The Bay Grill, Ryde, Isle of Wight

I first came across the Bay Grill on Matt & Cats web site.  They did a review a short while ago and on the back of that I decided we would give it a try.

Ryde is one of the last places I would normally think about going for a meal however lately a couple of places have come to my attention that seem worth trying at a later date.

Having never been to this venue before I wasn’t 100% sure where it was or where to park so on the morning of the day we had chosen to go Craig and I went for a run along Ryde seafront so that we could check it out.

It turns out that you can park the car very nearby at the very end of Ryde esplanade just before it turns into Apply Park.  As we ran (slowly) past the venue it was just opening up for the day.  The building seems to be a beach cafe/shop downstairs and The Bay Grill restaurant upstairs.  The restaurant has a balcony running the length of the building with tables outside so you can sit here having lunch or dinner on a nice day and enjoy the sunshine while taking in the view.

Satisfied that it looked like a nice place to have dinner we returned later that evening with James.  As we walked up the stairs to the restaurant it seemed a bit quiet and I was worried that we would be the only table.  I hate that as I worry why a place is empty.  To be fair it was a Monday night and its very early in the holiday season.  Anyway when we went in it turned out there were a couple of other tables already eating which pleased me.

We were greeted by a really friendly girl who showed us to a table with a view.  To be fair nearly every table has a view out over the Solent.

The room had a really nice feel to it and was styled in a New England beach type style with wooden floors and bare tables.  This gave a nice relaxed feel.

Menus in hand and drinks ordered, I had a cocktail called a Pink Dragonfly.  This was made up of citron vodka, strawberry puree, lemon juice, pineapple juice and sugar. When the waitress brought it over she let us know that it was the first time she had made this particular cocktail and if I didn’t like it she wouldn’t charge me for it.  I thought this was very generous of her however it was wonderful and I very happily drank it.

The menu had a nice selection of dishes on it including four different deli platters to share with selections of cheese, meats and fish.

Starters included soup, grilled scallops, whitebait, and baked Camembert.  Craig went for the salt & pepper calamari to start which he very much enjoyed. It was nice and crisp and golden brown and garnished with a wedge of lemon and accompanied by a little pot of mayonnaise.

James didn’t have a starter and I had the Isle of Wight tomato and Mozzarella salad.  The island grows a huge number of tomatoes over at Arreton in massive greenhouses so I was pleased to see something local on the menu. The salad came in a stack with a decent amount of both cheese and tomatoes both of which were very good.  I did find the sprig of fresh thyme garnishing the dish a bit odd however it looked very nice.

For his main course Craig had the Fish & Chips.  This came presented on a wooden board with a wedge of lemon and a pot of tartar sauce.  The fish was a nice golden brown and very crispy and the skinny chips were well cooked.  Craig was really pleased with his choice as he loves fish and chips.

Neither James nor I had much of an appetite so we both ordered a starter portion of the salt & pepper calamari with a side order of fries each.  Unfortunately neither of us liked the calamari.  It was really greasy which hadn’t been the case when Craig had the same dish for his starter.  We didn’t finish it and just had the chips.  It was a shame as it is the only complaint I had all evening.

We didn’t have dessert or coffee as we were all really tired and wanted to get back to the house and have an early night.

We all really enjoyed The Bay Grill (despite the calamari) and will be returning next time we visit the Island.  If I lived on the island it would be on my list of regular places to eat and I would recommend it to anyone.   Its in a really good location, with a great view, a nice atmosphere and a good menu that’s not too expensive.  What more could you ask for.

Sharon x

The Met, Ventnor Esplanade, Isle of Wight

I first became aware of The Met when they started advertising via a promotional video on Wightlink ferries a few years ago.  I have thought for a while that it looked like a nice place to go but I had just never got around to going there.  While we were on the island last week a very good friend of mine suggested we try it.

On the day that we visited we had not intended to have lunch at The Met.  The plan was to go in for coffee then take a walk over the cliff down to Steephill Cove for lunch.  However when we arrived in Ventnor it was fairly windy and I was dressed in a flimsy little summer dress that was going to be a bit of a problem so we abandoned the plan for the walk.

One of the reasons that we wanted to go into The Met was because we knew it had WI Fi and we needed to check our email and a couple of web sites.

When we arrived by coincidence the good friend that had recommended this place was already there so she joined us for coffee.

On entering I immediately got a sense of a nice relaxed but buzzing atmosphere.  There were already quite a few customers enjoying lunch but there were also some free tables.

The Met is right on the seafront at Ventnor down on the esplanade and has great views out to sea.  There is also parking all along the front with a larger car park at the end of the esplanade.

