Matt and Cat\'s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide
UPDATE: The Chicago Rock Cafe has closed its doors. The building is now home to the William Coppin. The review below is for archive purposes only. Well, another day, another food chain. Senses dulled by unsatisfactory experiences in many franchise eateries, Matt and Cat had low expectations when they... Read more
Matt and Cat visited the Bell Bar in December 2005. A nice sunny Bank Holiday weekend in 2008 saw Cat revisit the place. Read the latest review below, followed by the 2005 review beyond that. May 2008 Review England in the summer time, eh? Whilst the rest of the... Read more
A quiet café in the upper reaches of Ryde High Street, well away from the bustle of Union Street. A few extra steps will take you to a café frequented by locals, as opposed to hordes of visitors. The menu is simple, there is no view of the sea,... Read more
It’s small, but perfectly formed. If you are looking for a place for a good cup of tea and a light meal, with sea views, you could look a long time to better this splendid venue. Outside, when the weather is suitable, is a truly spectacular view of the... Read more
Brewers Fayre is a chain of pubs, and those using any establishment bearing that name can hardly be unaware of this: it’s slick, the uniformed staff are all under the age of 25, and it can feel a bit soulless. But does the security and order of a branded... Read more

The Folly, Whippingham

10th November 2005 46

It was way back in 2005 when Matt and Cat first reviewed Whippingham’s Folly Inn. Entreaties to revisit prompted this 2010 update. The original review is below. Matt and Cat were very impressed by the Folly, back in the day. It was a regular lunchtime haunt of theirs and... Read more

The Old Fort, Seaview

7th November 2005 34

This is an eaterie with a split, or even multiple, personality. It is not an old fort, nor anything like one – it is a traditional seaside cafe that has grown up a bit. It is described as a cafe, and indeed much of the time it seems to... Read more

The Koffee Bar, Ryde

6th November 2005 3

The Koffee Bar in Cross Street, Ryde is a Saturday lunchtime favourite. This clean café, though small, is plainly decorated with lovely chunky pine furniture. The menu has traditional café fare such as scrambled egg on toast (for the give-away price of 90p – yes 90p!) but also delicious... Read more

Sainsbury’s, Newport

6th November 2005 4

Yes, this is where it all began. Way back in 2005 Matt and Cat had a disappointing experience at Sainsbury’s café. So moved were they that they started a website… the results you see before you. You can read that first review further down the page. It’s probably not... Read more