Latest reviews from Portsmouth Southsea

“Had passed this place on a previous visit. Was planning to walk to Beer & Kitchen (whatever it's called) for another Hants brewery tick but wasn't feeling great so decided to stay to the hotel. Pretty busy at around 21:00 on a Friday night. Older clientele. I ended up sat at the only free table, which was in a nook inhabited by OAP who could all be described as characters. At least one was wearing a bow tie. I was happy with two ticks. Made a joke about paying by card and the landlord started going on about how cash was much better for him. Pub has definitely seen better days but one of those locals on the cross section between tired and homely on the pub Venn diagram. Not a must visit but certainly drop in if passing.“

BeardedAvenger 44 days ago

“Visited last Friday evening. The pub over the road was pretty busy and the other nearby pubs I subsequently visited were rammed. This place obviously doesn't appeal. Maybe two other customers when I arrived. Another guy, who I think was an employee, then spoke to one of the barmaids from the pub over the road and said he'd be over soon. Three more people then arrived. One asked for Guinness to be told, "We don't sell it but the pub over the road does and we don't mind you drinking it in here." No attempt to sell either of the stouts they had on tap - one of which was in fact an Irish Dry Stout!!! - so I actually pointed it out but Guinness drinkers are a completely unadventurous lot so the guy went over the road?! Decent enough array of beers and a load of bottles, the latter focusing on Belgium and the US. But only one local beer on tap and I was really looking for Hants ticks. Based on the atmosphere, the staff's comments and short opening hours, I wonder how long this play will be open for as it seems to have kinda given up, despite being a smart modern venue. Barman was helpful and chatty, perhaps bored,“

BeardedAvenger 44 days ago

“I really liked this place 15 min walk from the Isle of Wight ferry Lovely beer garden in front Nice interior with the brewery equipment inside Good beer selection and good music You can get a beer flight Yes :-) English region #43“

Cunningham 262 days ago

“Proper old school boozer just away from the main part of Southsea. Odd opening hours but he must know his business presumably, wet only with mostly cask ales on offer. Some decent, interesting choices available. It was a bit quiet during our visit where nearby pubs were packed.“

imdownthepub 339 days ago

“We visited on a busy Sunday lunchtime but did manage to squeeze in. This is a friendly, welcoming restaurant cum bar in central Southsea. Table service from a beer menu. Good range of choices but I did struggle for new beers. Well worth a visit.“

imdownthepub 339 days ago

“Handily placed B&K between the docks, funfair and Southsea front. There was quite a crowd of us waiting for it to open on Father's day lunchtime, the food being the draw for many, but not for us. It is a decent set up with sunny benches at the front, shadier huts and a covered area then the bar at the back, where it was a bit hot and sticky. Service was slow, again more concentrating on food than beer. The range in here was better than most in the chain and in better nick too. It is what it is and handy for ratings.“

imdownthepub 339 days ago

“A decent street corner pub with two entries, and a welcome, nice beer garden. Six cask ales on the pumps. Friendly and cozy pub with a community feel. Colourful decorated. We enjoyed a few well kept real ales with the sound of Four Tops, Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan in the background. (Visited with Finn 18.10.2022).“

Rune 550 days ago

“Corner street Fuller's pub best option around to kill my spare 20 minutes. One option on cask I'd not tried so worth it“

Jerseyislandbeer 551 days ago

“Enjoyable & comfortable pub to spend an hour or two. Choice of 3 cask plus keg, all new to me“

Jerseyislandbeer 551 days ago

“Smallish busy friendly pub with a choice of 3 cask's, 2 regulars & one changing.“

Jerseyislandbeer 551 days ago

“The best of the B & K brew pubs I've visited so far judging by the ambiance & quality of the beers“

Jerseyislandbeer 551 days ago

“Corner street traditional pub with a reasonable choice, 2 casks on & keg options“

Jerseyislandbeer 551 days ago

“Enjoyable pub which won't have changed for decades, just the pump clips on the ceiling ever growing. 4 casks & 4 kegs on all from the region, none which I'd come across before.“