We looked at the menu and as a bit of a coffee addict I was really pleased to see a whole page dedicated to coffees and other hot drinks.  I was also very surprised to see that they did a “flat white”.  For those of you that don’t know this is the most common coffee drunk in Australia.  It’s like a latte but the foam is really smooth and creamy. You don’t often see it on menus outside of London so finding it on the Island was a real surprise. I was also pleased to see decaffeinated coffee advertised as I normally have to ask for it. The cakes on display looked really tempting.

All food and drinks are ordered by going up to the counter.  Now you might think that this is a bit “café like” but on this occasion I disagree.  It gave me a chance to get a close up of the specials boards where there was all manner of extra dishes advertised and also to get a good look at the “behind the scenes” operation.  I am pleased to say that it was all very efficient and clean and tidy. You also pay when you order.  I am not sure if it works the same way in the evening?  I would hope that the order would be taken at your table.  I shall have to return to find out.

Although we only ordered coffee at first, our friend had to leave to get to work so we stayed behind with the intention of having another drink.  When she had gone we looked at the menu and tempted by what was on offer and what we had seen other people have we decided to stay here and have some lunch.

Therefore instead of another coffee I had a nice glass of rose wine while Craig had a coke. There was a nice range of wines including several options by the glass which is always good at lunchtime.

The menu had a good range of tapas with something for everyone.  The idea is that you order several small dishes each and combine them to create a meal.  I love this way of eating as it gives you the opportunity to try things you would not normally order.  The dishes included meat, fish, vegetables, dips and breads.  To supplement all of this the special boards had a number of other dishes.  One dish we noticed was a half local lobster grilled with garlic butter.  This was priced at around £11 which we thought was really cheap.  We saw the same thing on the menu somewhere else a few days later at nearly £20!

To start with we ordered some warm pitta bread with some houmous and Tzatsiki.  The dips came in a dish together and reminded me of the yin and yang symbol.  Both dips were excellent with the houmous being a nice smooth consistency and the tzatsiki having a nice tang of garlic going on.  It was a nice light dish to have to get our appetites going before the main course arrived.

For the main course we both went got the Mets signature dish of devilled crab and prawn ramekins.  The crab and prawns were submerged in a lightly spiced cheese sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and then baked until piping hot.  It was served up with some crusty bread and salad.  The bread helped us to mop up every last drop of sauce which was so good there was no way I was going to waste any of it.  It was slightly spicier than I expected it to be however it was still great.  The salad garnish was nice except for the raw chunks of red onion.  If it had been thin slices it would have been nicer to eat.

After we had finished eating I asked one of the waitresses if she could get the recipe for me as I really wanted to make this dish at home, however when she asked the chef he said no as it is a family secret.  That’s fair enough and I shall have a go at making it and see how it comes out but I doubt it will be as good as I had.

There website says “The Met is about relaxation, quality tapas and fine drinks; bringing a little of the Mediterranean to the beach-front at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight” I think that this statement sums it up nicely.  Nearly everything about the place was great, the staff, the food, the atmosphere and the cleanliness.
Our verdict, we love the Met and are really pleased to have discovered it.  We did book to go back for dinner while we were there because we liked it so much but unfortunately we had to cancel.  We will be going back again next time and I urge you to give it a go even if it’s just for coffee and cake.
The Met Wine Bar 
Sharon x

Chale Green Stores, Deli & Cafe,

Day 6 on the Isle of Wight and the weather is grey and wet (again).  We had planned to go for a long energetic walk today followed by lunch however one look at those rain clouds and we changed our plans to lunch only.

Chale Green is on West Wight which is one of my favourite parts of the island in terms of scenery.  Here you will find the military road which runs along the coast and has some amazing views especially on a sunny day (not today then).  You can get to Chale without going on the military road however we chose to have a drive along it first.

When I lived on the Island I don’t know if this venue existed and if it did I didn’t know about it.  I discovered it through reading the various holiday leaflets and other publications I pick up on the ferry on the trip over.  It’s been on my list of places to try for a couple of years and this is the first time we have got round to it.

Once you have parked your car at the front of the building, or locked up your bike in the bike rack you enter through the front door and find yourself in a well stocked shop.  If you are a local or are on holiday and happen to be self catering or camping in the area you would find everything you need from beer to newspapers to bread.  Walk through the shop towards the back and there you will find a lovely little cafe.

As we were here for lunch we headed straight there and were greeted by a friendly member of staff who showed us to a table.  The cafe is light and bright and has huge patio doors which give a lovely view over the beautiful gardens and the hills beyond.  On a dry day you can sit out in the garden amongst the flowers.

