Ryde is one of the Island's principal towns and ferry ports, with regular catamaran and hovercraft services to the Mainland. Has a busy, bustling shopping centre and a sea front, which boasts a swimming pool, kiddies' funfair, bowling alley and an ice rink, along with a marina. There is a pleasant walk along the seafront to Appley, and on to Puckpool, with some well-maintained, safe, sandy beaches on route. For the less energetic, there is a Lotto train that runs from the Town to Appley Park. One of the more curious features of maritime Ryde is a mobile sandbank, which travels the length of the sea front and back over a period of time!
List of Pubs
(click on pub name)
BAR 53
CASTLE
CROWN HOTEL
ESPLANADE BARS
THE FALCON
FOWLERS - WETHERSPOONS
HIGH PARK TAVERN
JOE DAFLOES
KASBAH
KING LUD
LAKE HURON
LIQUID LOUNGE
MARINE
PARTLANDS
PONDA ROSA
THE RAILWAY
ROYAL SQUADRON
RYDE CASTLE HOTEL
SIMEON ARMS
SOLENT INN
STAR INN
SWANS NEST
THATCHERS END
WIGHT ROCK BAR
WISHING WELL
YELFS HOTEL
BAR 53
53 Union Street
01983 811006
www.yelfshotel.com
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
No Real Ales
New bar for the young cliental, nightclub attached with a late option Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Very pleasant décor.
CASTLE
High Street
01983 811138
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Mid high street location just before Woolworth's
Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Gales Best
Gales HSB
Gales Butser
1850 saw the opening of this large public house by Thomas Vanner who operated the Ryde to Newport stagecoach. Fine building that stands proud at the junction with the High Street, and owing to its fine etched window is a Grade 2 listed building, which may have saved it from demolition or conversion in the mid 80’s. Busy town centre local pub that has enjoyed a long-standing reputation for its Gales Ales.
CROWN HOTEL
St Thomas Square
01983 562080
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Top end of Union Street at beginning of High Street
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Currently No Real Ale
Lively, bustling town centre pub with single bar and regular live music. There is a carvery every day and upstairs is a non-smoking area. Attractive bay windows at the front enhance the hanging baskets, which are a blaze of colour throughout the summer.
ESPLANADE BARS
The Esplanade
01983 562549
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Opposite hovercraft terminal
Weekdays 10.30-2.30, 6 - 11 Sat 10.30-2.30, 6 - 11 Sun 12 – 2, 6 - 11
No Real Ale
Part of the Esplanade Hotel owned by Shearings the holiday company. The hotel is an imposing building dominating part of the front immediately coming off the pier. To one side is the bar, open to the public but selling no real ale.
THE FALCON
Swanmore Road
01983 563900
Bus Route 33,34
100 yards past the end of Ryde high street
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
John Smiths Bitter
Adnams Broadside
Goddard’s Fuggle de Dum
Guest Ale
Stone built Mid Victorian (1859) local with two bars situated in quiet residential area. Once a near neighbour of the Royal County Hospital, which has since been centralised in Newport and the site, turned over to housing. Petanque, darts, pool and shove h’apenny played regularly. Football big screen, free pool on Fridays and live music Saturdays. Home of Island petanque since 1978. Street parking only.
FOWLERS - WETHERSPOONS
Union Street 01983 812112
www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Courage Directors
Ventnor Gold
Summer Lightning
Theakston Best
Greene King Abbot Ale
Guest Beers
Although not the most charismatic pub in the Wetherspoons chain, this converted drapery store offers one of the most varied ranges of well-kept beers you will find anywhere. The pub is very popular and beer is consistently good, with three beers being constantly rotated. The pub’s name was at the suggestion of the local CAMRA branch; not only is it the name of the former store, but also that of the first local CAMRA chairman and revered early
campaigner - Valentine "Boathook" Fowler. After the recent addition of an upstairs restaurant, there is now a children’s menu and that area is family friendly.
HIGH PARK TAVERN
84 Marlborough Road
01983 562841
Bus Route 1,7,7A,7B,8
Main Ryde to Brading Road
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Fullers London Pride
Badger Tanglefoot
Corner pub on busy main road. Recently gone through a total re-modernisation programme
JOE DAFLOES
Union Street 01983 567047
www.joedaflos.com
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Left hand side Union Street, halfway up.
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
No Real Ale
Continental style café bar popular with younger set, started by local lad Mark King of Level 42. Now with a similar outlet in Newport
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KING LUD
2 Esplanade 01983 562942
www.downourlocal.com.king-lud-ryde
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Opposite pier entrance
Weekdays 11.30 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Ventnor Gold
Tudor style seafront single bar opposite the station and pier, busy for food during the season. Tremendous atmosphere and big on shove-halfpenny, not a game you will see in many pubs outside Ryde.
LAKE HURON
Upton Road
01983 563512
Bus Route 33,34
Haylands, on the Ryde to Havenstreet road
Weekdays 12 - 11 Sat 12 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Badger Tanglefoot
Badger Best
Only surviving Pub from the Lake families small Ryde Pub Empire. Previously a wine and spirits shop called the “Eclipse”, it was taken over by the Lake family in 1878 and became a staging post for the Newport-Ryde coach. Unique with its many rooms, it remains a back street local with a friendly lively atmosphere. Although keeping only a small range of beers it will always be well kept. Live music Friday and Saturday.
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WHITE ROCK BAR
The Colonade
This new bar is proving very popular and stocks real ale on stillage
More details soon
LIQUID LOUNGE
(Formerly The Bow Bars)
Union Street
01983 611652
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Weds, Thursday 6 – 11 Fri – Sat 6 – 2am Sun 6 - 12
No Real Ale
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PONDA ROSA
Now under new ownership.
