scroff: The dead wood you see fallen under trees. The sort that’s too small to really be good for anythingMallishag: A large caterpillar!

THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF OLIVIA PARKESVentnor has always been full of wonderful characters and perhaps one of the best was Olivia Parkes, known by many locals simply as ‘Britannia’.

Olivia lived in a wooden building raised up on stilts and perched at the bottom of the cliffs just past the eastern end of Ventnor Bay. Despite having no running water or sanitation and being accessible only by a ladder she made this hut her home from the late 1920’s to 1958!

For a time she ran a sweet shop in the town and would also sell confectionary and fruit on the beach which led to her being prosecuted several times for breaking Sunday trading rules! During the Second World War the coast was protected with barbed wire and, refusing to move, she would climb through the defences to get back to her home.

By the 1950’s the hut was in a very poor state and local children would throw stones onto the roof from the cliff above, in the hope of seeing old Britannia come out of her house. Finally in 1958 the Council forcibly evicted her and the structure was demolished. Olivia was moved to an apartment, where she died shortly after.

Why did she stay in the hut for so long? Local rumour has it that she was waiting for her lover to return from the War and would look out to sea every day in the hope of his return. Discover the incredible photos of her home at the Ventnor Heritage Centre or visit the site where it stood...

EVENTSPerhaps the best week of the year is the Ventnor Fringe, held during August, when the whole town comes alive with venues and bars created all over the town and hundreds of artists come to test out new work.

It’s a broad mix of everything from theatre to music, film to cabaret and it also coincides with the Ventnor Carnival, an annual parade that’s one of the oldest in the country!

Check our vfringe.co.uk for more information on the Festival or visit the Ventnor Exchange.

Ventnor Country Market is held every Saturday morning at the Baptist Church in Pier Street. There is always a fantastic selection of local produce, and also often flowers, garden plants and some crafts.

Look out for our basket girls who take cakes and savouries to the shops around the whole town each Saturday morning!

There is free music in Ventnor Park every Sunday from 14:00hrs -16:00hrs from April through to September.

PRACTICAL INFORMATIONTOURIST INFORMATIONLocated in the High Street inside the Post Office. It is open 07:00hrs - 17:30hrs daily and open 08:00hrs - 12:00hrs on Sundays.

Online tourist information can be found at www.visitisleofwight.co.uk

OPENING HOURSMany shops and restaurants have reduced opening hours on Sunday and Mondays. Most restaurants stop serving food between 21:00hrs - 22:00hrs. People tend to eat quite early in Ventnor.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT Ventnor is small enough to explore on foot, but it is quite hilly! Southern Vectis is the Island’s bus company with regular connections to Ventnor.

Standard fares are expensive but there is lots of good value schemes like Week Passes and the Key Card which offer much better value for money so if your going to use the bus more than once it’s well worth looking into these.

No. 3 links to all of the other major towns. Towards Ryde in one direction and Newport in the other. This service runs ever 30mins until around midnight. On Friday/Saturdays there is also a night service until approx 03:00hrs in the morning.

No 6 travels to the surrounding villages including Niton, Whitwell and Chale. There are approximately 4 buses per day so be sure to check timetables in advance.

In the Summer months the Island Coaster services runs a bus daily out along the West Coast to the Needles. Ventnor’s main bus stop is outside Boots in the High Street.

TAXISThere are a range of Taxi companies in Ventnor which, especially if travelling as a pair or in a group can be a an affordable and easy way to get around the town. For longer distances it might be better to use other public transport.

We’d strongly recommend booking a taxi in advance if you know you’ll need one, as they often get very busy and there is no 24 hour service! Also, your Uber means nothing to anyone here!

WHAT’S ON?Check out LOVEVENTNOR.CO.UK for local listings and for daily listings of events taking place on the Island as a whole.

The main local paper is the Isle of Wight Country Press which has events listings in the Weekender section and is released every Friday.

Ventnorville is a fun winter event held annually early in December. Definitely one to check out!

ICE CREAM HEAVEN! There’s ice cream and then there’s ice cream made by Crave. Handmade on the premises by husband and wife team Chris and Tracy, you’ll find some of the most crazy flavours you can ever imagine here, with combinations that just don’t seem like they should work, but we promise you they do! They even offer dairy free/vegan flavours so everyone can experience the excitement of a trip to Crave. Why not call in and see if they will make your favourite flavour? We’ve heard rumours around town they’ve been working on creating Churros too this year! Just saying. Open right through to 6pm (9pm in summer) every day except Tuesdays.