We already knew that we wanted something hot and on having a look at the menu there were several choices.  We could have had the soup of the day (leek & potato), pasta bake, sandwiches, salads or just cakes.  Had we wanted the cakes there was a wide choice which were locally made and looked delicious and the scones looked especially good. 

We both decided to have the Croque Monsieur.  This turned out to be an excellent choice.  I took a huge risk having this due to the dairy content however it was worth it.  Two very thick slices of crusty bread were filled with cheese and bacon and topped with a béchamel cheese sauce and grilled until golden and bubbling then served up with a salad of cucumber ribbons, mixed leaves, baby gherkins and dressed with a light vinaigrette.  The flavour of the cheese and sauce was tangy and sharp without being too strong.  The bread remained crusty and the salad was actually a salad and not just a garnish.  All in all it was absolutely perfect.

While we were eating I was looking around and noticed how clean the place was.  I could even see through to the kitchen which I was pleased to see it was extremely organised and well run.  Even the gardens looked like they had been manicured.

Also worth mentioning is the deli area.  Various local and not so local cheeses, cold meats, chutneys and pates were on show in the cold cabinet.  Alongside this were several shelves of speciality foods and local products such as IOW Biltong. This would be a great place to pick up a gift for a foodie.

Our verdict, if you live on the island or are visiting for a holiday make time to pop in for tea & cake or a light lunch.  You will not be disappointed. We are really looking forward to a return visit to Chale Green Stores next time we visit.

Chale Green Stores

Sharon x

The Griffin, Godshill, Isle of Wight

I last visited The Griffin about 5 years ago for a family occasion.  I remembered it being quite a nice pub with good traditional pub food and a great atmosphere.  So we decided to make a return visit and get a hot meal before the last day of the Isle of Wight music festival.  The very wet weather meant that we needed to get something hot inside us before braving the rain for hours on end (that’s another story!)

The pub was quite busy when we arrived but there were a couple of free tables.  A man who I assumed was the owner or at least the manager showed us to a spare table.  My gut instinct was that this wasn’t going to be as nice as I remembered; I was right.

I had noticed a new carvery in the corner which admittedly had a queue of people waiting to load their plates.  I am not a fan of carverys as I think they are a good way for pubs to sell low quality food to the unsuspecting paying public!

We had a look at the menu (in a grubby presentation folder!!) which was full of very typical pub grub such as prawn cocktail, bangers & mash, burgers & chips etc plus the carvery option.

I decided on the bangers and mash which was advertised as local island pork sausages. James ordered the chicken baguette and Craig decided to have a roast from the carvery.

Of to the bar I went to place our order and get our drinks.  The bill came to £32 for 3 main meals and 3 drinks which I thought was very reasonable indeed.  I’m glad it didn’t cost more.  For the carvery I was given a ticket with a number on which I was told to take up to the chef when we were ready.

So of Craig went to get his meal and returned with a plate full of roast pork, roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and Yorkshire pudding.  The Yorkshire pudding had without a doubt been bought in and resembled a well known brand that you can buy in any supermarket.  The rest of the plate of food was ok, nothing more, nothing less. 

James baguette was huge with a nice crust.  I didn’t think it had much chicken in comparison to the amount of bread and it could have done with more mayonnaise; however the waiter did offer more to be fair which was declined.  He left most of it on his plate in the end.

My sausages were quite nice, 3 of them in total which were nicely flavoured and cooked well (braised rather than fried).  The little pot of peas were fine and the onion gravy was nice and rich although I am not convinced it was homemade, another well known brand perhaps?  My mashed potato was interesting to say the least.  The pile was huge and enough to feed an army.  It had a strange glazed looking appearance which was rather odd.  I put my fork in to mix it round a bit only to find that the pile was “gluey and full of lumps”. It always fascinates me how any kitchen can get mash so wrong.  It’s not exactly difficult.

Looking around the pub I noticed it was all a bit grubby and could do with better table clearing.  It was full of people though so they are obviously doing something right.  I suspect it’s the low prices that pull in the locals and tourists rather than anything else.

On a nice day there is a huge garden and play area out the back so it would be good for families looking for an inexpensive meal.

We won’t be returning and I wouldn’t recommend it.  The staff were nice and friendly but that’s about the only positive thing I can say.  A very average place with low standard food.

No web site.

Sharon x

Chessell Pottery Barns Cafe, Nr Yarmouth, Isle of Wight

We had visited the cafe once before last summer on a hot sunny day and remembered the scones to be fantastic so we were looking forward to a return visit.  We were both hoping they were as good as we remembered!