Details soon.
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MARINE
15 Esplanade 01983 562413
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Seafront, opposite hovercraft terminal
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11
Sun 12 - 10.30
Courage Directors
Summer Only
Comfortable Victorian bar central to sea front. Upstairs restaurant. Ladies night Thursdays with 70’s music on Saturdays. You can sit outside on a sunny day and see the world go by or sit in the window on a wet day and watch the same world go by – only wetter.
THE RAILWAY
68 St Johns Road
01983 615405
Bus Route 1,7,7A,7B,8
Opposite Ryde St Johns railway station
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Range varies, at least 6
Including 2 local
Tastily refurbished to a standard that enhances the drinking experience, it has recently had a name change back to the original “Railway”, and an overall paint job in yellow and green, the original Southern Railway livery, and although sounding bizarre, looks very good. This pub has a following for its range and standard of beer despite the present Ushers badge. Having travelled from being a very ordinary town pub to its first major refurbishment under the Burt’s Brewery banner and then through lean years to be now a major player under the guidance of the latest tenants. Friday and Saturdays sees live music most weeks and a karaoke night is good for those with a good voice. There is now food every lunch time and evening, roast on Sundays with free Pool on Wednesdays. For the horticultural minded, note the Ginko Biloba tree in the garden, a species whose ancestry can be traced back over 200 million years.
KASBAH
Union Street
Formally "The Redan" this establishment is now a "Moroccan cafe/bar with boutique style accommodation"
ROYAL SQUADRON
Union Street
01983 563391
Bus Route
All Services to Ryde
Lower end of Union Street
Weekdays 10.30 – 2am Sat 10.30 – 2am Sun 12 - midnight
No Real Ale
Very large darts and pool pub with regular live music. Once a class hotel until the upper floors were converted to flats during the eighties. Late hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
RYDE CASTLE HOTEL
Esplanade 01983 563755
Bus RouteAll Services to Ryde
Esplanade towards Canoe Lake
Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 12 Sun 12 - 10.30
Goddard’s GSB
Overlooking Ryde Esplanade and Harbour with views across the Solent. This majestic castellated building claimed to have been commissioned by Henry VII c. 1540 to defend the Spithead, Southampton Water and the Solent from invasion by the Spanish. The building has served the Country well, being a hospital during the first war and army headquarters during the second. With its five ghosts, it is reckoned to be the most haunted hotel on the Island. Near the beach, Hovercraft, Railway and Ferry, the pub was used to relaunch the local CAMRA branch in 1991. The present incumbents have brought new life to the building and have gained many awards in a short time, including Green King area ‘Pub of the Year 2002’, ‘Food Pub of the Year 2002’ and the ‘Ryde in Bloom 2002’ award. There are conference facilities, a small meeting room and a banqueting room seating up to 200 people. Facilities for children include mini beach and a patio overlooking the facility for the mums and dads.
SIMEON ARMS
Simeon Street 01983 614954
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Two streets over from the children’s funfair on the Esplanade
Weekdays 11 – 3, 6-11 Fri - Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Courage Directors
Goddard’s GSB
Guest Beers
A thriving yet unlikely gem tucked away in the oblivion of Ryde’s back streets, with a Tardis like interior and separate annexed function hall, the first impression is of wonder. The pub is immensely popular with the local community, participating in all the various winter and summer indoor leagues like darts, crib, pool etc., and petanque on the enormous floodlit rink during the summer. With so many male and female teams participating, nearly all divisions can expect to see themselves up against a team from the Simeon. With such a throughput of customers, as you would expect the beer is always in pristine condition.
Fri,Sat,
SOLENT INN
Monkton Street
01983 563546
www.solentinn.com
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Seaward end of Monkton Street
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Beer Range varies
but alway one local from Yates'
Excellent street corner local. A recent change of ownership does not seem to have effected the warm and welcoming atmosphere.
STAR INN
40 High Street
01983 562292
Bus Route All Services to Ryde
Upper High Street, just past Woolworth's
Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Now serves real ale!
Well supported town centre local with strong pub games teams. Victorian character building dating back to 1873.
SWANS NEST
Player Street
01983 565324
Bus Route 1,7,7a,7b,8
High Street Lights Turn Left
Weekdays 11 - 3, 6-11 Fri - Sat 11 - 3, 6-11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Bass
Adnams Bitter
Guest
Family run friendly, local with separate restaurant, specialising in home cooked Italian food. Interesting historic building with a distinctive frontage, and said to have been an orphanage and monastic house in earlier times.
THATCHERS END
CLOSED
WISHING WELL
Pondwell Hill 01983 613222
Bus Route 8,12
Main Ryde to Seaview road
Weekdays 11-3, 5.30-11 Fri - Sat 11-3, 5.30-11 Sun 12–3, 5.30–10.30
Greene King IPA
Goddard’s Fuggle de Dum
Greene King Abbot
Comfortable, large roadhouse type pub with chalets and camping facilities adjacent. Regular live entertainment.
YELFS HOTEL
Union Street
01983 564062
www.yelphshotel.com
Town Map Ref170 Bus Route
All Services to Ryde
Halfway down Union Street Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Bass
Greene King IPA
Guest Ale
Originally built as a coaching inn in 1806 by Robert Yelf whose parents owned the wine and spirits store on the other side of Yelfs Road. The hotel has thirty bedrooms, a restaurant, and a very comfortable lounge. Recently it has undergone major refurbishment to retain much of its charm and atmosphere. A secluded patio provided a pleasant spot for a pint of the excellent Bass or a bar meal during warm days or evenings. Excellent facilities for conference, seminars, private meetings and functions.