Sun Inn, Calbourne
29th January 2008 6
In the increasingly competitive pub and restaurant market, establishments often hang their Unique Selling Point on some small featurette, extrapolating it into an entire theme – see, for example, the Island’s only capital punishment theme pub – the Hare and Hounds; a venue which developed its identity from its... Read more
Monroe’s Coffee House, Newport
10th January 2008 0
Monroe’s is now closed. Matt and Cat have never eaten in McDonald’s, Newport. They’re not averse to fast food, in fact they’re loving KFC (occasionally); Matt has been known to feed his kids at the Wimpey. However, with so many great little cafes, sandwich bars, pubs and restaurants to... Read more
New Vegetarian Cafe, Newport
29th December 2007 1
NB: this cafe is now closed. Thirty years ago, vegetarian cafes were an unusual niche market for the really committed restaurateur, and one that had some success. These days herbivores do not have to go to an exclusively vegetarian restaurant to eat meat-free food as almost every eaterie will... Read more
ARCHIVE POST: Monsoon is still trading (Jan 2020), but as a takeaway only. Ryde is a curious town in layout – a long, thin chain of shops, pubs and restaurants snakes its way uphill from the esplanade – where the visitor arrives fresh from the ferry – thence up... Read more
Archive review: Octopus Garden Cafe, Cowes
Uncategorised 1st December 2007
This is an archive review. The Octopus Garden is now closed. John Lennon, as featured on the door of the Gents (with modesty spared by Matt and Cat), looking rather like the Island’s very own Jack Douglas? The Octopus Garden Cafe in Cowes started life as a museum of... Read more
Archive review: Island Images, Newport High Street
Uncategorised 30th November 2007
Island Images is now closed. Matt and Cat have updated their review of Island Images at the request of one of the staff. Has the place changed? Read their conclusions below. The original review follows on. Matt and Cat eat out. A lot. See this excerpt from Matt and... Read more
Archive review: Cask and Taverners, Godshill
Uncategorised 23rd November 2007
This review is of the former Cask & Taverners, which has now been reopened as The Taverners – and is quite different. See the more recent and up-to-date review here. It has been said that Matt and Cat shy away from the Isle of Wight’s more upmarket eateries; this... Read more
Pretty much a year to the day that Ray Har-Har suggested that Matt and Cat visit Morrison’s cafe, Newport they finally did. Having a rare day off in the week, M and C decided to play at being retired and booked themselves tickets at the afternoon showing of Billy... Read more
Castle Inn, Newport
8th November 2007 5
It all started with tomatoes, or the lack of. Cat’s tomatoes were in Matthew’s fridge for reasons too tedious to explain here. This meant that her planned packed lunch of torn mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and freshly ripped basil leaves from the plant on her kitchen window sill, all drizzled... Read more
The Woodvale, Gurnard
28th October 2007 8
With its sixty miles of beautiful coastline, it’s not hard to find a place to eat on the Isle of Wight that will offer panoramic views across the Solent, the English Channel, or of Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex’s distant shores. (Not all at once, of course!). One such... Read more