We took the window seat in the Brasserie’s splendid first floor dining room. It was easy to feel the weight of years in this place as the evening light streamed across the spacious table. A cornerstone of St Thomas’ Square; the ancient Wheatsheaf Inn must have seen so many... Read more
Royal Esplanade Hotel, Ryde
Uncategorised 31st May 2016 0
It’s a part of our lives that we all come to understand. The beloved friend or family member is taken ill, maybe rallies a few times, but over time begins to weaken, fade, and eventually is laid to rest. So it is with big seaside hotels. In the middle... Read more
One Holyrood, Newport
Uncategorised 12th December 2015 1
As is the modern way, Matt and Cat wear several hats. As well as their eating out hobby which takes up considerable time, they also have day jobs. Juggling all of their activities is part of what the neologists call portfolio working. Running a business from a smartphone is... Read more
Seaview Hotel
Uncategorised 21st March 2015 1
There’s something fishy going on at the Seaview Hotel – something fishy and good. It’s always been a decent place for something to eat, but if you haven’t been there in the last year or so, Matt and Cat politely suggest that you rectify that. Chef Bruce Theobold first... Read more
The Royal Hotel, Ventnor: Afternoon tea
Uncategorised 22nd February 2015 0
A Frequently Asked Question of Matt and Cat is ‘are you guys really fat?’. Another question in the top ten would be ‘where’s the best place to eat?’. That question is much harder to answer than the first (which, by the way, is dodged by the statement ‘Cat is... Read more
For a county with nearly seventy miles of coastline, there are surprisingly few venues with a sea view. Pretty much the whole of the south west coastline has nowhere punters can enjoy a bite to eat and a glass of something stimulating while contemplating the English Channel. Even the... Read more
You know those photos that regularly appear in the Isle of Wight County Press? The ones with a tiny old lady sat in a chintzy armchair surrounded by beaming generations of her family? There’s little great-granddaughter Courtney-Mae dandled on the knee of her granny Pamela. Various aunts and uncles... Read more
Ryde Castle
Uncategorised 7th January 2014 6
Back in 2012 Matt and Cat were enjoying an ordinary Saturday night in. The rain was teeming down and and Matt was chopping some fresh Island lamb into chunks for a meaty winter stew for the next day’s Sunday lunch. It’s always nicer when it’s been, well… stewed! Unusually... Read more
Note: this is an archive review. The Hambrough is now run by a different team. It’s fair to say that 2013 has been an eventful year for the Island’s most famous restaurant, The Hambrough. Last time Matt and Cat visited this Ventnor venue it was prominently branded as Robert... Read more
One of Matt and Cat’s favourites You don’t need Matt and Cat to tell you that the Isle of Wight is intrinsically linked to Queen Victoria; the country’s (currently) longest-serving monarch made her home in East Cowes way back in 1848. Although that’s of no consequence when compared to... Read more
