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Hours
Sun
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Mon
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Tue
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Wed
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Thu
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Fri
10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sat
10:00 am - 10:00 pm
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
Travellers' Choice 2023
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Food and ambience
Local cuisine, American, Bar, British, Grill, Vegetarian Friendly
“Really nice restaurant and opposite the restaurant a good bar.”
“... for, and my husband loved his burger, while I really enjoyed my steak salad.”
“... eaten out at a restaurant, the beef patty itself was spectacular and juic...”
“... and grandson choose from the kids menu a burger, salad and an apple juice.we”
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
Details
About
The Harbour Kitchen is a Cafe, come Bar, come Bistro which specialises in burgers and wherever possible loves to source local ingredients.
PRICE RANGE
₹550.00 – ₹2,202.00
CUISINES
American, Bar, British, Grill
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Contribute
4.5
468 reviews
Excellent
318
Very good
95
Average
30
Poor
18
Terrible
7
Jonathanhb
Salisbury254 contributions
Dec 2020 • none
We stopped by here for lunch today and were not disappointed. We shared the harbour catch for starter which was beyond good - the batter was so light and fresh. For the main we had the fish cakes which was also delicious. All the food was washed down with a cold bottle of picpoul de pinet which was very good value for money.
The only thing better than the food was the service from Rachel - she was completely lovely and looked after us so well. We really couldn’t have asked for more.
Thank you and we just wish we lived here so we could eat here all the time.
Written 11 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annabomb
Newport7 contributions
Jan 2020 • friends
An impromptu visit on a Friday night with two friends led me to discover this little gem. Unobtrusively tucked along the high street, it had a relaxed cafe/bar-esque feel and the welcome and service was warm and impeccable throughout.
I ordered the Cajun chicken burger and was delighted they offered a ciabatta roll as well as the en vogue brioche that everywhere seems to only offer now. Portion size was above average but not ridiculous and was cooked to perfection (we were also able to get a doggy bag - always a bonus).
Desert menu was short and sweet, yet doable, with us ordering a chocolate brownie with ice cream to finish.
The menu is slightly limited for the more fussy eater but the quality and service they offer I feel, overrides this.
Traditional American/UK burger cuisine hit spot-on and would definitely revisit and recommend!
Written 14 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bazhicks
Hey Anna Bomb, We love our four legged friends here so feel free to bring them along for the next visit but if not then we always have doggy bags to hand. Xxx
Written 13 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
K Percival
London3 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
We hadn’t booked a table , which was a bit silly in the current pendemic restaurant landscape of things, we decided to order a take away instead, had some drinks whilst waiting and actually ended up eating it on the tables outside.
The burgers were absolutely outstanding! There is no question we will be back many more times.
A special mention has to also go to the service and HK team - super friendly and really keen to make sure their guests and customers are happy.
See you all soon
Percival Family
Written 31 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Graham Barnetson
Cowes296 contributions
Jan 2020 • couples
This is the second time we have visited HK, the first in late summer was wonderful, brilliant service and great food. The second on the first Saturday after New Year was awful and unlikely to cause us to rush back.
We entered at about 16:00hrs and there was one other couple having coffee. The female member of staff was behind the bar staring intently into her phone whilst a table in the window still had dirty plates and cups on it.
We were asked where we wanted to sit and having indicated the window table she made no attempt to clear the previous guest’s remnants. Consequently we sat elsewhere and the waitress returned to the bar and the allure of her mobile phone.
We ordered nachos, dirty fries, coffee and a Diet Coke.
After we arrived another couple arrived and ordered drinks and a cake and the subsequently a family of 4 and a group of about 6 entered.
Our meal was served but came with no plates and so we had to eat from the plate that the nachos and fries were served in.
At no point did the waitress return to check how our food was or if we needed anything (even a plate?)
In the meantime the couple who had ordered drinks and cake followed up on where their cake was, having received their drinks order to be told curtly that the waitress was serving ‘them’ being the table of 6. The cake eventually arrived by which time the couple had finished their drinks.
As the waitress made no attempt to clear our table or ask if we wanted dessert or more drinks we decided to leave.
On approaching the bar to get the bill the waitress made no eye contact with me and again did not ask how the meal or our experience had been. No bill was presented to me and I was just told the price with no way to validate it and on paying received no acknowledgment or thank you.
A very poor experience and purely driven by terrible customer service delivered by an individual who clearly wanted to be anywhere else but at HK.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bazhicks
Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to write such great feedback for us to improve on. The serviced received was unacceptable and I apologise for this.
Whilst I do not want to make any excuses for the service received, as this was and is an unacceptable level, I do want to give our side of the story to help you understand a little bit more of why things happened the way they did and hopefully regain some of your previous positivity towards our venue.
