Priory Bay is currently undergoing an extensive redevelopment programme and will re-open in 2020.
As well as its flagship Island Room, this luxurious but laid-back hotel boasts a more low-key, all-day brasserie and terrace overlooking its stunning grounds and private beach. Head chef Oliver Stephens runs the show here, too, sourcing virtually all of his ingredients from the island and many from within the hotel’s 60-acre estate – including foraged herbs. His menu mixes elegant takes on British classics – Bembridge crab on toast, whole lemon sole with asparagus and anchovy butter, rhubarb posset – with dishes transposed from the Island Room’s exquisite ‘blind-tasting’ menu – think salt-baked beetroot with picked rosebuds, hay-roasted chicken or a bible-thick rib of 90-day aged Kemp Hill Farm beef, burnished to perfection on the barbecue. The light-filled, conservatory-style dining room is simply decorated with pictures of island produce, and service is charming as well as efficient.