Matt and Cat\'s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide
Summer menu at the Seaview Hotel, 2023
The Seaview Hotel has been one of our top recommendations for year-round quality dining for many years.  And it’s not just us – the hotel has two AA rosettes for food and was this year awarded the keenly contested IW Chamber of Commerce​ hospitality business of the year award. ... Read more
Duke of York, Cowes

Duke of York, Cowes

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It’s grand, it’s old, it’s the Duke of York. And it’s even half way up a hill. A few steps away from the lively town-centre pubs of Cowes High Street is the Duke of York. A family-run venue, this pub has a convivial atmosphere, and is very much a... Read more
Se7en at the Royal Hotel, Ventnor
It’s been an age since we had one of those dinners in which each course delights and confounds our expectations. However, we knew that if we were going to experience food like that anywhere again, then it would be at Ventnor’s Royal Hotel – location of so many memorable... Read more
Brunswick Hotel, Shanklin

Brunswick Hotel, Shanklin

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Somehow, Shanklin has escaped the worst ravages the grim reaper has visited upon the hotels of Sandown. One can still stroll down leafy Queen’s Road and take one’s pick from little family-run guesthouses, boutique hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts. Sure, the inevitable blocks of flats have cropped up; but Shanklin of... Read more
Sandown Boulevard

Sandown Boulevard

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What if a few food wagons got together and made a food court, where you could just go along and choose from a range of takeaway food? This is an idea that is popular on the mainland – even as close as Southsea – but despite a few valiant... Read more
The Hambrough, Ventnor

The Hambrough, Ventnor

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You’ve got to have some sympathy for The Hambrough. Everything the venue subsequently does is compared to its early triumph with Robert Thompson at the helm. The talented chef won the Isle of Wight’s only Michelin star this millennium at The Hambrough in 2006, aged just 23, before going... Read more
Albert Cottage, East Cowes
You might be under the impression that East Cowes is dominated by the bloat of Osborne House – and we don’t mean food-loving Queen Victoria herself. As everyone knows, the town enjoyed a great boost in fortunes when the royal household established a summer home in this northern corner... Read more
Archive: Nomad, Newport

Archive: Nomad, Newport

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This is an archive review of one of several previous Nomad restaurants. Nomad is now closed.  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.... Read more
Cycling Gourmand electric bike adventure
Recently, we were asked by the lovely people at the Seaview Hotel to help curate a series of bike rides which would take in some of our favourite eateries in the north-east Wight. And so the Cycling Gourmand was created. However, these are not just any bike rides. The... Read more
The George Hotel and Beach Club, Yarmouth
The George Hotel has for decades been a reliable stalwart of Yarmouth. But this year, any metaphorical cobwebs have been blown away. A new broom has swept through the venue, boutiquifying the bedrooms, George-ing up the staircase, and with imminent plans to Italianate the garden too. Under the guiding... Read more