The reason for the member of staff being on her mobile phone was because she was on her own out front and was trying to arrange for another member to come in and help. She was in communications with myself, the owner, and we were using our work WhatsApp group to see if any one could come in. I would have come in myself but I was very ill on this weekend. She could see that things were picking up and was trying to get someone to start sooner for their evening shift. Our policy at work is to always focus on current customers, try and get cover sorted then worry about clearing dirty tables as they can wait, especially if busy as it would be silly to allow more customers in if already pushed. That said she should have been able to clear the table of your preference and I apologise for this.
Our nachos are served on a plate and we have never served this dish with additional plates, the same is done for our sides and fries. However, this is not an excuse as the waitress should have checked on your table after food was served and this would have given the opportunity for plates to be requested. Again, I am very sorry that this did not happen as it should have and there is no excuse.
The couple having cake ordered scones which are gently heated in the oven and take 7-10 minutes. From checking the CCTV the couple were informed of this time needed for the scones.
With regards to not being cleared or having the bill properly presented, again there is no excuse and I am truly very sorry for this instance of poor service.
To ensure this doesn’t happen again, for the time being we have now put a blanket ban on the usage of mobile phones in our workplace, as it is difficult for any one to know if they are being used for personal or business use. Staff can now use the landline to call me on, should they need extra help.
The staff member in question has also asked me to pass on their apologies and we have had a conversation to help prevent this from happening again.
We were short staffed that day because of illness, but this is still no excuse for the experience and service received. I hope this gives a little more understanding to an explanation (not an excuse) to why things happened the way they did.
Best wishes, Brian (owner)
Written 8 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeremy S
Portsmouth104 contributions
Sept 2020 • none
We had high expectations for the restaurant and we were not disappointed with the food which was fantastic, generous portions tasty and well presented. The service unfortunately was not the same on arrival we were pretty much ignored an acknowledgement would have been nice . Once seated we were given menus and a drinks order taken. A little while later our food order was taken. Throughout the meal it was very difficult to get anyone's attention we would have had more drinks. After the main course was cleared we were asked if we wanted desserts and we said we would have a look at the menu. These were given but then we were just left and left. it seemed that deliveries were taking priority, so we ended up just getting the bill. It was a shame that the service element was missing as we did very much enjoy the food.
Written 13 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bazhicks
Hi there,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a helpful review. To give some assurance: all customers, both dining in or takeaway, are treated equally and in the order in which the orders are received. Your feedback has been helpful and has prompted us to arrange a staff training day to address and resolve all of the points you have raised. Apologies for the service received, hopefully it will be much improved should you come and visit us again.
Written 14 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chris F
Norwich12 contributions
Aug 2020 • couples
We booked weeks ago to come here based on very positive reviews. We were really looking forward to it but tbh it put a whole downer on day 1 of the long awaited IOW trip. The upshot is quite simply that while the food was ok (dessert menu however was instantly forgettable and weirdly vegan based - nothing necessarily wrong with vegan food but this is essentially a burger joint), a number of issues lay in poor service, pretty much from start to finish... Super hot evening I grant you, and a couple of the waitresses had broken into a sweat and looked fed up, but that doesn't excuse the way in which we felt so unwelcome from the moment we arrived. This place was not at all special. The food wasn't remarkable in any way. We basically felt like a burden, and that's utterly inexcusable... The place could learn from this (rather than writing this review off), but of course that means caring about the customers.
Written 10 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bazhicks
Hi Chris,
Really sorry to hear about your experience. We’re a family run bistro and we train our staff to be welcoming and friendly. We also train them to check in on customers regularly, to ensure their experience is as positive as possible. Clearly this hasn’t happened and we want to learn from it. If you can email us directly on enquiries@theharbourkitchen.co.uk with the date and estimate on time of arrival, and any direction on where you were seated, we’ll look over the CCTV and help the staff members involved to learn from any mistakes. We’re always keen to learn and improve.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Written 11 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Caron
Isle of Wight41 contributions
Jul 2021 • family
A nice place with a varied menu. We visited at 7:30pm on a Friday night and immediately they told us that there were none of the fish dishes available which unfortunately were the main reason I booked. Starters were delicious - wings, gyoza and Mac and cheese croquettes but for mains I opted for a Cajun chicken burger that came with hash browns and they were soggy and tasted of oil, they weren’t edible. The service was friendly and the kids enjoyed their nuggets and fries, I wonder if we just caught them on an off day!
Written 1 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dannii G
11 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
My son and I stumbled upon this restaurant whilst visiting Cowes for the day. We were very hungry and had little time to eat before moving on! We were welcomed by very friendly staff who showed us to an upstairs room (this place is much bigger than it looks). It was clear that great consideration had been taken to ensure that tables were appropriately distanced.
The restaurant was very clean and we were impressed with the decor, particularly the positive affirmations on mirrors everywhere!
