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.
On The Rocks
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
Hot Rock steak house serving the best local produce. All our meals are cooked on a Volcanic Hot Rock allowing you, the diner, to have your steaks cooked just the way you like. We have a great range of meats but also we serve Tuna and Swordfish steaks on the rock. Vegetarian and Vegan options available but ideally in quieter periods we would require 24 hours notice to prepare the meals.
Features
CUISINES
Steakhouse, British, Contemporary
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
Special Diets
Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Family style
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Non-smoking restaurants
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Street Parking
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Street Parking
Is this location primarily known for Bars & Pubs?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 10:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Monday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Tuesday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Wednesday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Thursday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Friday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Saturday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Contribute
4.5
839 reviews
Excellent
596
Very good
166
Average
39
Poor
15
Terrible
23
Margaret J
Sherborne50 contributions
Mar 2025 • couples
We had seen this restaurant advertised and received many excellent reviews from the staff at our hotel who had eaten here frequently. We booked for an early lunch before getting the ferry back to Lymington.
The service was good, a lovely man Cody. We had sirloin steak and it looked beautiful. Cooking our own was fun plus the huge advantage of cooking steak exactly as we like it. The chips were amazing, well cooked and slightly crunchy. We had a big bowlful, a few more than we could eat! Some of the best chips I’ve had for a long time.
I would highly recommend this restaurant, it is very close to the ferry terminal so is convenient for those just arriving or waiting for the return.
Written 5 March 2025
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.
Allie R
Isle of Wight8 contributions
Sept 2024 • family
We have just eaten another wonderful meal at On the Rocks, this time for our daughters birthday. We had the chateaubriand steak for two and the seafood combo with a huge bowl of fries and a couple of salad bowls, and it was all perfect. We were so full afterwards we couldn't manage a dessert, but Sarah, who had looked after us exceptionally all evening, surprised us when she served the complimentary shots at the end, with a chocolate brownie with Happy Birthday written in sauce on the plate and made our daughter feel very special. Compliments to James the chef also, the steak and seafood was fresh, succulent and tasty. We will definitely recommend this restaurant and will be visiting again soon.
Written 30 September 2024
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.
FoxyRoxie D
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • friends
Outstanding. You go to a restaurant to eat, right? Well, here the food is just excellent. I had fillet. I also had limitless chips and salad. Carving off a slice of beef, sizzling it until rare, then gathering a forkful of chips and salad I munched! Delicious!! And so I kept on going, interspersed with hilarious chats with my pal. Staff are lovely especially a girl studying at Durham. So bright. Fabulosa evening.
Written 23 August 2024
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.
Martha A
2 contributions
Sept 2024 • friends
Absolutely abysmal, we will not be going back !! I have been to on the rocks a few times now and it’s been good however we had one of the worst restaurant experiences!!
Firstly we weren’t served any bread by our first waitress Chloe, so we asked the second waitress that was looking after our table who apologised and was shocked we weren’t served any. We eventually got our stale bread with our mains, we got 3 chateaubriand steaks.
Secondly On the Rocks provides “unlimited salad and chips” with your mains, we got served 2 salads and a big portion of chips for 6 people, upon asking for a second portion of chips one of the waitresses (Chloe) pretended to shoot herself in the head behind the bar, which we saw (there were only 3 tables seated at the restaurant - so it was hardly busy).
I appreciate the fact that people/staff have off-days however to do this in front of well paying customer in an open kitchen/bar area was absolutely disgraceful, after making this apparent to our other waitress she apologised and said she would inform the manager however we were not given anything as an apology and still paid full amount.
Shame, great location but staff need etiquette training.
Written 23 September 2024
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.
Neil C
Isle of Wight13 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
On the Rocks a few years ago was fantastic. Now… fast forward to 2024 and in comes the more fussy interior design and out goes any sense of customer service.
Our waitress was basically useless, not knowing her cuts of steak. Bottomless fries weren’t offered or received when requested, same with the salad. No sauces offered any more, or flavoured butters. And the pavlova/Eaton Mess was just awful (I’m sure at £8 they could do better than squirty cream)?!
