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
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
Tamarind, Newport
12th November 2006 9
There was a time when you would be guaranteed to see one or several of the following in an Indian restaurant: flock wallpaper, busy-patterned carpets, and table lamps. But there is a new standard of décor for such venues. The Tamarind in Newport conforms to the new visual style,... Read more
The Crab and Lobster Inn, Bembridge
1st November 2006 41
Bembridge is a former fishing village with a pretty village centre and some interesting beaches. The Crab and Lobster is one of its most popular pubs; the route to which is a journey which probably illustrates the nature of Bembridge quite well. The would-be diner, following an trail of... Read more
The Fleming Arms, Binstead
25th October 2006 14
On an unexpectedly chilly October evening, Matt and Cat fancied a hot meal in a homely pub. Following a friend’s recommendation, they visited the Fleming Arms – an impressive stone pile on the main road in Binstead. Conveniently, the pub has a very large car park at the rear.... Read more
Archive Review: Mr Chips, Oakfield, Ryde
Uncategorised 20th October 2006
Note: Mr Chips has long closed and been replaced by Corrie’s Cabin. Ryde has not one High Street, but two. Not only that, but the street which most visitors call the High Street is actually not the High Street at all. But enough of that. In the lesser of the... Read more
Chipmunks, Monkton St, Ryde
15th October 2006 77
If you’re visiting Ryde and enjoying the esplanade or the huge expanses of sand, you’re unlikely to look behind the rows of imposing Victorian residences that front the shore. If you did, you’d be even less likely to venture down Monkton Street, with its appearance of an inconsequential urban... Read more
Smuggler’s Haven, Bonchurch
8th October 2006 15
The Landslip at Bonchurch is an intriguing place, describing itself on an old sign as an historic pleasure park. It is a vertiginous jungle with windy paths, rocky outcrops and precipitous steps. If you have the energy for an aerobic hike about this landscape then you will do well... Read more
Bar 53, Union Street, Ryde
8th October 2006 0
Note: Bar 53 is now closed. With a large area of outside seating and an association with the long-established Yelfs Hotel, Bar 53 is a very popular venue for vertical drinking in the summer evenings. However it also serves food, and thus the time came when Matt and Cat... Read more
Afton Park Nursery / the Apple Tree Café
27th August 2006 9
Update May 2009. Matt and Cat revisited the Apple Tree café at the suggestion of a fellow Tweeter. Read M and C’s comments below, with earlier efforts below that. Having waxed lyrical about the café at Afton Nursery, Matt and Cat were surprised but pleased to get a request... Read more
