Plenty of pubs and restaurants on the Island have a seaside location. Some even have views of the sea and fishy dishes on their menus. But how many of these places actually take fish from their local fishermen?

Some do for sure, but few can be so very closely associated with fishing as the Fisherman's Cottage, Shanklin. Sitting on the terrace, diners can only see the sea by peering over the small flotilla of fishing boats pulled up on the beach, where fish have been landed for generations. And these are not quaint little tourist boats either, they actually do go fishing down there, and sometimes it's that very fish which appears on the Fisherman's Cottage menu.

No stroll through the old village of Shanklin would be complete without a visit to Shanklin Chine, ideally in the evening to enjoy the wonderful illuminations. Playing grockles, Matt and Cat chose the only dry evening of summer 2010 and descended the winding coastal chink to the pub on the beach below.

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2010 saw a relaunch for one of Shanklin's most enduring eating-places: since 1983 known as the Maharaja, the latest name for this High Street stalwart is the Spice Lounge.

This place has for many years been a great favourite of Matt and Cat's. Back in the day, before the idea of this website occurred to them, they regularly enjoyed a night of good food and friendly service around the Maharaja's tables. It wasn't too long before M & C felt the need to see whether the Spice Lounge was as good as its respected progenitor, so they treated junior reviewers Bill and Jack to a curry feast in Shanklin.

The Isle of Wight is well provided with Indian food - pretty much anywhere on the Island you're not too far from a curry or the like, and even some pubs make laudable efforts. But the problem with this - if it can be called a problem - is distinguishing one from another. Similar menus, similar décor, similar service and even similar names can sometimes cause one Indian offering to seem all too much like the next. This is often unfair - Matt and Cat can attest that some curry houses on the Island are a lot better than others. It also militates in favour of the new: a freshly launched establishment can draw custom, at least in the short term, by novelty value alone. Older, more established venues, however good, might find themselves falling behind the race, and then maybe be tempted to reinvent themselves. Was this what happened here? Was this just a fresh coat of paint on the same old Maharaja, or was there something genuinely new going on?

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In the heat of a summer's afternoon Sandown Esplanade might be mistaken for the Spanish Costas with its towering beach-side hotels, miles of golden sands and the aroma of Ambre Solaire. However, on a miserable gusty evening in April it was more like Skeggie than the Costa Del Sol. Battling against the wind and under a glowering sky, Matt and Cat were positively sand-blasted by the time they fell through the door of the resort's Reef restaurant.

This was no happen-stance visit; many readers of this website have suggested the Reef - and all in glowing terms. But although Matt has a certain historic fondness for Sandown, the town of his boyhood, The Cat has no such sentiment. So far she has been a bit underwhelmed by this coastal town they forgot to close down. But it's not all over for Sandown, The Bay regeneration may uplift this faded dame. And, on this blustery night, Matt and Cat were pleased to find a welcoming haven.

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Visit the website: http://www.thereefsandown.co.uk

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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