Folly Inn River Medina - Cowes

[alastair]

I read a thread below regarding the Folly Inn in disbelief but decided not to comment until I could see for myself

I then visited a few weeks ago and could hardly believe the decline in both the quality of food and service. I have been a regular customer of this place for the past 20 years with both friends and business colleagues and for the first time I have been let down. I have never seen such a drop in standards.

My wife and I spoke to the staff at length, and found that since new management have taken over the owners have insisted in a change of Menu which simply isn’t appropriate for The Folly Inn. It seems to me that the staff resent this and the level of service has declined.

Sadly, all I read in the thread below is true, but worse, they cant even get the drinks right - red wine served in a lipstick smeared glass is bad enough, even worse when the do it again after complaining - it wasn’t even my colour!

Bring back the old menu with Crew Pot, good Fish dishes and Burgers.

Regards


Alastair

 

[Guest]

Last visit ..... few weeks ago showed a decline and NO DANCING ON THE TABLES !!!!! Sad

Still - staff were still friendly....

 

[Guest]

if you want to dance on tables go to ocean village (frog and frigate).

 

[Guest]

Maybe - but Folly was famous for its saturday nights .....

which sadly may suffer with loss of the Crew-pots etc. etc. .... but you still get a good choice of Real Ales etc. though !!!!

Judging by the other thread about F & F .... the sawdust may play havoc with the table's !!!

 

[Guest]

You are right. It is rubbish now. It has a fabulous location but the place is now a shambles. Whatever you do eat on board not in the pub! It has lost it's soul and become one of those formula pubs. It needs to become a Free House with a nautical landlord!

 

[burgundyben]

Sadly I think this is a reflection of the fact that they have an almost guaranteed income due to the fact that the location will always draw people, the jolly sailor I think is as bad, good beer, great staff but poor menu, served badly and too expensive, I have raised this with the landlord as I drink there several times a week but to no avail, I did also riase the question of a pole for girls to dance round and he did not accept that either........

I do find the sandwiches v good at the folly.



For sale, 1970 Triumph Spitfire-sold, 1947 Lambretta, 1922 Great grandmother, PM for details.

 

[Guest]

I believe that the new landlord is a live-aboard on one of the boats on piles just off the pub ... so he is a yottie !!

Pity that the pub has gone 'supermarket-chain style'

 

[zephyrsailor]

there was dancing on the tables last night!
i agree the food not great tho

 

[jimi]

I was there last night. What a shambles. Could'nt sit as inside despite 50% of tables unoccupied. Previous chap always managed to fit people in. 1 hour queue for food, 25 minutes to get a drink. Wo'nt be there on Sat night again!

Jim

 

[tcm]

Folly Inn - local place for local people...

Um, I've been for 10-15 years on and off. But i though it was quite nasty food served incredibly slowly in good old days, so gawd knows what it's like now...

 

[jimi]

Re: Folly Inn - local place for local people...

Always was a bit slow, but its just a nightmare now. Staff seem incredibly demoralised. When I politely asked the landlord for a table for a family of five he was a rude arrogant little s##t.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Unlikely to change !

Last visit there was a large party from [ah em!] .... their boats rafted up on the pontoons.

With such numbers and business - it's unlikely that the guys like us, 2-3-4 people or whatever will influence the new l/lord.

I for one lament the loss of the crew-pot etc. and now luckily being a bilge-keeler trek up to Newport for my Beer and Tucker ..... sod Sunsail and the Folly !!

(I have nothing against charter boats / sailing schools - its the characters in them that think they own the bloody world and locks / berths / bars / marinas / pontoons / sea etc. etc.)

 

[Guest]

I just refuse to go there any more! The last time I was at the Folly we were treated very badly. Rude staff and management, terrible food, high prices and service that never even came close to the word.
Am I surprised at this thread - NO not at all.
I voted with my wallet and they will never get to put any of my cash into their tills whilst I draw breath.

 

[Guest]

Real shame ....

Nice jaunt up river from Cowes
Nice view across river with boats
Handy camping shop up road
Showers and toilets

Actually good Real Ale when you finally get served .... but service and food lets it all down.

Bloody shame !!

Now I just carry on past up to Newport

 

[Guest]

Watch out for the twats who when pissed play untie dinghy painters and think nothing of letting your tender drift off. If a skipper friend of mine saw who did this to a pair of tenders 4 weeks ago things would of turned very nasty. He was incandescent with rage, so beware.

 

[hove2]

Went to the Folly on Saturday night dispite all the adverse critisisim. I have to report that we had an excellent night and the food was good. The younger and more energetic were dancing on tha tables and Danny made the night with his usual excellent performance. The Folly has been a regular of mine since 1986 and I say it is now every bit as good as it has ever been. The new management (Chris and Sue I think) were on holiday so well done to the staff for holding the fort.

 

[Guest]

Lets hope that

it can continue WITH new management as well ..... it would be an absolute pity to lose the Folly from the Cruising agenda !!!

Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[aod]

I must admit that I have also been a regular and have had many excellent evenings of fun and frivolity however I went there recently and was sadly disapointed. Danny (thank god) was still there but the bar staff are really pissed off and the food and service was bloody awful. It's a real shame that the big guy left and the poison dwarf took over because it USED to be a favourite of mine and now it's crap.

 

[Phil_Taylor]

Unfortunatly the new managment have really let the business down I knew the previous management very well and as a charter company I frequently took boat loads of crews there to both eat and dance on the tables on the Saturday night. Unfortunatly the new management do not see it this way. Subsequently I do not take any of my clients there anymore. Amounting to around 50 boat visits a year with an average of 7 people a yacht each spending money on food and booze. Most people I know have stoped going and as the pub is run by the Brewry I think over this season the are going to se a massive loss in profits in comparrision to previous years so all we can hope for is that the MANAGEMENT OF THE FOLLY INN ARE SACKED for under peforming!!!!!!!