Crab Inn, Shanklin
16th March 2010 13
Matt and Cat like going to Shanklin’s Old Village and smugly playing I-Spy with restaurants’ doors, spotting their ‘Recommended by Matt and Cat’ stickers. The excellent Pendleton’s, the Black Cat Thai restaurant and homely Village Inn all sport their green and black badges of recommendation. With an appointment in... Read more
Purple Mango, Shanklin
18th February 2010 24
It’s been a tough week for Matt and Cat. Having enjoyed a wonderful Valentine’s dinner at a distinctive Island B and B, they stuffed themselves with breakfast the next morning and legged it to the ferry. A mainland carvery completed the weekend’s eating out but that wasn’t the end... Read more
Village Inn, Shanklin
14th November 2009 11
On a day like today, when winds of up to 100mph have been recorded at The Needles, it’s nice to be indoors, snuggled in front of the PC. Although a little late, the autumn weather is upon us; chilly evenings and squally days. Hardy mainland urbanites probably don’t notice... Read more
Garlic Farm Café, Newchurch
31st March 2009 20
Just what the heck is going on? If you’re under forty, please indulge M and C for a moment of rose-tinted nostalgia. If you’re old enough please join in. Do you remember, back in the day, when all you had to do was ride around on your chopper bike,... Read more
Love and marriage, they say, go together like a horse and carriage. Or maybe like Peters and Lee, the interchangeable Ant and Dec, Matt and Cat, and Indian tapas… Whoah there! Indian and tapas? Both spicy, perhaps, but a good combination? The new owners of Sandown’s latest restaurant, SWAD... Read more
Black Cat Restaurant, Shanklin
8th November 2008 15
Unexpectedly finding themselves in Shanklin one evening, Matt and Cat scratched around for something to do. Tempting as My Fair Lady at Shanklin Theatre was M and C were too late for curtain up, the library was shut and Shanklin Chine was closed for the winter. So they defaulted... Read more
Archive review: Mamma Mia, Shanklin
Uncategorised 6th September 2008
This is an archive review. Mamma Mia has now closed this restaurant and opened another. This review and the comments on it refer to the former venue. Some considerable time ago, Cat was a regular patron of Pavarotti’s Restaurant in Shanklin. Its Italian staff were very welcoming, the authentic... Read more
This is an archive review. La Scala has now closed. Matt spent his formative years in Sandown, pottering on the beach, playing on the railway and trotting up and down the High Street. Much has changed in Sandown since those days… but much has not. Matt can’t quite remember... Read more
Brothers Fish and Chips, Brading
9th June 2008 6
Brothers fish and chip shop, in Brading, is a novelty on the Island: a chip shop which is not on the beach – or even near it. Hence, like Brading itself, it has much of the charm of a quiet rural town, and is rarely overtaken by hordes of... Read more
Village Taverna, Sandown (archive review)
Uncategorised 3rd April 2008
NB: The Village Taverna is now closed. But we hear a new place is opening there (see comments below) As regular readers to Matt and Cat’s Isle of Wight eating out guide will know, M and C are big fans of tapas, El Toro Contento being one of their... Read more
