The Sportsman's Rest nestles in the tiny village of Porchfield; a quiet, heavily wooded part of the Island a little way away from the main tourist areas. It's small, and it is a rare delight. For this reason Matt and Cat are almost tempted, for the first time ever, to really criticise the place simply for the pleasure of keeping it to themselves. But don't worry, readers, they'll tell you the truth as ever.

In the summer the pub gets packed and booking is advisable, particularly on Sunday lunchtimes. But on a dark and windy night Matt and Cat took their chances and drew up at the welcoming lights of the Sportsman's after splashing through dark lanes and past ancient hedgerows. If you're going here for the first time you'd be best to take a map, as unlike most of the Island, this is somewhere where you can easily get lost.

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Entering the place there is immediately the comforting familiar feeling of an old country pub - a public bar on one side featuring a few locals chatting over their pints, with a small, snug lounge bar on the other. The landlady greeted Matt and Cat in a very friendly way, and a few moments of idle chat made them feel most welcome.

The menu was good, solid pub grub at reasonable prices. Once seated on a settle by the side of the fireplace, Matt chose traditional liver and bacon, and Cat ventured gammon steak with egg and chips. Matt also sampled the real ales kept in casks behind the bar, which proved to be excellent, and a real enhancement to the meal.

The food came swiftly and was very good indeed. Generous servings all round were complemented by very freshly cooked vegetables in the traditional style. No raw onion was in sight as Matt enjoyed swede, cabbage, carrot, and cauliflower cheese, all with gravy - good wholesome accompaniments to the sublime liver. He also wished he'd chosen mash from the extensive potato choice as he felt the chef would've made an excellent job of what can sometimes be lumpy and unpleasant.

Cat's huge gammon steak topped with a most perfectly cooked fried egg was served with a modest salad, peas and plenty of chips. So enamoured were Matt and Cat of the food, they even ordered a dessert - the irresistible mulled fruit crumble with three scoops of vanilla ice cream.

The Sportsman's Rest is a hidden gem, and different from many Island pubs. It was, as Cat remarked 'like a little bit of rural Hampshire'. It was a real pub with genuine old tongue-and-groove on the walls, a dresser for the cutlery, a proper bar and centuries of unrefurbished character. The atmosphere is something quite special and evoked in both Matt and Cat all the best memories of pubs from bygone years. Commendably, the food was more than equal to the location and service - the Sportsman's Rest is unreservedly recommended.