Situated right on the waters edge
The Old Fort is a privately owned free house in the heart of Seaview, a charming Edwardian sailing village on the north-eastern tip of the Isle of Wight. As the only pub in the village, it’s both an iconic landmark and a hub of local life.
In July 2020, lifelong friends Justin and Will took on their beloved local pub. Despite the challenges of the times, they persevered — and with the support of the community, The Old Fort soon thrived. Within the first year it was crowned Best Destination Pub, received a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award, and welcomed more than 42,000 guests through its doors in its first season alone.
Justin and Will’s vision was simple: to keep The Old Fort as the kind of place they’d want to visit themselves — a proper pub, serving proper food, with a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Their focus remains on locally sourced seasonal produce, friendly and professional service, and a relaxed, seaside setting where guests can feel at home.
Serving fresh, locally sourced, seasonal produce
The Isle of Wight is blessed with some of Britain’s finest ingredients, from its fertile fields and woodlands to its bountiful shores and coastal waters. Our Head Chef Scott Wright leads a talented team who create a menu that blends much-loved pub classics with inventive daily specials, all showcasing the best of what’s in season.
In summer, the focus is on fresh fish — especially Isle of Wight crab and lobster, with our famous Crab Ramekin becoming something of a house legend. In winter, the kitchen turns to hearty comfort food, with Ultimate Sunday Roasts including roast sirloin of beef with Yorkshire puddings, slow-cooked pork loin with crispy crackling, chicken supreme, or a sweet potato and cashew nut roast, all served with the trimmings.
Enjoy refreshing drinks & delicious food
We may be biased but it really is one of the best views and with a wide range of drinks on offer, we’re sure you’ll find something you love. That’s because we are a privately-owned free house, so have no restrictions imposed by a brewery.
The Old Fort is run by Justin & Will but you will likely be greeted by either Charlotte, Connar or Ricky on arrival who together with all their friendly team, endeavour to make sure that each and every visit is as enjoyable as possible.
The downstairs bar can get quite lively, supported by an interesting array of locals with many a tale to tell, so if you are looking for a quieter night, we suggest booking the all-new, open-plan restaurant and bar space upstairs, with sweeping panoramic sea views of the Solent & beyond.
We are passionate about food & drink; especially beer (it’s in our blood). That’s why we have invested heavily in our all new purpose built cellar; kitted out with the fantastic Heineken SmartDispense system which maintains the beer in the pipes at a cool -4°C, ensuring all of our draught beers are fresh, ice-cold and perfectly poured; all the time, every time! We now offer a total of 11 delicious draught beers to suit all tastes, including 5 lagers, 2 pale ales, 2 ales, 1 stout & 1 cider. These are changed and added to according to season and demand, meaning we’ll always have something you’ll love.
We are the first and only pub on the island to serve the new Sale di Mare by Birra Moretti and Hawkstone Lager. Sale di Mare is inspired by the vibrant character of the Italian coast, it's a refreshing, unfiltered, premium lager with a distinctive ingredient: Italian sea salt. Hawkstone Lager is bold, yet balanced, with a smooth body and top notes of light citrus complemented by a subtle, crisp bitterness and malty backbone. Quite simply - it is setting the standard for a British Premium Lager.
We are also the first the first pub on the Isle of Wight to receive the prestigious Beer Marque award… that’s right folks, we have been awarded our first accreditation specifically for our beer!! The Beer Marque stamp of approval is only issued to “establishments that pour and serve the best quality beers and deliver a great beer experience across all draught products, whatever the method of dispense, ensuring our customers continue to receive a better beer experience from knowledgeable staff.”
If beer isn’t your thing, fear not as we have an extensive wine list with plenty available by the glass and coming soon ‘The Director’s Cellar‘ – a collection of special bottles, in small quantities, aged in our private cellar under lock & key. Last but by no means least, we have our Signature Cocktails including an ‘East Wight Martini‘ and a ‘Seaview Spritz‘ as well as our take on classic cocktails such as ‘The Party Starter‘ – our version of an Espresso Martini – which someone recently reviewed as “The Best Espresso Martini they’ve ever had!”. ‘The Sun Downer‘ is also another favourite to enjoy whilst watching the evening dinghy race and we now offer a "Cocktail of the Week" to keep it interesting...
Multi-award winning
We’re proud of the recognition The Old Fort has received so far, from Best Destination Pub to Best Pub (Silver) at the Isle of Wight Awards 2023. None of this would have been possible without the support of our community and the dedication of our amazing team.
But this is just the beginning. With more exciting plans ahead, our goal is simple — to keep putting The Old Fort and Seaview on the map for locals and visitors alike.
"This is seaside dining at its absolute best – all in a relaxed, cosy environment served with a smile..."