As Red Funnel‘s bulldozer of progress finally subsumed its neighbour the White Hart pub, Chinese takeaway Jade Garden stood its ground. The venue’s little beacon of light shines smack bang in East Cowes’ regeneration quarter. The modern Waitrose, a block of over-fifty-fives’ housing, and, of course, that smooth new...
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Burger King has opened on the Isle of Wight. A corner of that monstrous leisure shed that used to house Staples has been walled off into another of those bizarrely-misshapen spaces that characterise big box retail these days, and in it has appeared the Island’s first ever branch of...
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As you know, we review restaurants. This website is full of our opinions on Isle of Wight eateries. That’s why you’re here. But that doesn’t mean we don’t like to write about other nice things. Cat is always daydreaming about the future – her 1970s interpretation of it, brought...
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It won’t come as any surprise to find out that we don’t cook much. We could, if we had to – but why bother when there are so many great chefs on the Isle of Wight prepared to take our money in exchange for food? Also, we have some...
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Cautious diners may worry that Nomad is going to be too challenging. They might rather have something simpler, quieter and yes, maybe cheaper. These people are wrong, and we’re about to explain how. The previous restaurant under the Nomad brand was open in Newport for just a short time...
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A town pub can go one of two ways. A few weeks ago we found ourselves in London, enjoying a drink in one of the city’s many street-corner hostelries. The Victorian pub was a single small room with a bar, and that was about it. No food was served,...
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Niton used to have two pubs, the White Lion and the Buddle. After some prevarication the White Lion closed for good, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst the Crab-Nitoners. Left without a pub in the village itself, drinkers were faced with a steep walk down...
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Soup of the day at Fox’s was potato and leek. We knew without even asking that it would be potato and leek. Potato and leek soup tells you a lot. It tells you to expect warm, simple fuel. It tells you that you might go away feeling quietly satisfied...
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There’s something comforting about a franchise restaurant. There’s a reason McDonald’s is popular; the home of the hamburger sells unchallenging food at affordable prices in a familiar, family-friendly environment. When on the mainland, Cat likes to eat in Wagamama; the Japanese-inspired restaurant has consistent quality fresh ingredients with the...
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Who’d have predicted Sandown would be the place where the Island’s newest big hotel would be built? As we walked in town we were amazed to spot not one but two massive cranes at work on the seafront. We pressed our noses on the glass at the under-construction Boojum...
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Matt and Cat's Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide is published by Pinkeye Graphics Ltd