GO WILD See if you can find any of these characters!

KNOW YOUR FISHLocal fish include Bream, Dover Sole, Ray Wing, Mackerel, Red Mullet, Grey Mullet, Pollack, Cod, Whiting, Turbot and Brill. Plus don’t forget Ventnor’s specialty Crabs and Lobsters. Other rare finds in Ventnor waters include Squid, Scallops, Haddock, Monk Fish.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS!In Ventnor we love to talk about ‘the good old days’ ... a lot. We’re not quite sure when the good old days were but it’s generally thought to be when you could still get a steam train or paddle steamer into town. In fact we talk about the past so much we have our very own dedicated museum in the form of the Ventnor Heritage Centre. It’s full of photos, artifacts and information about the town and the lives of those who’ve lived here. It’s well worth a visit and you can discover if you have long lost Aunt who lived on the Island!

NO HIGH HEELS!Ventnor has some serious hills for which sensible footwear comes ahead of fashion. If you fancy dressing up for the evening we’d strongly avoid these stiletto free zones; Zig Zag Road, Grove Road, Tulse Hill and Bath Road. You’ll thank us for that piece of advice!

MYSTERY POINTThose creative folk at the Ventnor Exchange tell us something exciting is planned for this spot at the eastern entrance to the town centre. If your visiting from August onwards be sure to check it out, our lips are sealed!

Wall Lizard Cormorant

Old English Goat Glanville Fritillary Butterfly

Red Squirrel Buzzard

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Search for ‘The Sound of

Ventnor’ on Spotify and find our playlist of the very

best music recorded in and around the town. It’s the perfect soundtrack to explore the area with!

Find out more about the Island’s southernmost town, Ventnor, what to do, where to go and how

to fit in like a local with this little free guide.

This map has been created by the

VENTNOR BUSINESS ASSOCIATION with the support of local business.

Design by Daniel Trevenna DesignIllustrations by Katy Rose Thorogood

Text by Jack Whitewood

“...THIS TINY SEASIDE TOWN HAS A THRIVING HOME-GROWN

CREATIVE COMMUNITY.”The Guardian

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NEW BAR IN TOWNYou might hear people around town talking about meeting at HSBC and be wondering why we all like to meet at the bank! Chances are they’ll actually be heading to the High Street Bar Co a new bar and grill on the High Street

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BAKERY & COCKTAILSWith just 22 seats you might have to fight the locals for a seat, but Cantina is the perfect place to head to when your feeling peckish. It evolves from breakfast/bakery vibe in the mornings to a cafe during the day with the addition of some amazing cocktails. Famous for it’s ever changing menu and eclectic food pairings you won’t want to leave!

RETRO TEA HOUSECombing bone china, a record player and vintage furniture with a more urban industrial style the aptly named Tea House is a great new addition to Ventnor. It’s the kind of place Granny, Mum and teenagers will all feel comfortable and be able to bond over a good pot of tea and excellent Victoria sponge. Although open daytimes The Tea House sometimes throws the doors open in the evenings too, hosting games nights, music evenings and more. Check out their website and social media for details.

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which spills out over three floors and a little garden. As well as hosting live music and screening all major sports events they offer a brilliant bar food style menu with their trademark ‘Build Your Own Burgers’ It tends to have lively atmosphere in the evenings with after everyone has eaten.

INDIE FILMS & LIVE MUSICYears ago the Island was full of independent cinemas, then a giant multiplex opened in Newport and they nearly all closed down. But in Ventnor we’re lucky to have Ventnor Arts Club, an Art Deco former bank transformed into a beautiful and rather luxurious armchair cinema and event space. It screens indie and world films every week as well as live broadcasts of opera, ballet and plays from venues like the National Theatre, Royal Opera House and Stratford Upon Avon. They also host live music at weekends, talks, quizzes and other events. Carefully selected wines, beers and cocktails are served from its bar inside the bank’s vault!

For most events, including live broadcasts, tickets are available on the club’s website or sometimes at the bar, on the night. Ventnor Film Society is also based there and seats can be booked via their website. For other club film screenings you’ll need to be or be with a member but the club welcomes guests and offers temporary membership for £10. It’s valid for a week during which you can go as often as you like, enjoy discounted event tickets and socialise with the very friendly arts lovers.

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