Writing for this website is fun. But it's not just about chowing down on (mostly) lovely food and scribbling a bit of gibberish about it.

Matt and Cat occasionally plan in advance where they would like to go. However, some evenings their planning fails and they have to think on their hooves.

For once, they had decided early on where to eat and, remembering to get tooled up with a camera, they drove directly to their chosen destination - Lakeside Restaurant at Rookley Country Park. Despite the glowing signs enticing them in, the car park was empty. Having just spent an evening as the only diners on the Albert Cottage Hotel, they decided that they would like to eat in company. Therefore they turned the car around and headed towards Godshill to the Taverners. The car park there was empty too, and the lights were off. Mmm. Not to be put off, Matt and Cat peered across the road to the Loaves and Fishes. That too appeared to be closed. Had everything ground to a halt because of the impending first eviction from this year's Celebrity Big Brother? Surely not?

Working their way eastwards, they stopped at the Old Smithy car park and, pausing to listen to the church bells carolling in the frosty moonlight, they eyed up The Griffin. Would it be fourth time lucky?

Review continues:

The carvery bug has certainly hit the Isle of Wight in a big way. Since the conspicuous advertising of The Sloop's £3.50 meal set the bar for other eateries, venues across the Island are offering credit-crunch friendly deals on their food. The Griffin is one of these. A huge banner above the stone-mullioned window declared not just the carvery but all meals to be £3.75. Budget-conscious Matt and Cat were suitably lured; particularly by the fact that it seemed to be the only venue open for miles.

Most pubs that have diversified from solely drinking to eating establishments take the opportunity to have the lounges refurbished at the same time as the kitchens. The Griffin was quite confidently un-titivated - for example, there were traces of the pre-smoking ban décor (signs indicated the non-smoking areas). However, this old skool feel to the pub made it quite homely and it had the atmosphere of a country local, a bit like the Red Lion. Although The Griffin is clearly a huge family eatery, with cavernous lounges stretching off into the distance, it somehow manages to remain a proper pub. There were people drinking at the bar with their mates, a group of teenagers flirting and chatting and some regulars with a dog. It was just what M &C were looking for, and took them back to the days when they used to go to a pub just for a drink, to meet pals and have a natter.

Today though, they were there with the intention of eating. After the magical mystery tour of closed or empty restaurants it was getting on a bit - 8:30pm - but the barman assured them that food, including the carvery, was still being served. As well as the daily roast, there is a succinct choice or non-carvery stuff on the 'specials' board; pretty much all of the dishes were served with chips. Burgers, fish, sausage, plus a range of jacket potatoes and a couple of vegetarian options. All £3.75. It was cheap, but understandably, not particularly adventurous. Cat chose the carvery (beef and ham were the meats of the day) and Matthew opted for beefburger and chips. He pushed out the boat and had extra egg and bacon on his burger for an extra £1.

Because the carvery was nearing its day's end, there wasn't much left in the vegetable trays. However, the staff kindly steamed some peas and green beans for Cat to go with the carrots and swede that were already cooked and waiting. To ensure that both meals were ready at the same time, the waitress offered to let Cat know when her additional veg was ready, along with Matt's burger, enabling simultaneous service of the roast and the bar meal. This friendly and considerate service was repeated several times throughout Mat and Cat's visit.

The dishes did not take long to arrive. The carvery meal had two generous slices of roast beef, plus the aforementioned vegetables and three extremely good roast potatoes. The meat was a little dry, probably because it had been sat desiccating under the hot lamps for hours. However it was soon rehydrated with a generous helping of gravy and was none the worse for it. Cat had been allowed to take all of the greens so she and Matt shared the big bowl of vegetables.

The extra legumes certainly helped Matthew's meal look a bit more interesting. His burger and chips were basic fare with no twiddly garnish. However, he was not complaining - for that price who would? The meaty burger was pretty average but the three rashers of smoky bacon were particularly good; nice and hot. The egg was freshly cooked and runny as Matt prefers. The hot chips were a bit of a let down as they were pallid and uninspiring with no discernible taste; just fuel really.

Because it was so cold outside and the interior of the pub was welcoming and warm, Matt and Cat stayed for puddings. Again, these were all the same bargain-alicious price of £2.95. Cat chose warmed chocolate fudge cake and Matt had a spotted dick. The dynamic duo slurped their way with pleasure through their tasty treats.

The Griffin at Godshill is a spectacular landmark in the village which M and C have up to now overlooked in favour of the proliferation of tea rooms and the more central Taverners. They had neglected a nice friendly old pub with its cheap but basic fare and very good service. The Griffin is definitely worth a visit, particularly for those on a budget who want some decent food.

Visit the website: http://www.pubinnguide.com/pubdetailsidx56882.asp