HISTORY
In the 1960’s and 1970’s the property was two separate buildings. The larger part occupied by a café and sweet shop and the remainder by a pottery. In the mid‐seventies the two buildings were amalgamated into a pub & café on the ground floor with a small owner’s flat above. In 2021, the small owner’s flat and store rooms above were stripped out and the current owners converted it back into a beautiful new open-plan restaurant & bar space which has had a fantastic reception by locals, holidaymakers and tourists alike - it was fully booked almost every night from opening after the national lockdown on May 17th right through until the end of October half term and has since been further extended.
This landmark pub and restaurant has served the local community, holidaymakers and tourists for decades and is one of only two public houses in the parish of Nettlestone & Seaview.
History of Seaview & the Surrounding Areas
The Old Fort is steeped in history. Seaview was first mentioned in July 1545 when the French, in a naval attack on Portsmouth, landed near what is now The Old Fort on the Esplanade and routed defenders from a small emplacement at Fort Bank. Fast forward two hundred years, and a family with their 12 children, were the first recorded settlers in cottages just a short walk up the hill.
The two villages of Seaview & Nettlestone were originally quite separate communities with Nettlestone being far older of the two. By 1850 the centre of Seaview was complete with the Conservation Area being introduced by the 1960’s.
Seaview expanded outwards quickly throughout the second half of the 19th century and was a thriving seaside resort by 1860. A “suspension” type bridge was built in 1881 and stood for 70 years welcoming visitors and day trippers right up to World War II - but it blew down during a violent storm on 29th December 1951. Further development continued quietly until the explosion of building in the 1960’s and 1970’s and again towards the end of the 1980’s with the development of the old garage, the old bus station and then the site of the old Pier Hotel and later on with the Westridge, Bullen Village & Seaview Heights developments.
The Parish of Nettlestone & Seaview was formed in 1989 and is one of the largest on the island both in population and area. The parish is made up of the two eponymous villages plus the outlying areas of Pondwell, Seagrove Bay, Springvale, the isolated corner of Woodland Close and most of Puckpool Hill.
Although Seaview was initially built up around the salt industry of the time, it later became a tourist centre during the Edwardian era but today attracts many permanent residents with its all-year-round population increasing and a much larger catchment area for tourists and visitors making it a much more bustling and busy place than it once was.
Important please read
dining & booking information
Can I request a specific table or area?
Whilst we do our best to honour specific area & table requests, unfortunately we cannot guarantee any particular area or specific tables and reserve the right to move customers to another area or table for operational purposes. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience and understanding with this. Please note that selecting a seating preference at the time of booking is not a guarantee.
How far ahead can I book a table?
You can book online for up to 12 guests with all our availability displayed for the year ahead. If you are looking to book more than 12 people, more than 12 months in advance or cannot find what you are looking for, please send a booking request or give us a call on 01983 612 363 and one of the team will be more than happy to help.
Do you charge a booking deposit?
Deposits will be taken on standard bookings of 13 or more people at £10pp refundable with a minimum of 5 days notice. Event bookings & large groups of 25+ require £250 deposit refundable with a minimium of 14 days notice. To keep us from having to take deposits on smaller bookings, please ensure to cancel any bookings you can no longer make so we can release your table.
I'm running late, do you offer a grace period?
We hold all tables for 15 minutes, after which time we reserve the right to cancel your reservation or offer the table to someone else. Please call us if you are running later than 10 minutes after your booked time. We reserve the right to block those who continually arrive late or fail to show up on more than 3 occasions.
Why do you need my contact details?
From time to time, we may need to contact you about your booking, so please ensure your email and phone number are up-to-date. It is your responsibility to ensure that your contact details are correct at the time of booking.
How long is my booking?
Your table will be booked for 1 hour 45 minutes for parties of up to 3; 2 hours for parties of up to 6; 2 hours 15 minutes for parties of up to 9; and 2 hours 30 minutes for parties of 10+.
Can I book an outside table?
