Aneke Spacie, Landguard Manor
ReviewsUncategorised 26th November 2010 4
It would be a cruel trick, wouldn’t you think, for Matt and Cat to review a restaurant that you couldn’t actually go to? Crueller still, maybe, if they raved over it, explaining with the merest hint of embarrassment how they obtained the very last seats in the house for... Read more
Stotesbury’s, Newport
ReviewsUncategorised 21st November 2010 3
Didn’t somebody once say that Stotesbury’s fish and chip shop, in Upper St James’ Street Newport, was the oldest on the Island? Or in England? Or something? Matt’s got a vague memory of something about the antiquity of this shop being of note. But no matter. Somebody will doubtless... Read more
Domino’s Pizza, Ryde
ReviewsUncategorised 27th October 2010 3
Oh, the excitement. The whisper went up and down Union Street that Domino’s was on its way. Where would it be? The old off-licence, maybe? One of the grand places with Victorian statues on it? It turned out to be a little unit next to the bank, in pole... Read more
Archive review: this review refers to the previous management of the Blacksmiths Arms. The pub reopened in 2017 under completely new ownership. Note: After writing this review in 2010 Matt and Cat were banned from the Blacksmiths Arms in 2012, so it won’t be updated. See why at the... Read more
Archive review: The Roundhouse Tea Rooms, Newport
ReviewsUncategorised 18th October 2010
Archive review: alas! The Roundhouse is now closed permanently. That’s it folks! Matt and Cat might as well hang up their reviewing hats as the Isle of Wight’s ultimate cream tea has been found. After years of arduous searching, involving the consumption of gallons of tea, rock-hard to fluffy... Read more
Although they may imagine themselves to be legends in their own lunchtime, the truth about Matt and Cat is pretty mundane; they’re just a couple of people who eat out then write about their experiences. They always try to turn up unannounced and neither expect, nor usually get, any... Read more
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... Read more
Archive review: Bay Grill, Appley Park, Ryde
Reviews 8th May 2010
This is an archive review. The Bay Grill closed in 2011. The cult of the chef isn’t something Matt and Cat subscribe to – but sometimes you just can’t avoid making the connection. Robert Thompson’s name, of course, is inseparable from his famous Ventnor hotel, and even Alan Staley... Read more
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.... Read more
Nerds come in all sorts of guises, living history swots, expectant cartoon-kitty obsessives and frankly ought-to-know-better middle-aged Peter Pan fantasists. There’s nothing wrong in immersing yourself in your hobby – the folks at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway have made a very successful tourist attraction out of a... Read more
