Crab Inn, Shanklin: Thatched pub and restaurant
Shanklin old village is a pretty collection of higgledy piggledy thatched cottages, now mostly gift shops and tea rooms and restaurants/pubs. Thye must feature on a million boxes of shortcake! And must get packed later in the season..A busy road runs through the village, but doesn't quite spoil the charm - though you are in a less rural setting than photos of this Inn sometimes lead you to suppose. The pub is on the corner of the road that leads to the green and loveley Shanklin Chine. You can sit out the front, and enjoy the traffic, which isn't actually that bad on an evening, and it is fun to watch to tourists go by. Alternatively, there is a very roomy restaurant on the ground floor, and a mezzanine bar. One big plus at this place : the really nice staff and efficient service. We had comfort food - sausage and mash, burgers. This could have been horrible (as there was something about...