This time the weather was grey and wet so we found ourselves a table inside where we could stay dry and watch the ducks outside pottering around the garden enjoying the rain.

Tea and scones ordered (decaf coffee for me) and we sat down to wait.  At this point we both noticed that quite a few of the tables had not been cleared and cleaned from previous customers giving the place a generally untidy feel.  This was a real shame as it was not exactly busy and there was at least three staff in the kitchen and serving so surely one of them could have cleared the tables!

The cake counter looked very appealing and it happens to be the first thing you see when you come in the door.  Cakes and scones are laid out on traditional cake stands which I think always makes cakes look even nicer; it’s just something about them.

Our order arrived.  The cafe uses its own especially commissioned pottery made on the premises on which to serve their food and drinks.  Its cream with a really cute strawberry pattern on it.  You can buy it in the shop if you want to (alongside a huge range of Emma Bridgewater pottery which I happen to love).

The scones as hoped were very good indeed.  They are homemade.  We had fruit scones but you can also have plain, cherry or cheese.  They were served with butter and strawberry jam for me, and strawberry jam and clotted cream for Craig.  The jam I believe is made by a local man and the cream was from Calbourne mill.  Back to the scones, they were really light and fluffy and huge but the fruit was a bit lacking. In fact I hardly had any dried fruit in mine and certainly none in the middle when I cut through it.  The cherry scones on the counter however looked like they were packed full of fruit.

As well as scones and cakes the cafe also does a small selection of light lunches such a soup and sandwiches or filled baguettes. A high tea can be pre ordered which includes little sandwiches and cakes.

There is a lovely gift shop where as already mentioned sells a range of pottery wares and other items such as greetings cards and children’s traditional toys.  You can also book to go into the pottery studio and paint your own piece of pottery to take home, something several families were doing while we were there.  I thought this was a great rainy day activity.

Our verdict, we still like the cafe and will pop back next time we are on the Island.  It’s worth a visit for the lovely scones (even lacking fruit).

As it happens we did pop back a few days later as we were looking for afternoon tea however the place was so busy that we couldn’t even get a space in the car park.  It will have to wait until next time.

Chessell Pottery Barns

Sharon x

Wheelers Crab Shed, Steephill Cove, Ventnor, Isle of Wight

Steephill Cove is another place that I don’t remember growing up on the island however I am so glad I discovered it as it is now one of my favourite places on the island.  It’s still relatively unknown however I keep seeing articles in magazines about the Crab Shed and The Boathouse restaurant so word is getting out!  One of my favourite TV chefs Bill Granger even did some filming here last year for his series Bills Tasty Weekends.

The cove has to be one of the prettiest place on the Island, situated just south of Ventnor, Steephill Cove is a traditional, unspoilt fishing cove with a safe, sandy beach, nestled between rocky cliffs and smugglers' coves.

If you are looking for a typical UK seaside beach complete with arcades and burgers then don’t come to Steephill Cove.  However if you want somewhere that is noise and pollution free with safe swimming for the kids and great rock pools and deckchairs then this is the place.

So on one of the few sunny days we had on the island last week we jumped in the car and headed over to Ventnor to have lunch at Wheelers Crab shed in the cove.

Craig and I had both decided in advance that we were going to have a crab pasty which is what the shed is known for.  We had had them before and they are truly delicious. Each one is made by hand and filled with a mixture of crab meat and shredded leeks and wrapped in a delicious pastry crust which is adorned with a little crab.

When we arrived there were a couple of picnic benches free.  There are no frills here.  There are 5 or 6 picnic tables to sit at each with its own umbrella to shelter you from the sun (hopefully).  Menus are simply a double sided laminated card.  You choose what you want, note your table number then go up to the shed to order your food and drink.

Drinks are given to you there and then and food id brought to your table when it’s ready.  Something to remember is that they only accept cash and it’s a long way to the nearest cash point so make sure you come prepared.

James had gone for the bacon & salad ciabatta minus the tomatoes.  This was a huge sandwich but delicious none the less.  It was presented with a salad garnish and a ramekin full of crisps.

Our crab pasties arrived on a plate with the biggest pile of salad I have ever seen.  It consisted of shredded iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion rings and topped with dressing a grated Parmesan cheese.  Alongside was a pot of mayonnaise and a pot of crisps.

The pasty was absolutely gorgeous and I was sorry when I had finished it.  I could have easily eaten a second one but I thought that was just being a bit of a pig!!  You can buy them uncooked to take home which I shall take advantage of next time.  While the salad that went with it was nice, we both felt it was a bit unnecessary.  I would have been happy with a pasty just on its own.

