Sometimes the thing you fancy is a decent fry-up, and nothing else will do. Well, if you’re Matt that is. Cat can normally make do with some eggs and mushrooms on toast, so long as there’s some coffee involved too. And in search of these things we found ourselves... Read more
When we started this food-reviewing lark more than a decade ago, we pretty soon spotted that quite a few venues seemingly played exactly the same unchallenging middle-of-the-road cheesy music to keep their diners in compliant mood. The familiar tones of Tina Turner or Phil Collins were the inevitable accompaniment... Read more
Sometimes, you pass a stranger in the street and do a double take. “Was that… it couldn’t be. Or is it? It is!” The stranger turns out to be someone you once knew, and underneath the new hairstyle, new spouse, new wrinkles or whatever, it’s the same old friend.... Read more
Cruising at a height of about five feet, we saw the welcoming lights of Bembridge airport and guided our transport down to rest conveniently close to the Propeller Inn – a long-standing venue once frequented by keen aviator Sir Alan Sugar, and recently reopened after a very comprehensive refurbishment.... Read more
Since we started Matt and Cat’s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide, we’ve proudly boasted that we will review anywhere, from “the grandest of hotel restaurants to the most modest of burger vans.” As it happens, burger vans are surprisingly few and far between these days. There are a... Read more
“From the humblest acorn, can a mighty oak tree grow,” so said Confucius. Or was it Don Estelle? Probably neither. It’s a hackneyed phrase that no self-aware food blogger should use. So how do we describe the inexorable rise of street food and its steady integration into conventional restaurant... Read more
Morgan’s, Shanklin
Uncategorised 13th July 2016 0
We’ve noticed a quiet phenomenon on the Isle of Wight. While street food hucksters, single-issue menus and bourbon boutiques pop up (and sometimes down again) other venues go about their business without fanfare or fashion. Each town has one or two restaurants that seem to have extraordinary staying power and ongoing... 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
White Horse, Whitwell
Uncategorised 21st May 2016 2
In these modern times, you can buy a pint of beer from ten o’clock in the morning. To help it down you could order a budget meal from a satisfyingly familiar menu. All this just a step away from your house into the embrace of a town centre chain... Read more
Corner Grill House, Shanklin
Uncategorised 2nd May 2016 5
One of the things people frequently say to us apart from “It must be great to get free food all the time!” (we don’t), is “Where is a good seafood/vegetarian restaurant?” As far as we know there isn’t currently an exclusively vegetarian restaurant on the Isle of Wight and... Read more
