Ah, the cream tea, staple food for holidaymakers in the English countryside for generations. This classic afternoon treat has never gone out of fashion and is a good barometer of a venue.

Is the tea in a pot with 'all the trimmings'? Fresh milk? Clotted cream? A generous dollop of jam? And yes, it's probably a West Country thing, but there are definitely two divergent schools of thought about whether or not to have butter on it. So to guide you to the best, Matt and Cat offer their quick guide to the essential Isle of Wight cream tea destinations this summer. There are links to the full reviews, and of course you can add your own favourites below!

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Matt and Cat have made several visits to the Island' most westerly café. Read their latest thoughts on the place below. Earlier review and comments follow that.

Having had a successful - and educational - day out at Hampshire's most southerly fortification, Hurst Castle, Matt and Cat decided visit the Island's most westerly fort the following day. Lady Luck was smiling down on the intrepid pair as the kiosk at Alum Bay car park was unstaffed - which meant more money for refreshments.

Although there's no public vehicle access to the Needles Old Battery, the 20-minute walk is mostly on level ground. For those unable to manage the walk, there is also a bus. Matt and Cat's walk to the Battery offered fantastic views of the geological wonder that is the coloured cliffs at Alum Bay and, as it started out as a clear day, they could also see the New Forest and Dorset beyond, and of course Hurst Castle. Rabbits bounded fearlessly about on the chalk grassland, sometimes perilously close to the cliff edge. Above them seagulls and jackdaws soared in the rising thermals.

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Visit the website: http://www.theneedlesbattery.org.uk/

For over 200 years Ryde Esplanade has provided Islanders and visitors alike with a range of shops and hotels, from the elegant and sophisticated to the tacky and workaday. The Victorian chemist's on the Esplanade now houses an unusual addition to the seafront; definitely on the elegant end of the spectrum is the Chocolate Apothecary.

This new venture is not only a factory for hand-made chocolates, but is also a café where one can buy cakes and coffee and what it describes as pâtisseries.

Cat had been straining at the leash for some days after she saw this place opening. It's probably no revelation to anyone that there's something about girls and chocolate, and Cat's not immune to that magical allure. So before long M & C were strolling casually along the esplanade and just happened to find themselves at the Chocolate Apothecary in time for an afternoon coffee. Taking in the gleamingly-clean picture windows and the invitingly dark interior, the pair ventured inside.

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

The Wight Mouse is a behemoth of pubs - one of a handful of mega-eateries that dominate the family Sunday lunch market on the Island.

It continues to serve up pub food by the shedload; trading on its unbeatable location on the popular tourist trail of the Military Road. Matt and Cat first reviewed this place in 2006 - and found it wanting. That first, brief, review is at the bottom of the page.

In 2009 they made another foray westwards with junior reviewers Bill and Jack. On the lookout for dinner, they once more found themselves walking through the door of the Wight Mouse. Had things improved? Read on to find out.

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Visit the website: http://www.islandbreaks.co.uk/site/eating-out/wight-mouse-inn-p141751

Matt and Cat have updated their review of Island Images at the request of one of the staff. Has the place changed? Read their conclusions below. The original review follows on.

Matt and Cat eat out. A lot. See this excerpt from Matt and Cat's diary for the past week: "28 July: Balti King. 29 July: lunch at Island Images. 30 July: dinner at Olivo, Ryde. 31 July: Dinner take away from Corries Cabin, Ryde".

How they find time to do their day jobs, eat out and then post interesting and witty reviews on this popular website is anyone's guess. However, they manage to squeeze it all in!

As explained on this week's earlier post, the Woodman Arms, Matt and Cat will sometimes update their review if it is old, inaccurate or if the place was worth a second go. This Easter, an email from 'Craig' arrived in the Matt and Cat in-box. In it he appealed to the reviewers to revisit his place of work, Island Images, as he was sure "a lot has changed since you were last there and would be surprised if your feedback wasnt better after visiting again?". Happy to oblige, Cat scheduled a lunchtime gossip with two chums to check out the changes...

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