Matt and Cat\'s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide

BLT Cafe, Newport

24th November 2006 2

Visitors to any area may find themselves, when looking for eating-places, wondering where the locals go. Look no further – it would be a daring lunch-seeking tourist indeed who wandered by accident into Dodnor industrial estate, a forbidding land of used car lots and high barbed-wire fences. But the... Read more
Coast is now closed Inspired by a lunchtime visit to the burger van at Dodnor, Matt and Cat decided to sample the pleasures of other lunchtime snack and light meal venues. Coast coffee shop in Newport was high on the list after Cat spotted a specials board proclaiming field... Read more
Matt and Cat aficionados might imagine that these reviews are only of sit-down eateries, although the presence of various chip shops and takeaways on these pages should have dispelled that preconception. Now, dear readers, Matt and Cat take a step even further with this, their first review of a... Read more

Tamarind, Newport

12th November 2006 9

There was a time when you would be guaranteed to see one or several of the following in an Indian restaurant: flock wallpaper, busy-patterned carpets, and table lamps. But there is a new standard of décor for such venues. The Tamarind in Newport conforms to the new visual style,... Read more

Suggest a venue

Uncategorised 5th November 2006 378

Matt and Cat are always grateful for your suggestions for places to try next. If there’s a food venue you want them to visit, just leave a comment here with your suggestion. They check this post regularly and every suggestion is taken on board… although with so many great... Read more
Bembridge is a former fishing village with a pretty village centre and some interesting beaches. The Crab and Lobster is one of its most popular pubs; the route to which is a journey which probably illustrates the nature of Bembridge quite well. The would-be diner, following an trail of... Read more

The Fleming Arms, Binstead

25th October 2006 14

On an unexpectedly chilly October evening, Matt and Cat fancied a hot meal in a homely pub. Following a friend’s recommendation, they visited the Fleming Arms – an impressive stone pile on the main road in Binstead. Conveniently, the pub has a very large car park at the rear.... Read more
Note: Mr Chips has long closed and been replaced by Corrie’s Cabin.  Ryde has not one High Street, but two. Not only that, but the street which most visitors call the High Street is actually not the High Street at all. But enough of that. In the lesser of the... Read more

Chipmunks, Monkton St, Ryde

15th October 2006 77

If you’re visiting Ryde and enjoying the esplanade or the huge expanses of sand, you’re unlikely to look behind the rows of imposing Victorian residences that front the shore. If you did, you’d be even less likely to venture down Monkton Street, with its appearance of an inconsequential urban... Read more
The Landslip at Bonchurch is an intriguing place, describing itself on an old sign as an historic pleasure park. It is a vertiginous jungle with windy paths, rocky outcrops and precipitous steps. If you have the energy for an aerobic hike about this landscape then you will do well... Read more