Valentino’s, Carisbrooke
ReviewsUncategorised 21st October 2011 10
Come with us on a journey through time and space, to a land of long hot summers, Cinzano and pop charts where ‘Do You Wanna Touch’ was considered a tour de force. A place where, if they weren’t having the neighbours round for fondue bourguignonne – dipping their meat... Read more
Hong Kong Express On Wheels
ReviewsUncategorised 9th October 2011 1
Note: this van is still around at times, but not any more at the site we originally reviewed it. It doesn’t seem to have a regular spot any more. Matt and Cat are fans of the Hong Kong Express chain of Chinese restaurants. Starting in Ryde, the brand spread... Read more
Rainbow Art Café, Godshill
ReviewsUncategorised 7th October 2011 2
Don’t know about the rest of you but when Matt and Cat think about cream teas, Godshill springs to mind. This quaint village with its gift shoppes, picture-postcard thatches and tea gardens is a mandatory port of call for grockles and cream tea aficionados alike. One sunny October day... Read more
Archive review: Tuscan Hills
ReviewsUncategorised 1st October 2011
Archive review: Tuscan Hills is now closed. Some partnerships seem destined to endure longer than most marriages: variety stalwarts Morecombe and Wise’s relationship was only curtailed by the untimely death of Eric. Other seemingly inseparable double-acts, such as the legendary Lennon and McCartney, are torn asunder through creative differences,... Read more
French Franks, Newport & Ryde
ReviewsUncategorised 18th September 2011 1
French Franks is an enduring feature of Newport; a town where new establishments pop into view more often than Kerry Katona’s tongue at a paparazzi convention. Way back, when this website was in its stone age, Matt and Cat reviewed this established eatery and were favourably impressed by the... Read more
Full Circle, St Mary’s Hospital
ReviewsUncategorised 23rd May 2011 3
Matt and Cat pride themselves on leaving no type of eatery unreviewed. They have shared their opinions on the Island’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and also enjoyed food at Dodnor’s Cappuccino wagon. Basically, if the public are invited to eat there, M&C will give it a punt. It may come... Read more
The Retreat, Newport
ReviewsUncategorised 18th March 2011 4
Scarrots Lane is a bustling little thoroughfare containing all manner of specialist shops. Want your drum kit tuning? No worries: Beat This has it covered. Broken the heel of your pole-dancing shoes? Try Purple Dreams for acrylic-soled platform stilettos and a feather-trimmed basque. Strolling through this veritable Aladdin’s Cave,... Read more
Stotesbury’s, Newport
ReviewsUncategorised 21st November 2010 3
Didn’t somebody once say that Stotesbury’s fish and chip shop, in Upper St James’ Street Newport, was the oldest on the Island? Or in England? Or something? Matt’s got a vague memory of something about the antiquity of this shop being of note. But no matter. Somebody will doubtless... Read more
Archive review: this review refers to the previous management of the Blacksmiths Arms. The pub reopened in 2017 under completely new ownership. Note: After writing this review in 2010 Matt and Cat were banned from the Blacksmiths Arms in 2012, so it won’t be updated. See why at the... Read more
Archive review: The Roundhouse Tea Rooms, Newport
ReviewsUncategorised 18th October 2010
Archive review: alas! The Roundhouse is now closed permanently. That’s it folks! Matt and Cat might as well hang up their reviewing hats as the Isle of Wight’s ultimate cream tea has been found. After years of arduous searching, involving the consumption of gallons of tea, rock-hard to fluffy... Read more