Our outside tables are available on a strictly first-come, first-served basis only as they are not covered and are therefore subject to the unpredictable Great British weather. On very rare occasions, management reserve the right to reserve these tables as part of a private event / function. If this is the case, appropriate signage will be displayed upon the tables and we thank you for your cooperation and understanding with this.
Are children allowed?
Children are always welcome in any area provided they are accompanied / supervised by a responsible adult. We do ask that you do not let your children run around or disturb other customers.
We have a limited number of highchairs available - please specify at the time of booking how many will be required, and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
"Kids-tea" is available from 5pm - to book, please speak to a member of the team.
Do you allow dogs?
Well-behaved dogs are always welcome downstairs, outside on our beach front patio or terrace but we do ask that you leave your furry friends at home if dining with us in the upstairs restaurant and bar space. This is so we can accommodate those with allergies etc - and we thank you for your understanding with this. We have a doggy station with water bowls, treats and even cozy blankets - these are available to use but please don't abuse this and kindly return anything you borrow. We reserve the right to ask owners and their dogs to settle up and leave if they cause a nuisance or upset other customers, so please keep your dogs on a lead at all times.
Important please read
dining & booking information
Can I request a specific table or area?
Whilst we do our best to honour specific area & table requests, unfortunately we cannot guarantee any particular area or specific tables and reserve the right to move customers to another area or table for operational purposes. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience and understanding with this. Please note that selecting a seating preference at the time of booking is not a guarantee.
How far ahead can I book a table?
You can book online for up to 12 guests with all our availability displayed for the year ahead. If you are looking to book more than 12 people, more than 12 months in advance or cannot find what you are looking for, please send a booking request or give us a call on 01983 612 363 and one of the team will be more than happy to help.
Do you charge a booking deposit?
Deposits will be taken on standard bookings of 13 or more people at £10pp refundable with a minimum of 5 days notice. Event bookings & large groups of 25+ require £250 deposit refundable with a minimium of 14 days notice. To keep us from having to take deposits on smaller bookings, please ensure to cancel any bookings you can no longer make so we can release your table.
I'm running late, do you offer a grace period?
We hold all tables for 15 minutes, after which time we reserve the right to cancel your reservation or offer the table to someone else. Please call us if you are running later than 10 minutes after your booked time. We reserve the right to block those who continually arrive late or fail to show up on more than 3 occasions.
Why do you need my contact details?
From time to time, we may need to contact you about your booking, so please ensure your email and phone number are up-to-date. It is your responsibility to ensure that your contact details are correct at the time of booking.
How long is my booking?
Your table will be booked for 1 hour 45 minutes for parties of up to 3; 2 hours for parties of up to 6; 2 hours 15 minutes for parties of up to 9; and 2 hours 30 minutes for parties of 10+.
Can I book an outside table?
Our outside tables are available on a strictly first-come, first-served basis only as they are not covered and are therefore subject to the unpredictable Great British weather. On very rare occasions, management reserve the right to reserve these tables as part of a private event / function. If this is the case, appropriate signage will be displayed upon the tables and we thank you for your cooperation and understanding with this.
Are children allowed?
Children are always welcome in any area provided they are accompanied / supervised by a responsible adult. We do ask that you do not let your children run around or disturb other customers.
We have a limited number of highchairs available - please specify at the time of booking how many will be required, and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
"Kids-tea" is available from 5pm - to book, please speak to a member of the team.
Do you allow dogs?
Well-behaved dogs are always welcome downstairs, outside on our beach front patio or terrace but we do ask that you leave your furry friends at home if dining with us in the upstairs restaurant and bar space. This is so we can accommodate those with allergies etc - and we thank you for your understanding with this. We have a doggy station with water bowls, treats and even cozy blankets - these are available to use but please don't abuse this and kindly return anything you borrow. We reserve the right to ask owners and their dogs to settle up and leave if they cause a nuisance or upset other customers, so please keep your dogs on a lead at all times.