Lordy! The landscape of the takeaway has changed enormously since the arrival of COVID-19. We were quite happy with our intermittent curry, the occasional Friday fish and chips and perhaps a cheeky chain burger. But, as the virus rumbles interminably on, so do our stomachs – for something more... Read more
As our tier four neighbours once again rummage through their pantry’s stockpile and scratch their heads for recipes which include chickpeas, three-hundred weight of pasta and a gallon of hand sanitising gel panic-bought in the early days of COVID-19, we lucky Islanders had the choice of three new restaurants... Read more
You might be under the impression that East Cowes is dominated by the bloat of Osborne House – and we don’t mean food-loving Queen Victoria herself. As everyone knows, the town enjoyed a great boost in fortunes when the royal household established a summer home in this northern corner... Read more
The Taverners has for over ten years been a consistent favourite – not just with us, but with multitudes of Island diners who relish its hearty gastro-pub food and convivial atmosphere. Our first visit to this hostelry was way back when it was called the Cask and Taverners. One... Read more
Lockdown has thrown a shadow over the hospitality industry everywhere, but the Island is shining a few rays of light. Courageous chefs and proprietors are still launching ventures and trying new ideas. Who would have thought that the team at Ventnor’s Tramezzini – a High Street restaurant that only... Read more
We are unashamed fans of chef and restaurateur Ryan Burr. We’ve followed his career from its early days at Chale Green Stores, via his eponymous street food pop-up Burr Grills, to the rock ‘n’ roll Asian-Latin fusion of Nomad. Now he’s back almost where it all started. We remember... Read more
Guess we could write yet more doom-laden words about the state of dining under COVID-19. But let’s not, eh? Instead we will hold up our recently-sanitised palms to the virus and say, “Talk to the hand, cos we ain’t listening”. We were also not listening to our fellow diners... Read more
There used to be a saying that you could fit the world’s population onto the Isle of Wight. That was true once, but it isn’t any more. It’s academic anyway as no-one ain’t going nowhere, least of all the Island. COVID-19 has curtailed movement of most people, for the... Read more
As we took our seats at the sunny dining table, we remarked on what a beautiful evening it was. The sun was making its slow descent to herald the end of another glorious spring day and we were still feeling the warmth of its sinking rays. Our dinner was... Read more
One of the reasons we started Matt and Cat’s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide was to give ourselves an incentive to dine away from our own particular beaten track. You probably have your own special favourite eateries too. That Indian takeaway where they know your order off pat.... Read more
