M & C first visited God's Providence House in Newport in 2005. The (very short) review they wrote then can be found at the bottom of this post. Meanwhile, the most recent review follows here:

December 2008 review
Matt and Cat don't announce their arrival at a restaurant. They try to be discreet about the whole reviewing business and don't want any different treatment to any other visitor, so they always try to keep a low profile. But the business of reviewing food does necessitate the occasional bit of unusual behaviour, and once in a while they get spotted by the staff - and now, for the first time, by the one of the customers.

Thinking they ought to update their review, M & C popped into God's Prov for a lunchtime break. On their return home they found in their inbox the following message from sharp-eyed reader Rod Andrews:

So, there I was, sat in that holy of eating places, God's Providence House in Newport this lunchtime and my wife said to me... "Don't look round now but there is a couple sat at the corner table and he is photographing his lunch would you believe!" I paused mid-way through my delicious steak pie and thought, I wonder, is this place being Matted and Catted? So... was it? Regards and thanks for a great website.

Rumbled! It was indeed - Mr and Mrs Andrews were correct. And here is the subsequent review.

Review continues:

God's Providence House is in a fine old building in the heart of Newport. This beautiful old tea room is run on the most traditional lines, and evokes a feeling almost of time travel. One can imagine oneself taking refreshment in a more genteel era; of tweed and hat-wearing men, powdered ladies with patent leather handbags and everyone smoking. Although many people would love England, and especially the Isle of Wight, to return to some imagined 'good old days', the irreversible passage of time makes this unlikely. But at least one can still sample that old-style ambience in a few places such as God's Providence House.

God's Providence House retains an intimate interior; a series of little rooms suggest that this was once a home, although the original building was destroyed by fire in 1699. Matt and Cat made their way to a window seat overlooking St Thomas' Square and, through the steamy glass watched the pre-Christmas shoppers bustling about. A smartly dressed waitress came to take their order. Like all of the staff she was attired in black and white, and showed a suitably deferential professionalism. Soon Matt and Cat had a pot of tea for two to play with whilst waiting for their dinners.

There is a great deal to be said about the service of the tea at GPH that other establishments would be well-advised to note. Loose-leaf tea is presented in a china pot; cups and saucers, a jug of milk and an extra jug of hot water and tea strainer completed the tea set. Like the Japanese, for the English a cup of tea can be a ritual process as well as an end result. Neither are enhanced by wrestling with a carton of UHT milk and the indignity of stirring said beverage with a plastic spatula. For the tea alone, God's Providence House gets a big thumbs up: this was amongst the best cups of tea to be had on the whole Island.

If you want something more substantial than a cup of tea, there are plenty of light snacks to chose from. A dizzying array of sandwiches, salads, spuds and specials are available plus hot food including a daily roast and steak pie (or pud, depending on what day it is). the prices are higher than most tea shops and cafés, but for this kind of atmosphere and service that's more than forgiveable. Being Christmas, Cat chose a turkey roast dinner. Matt opted for the steak pie.

Cat's dinner was lovely. There was plenty of soft white meat, a big ball of stuffing, roasties and veg plus a dish of cranberry sauce and gravy. Delicious and just the thing to put Cat in a festive mood. Matt's undoubtedly home-made pie was really nice - though more like a stew with a crisp suet pastry hat. The big chunks of tender meat were very tasty and warming - perfect for a winter's day. He reported that it was a lot better than one would normally expect in a tea shop.

It was not long before the dinners were eaten - swilled down with the plentiful tea - the bill paid (£19.40 for this fine fare), and Matt and Cat had to get back to work. They were pleased that they had revisited this fine old establishment. Like Radio Three, it is nice to know that traditional places like God's Providence House still exist in this accelerated world and, perhaps a little less like R3, there is no shortage of appreciative customers for Newport's oldest tea shop.

As for Matt and Cat spotters Mrs and Mrs Rod Andrews, there is no prize for their accurate guesswork. But M and C were flattered by their correct presumption!

Review from 6th November 2005

A delightful tea shop where Matt and Cat rested from their tour around (the windows of) the shops of Newport. It's the only place on the Island where - if you can get a seat - you can sit in warm comfort and have waitress service from very polite ladies in black dresses with white pinnies.

It looks and feels like something fifty years in the past, and yet the quality of the experience is anything but past it.

Matt and Cat had a splendid cream tea, and tea for two included more tea than both of them could consume: leaf tea too, with real milk, plenty of hot water and warm cups. A bit more expensive than a standard cafe, but a price well worth it for a haven of civilised gentility and outstanding tea.

If you want some idea of what to expect, you could do worse than imagine the tea shop from the famous scene in the film 'Withnail and I'.