The Wight Mouse Inn - also known as the Clarendon Hotel - is a landmark hostelry on the south side of the Isle of Wight. It is a massive pub, geared mainly towards diners and, despite its size, it manages to convey a feeling of intimacy and local distinctiveness. Following its renovation, the interior is superbly fitted out with stone and quarry tiled floors, many cosy nooks and some welcoming open fires.

Matt and Cat were swept in on the wind one blustery March day - initially for a nice cup of tea. The tea was very good indeed; big pots, real milk, served (with complimentary chocolates) in a Denby-style tea service - no tea bags floating in mugs here - and all for £1.25 per person.

Having enjoyed the tea and a read of the free newspapers, watching the bad weather sweeping in from across the English Channel in cosy comfort your reviewers resolved to stay for dinner. The menu was varied and plentiful and there were about half a dozen tempting meals on the specials board. The food prices were not vast, but higher than in some other comparable pubs. Matt plumped for sweet chilli chicken and Cat decided to warm up with beef and Tanglefoot (ale) pie.

The meals arrived very promptly - not surprising as, in a venue this large, they have to be able to cater on a large and rapid scale. The food did not live up to the standard promised by the tea. Cat's disappointingly flavourless pie was served with vegetables and new potatoes. However, despite its blandness, the beef was well cooked and not at all chewy or fatty and the pastry was very nice. Matt's chicken was a dismal offering, with limp salad and tiny bits of chicken drowned in a bland red paste. The portion size was not miserly, but the promised fajita was so smothered in sauce that at first its chewy substance was mistaken for worryingly tasteless chicken.

The venue is cosy and clean but not intimidating. It has a very large no smoking area: thumbs up for that! In terms of location the Wight Mouse has everything else beaten - it is by far the biggest and slickest family dining pub in the West Wight. The views from the lounge and terrace across the West Wight are superb and there is plenty in the garden to occupy restless children, even including a play-house which is open in summer (at extra charge) for supervised indoor play. If you're not on a very tight budget and are after a quick and easy place where you can take all the family for Sunday lunch in the West Wight, you probably won't find it wanting. However, for a special meal out, or if you're after something more than the usual pre-prepared pub food conveyor belt, you might be better off looking elsewhere.

Visit the website: http://www.innforanight.co.uk/The_Wight_Mouse_Think.asp