For a fairly small place, the Isle of Wight has an incredible number of pubs. This is most apparent in the town of Ryde, where the main (relatively short) shopping street houses at least ten.

For this reason alone, i'm going to be focussing on the pubs in this particular area, where recently, myself and a group of friends (including fellow dooyoo'ers 'adambrown400', and 'tomflint'), went on an ambitious pub crawl.

Starting at 12 Midday and ending in the early hours of the morning, the plan was to have a drink in the majority of Ryde's bars. This review gives me a chance to speak briefly about each of the pubs that we visited, whilst marking each out of ten for their overall appeal. I've also given a numeric rating regarding the drink prices, with ten being the lowest, and one being the highest (dearest).

Finally, I have written about the places we didn't go into on the day, and what the Island offers as a whole for drinkers.

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It was raining when we started out, and after getting a bit wet we found comfort in a small pub called 'THE SWAN'S NEST' - also known as 'SALVATORE'S'. The old fashioned building has a massive array of swan-based memorabilia, mainly in the form of little sculptures which are packed onto shelves high above the bar. The Swan's Nest also houses an Italian restaurant which serves good food. It's quite a cosy venue and the drinks are of a reasonable price.

Overall: 7/10 (Drink Prices: 7/10, Food: 7/10, Atmosphere: 7.5/10)

After a pint, we moved up the road to 'THE STAR', which is a pub I had never visited before. The building can be found on the corner of Star Street (hence the name), which joins on to Ryde's main shopping precinct. Upon entering, we noticed that there was no-one using the pub, and the bar woman looked at us as if to ask why we were in an drinking establishment so early in the day. I had another pint and stared blankly at the dated decor - it reminded me a bit of the 'Queen Vic' from Eastenders.

Overall: 4/10 (Drink Prices: 7.5/10, Atmosphere: 3.5/10)

The next port of call was 'THE CASTLE' - which is on the opposite side of the road and a few doors down from the Star. This is another venue which I hadn't previously been in. When I stepped through the door, I was aware that the majority of people in there were at least seventy-years-old. However, these didn't seem like regular seventy-year-olds, they all seemed to look and talk like Reggie Kray - even the women. This disturbed me somewhat. After we had a round of drinks, I noticed a garden area which seemed to be piled high with junk - not the most welcoming sight! I visited the men's room - where water was dripping from the ceiling onto my head (I hope it was water...) and then promptly left. Not recommended!

Overall: 3/10 (Drink Prices: 7/10, Atmosphere: 4/10)

A short walk down the road is 'THE CROWN', which is a larger pub with a pool table and a nice beer garden. You can see the exterior of this building (along with Wetherspoon's) in the horror movie 'Fragile' starring Calista Flockheart, which was filmed in the area. The Crown has a fairly modern decor and often features live bands.
Regular live sport is shown here, and food is served which isn't bad at all.

Overall: 6/10 (Drink Prices: 7/10, Food: 6.5/10, Atmosphere: 7.5/10)

After all the walking and drinking, we were getting hungry, so we decided to stop at 'WETHERSPOON'S' for a bite to eat. Wetherspoon's in Ryde is based on two floors, with the bar downstairs and extra dining chairs and tables on the upper floor. This is currently the only Wetherspoons on the Island - although knowing Wetherspoons, I'm sure there will be more to come. I ate some fish and chips, which came free with a cup of tea (not bad for £3.20), and then one of our party randomly told the waitress (who looked like a prettier version of Amy Winehouse) that he loved her, and we left. Of course, being Wetherspoons, the drinks were very cheap, although it can be a massive wait for the bar if you come here on a Saturday night.

Overall: 7/10 (Drink Prices: 10/10, Food: 6/10, Atmosphere: 8/10).

It was only around two in the afternoon, and we still had a long way to go, but next up was 'SMITHFIELD'S' (now closed). Smithfield's was a posh-looking wine bar with expensive champagne's located in neat shelving behind the bar. At this point I think I was having some sort of reaction to the food I had just eaten, combined with the four pints of cider I had consumed. This made me suddenly really tired, and I couldn't appreciate the fine looking surroundings that we found ourselves in. adambrown400 was complaining of similar symptoms, and was looking quite white - although the greedy bugger had just eaten a Wetherspoon's Western Sharer all by himself. I had a Vodka and Coke and after making a quick stop home (just down the road) to compose an email, which I had forgotten to send to work, I made my way to Yelf's.

Overall: 7/10 (Drink Prices: 5/10, Food: 7/10, Atmosphere: 7.5/10)

'YELF'S' is actually a hotel with a decent bar, conservatory area and beer garden. It has a rich history and is one of the oldest venues in Ryde. By the time I arrived, adambrown400 was complaining of a stomache ache, for which I suggested Gaviscon; he rushed to the newsagents next door to purchase some, with a grimace on his face. Drinks are fairly reasonably priced at Yelf's, and there is quite a good selection of beverages. The place is popular for wedding receptions, and the food (although touted to be excellent) is in fact often of average quality.

