Situated in a prominent position at the upper end of Carisbrooke High Street is the substantial red-brick pub, The Waverley, named after the paddle steamer of the same name. Matt and Cat drove into the spacious rear car park early one weekday evening, having been lured in by the... Read more
Lifeboat Inn, East Cowes
24th June 2007 17
If you were to visit East Cowes marina and its Lifeboat Inn by boat, it would be easy to imagine that you were in a cosmopolitan waterside town, wealthy from development money. However, approaching the marina from the east, through streets of red brick terraced houses, past tall factories... Read more
Browns Cafe and Clubhouse, Sandown
23rd June 2007 2
Down on Culver Parade, a little way from the hussle and hilarity of the esplanade, Sandown boasts a fine 1930’s miniature golf course, complete with a clubhouse in the period style. Behind it prevails the municipal cafe which Matt remembers from many happy visits as a child, some 35... Read more
Taj Tandoori, Sandown
17th June 2007 6
The vast, metropolitan town that is Cowes boasts no less than three eat-in tandooris, the Island’s county town, Newport, has only two, and Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown have to make do with one each – oh, and one in Lake. It’s a mystery why, outside Cowes, such busy tourist... Read more
Eight Bells, Carisbrooke
9th June 2007 17
The Eight Bells is a popular pub, frequented by families and the Sunday lunch brigade. Positioned as it is in the middle of the pretty village of Carisbrooke and with a well-populated duck pond in its leafy garden, one can see why. Having wandered around inside the cavernous pub... Read more
The Boathouse, Fort Victoria, Yarmouth
2nd June 2007 6
A gentle afternoon stroll between Yarmouth and Fort Victoria Country Park is one of the nicest ways to explore the West Wight, with the promise of an enjoyable destination whichever direction you travel. Matt and Cat visited the splendid Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival, and decided to take this short... Read more
Horse and Groom, Ningwood
2nd June 2007 20
The design of the interior of a pub or eating establishment will often influence the type of clientèle that patronise it. A bar with traditional beams, horse brasses above the fireplace and a floridly-patterned carpet may appeal to the older punter; a bistro-style establishment with stripped-wood flooring, ten varieties... Read more
The White Lion, Arreton
31st May 2007 7
Sometimes, after a hard day down the salt mine, nothing less will do than a big plate of MEAT. Cat, ravenous from toiling at the day job, knew that this day, of all days, was going to be Red Meat Day and demanded to be taken to the nearest... Read more
Kasbah, Ryde
20th May 2007 9
After a shopping trip to Ryde’s French Market, from which they came away laden with cheese and sausages, Matt and Cat wandered down Union Street in search of somewhere new to eat. Yes, even after 120+ reviews there still are places in Union Street that have yet to enjoy... Read more
The Pilot Boat Inn, Bembridge
7th May 2007 44
Update: Matt and Cat revisited the Pilot Boat Inn in 2010. Had their opinion of this friendly pub changed? Read the original review below this update. For a change of scene, Matt and Cat decided to cast their net wider than their usual haunts for a Monday evening supper.... Read more