Sitting at the shed with the sun shining watching the families playing on the beach was a real treat.  The tide was out so there were plenty of rock pools to explore.

Steephill Cove also has a fabulous restaurant called The Boathouse.  We ate here last August Bank Holiday and it was a very memorable meal.  It only opens from May to September at lunchtimes.  Booking a table is essential as they get booked up everyday months in advance.  The menu is very limited so unless you like fresh crab, lobster and prawns don’t bother eating here because that’s about it.  However it’s the freshest you will get.  The husband catches it in the morning from his boat and then it is brought to the restaurant and cooked up for lunch that day.  All served with salad and crusty bread.  These photos are from the meal we had last year (before I started blogging).

There is also a small cafe that serves teas and coffees, sandwiches and light meals and ice creams and cakes.  We had an ice-cream from here before we left and it was lovely.

If you fancy staying down here there are several self catering properties for rent all year round.

Steephillcove Isle of Wight

Sharon x 

Cafe Rouge, Tenterden, Kent

Cafe Rouge is a chain of French Style Bistros.  They have a number of restaurants up and down the country (find your nearest one here). They are cheap and cheerful and do decent food.  You also don't need to book and you can just rock up and ask for a table.  They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just coffee if that's all you want.

Craig and I decided to drive over to the Tenterden branch today for lunch as we wanted to visit the nearby Chapel Down Vineyard to pick up a gift for a dear friend.  We arrived at the restaurant around 1.30pm ti find the place busy but still with a few spare tables.  After waiting for a few moments to be acknowledged we were shown to a table near the back of the restaurant.  This area had a flagstone floor so unfortunately the table wobbled.  Craig soon fixed this with a couple of folded up napkins.

A friendly waitress brought us a couple of menus and took our drinks order.  The menu had changed since we were last here so we took our time deciding on what we wanted (you can view the whole menu here).

First of all we ordered a bread basket to share.  I really should learn not to bother as we never eat it all but the trouble is I love bread. It was a selection of rye, rosemary, sourdough, baguette and flat bread served with french butter.  I tried a piece of each and it was all nice.  However the rosemary had a really heavy flour coating on the outside which made it a bit "dusty" and the baguette wasn't crisp enough.

To start we ordered 4 of the petit plats (small plates) to share. There is a choice of 11 to choose from.  We had -:

Merguez (Spicy beef & lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise)
Tapenade de Poivron (Flame-roasted red pepper tapenade with crisped flat bread )
Assiette de Porc (Slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread)
Rillettes de Porc (Pulled pork pâté with French bread)

The red pepper tapenade was a surprise. I expected it to be a thick dip, however it was more like a wet salsa but it had a wonderful flavour and was delicious especially used to dip the bread into.  The merguez sausage was really good and pan fried so it was served hot and cut into little slices to dip into the spicy mayo.  It was all served up on a wooden platter and it was a nice starter to share.

For the main course I had a 5oz minute steak and frites.  I asked for it to be cooked medium rare and that is exactly what I got.  Quite often a minute steak can be tough and chewy but in this case my knife cut through it like butter.  The meat had great flavour and was just the right size for lunch.  The chips came with some sort of seasoning sprinkled on them.  I couldn't work out what it was so I asked a waitress.  She said she didn't know but had asked the chef in the past and was told that it was a secret!! I'm not sure whether I believed her to be honest and I suspect she made that up to get out of not knowing what something on the menu was.  All credit to her for thinking on her feet though.  The secret seasoning meant that for the first time ever I didn't put salt on my chips.

Craig had the Boeuf Bourguignon which was just right for a wet and cold day like today.  It had all the classic elements to the dish, good chunks of very tender beef, baby onions, mushrooms and bacon.  The sauce was thick and rich and full of flavour.  It was served with green beans and creamy dauphinoise potatoes topped with Gruyère cheese.  This was delicious and as one of my favourite dishes I was very jealous.

We didn't have a dessert although I had a quick look and there are some really good choices such as Lemon Tart, Creme Brulee or an assortment of 3 mini desserts.

We like Cafe Rouge at Tenderden.  The staff are very attentive and we were looked after well. The food is great and there are alot of things on the vast menu that I would order.  My only criticism of the place would be the cleanliness.  I saw several tables and that had been relaid after people had left that still had food debris and crumbs on them. Some of the chairs also had food on them.  Also the floor could do with a good sweep although I did see a waitress sweep up under a table where a child had thrown half their dinner.

I have heard rumours that Cafe Rouge is opening a branch in Maidstone and I really hope its true.  If I hear anything I will update this blog.

Sharon x