Jerseyislandbeer 551 days ago

“A classic, well-kept cask ale pub decorated with pump clips all over the place. Four cask ales joined by four interesting beers on keg. Medium sized, dark brown pub in cozy surroundings. Friendly service. (Visited with Finn 18.10.2022).“

Rune 552 days ago

“Offering beers from four HPs added by a fridge filled with quite interesting craft beers on cans and bottles. On our stay the place was decorated for a German-like Octoberfest. Decent food, indifferent music. Central location, right in the middle of Southsea, quite a few places with regional ales in the same pedestrian street. Polite service. (Visited with Finn 18.10.2022).“

Rune 552 days ago

“A quite well kept JDW right in the middle of town. We found a few new festival cask ales here, otherwise a usual range of ales for a Wetherspoons. Polite service . (Visited with Finn 18.10.2022).“

Rune 553 days ago

“Pub with two separate rooms. Semi modern. Limited beer selection. Lovely beer garden.“

Finn 583 days ago

“Good real ale pub.“

Finn 583 days ago

“Nice local modern pub with some local beers.“

Finn 583 days ago

“Typical ´spoons. Small selection.“

Finn 583 days ago

“Visited February 2022. Belgian venue at the western end of the long road of interesting shops and restaurants that runs through the heart of Southsea. Although it's definitely a restaurant, they still welcome people who only want to drink if they have space - however, it's quite small and you'd be well advised to book in advance as it's very popular (it was full even on a Sunday evening on our visit). Despite the austere-ish modern decor, we were made very welcome by the friendly and attentive staff. From overhearing staff talking to other tables, they know their stuff about beer. Beerwise there are eight regular (and fairly mainstream) Belgian brews on tap, plus a couple of guests that are generally modern craft brews. In addition, there are 70+ regular bottled Belgian beers, plus 10 guest cans and bottles (again, the guests are modern craft and mainly non-Belgian, and displayed in a chalkboard above the bar). All the regular beers are served in the appropriate glassware, which is nice. The food is a mixture of traditional Belgian dishes and various takes on the French croque monsieur - it was large portions and pretty decent (there are also beer matches recommended on the menu). The beers are maybe a tad pricey, but you kind of expect that in a restaurant environment. Overall I enjoyed our visit here and would definitely return if I got the opportunity.“

wheresthepath 755 days ago

“Lovely looking pub from the outside. Nice trad feel inside too. Unfortunately not a great choice of beer, all macro & regional standard fare, nothing of interest “

Cheeseboard 779 days ago

“Visited February 2022 for a meal with my family. It's apparently named after the historical name for Southsea, which was a nice bit of local trivia. It was a Saturday evening; fairly busy but not excessively so, there were still some free tables. The music was really loud for what seems to be mainly a dining venue - I don't like having to shout at my dining companions. Beerwise, excluding the macros there were 4 craft kegs on when I was there, and two of them were ones you see everywhere. Their house lager ("Shant", made locally at Fallen Acorn) was excellent though. Drinks prices were very high though, verging on extortionate for the soft drinks. The menu was streetfood with a far Eastern tinge - the food prices were reasonable, and the meat was wonderfully tender - but it was served in a basket which is something I loathe. The service was efficient but not especially friendly - although maybe that was due to it being Saturday night. Overall I was disappointed with this place, especially in comparison with the good reviews I'd seen before. I don't think I'd return here, there's plenty of better venues in Southsea.“

wheresthepath 779 days ago

“Odd place this. The public bar looked almost derelict like it was closing down. Thankfully the (larger) lounge was a friendlier welcome. 6 or 7 cask beers being served, the two I tried were on good form.“

Cheeseboard 781 days ago

“Stopped here with Grumbo for a night cap before heading back to our hotels. Of the two B&Ks this one was much more enjoyable and service was good even if we had snuck in right before closing. Grabbed stuff the other location didn't serve.“