Most of the waiting staff seemed to congregate around the bar area, where, who our waitress referred to as (I can’t say the word here but “head ***”) would sashay around like a peacock not doing much let alone managing their team.
Avoid this place at all cost. Biggest letdown in years.
Written 13 July 2024
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.
Robert Bingham
Thank you for your review and your comments. Firstly let me apologies for my delay in responding to you!
Its saddens me to hear that your experience wasn't as positive one! In July last year we did have a few new waiters/waitresses that had just started and were still learning. Its not easy remembering all the cuts and where they are from but accept that maybe some further training could have been done to give some basic knowledge and this has been taking into consideration for the 2025 season.
We have certainly made conscious effort to improve the areas where we might have been lacking and strengthening the areas we did well.
We hope that despite you negative experience in July you will give us another chance so we can show that the service and standards are not typically what you would expect from On The Rocks.
Many thanks
Rob
Written 9 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sba66
33 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
A mixed bag here to be honest. This is an expensive restaurant and should be a fab experience. The food was good, especially the meats, with unlimited fries and salad. I do think the Steaks at approx £30 each are expensive. The experience of cooking your own is great, but where this place lets itself down is the service and cost. If they are offering unlimited item like fries and salads, they should be regularly checking with you to see if you require more. It felt like they kept away from the table so we didn’t ask for more. Secondly and my biggest issue is it costs £11 (yes eleven) for Halloumi. I knew it was £11 but expected enough to cover all guests. It was a measly 4 small slices that shouldn’t have cost more than £3. Don’t buy the sides, it’s crazy money. So overall 3 stars and could easily be 4-5 stars if it didn’t feel like you were being taken for a ride with the prices and if the staff were more attentive. I guess they have the yachting set as a key customer group so they are pricing it accordingly. With the cost of living crisis, this means lots of us won’t go or go again. Total bill for 6, nearly £300. Think we can do better for cheaper elsewhere next time.
Written 24 August 2023
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.
theclaw2212
33 contributions
Apr 2024 • family
OMG!! Bottomless brunch! Went as a family, my daughter, who is pretty fussy said the sausage and egg stack was the best breakfast she’s ever eaten! I had it too and it was superb. Perfectly poached eggs and tasty local sausages. The desserts, especially the brownie were also to die for.
We never had to get anyone’s attention to get our drinks topped up, the waitress Emma was always right there as soon as our glasses were anywhere near empty!
The entertainment was also spot on and created such a good atmosphere. I cannot wait to go back x
Written 7 April 2024
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.
Robert Bingham
This is exciting to read and you will be happy to know that we will be starting doing more Brunches, and regular, from March 2025!
Keep and eye on our socials as we will be advertising very soon.
Many thanks
Rob
Written 9 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DeborahtheDub
Sutton150 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
Couldn't find anywhere in Yarmouth on a Monday night to go for dinner so when we landed here and they gave us a table we were very happy. Services was good and our waitress was very attentive. Husband ordered sirloin steak and I had the ribeye. His was beautiful but mine was very chewy even though I had rested this on the plate. The waitress went to the manager and she returned saying it was chewy because its a fatty cut of meat. I chose ribeye because of the fat in this cut and have cooked this cut of meat far too many times to mention. What riled me was the fact that he didn't care that I wasn't happy with my food. Just felt like someone in a tourist trap where they don't care about what they serve to their customers. The salad and the chips were very good!!!!
Written 18 August 2022
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.
Tim P
Isle of Wight93 contributions
Sept 2023 • couples
Food great but service could improve.
Could not fault the food, but experience was let down by lack of service when required. This maybe due to how busy it was, but it resulted in us not purchasing extra drinks or even a dessert.
The restaurant gets very busy and unless you are in the main area, servers seem to only occasionally venture down to the further part of the restaurant. Extra chips and salad were ordered eventually, but only the salad arrived .Staff were very friendly and helpful in initial ordering but we struggled to get further attention when needed Appreciate there seems to be a shortage of waiting staff around generally, but one purely seeking extra drinks orders would quickly boost the restaurants profits. Another large table next to us had the same issue .
