Archive review: Manuel’s, Cowes
Uncategorised 14th July 2009
Archive review: Manuel’s is now closed. It’s coming up to high season on the Isle of Wight and its sailing capital in particular is due for an intense time as Cowes Week fever reaches its crescendo. This time of year all of the shops, bars and eateries are well-stocked... Read more
Rex Piano Bar, Ventnor
7th July 2009 13
Matt and Cat have said enough recently about the idiosyncrasies of Ventnor’s inhabitants. Sweeping generalisations have been made from the most cursory of glances at passers by. So, one might assume that if M and C were given hours of intense exposure to one of the town’s most quirky... Read more
Archive review: Oceanblue Quay, Ventnor
Uncategorised 4th July 2009
This is an archive review. Oceanblue Quay has changed hands and changed name. After giving it a while to find its feet Matt and Cat finally toddled through the doors of Oceanblue Quay, the new restaurant at Ventnor esplanade, as bone fide customers. Although in an enviable position at... Read more
Waterfront, Totland Bay
29th June 2009 14
Going to Totland Bay at midsummer must be like going to the moon. Matt and Cat blasted off from Newport and headed in a near-straight trajectory. Reaching jowl-bothering speeds of nearly 40mph (except through Shalfleet), they went west towards the setting sun. The light from our brightest star was... Read more
Olivo, Ryde
16th June 2009 45
What glorious weather the Isle of Wight enjoyed in early June! Good job too, as otherwise the music festival would have been a wash-out and Seaclose Park remodelled as a quagmire to rival last year’s Bestival mudbath. Making the most of the sunshine, M and C put on their... Read more
Chutney Express, Ventnor
15th June 2009 17
Ah, Ventnor. Yes, the magical town where unicorns roam across the sparkling beach; and pixies giggle behind every corner. Or something. The Guardian pronounces “the place feels apart from the Isle of Wight, let alone the UK“. The Telegraph dashes up to claim “Ventnor has got its va-va-voom back“.... Read more
Isle of Wight Festival: Food 2009
13th June 2009 9
In a special guest review, Matt & Cat regular Wendy reviews food at the Isle of Wight Festival. I wrote about IW Festival food for M&C last year and am pleased to bring you this update for 2009. Sunday morning: Keeping my eyes peeled for Isle of Wight food... Read more
Red Funnel, Southampton-East Cowes
31st May 2009 20
There are a few things about living on the Isle of Wight so axiomatic that Island residents will be bemused to even hear them discussed. Taxis are one. You never, ever take a taxi on the Island unless someone else is paying. As everyone knows, they are fearfully expensive... Read more
Springvale Hotel and Restaurant, Springvale
17th May 2009 3
Matt and Cat have made several false-starts when attempting to review the food at the Springvale Hotel and Restaurant. Being in their manor, the venue often came up on their radar when thinking about places to eat. However, when poised on the hotel’s doorstep, there had always been something... Read more
Bluebells Café, Briddlesford Lodge Farm
16th May 2009 31
In these times of economic hardship, people are thinking creatively about how to make money. Sunday supplements (a necessity if ever there was one) bulge with suggestions about how to get the cheapest cuts from Waitrose, whilst getting the Volvo to go a few extra miles. This, of course,... Read more