After welcoming a few hundred guests—many of whom were visiting the Isle of Man for the very first time—the most common question we were asked was, “Where’s good to eat?” Naturally, we wanted to help, so we dived into research mode.

We combed through Google Maps, TripAdvisor and Facebook reviews, chatted to locals and friends, and even tried out quite a few places ourselves. The result? A fairly comprehensive list of nearly 100 eateries, complete with details like addresses, phone numbers, opening times, food types, dine-in or takeaway options, reviews, ratings, websites and more. We also put together some blog posts focusing on different towns, food categories and personal recommendations.

But as you can imagine, with the island’s vibrant food scene constantly changing, keeping that list up-to-date has been a bit of a challenge—especially with our limited time and resources.

So, you can imagine our delight when we heard about Dazzler (www.dazzler.app)—a new platform launched in April 2025 that bills itself as the island’s number one food discovery service. Naturally, we were eager to try it out—and here’s our first impression.

No App? No Problem

One of the things we really appreciate about Dazzler is that it’s not another app clogging up your phone’s storage. It’s a mobile-friendly website that works just as well on your phone or computer. You can even bookmark it to your home screen so it behaves a bit like an app—there are handy videos showing how to do this on both iOS and Android.

Of course, the web-based approach means you need internet access, and some navigation elements aren’t as smooth as a native app—but in this day and age, with 5G and Wi-Fi almost everywhere, that’s hardly an issue.

A Growing Food Directory

Considering it’s still relatively new, we were impressed to find that Dazzler already lists over 280 food and drink venues across the island, with more being added all the time. The design is clean and visually appealing, using a mix of images, videos and intuitive icons.

But what really sets it apart is its 100+ search filters—yes, over one hundred! These allow you to tailor your food search based on cuisine type, dietary needs, dining style (eat-in, takeaway or delivery), and all sorts of personal preferences.

Clever Search Tools – With Room to Improve

Let’s be honest: with that many filters, it could easily become overwhelming. But Dazzler seems to have struck a good balance between depth and usability—though there’s still some room for polish.

On the home page, you’ll find 15 “quick links” for common food types like “fish and chips” or “pizza”, dietary needs such as “vegan” and “gluten-free”, and even preferences like “sports TV”. We’re not sure how they chose those categories, but hopefully, they’ll fine-tune them in future based on user behaviour or personalised settings.

If the quick links don’t quite hit the mark, tapping “Explore” opens up a more detailed search page where things get more interesting.

Navigating by Location and Preference

There are two main search parameters: location and dining style (dine-in, takeaway, or delivery). The latter is easily toggled with tabs at the bottom. For the former, you can either let Dazzler detect your current location or input one manually (no postcode required—just part of the address will do, and it’ll offer suggestions). We tested this and found the accuracy quite good.

There’s also an “All Locations” menu, listing over 20 towns and villages across the island. You can even select more than one at a time. Initially, we found the distinction between the “location icon” at the top and the “All Locations” menu a bit confusing—but after a few goes, the logic became clearer. Perhaps some label tweaks would help new users.

Next up is a row of icons representing cuisine types and food styles—like burgers or BBQ, or food from different regions. If you don’t spot what you’re after, scroll right and tap “Show More” to view a full alphabetical list of about 50 choices—or just type in your own keywords. Multiple selections are supported.

There’s also an “All Filters” option that covers everything from dietary requirements and accessibility to drinks, family-friendliness, pet options, payment methods, and even current deals. Again, multiple selections are allowed—though “All Filters” might benefit from a more descriptive name.

Search Results and Handy Features

Once your filters are in place, you can browse matching venues. Tap the “Sort” button to arrange results alphabetically, by distance (from the specific address you entered), price, or deals. By default, Dazzler shows results based on its own recommendations—so partner restaurants may appear at the top.

We loved the “Open Now” green icon on each listing—super handy when you’re hungry and on the go. If a place is shut, it’ll show the next time it opens. Simple but very useful.

There’s also a floating “Open Map” button. Tap it to view listings on a map; tap an icon to see the venue name, and again for full details. You can even launch Google Maps directly for directions.

Some restaurants have uploaded menus, and you can even book a table—though the booking service is handled by third-party providers, not Dazzler itself.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Dazzler is a powerful and promising tool for navigating the Isle of Man’s diverse food scene. It’s already impressive, but could be even better with features like user ratings, customer reviews, and more personalisation based on browsing history or saved preferences.

We’ve also heard whispers that delivery options might be coming in the future—now that would be the icing on the cake. We’re excited to see where Dazzler goes next!