SHIG 1029 days ago

“Visited 18/06/21. Was hoping for good things - a decent array of beers for a restaurant and interesting sounding burgers. The beers options were good and £6 for a flight of three wasn't bad. But the food was pretty bland and/or very chewy. A typical modern bar design - lots of dark wood, metal grills displaying cans of beer, no plates, etc. Quite a large floor area and high ceilings which I think contributed to the place seeming quite noisy. Friendly staff. A good choice of cans and bottles, with takeaway being an option. But not sure if you can just drink so not necessarily a place I would come back to when there are better similar offerings (Croxtons) and burger places I haven't tried yet.“

BeardedAvenger 1068 days ago

“Let's face it, these places are essentially a Harvester/Beefeater but they also have their own average beers on tap. A big old pub, which was certainly in a good position to handle the Covid-19 restrictions thanks to the large garden to the front which was set up with seating under large pergolas and dining cabins. And it was very busy, both inside and outside. I explained that I was there to tick off some of their beers and was perched on a barstool at a small nook away from the tables. However because I was away from the tables the staff basically ignored me and it seemed like I was sat there forever. I probably looked like a right prick but eventually ended up waiving both arms at a distant waiter because I wanted to tick them off and go for good beer elsewhere. In reality I was probably waiting for about 4 minutes! I asked to pay as I ordered and after another wait for the flight to be brought over to me I drank up and leftwithin about 10 minutes. These places are good for tick and if you're in a hurry and there are no better options. As it is I don't think I'll be back to this branch again.“

BeardedAvenger 1277 days ago

“Transferred over after realising I'd reviewed the wrong pub previously Old fashioned pub with an array of cask and beer options. Not the largest of locations so extra casks were on stillage. Popular with the CAMRA crowd I'd imagine. We sat in a separate little nook behind the bar which had two tables. One of the guys on the pub crawl didn't come in because the landlord had banned his dog as he did not share tha landlord's right wing views?! Decent oldschool boozer. Would not aim for it but a good spot on a crawl.“

BeardedAvenger 1316 days ago

“Doesn't seem to know if wants to be a bar or a cafe by appearance, but it's a pleasant brick-heavy interior. Real ales up front, craft keg on the wall behind, a formula that works best for us short-sighted real ale drinkers. Crafty tap takeover provided ticks, which were what they were. Competent staff - coped well with slightly slow-functioning Phil. Location makes it an obvious one to include on a crawl of Southsea, because in combo with its neighbours you'll get decent tickage.“

FatPhil 1613 days ago

“Pleasant spoonsy interior, carpets and chandeliers. Rumble of the masses gave me a better vibe than the rabble in the other slapperspoons neat the station. Beer selection provided real ale ticks, but condition was variable. Prices undercut most other pubs. Any place that can give me one decent tick is worth popping my head round the door again.“

FatPhil 1613 days ago

“Promised a lot, just from the visuals, but didn't deliver in the glasses. Retired white-collar workers' pub, we were the youngest there, music is very quiet, and it definitely seems like a pretty civilised place. We found three ticks as real ales, all local, and 2 of them were just plain off. Did someone mention that this was a CAMRA regional pub of the year? So was the Bree Louise, wasn't it? Why do so many CAMRA members not recognise when the thing they're supposedly supporters of is being murdered? I'll give'em another chance if I pass again, just because of their reputation, but if I get another sour beer, I'll give'em hell.“

FatPhil 1614 days ago

“Lovely old-school English pub. Lounge bad has plenty of smallish tables and even more weird stuff around the walls - seemed to have a vague nautical theme, but that wasn't overdone. Staff happy to give recommendations, and warnings, regarding other pubs in the area. A band was setting up but we didn't stay as we were on a mission. Six real ales gave me two ticks, but of varying quality. Don't miss the 'Beamo' poster outside, in particular if you're a Viz fan. Worth a pop in, certainly.“

FatPhil 1614 days ago

“Not as relaxing as the other B&H, but not an unpleasant pub. Nice brickwork pillars. Brewkit visible. Lighting was a bit harsh for someone with my eyes. Sit up on stools or down in comfy seats as you wish. Pleasant staff. Beers not quite as good as the other place, maybe they don't turn over beers as quickly. Three thirds samplers minimise the damage.“

