London Street Food
ArticlesUncategorised 5th June 2016 0
Although our blog is called Matt and Cat’s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide we have been known to make the occasional foray to the mainland to get the skinny on the latest restaurant and food fads. Brighton is a brilliant place to absorb the hottest trends of all... Read more
Royal Esplanade Hotel, Ryde
Uncategorised 31st May 2016 0
It’s a part of our lives that we all come to understand. The beloved friend or family member is taken ill, maybe rallies a few times, but over time begins to weaken, fade, and eventually is laid to rest. So it is with big seaside hotels. In the middle... Read more
Matt and Cat’s Dining Club at Nomad
ArticlesUncategorised 8th May 2016 0
You know us – any excuse for a banquet. So when the chefs at Nomad offered to create a seven course dinner for our dining club to celebrate the Mexican festival of Cinco de Mayo, who were we to refuse? On the Isle of Wight we’re nearer to vanquished... Read more
Corner Grill House, Shanklin
Uncategorised 2nd May 2016 5
One of the things people frequently say to us apart from “It must be great to get free food all the time!” (we don’t), is “Where is a good seafood/vegetarian restaurant?” As far as we know there isn’t currently an exclusively vegetarian restaurant on the Isle of Wight and... Read more
Royal Hotel Gastronomic Weekend
ArticlesUncategorised 26th April 2016 0
It usually takes a few years for mainland trends to make their way to the Island. Mostly, by the time we’ve raised our heads out of the County Press, bubble perms, carrot-fit jeans and the inexplicable popularity of nonentity couple Stevie and Chloe-Jasmine have been consigned to the obsolete... Read more
The best coffee on the Isle of Wight?
Uncategorised 12th April 2016 8
Much has been eulogised about coffee; the provenance of the beans, science behind the blending, the roasting and the barristas’ art are all elements that determine the damn-fineness of your coffee. But let’s get this out there now. Matt doesn’t drink coffee. He used to. He used to a... Read more
The Griffin, Godshill
Uncategorised 4th April 2016 0
Godshill’s one of those places like Shanklin Old Village, that seems to have just been created for the pleasure of tourists. Chocolate-box cottages filled with fudge, scones and trinkets line a twisty road as summer tourists spill onto the carriageway in giddy abandon. But what about in winter? Apart... Read more
The Cow Co, Tapnell Farm
Uncategorised 17th March 2016 0
It must be an interesting process, starting a new restaurant. Do you, perhaps, take over an existing established business but possibly end up having to live up (or live down) to the previous restaurateur’s reputation? Maybe it would be safer to start from scratch in a high street location... Read more
Bluebells Café, Wootton
Uncategorised 25th January 2016 0
The English breakfast may be the true legacy to the world of this country’s cuisine. Yes, there are English muffins, creme anglaise, and of course English breakfast tea. But the only dish that needs no specific description is the eponymous Full English. It’s a meal that is widely available... Read more
Review of 2015
ArticlesUncategorised 4th January 2016 0
When we were asked to write about the Island’s restaurant scene for the County Press we decided to have a manifesto. Nothing too complicated, just two points: we would cover the whole Island, and choose varied and diverse places to review. We’ve enjoyed seeking out this diversity. Places are... Read more