The food was quick and absolutely delicious! My son is usually a fussy eater but ate a majority of his burger and fries and I thoroughly enjoyed the halloumi salad and huge portion of sweet potato fries. I also treated myself to an Alcohol-free Elderflower cocktail to cool me down on what was one of the hottest days of the year.
The staff were very friendly and were more than happy to advise on items on the menu.
The cherry on top was that this restaurant had the Eat Out to Help Out scheme also the bill came with 50% off.
Written 12 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
walkerpobjoy
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • solo
I have had four takeaways during the last month. I have ordered online but you can also order over the phone. The meals have been excellent. You just decide on a time to collect
your meal or the food can be delivered. I highly recommend Harbour Kitchen.
Written 3 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stevie2191
Sidcup42 contributions
Aug 2020 • friends
This booking was at the end of a lovely day with friends and we booked it because of the excellent reviews we had read. Well...It was as though we were in a totally different restaurant! I rang up ten mins before our booking as unfortunately we were going to be 8 mins late due to road works and were immediately rudely told that we only had 75 mins to eat our food as they needed the table. We tried to speed things up by ordering food and drink together but apparently that was not going to be possible as there was only one chef and so they had to space out orders! Not our problem! The food itself was tasty enough but not memorable as little things were niggling like not enough cutlery, not enough glasses and an extremely sullen waitress for whom anything was too much trouble. We hurriedly ate one course only as we felt so pressured to leave and the whole experience was definitely not the relaxing meal we had planned.
Will NOT be revisiting or recommending to others.
Written 11 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bazhicks
As the owner I am going to admit that there is no excuse for the service received and I whole heartedly apologise for this experience.
To give some context to what went wrong then here is an explanation (which is no excuse) with the lessons we have learnt. My wife and I, the owners, had not taken a day off since lockdown begun, and we have been overwhelmed with the constant changes being enforced on us as a family and business (we appreciate that everyone is in the same boat). We decide to take two days off work, so we could be with our daughter for her 1st birthday as a family. We thought we had made every preparation for the staff to hold the fort for us whilst we took this time off: clearly, we were wrong and to blame. The downside is that the service was not as it should have been for the two days we took off and so, our amazing and supportive customers were let down, we are so incredibly sorry for this. The upside to this, we have read all the helpful feedback and made alterations and improvements so we can take days away during this strange new world that we all live in. Since replying to this review, we have had a few more days off as a family and things have improved for both our staff and customers. Again, we are so sorry for your experience and lessons have been learnt from this.
This response has been copied for all the reviews left during our time off.
Written 14 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisbeth K
United Kingdom19 contributions
Sept 2021 • none
Suitable for a light meal. All of us with burgers were happy, the harbour catch must have been a bit limited as there was barely any fish but an awful lot of batter. The portion of onion rings ordered instead of chips comprised 3 rings for £4 but the staff were pleasant.
Written 27 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie A
3 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
Whether we stop by for cake and drink - the mocha here is amazing - or we eat in for a meal we are always made to feel welcome. Covid has changed things for all hospitality but they have this covered, clean and hygienic as always but with the extra ‘ticks’ in place to make it Covid secure. My daughter says the milkshakes are the best in town. I love the cocktails! Food is great and always happy to accommodate my food allergies. Staff are friendly and service always good even under pressure. I am a fussy customer and have high expectations and they meet them every time.
Written 12 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gavin F
Bournemouth693 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
We visited this restaurant on a very wet and windy Monday night, fortunately we received a warm welcome.
The menu offered a good variety including quite a few Vegan options.
We opted for a sharing platter of 6 meat dumplings as a starter followed by the fish-bites and the Crab cake.
We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and highly recommend this rerstaurant
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EstherPoucher
3 contributions
Jun 2020 • family
The Harbour kitchen is the friendliest and best quality place in Cowes to grab a coffee and even get your dinner delivered to your door. I’ve become a regular since they opened for takeaway and I’ve not only felt so welcome but had the nicest coffee, cake and dinner. The fries are to die for, and both the halloumi burger and lentil burgers were enjoyed by me and my whole family. There was even the option for a gluten free bun on my halloumi burger! A wonderful local business to support especially in these hard times, and I can’t wait for the time when they reopen so I can spend my nights there. Please visit!
Written 14 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CLSDean
Guildford1219 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
Our family stumbled upon Harbour Kitchen by chance on a busy bank holiday. I can see that HK are favour for their burgers but we ordered their other items: seafood platter, crab cakes, seafood dumplings and fried peri chicken.
This party of four (including two "food critic" kids) absolutely loved the food. Dishes were unique in taste and it seems like the prepare/ combine the ingredients themselves, not found anywhere else.
Service was brisk, and so were the scenes of our kids eagerly chomping down the food. This is finger fast food at its best, combined and prepared with quality ingredients. We will make a note to return in the future.
Written 1 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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