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The Reef

+44 1983 403219
Esplanade, Sandown PO36 8AE United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Open Today: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Quick Facts About The Reef

The Reef has several strengths based on the comments provided. Firstly, the restaurant is praised for its great location, with a view of the sea and a large terrace. This offers customers a picturesque and enjoyable dining experience. The restaurant is also complimented for its cleanliness, with very clean toilets, indicating a high level of hygiene and attention to detail.
The staff at The Reef are consistently described as friendly, welcoming, and attentive. They are commended for going above and beyond to ensure that customers feel well looked after and appreciated. This positive interaction with the staff adds to the overall dining experience and fosters a pleasant atmosphere.
The quality of the food is repeatedly mentioned as a strength of The Reef. Customers describe the food as delicious, with the chef taking great pride and care in preparing the dishes. This indicates a commitment to using high-quality ingredients and providing a satisfying dining experience. The reasonably priced meals are also highlighted, making The Reef an attractive option for visitors.
Another strength of The Reef is the availability of a specials board and a diverse cocktail menu. These additional offerings provide customers with a range of options to choose from, allowing them to try new and exciting dishes and beverages.
Despite these strengths, there are a few weaknesses that can be identified through the comments. One recurring issue mentioned is the limited menu, which some customers found to be somewhat restrictive. While the quality of the food is praised, there is room for improvement in terms of offering a more diverse selection to cater to different preferences and dietary restrictions.
Another criticism is the temperature inside the restaurant. Due to COVID-19 regulations, the doors to pubs and restaurants must be kept open, leading to colder temperatures inside the establishment. This may impact the overall comfort level of customers, particularly during colder months.
Additionally, one customer felt that the music was too loud and intrusive, which impacted the overall atmosphere of the venue. While this is a personal opinion, it indicates that some individuals may prefer a more relaxed and quieter ambiance.
There were also a few instances where customers struggled to get the attention of the waiting staff. This could be perceived as a weakness in terms of providing prompt service and ensuring that customers' needs are met in a timely manner.
In conclusion, The Reef has several strengths, including its great location, friendly staff, delicious food, cleanliness, and additional offerings such as specials and cocktails. However, there are areas for improvement, such as diversifying the menu, addressing temperature concerns, ensuring a suitable music volume, and improving attentiveness to customer needs. By addressing these weaknesses, The Reef can further enhance its reputation and provide an even better dining experience for its customers.


Best TL Reviews

Nettes restaurant mit meersicht. Menue etwas limitiert aner die speisen waren gut. Grosse terrasse. Sehr saubere toiletten. Personal freundlich. Es war etwas kalt im innenbereich da die pubs und restaurants die türen immer geöffnet haben müssen (covid)
Great location and the food was lovely. The staff were very welcoming. We did visit in January, so not busy, but great that somewhere so lovely stays open for the year round visitors. Dropped a star re atmosphere, not because it wasn't busy, but because the music was a little on the loud side and too intrusive. Something a bit more chilled would have been better. Personal opinion only. Otherwise, well worth booking a table. Must be fab on a warm, sunny evening
What a lovely find! Great location and really great food. Thank you to all the amazing staff working too, you were so friendly and we felt you went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and very looked after. Check out their great specials board and awesome cocktails menu!
Looking for something to eat on a BH and the Reef did not disappoint. This was lovely and warm, with a setting looking at the sea. Staff were generally very friendly, generally great service and the food was very good. Great pride taken into it from the chef. The duty manager felt slightly frosty when getting us seated when I asked if it was ok to sit slightly separate from another group, but overall service was great. I would definitely be happy to eat here again.
The best meal we had on the Isle of Wight. We walked from Shanklin to Sandown and came across The Reef while looking for somewhere to eat and have a drink. The staff were very welcoming and the food was amazing and reasonably priced. Will definitely eat here again when we visit the island again.
Fantastic food, great atmosphere and friendly service. Only negative is that we did struggle to catch the waiting staff's attention a couple of times when we wanted to order extra drinks and dessert.
First visit inside (Jan 2023).
I was pleasantly surprised by the decor. It's January so as off season as you can get but still had the full food menu available as well as a specials board. Friendly and attention service from the staff although you could forgive them for switching off (being customer quiet).
Bonus was also a premium beer available, especially welcome as many regular pubs were closed.
This for me is a 'must return to'.
BTW... food was fab.
Great location, good food, as a family we sat and ate on the terrace... Very nice

The Reef Info

Amenities

Service options
  • Outdoor seating
  • Dine-in
Health and safety
  • Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Highlights
  • Great cocktails
  • Great tea selection
Accessibility
Offerings
  • Beer
  • Healthy options
  • Late-night food
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine
Dining options
  • Dessert
Amenities
  • Bar on site
  • Good for kids
  • Wi-Fi
Atmosphere
  • Casual
  • Cosy
  • Romantic
Crowd
  • Groups
Planning
  • Accepts reservations
Payments
  • NFC mobile payments

Today

Opening Hours

Monday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

How to go there

Location