Matt and Cat like going to Shanklin's Old Village and smugly playing I-Spy with restaurants' doors, spotting their 'Recommended by Matt and Cat' stickers. The excellent Pendleton's, the Black Cat Thai restaurant and homely Village Inn all sport their green and black badges of recommendation.

With an appointment in the town later that evening, M and C were back in this picture-postcard village on a cold winter evening looking for somewhere new to eat. Clattering down the hill they stumbled into the historic Crab Inn. To be honest, in this thatch-tastic corner of the Island there's nothing but listed buildings steeped in history. If there was a prize for the quaintest Isle of Wight village, the Old Village, Shanklin would be a serious contender with Godshill snapping closely at its heels. A similar award could be made - to the same places - for the place where you're most likely to run over a bimbling tourist coming out of a cheesy gift-shoppe. However, M and C weren't there to admire the architecture, they were there to eat.

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It's been a tough week for Matt and Cat. Having enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's dinner at a distinctive Island B and B, they stuffed themselves with breakfast the next morning and legged it to the ferry. A mainland carvery completed the weekend's eating out but that wasn't the end of it: a trip to the Hong Kong Express, one lunch on the firm and three days of Boots meal deals plus a curry must surely make this one of the most indulgent weeks M and C have had for ages.

As part of this mammoth indulgence-fest, Matt and Cat decided to try out Shanklin's newest Indian restaurant. Despite the earliness of the season, Matt and Cat noted that the Purple Mango was moderately busy as they entered its warm interior. Like its parent restaurant in East Cowes, Shanklin's Purple Mango has been decked out in a contemporary style. Matthew was impressed by the oversized white banquette and Cat's twinkle antennae were drawn to the ceiling's glittering centrepiece, a recessed assembly of pulsing fairy-lights with the words Purple Mango written in a circle. The impressive waterfall, first seen in East Cowes, finished the signature house style. Having been pleased by their meal at Purple Mango East Cowes would M and C be equally delighted in Shanklin?

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NB: The Village Taverna is now closed.
But we hear a new place is opening there (see comments below)

As regular readers to Matt and Cat's Isle of Wight eating out guide will know, M and C are big fans of tapas, El Toro Contento being one of their favourite venues. Therefore, it was not going to be long before they sampled the meze of Sandown's Village Taverna - particularly as there had been a request for a review via their 'suggest a venue' page. Not that the Village Taverna needs Matt and Cat to promote its business; people are queuing to try the food according to the County Press, which also makes the intriguingly cosmopolitan suggestion that the menu is half Greek and half Polish.

So, one evening Matt and Cat headed to Sandown to buy food. Meandering up the High Street they passed Sandown Kebab and Steak House. Matt mischievously suggested that they have pitta and a kebab, but Cat rejected his proposition and walked on to the next venue - the Taj Tandoori. However, this pleasant Indian restaurant was also snubbed as they had already visited it. Topographically next was the Village Taverna.

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On a day like today, when winds of up to 100mph have been recorded at The Needles, it's nice to be indoors, snuggled in front of the PC. Although a little late, the autumn weather is upon us; chilly evenings and squally days.

Hardy mainland urbanites probably don't notice these inclement conditions, happy to spend an evening on the streets in a vest and flip flops. But for soft southerners Matt and Cat, the winter heralds a time when jumpers are taken out of storage and M is stitched into his underwear.

The night that M and C visited the Old Village, it seemed that Shanklin had been mothballed. The buckets and spade shops and some eateries were battened down, even the Rock Shop had its shutters drawn. However, the lights weren't entirely out - the blue glow of the Village Inn enticed your reviewers deep into thatch territory.

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Matt and Cat had many a pleasant meal at the delightful, if at times slightly chaotic, Smart Fox, Brading. They have also eaten some excellent food at Whitwell's White Horse.

Now it appears that the best bits of both these establishments can perhaps be enjoyed in one place. The Smart Fox, long closed, is now reborn with the former proprietors of the White Horse at the helm. The cosy-cottage interior of Brading's former Red Lion pub and the marvellous cuisine of Whitwell's finest inn, why didn't someone think of it before? And the name? Imagine what sort of mammal hybrid could be born as a result of these two venues amalgamating. The Smart Horse? Or the White Fox? Perhaps wisely, with a nod to Whitwell, the new pub calls itself The Dark Horse. Matt and Cat have been inundated with suggestions to visit and so, less than a fortnight after it reopened, they walked through the door one evening to see what all the fuss was about.

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