The Arthur Wakeley Restaurant, County Hall
1st April 2007 2
It’s a little known fact that the Isle of Wight Council’s hospitality suite is open to the public when not being used for civic occasions. High in County Hall a modern, air-conditioned suite of rooms – once offices for council bigwigs – now house an urbane and civilised eaterie... Read more
Hurrying from one fun meeting to the next, Matt found himself separated from his sandwich box, and took a short diversion to the burger van located outside B&Q in Newport. It is said that every B&Q store has its own burger van, so it’s comforting to see that the... Read more
Archive review: Joe’s (formerly Joe Daflo’s), Newport
Uncategorised 4th January 2007
Archive review: this venue is closed. Known for many years as “Joe Daflo’s”, the Ryde branch of Joe’s was for a long time one of Matt & Cat’s all-time favourite eateries on the Island. Another branch offering a similar experience exists in Newport – this review is about that... Read more
Caffe Society, Newport
2nd January 2007 4
Caffe Society Matt and Cat’s have passed by the curiously spelt Caffe Society many times, en route to Superbuys. It was on a return trip from that discount emporium that they decided to pop into Caffe Society for a spot of post-January sales lunch. From the outside the cafe... Read more
Mr T’s Snacks, Newport
7th December 2006 2
Newport is the administrative capital of the Isle of Wight and is fast overtaking Ryde as the commercial centre too. Consequently, there are lots of hungry people in the town every lunch time and there are plenty of places for them to eat. Competition is fierce and, for those... Read more
The Sportsman’s Rest, Porchfield
1st December 2006 18
Following a flurry of contrasting comments from their readers, Matt and Cat decided to revisit the Sportsman’s Rest to see if they’d made a mistake. The original review from December 2006 is at the bottom of the page. February 2009 review Could it be possible that Matt and Cat... Read more
Hong Kong Express, Newport
26th November 2006 14
What excitement! Matt and Cat’s favourite Chinese restaurant has opened a new branch in Newport. Visitors to the Ryde branch will recall how the Hong Kong Express interpretation of a fast-food joint made such an impression on your reviewers: well, now the Hong Kong Express magic has been applied... Read more
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, Newport: archive review
Uncategorised 24th November 2006
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
