Ahh, the eternal quest for a poached egg once the sun is over the yard-arm. Sun? For those eyeing interminable grey skies in this washed out summer, that’s anywhen after 11am. The concept of an all-day breakfast appeals greatly to us because we often fall foul of the mid-morning... Read more
We first wrote about Ganders in 2015 and, having been exhausted by the plethora of food folderoles back in the twenty-teens, we expressed delight at the restaurant’s “absence of trendy menu-baiting features’. Nothing smeared, or piped or granitaed here. Spin forward almost a decade and Ganders is still going,... Read more
In recent years, various culinary hares have entered the race to challenge that curmudgeonly old tortoise, the standard full English breakfast. We’ve watched with delight as international cuisine has snucken its way onto our morning menus, bringing welcome diversification to those classic pork-centric offerings. Many will welcome the introduction... Read more
Meat sandwiches never go out of favour. Everyone has their chosen place to ‘grab’ a ‘cheeky’ bite, whether it’s Burger King, Wimpy (if you can find one) and, of course, the world’s most pervasive fast food brand, McDonald’s. So ubiquitous are the Golden Arches that post-lockdown it seemed that... Read more
Braai is a summer pop-up dining spot on the Nunwell estate, near Brading. It’s a collaboration between the estate, its farms and produce providers, and the dynamic Ryde-based restaurant brand The Heron led by chef Alex Kimber. Braai was not quite what we were expecting, and that’s no criticism.... Read more
We are often asked which is the ‘best’ restaurant on the Isle of Wight. And, of course, that is a question which is almost impossible to answer. For every couple wanting a sophisticated dinner in an intimate and romantic environment, there is a young family needing good value food... Read more
The site of Cafe de Ryde is a curious one. Originally constructed with pleasant views over the lido to the boating lake beyond; a palisade was erected many years ago to give the swimmers some privacy, leaving the cafe in a hollow without its lakeside view. That said, it’s... Read more
Newton’s Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And we surmise that this even applies to the yin-yang of the local restaurant scene. So, in the same month in which Shanklin’s Thai Mukda received a damning report from environmental health inspectors, (subsequently... Read more
We know where the best Asian fusion food can be found, the finest fish and chips, the juiciest burger and much more. But sometimes, just like everyone else, what we fancy is a pie and a pint in a quiet cosy country pub. Ideally with the murmur of conversation... Read more
We used to have a friend who was the theatre critic for the Isle of Wight County Press. Just like being a restaurant reviewer, they had to dance that fine line between honesty and tactfulness. After some particularly vitriolic feedback from a disgruntled amateur thespian’s mother, they decided only... Read more