As said, the food was very good and we had the sharing surf and turf. Excellent steak and tasty salad.
We may venture back, but probably in a less busy mid week slot.
Written 10 September 2023
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.
catspinster
Newport25 contributions
Oct 2022 • none
We went for a midweek meal. The service is ok. You do feel as though you have to catch the eye of someone rather than them periodically checking on you. The prices have increased, and I appreciate this is the case everywhere, but I do feel that the food here is a little overpriced for what it is. A pudding was around ÂŁ8 and not value for money (my husband had a sundae which was basically an expensive bowl of ice-cream). There are nice little touches like free shot at the end of the meal and bottomless fries/salad and the styling is nice. Nice for a treat but not mind blowing.
Written 12 December 2022
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.
Kirsty G
Kent18 contributions
Oct 2022 • couples
as a passing visitor on the island, we made a last minute reservation for the restaurant at 6pm, we tried our luck & was managed to be seated 45 minutes earlier. they were very accommodating, although this was on a weekday so might have been quieter.
the process is straight forward, and was well explained by the staff. cook your own meat at the table upon a hot lava stone. complimentary bread & oils were provided upon being seated. food arrived in good time, and again was explained the best way to cook your foods. tuna & steak was ordered. having done this before (at another restaurant) we knew what to do, however the information provided would be very useful to a new user. unlimited chips & salad also.. also good size portions.
the staff (a blonde lady in particular) was very welcoming, and nothing was ever too much - was even offered complimentary apple sour shots upon leaving.
overall, would highly recommend. good quality food, never tasted tuna steak like it - very fresh!
Written 6 October 2022
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.
Rebecca B
61 contributions
Sept 2021 • none
Quite a fun concept and did mean we could each cook our steak to our own liking. Steak was tender and reasonably priced, although the prawns seemed expensive for only 6 prawns. Apparently tasty, but could have done with a few more.
My only criticism is that service was a bit slow and the venue loud - to be fair, the place was busy but ordering more fries and salad did take a while to come to the table - this could probably have been rectified by serving the salad in a larger bowl (on a par with the fries bowl) and maybe a sign/buzzer to signal more fries/more salad/server (for bill or more drinks) as servers didnt always walk past.
That said, our waitress was friendly and it may have just been bad timing with a large hen party that evening.
Written 20 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.
Tina and Willia... S
Brighton and Hove40 contributions
Jun 2023 • couples
We had visited pre-Covid and loved it so we were hopeful it would still be just as good as before and it was ! We both love the idea of cooking our chosen meat on the hot stone. One had a ribeye steak and one had a sirloin steak and they came with unlimited fries and house salad. We added sides of coleslaw and the best onions rings we have ever had. Really enjoy our main meal but we made room for dessert too. One strawberry Eton Mess and one ice cream sundae - delicious. Parking was easy. The staff were all helpful and very friendly. Definitely will be back.
Written 29 June 2023
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.
Jatclarke999
Gloucester40 contributions
Sept 2022 • couples
Ordered the sharing surf and turf.
27 ounces of chateaubriand steak with king prawns and scallops served on a hot stone. Accompanied with a really scrumptious salad and chips.
Service was excellen, value for money, will be going back again, fully recommend to others.
Written 3 September 2022
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.
Polly T
5 contributions
Sept 2021 • couples
Have eaten here many times. Food is goid and we like the concept
It’s changed hands
Hot rocks not hot
Cold chips
Prosecco left on bar weak and cheap
Wine weak overpriced
Service not attentive
We asked for more hot rocks and fries because ours had gone cold trying to cook the meat and fish
Took some time
Sauces were awful. Catering sauces served in paper bowls
We asked for garlic butter and we’re told they could get it anywhere on the island. We suggested they make it
Attention paid to a hen party and not other customers
Customers turned away if they were young men but middle age men let in
We ate paid and left
Won’t be going back
Written 17 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.
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