Overall: 7/10 (Drink Prices 7/10, Food: 6/10, Atmosphere: 7/10)

At this point I was starting to feel a bit dizzy, but the sun had just come out which perked me up a bit. We wandered down the road to 'JOE'S' - formerly known as 'Joe Daflo's', which is probably the nicest looking bar on the whole of the Island. There is another Joe's in Newport which is also a great place to have a drink in. Sculptures, paintings and excellent decor make the venue a pleasure to behold. Joe's serve excellent food, and make great cocktails - the only problem is that it isn't cheap for drinks.

Overall: 9/10 (Drink Prices: 3/10, Food: 9/10, Atmosphere: 8.5/10)

On stepping outside into the early evening sunlight, adambrown400 claimed he'd had enough and was off. We begged him to stay and called him a variety of names - but to no avail. tomflint was especially disgusted and stormed off to 'SHOOTER'S', which has a pretty bad reputation amongst Ryde's pubs. I'm told it has been shut down a good few times due to illegal activities happening on the premises, and it's known for its pool tables, violence and steamed up windows. On our visit, the place was pretty much empty - I drank my vodka and coke then left. Shooters does serve food, but I can't comment as I've never eaten there.

Overall: 3/10 (Drink Prices: 8/10, Atmosphere: 3.5/10)

Next up was 'LIBERTY'S' - a beautiful bar / restaurant with a great ambience. Art Nouveau in style and light inside, Liberty's serves great food, but there is always quite a long delay in receiving it. In looks alone, this place is only second to Joe's. Drinks are fairly expensive but not extortionate and there is a good selection of beer. Live acoustic bands often play here, and it's a pub I really recommend. (Check out the original iron printing press downstairs next to the Men's toilets which is pretty cool).

Overall: 8/10 (Drink Prices: 4/10, Food: 8.5/10, Atmosphere: 8.5/10)

'THE SQUADRON' was almost empty when we arrived. Traditionally this place has a rough reputation and attracts some strange characters indeed. There's the guy who stands at the bar asking himself questions out loud, whilst another bloke often infiltrates your conversation to tell you that it was actually him who wrote 'Hey Jude'. The Squadron also has the impressive claim of owning the stickiest floors in Ryde. It has a back room known as The Zebra Lounge, which plays alternative music, and although it's shabby, I quite like the place.

Overall: 6/10 (Drink Prices: 7.5/10, Atmosphere: 7/10)

After our visit to the Squadron, we nipped a few doors down to the 'LIQUID LOUNGE' for a quick pint. Previously known as both 'The Loft', and 'Goldies', this place also has a history blotted by trouble (yes, another dodgy Ryde pub!). Here, the drinks are quite cheap, and live football is often shown on the big screens. The bar area is fairly nice looking, and there are a selection of quiz machines to play on should you get bored. We didn't stay long, and moved on to the next venue.

Overall: 5/10 (Drink Prices: 7.5/10, Atmosphere: 4/10)

'THE MARINE' has recently changed hands and was previously called 'Trotters'. These days it has a modern appearance but does feel a little clinical. In terms of food, it offers a carvery on a Sunday, which is said to be of good value. Whilst in the Marine we played some pool and watched the end of the England game which was being broadcast. The Marine is situated at the bottom of the town on the Esplanade, and overlooks the bus station - where a vast array of fighting, loitering, and underage drinking can be viewed on a Friday and Saturday night.

Overall: 6/10 (Drink Prices: 6/10, Food: 6.5/10, Atmosphere: 4.5/10)

Just along the road from the Marine is the 'KING LUD'. This is a place which looks like it hasn't changed a bit since the 70's; I expect the locals all have their own tankards to drink from. When we entered there was an overwhelming smell of disinfectant which actually was starting to impede my breathing! I struggled with a Vodka and made a swift retreat.

Overall: 4/10 (Drink Prices: 7/10, Atmosphere: 3.5/10)

Finally we stumbled to 'THE KASBAH' - our last port of call. The Kasbah is probably the coolest pub in Ryde, and has a Turkish theme. It comprises a series of dimly lit rooms, each with an eastern feel, strange beanbag style seats and low tables. Although I have never sampled it, Tapas style food is served at the Kasbah - the menu looks delicious. Outside is a walled garden area in which we sat and mulled over the day. I was feeling quite sick and was thinking how nice it would be to finally get to bed.

Overall 8/10 (Drink Prices: 6/10, Food 7.5/10, Atmosphere: 8.5/10)

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I hope that has given you a flavour of what Ryde can offer as a drinking venue - although I wouldn't recommend spending that much time consuming alcohol.

Other venues that we didn't visit on the day included 'The Wight Rock', which is a modern bar with a good atmosphere, known to play Classic Rock music and also selling guitar strings / leads alongside drinks! And also 'The Black Sheep', previously known as 'Bar 53', which is a classy looking venue that serves a good range of food, and has an excellent outdoor area.

In conclusion, Ryde, and the Island in general, has a great variety of pubs to cater for many tastes. On the weekend (Friday and Saturday nights especially), the main venues are usually packed, but it's fairly easy to avoid the crowds if you don't go into the main pubs e.g. Wetherspoons at the peak times.

You can see that the Island can be a viable destination for either a Hen / Stag night, or just a few quiet afternoon drinks - you certainly won't run out of places to visit. As with any area, there are good and bad pubs, and although the Island has more than its fair share of dodgy ones, there are more than enough excellent venues to make up for it.