FatPhil 1614 days ago

“Weirdly-layed-out pub, quite expansive. Has that mopped-nightly-after-lager-spillage sportsy feel. Real ales didn't excite, but I did still find a tick of the keg lager variety. Locals outside in the curiously-proportioned back terrace were middle-aged lager drinkers too, and the bants was fine, they knew some of our coming destinations quite well, so made us feel good about the plan for the coming 10 days. We'd only headed out here as we thought we could get one or two of the Albert Road bars after the Phoenix, but this was the better of the first two we came across, and we decided not to invest any more time in this direction, and just retreated to the glorious chaos of the Phoenix. Staff was fine, no issues, but not worth heading here specifically, there's more character west and south of here.“

FatPhil 1617 days ago

“Wonderful little place, more character than you could ever imagine fitting into the place. Two small rooms, full of knick-nacks and eclectic photos. I guess a Cambridge equivalent would be the Elm Tree, but the place does live music occsionally. When we arrived, we were happy to find a couple of real ale ticks, but out of the corner of our eye we spotted several bag-in-a-box scrumpies too. Staff were super friendly, and told us to just tuck into some free food in the other bar. My notebook says "meatballs and custard", and given the rest of the experience, I really wouldn't be surprised if that was real. To one side is a terrace, and beyond that is a pool room. The locals were a weird bohemian crowd, superbly friendly. Some of them weren't even particularly local any more, but it seems like a mecca that some people return to. We did - after we finished our crawl of the Southsee part of town, we came back here for a final cider of the evening. Staff didn't mind one of them just taking a nap on the floor, for example - drugs may have been involved...“

FatPhil 1619 days ago

“Somewhat harshly lit interior, but pleasant in part because of the lack of music. Real ale selection uninspiring-to-almost non-existent (Doom Bar. It's one of the bigger pubcos.), but I did find a tick on keg. Our route took us past here on the way to The Phoenix, based on a 2010 recommendation of it for ciders, and to be honest, this didn't deliver anything particular special, so probably can be skipped unless you're a completist. Staff were fun and quirky though.“

FatPhil 1622 days ago

“Lovely victorian building. A touch shabby with the old wood, but that gives it character, similar to the Live & Let Live in Cambridge. Or perhaps a stretched out Devonshire Arms. Lots of music memorabilia, but no piped music. Lovely friendly staff, very helpful. Eclectic beer selection, a new brewery and cidery for us - two handpulls were cider. Worthy stop on a crawl down to Southsea - as it's just next door to the Eldon, skip that, and hit this instead.“

FatPhil 1624 days ago

“Lovely historical building, painted cast iron pillars holding up beams, with a real old-man's-pub feel to it. Unfortunately, don't be fooled by the "Eldridge Pope" framing the windows into thinking that you'll find some esoteric beers, it's pretty standard regional/national fare. Had 3 of the 6 handpulls on, but nothing new for me. 6 kegs were macro fizz. However, the staff were super friendly and chatty, very welcoming, as they delivered the news that the "Eldridge Pope" signs remain because it's historical architecture, nothing more. Not a ticker spot, for sure.“

FatPhil 1624 days ago

“Two cask ales and lots of fizzy stuff on keg. Street corner place with a L-shaped bar. Polite service. Well kept pub, but no longer a must-visit place when it comes to serious beer drinking. (Visited with Finn 23.10.2019).“

Rune 1657 days ago

“Modern, medium-sized, four-sided, street corner place with two cask ales in the middle of 18 keg-lines. Good range of craft beers on cans and bottles. Approved by BrewDog, without being a BrewDog bar. Polite service. (Visited with Finn 23.10.2019).“

Rune 1657 days ago

“Not more than 20 minutes walk from Brewhouse & Kitchen in Portsmouth to this one, located in a residential area, not far from the seaside. Nice flower decorations at the entrance. Split in a drinking and eating section. Six of their own beers on keg and cask at our stay. We really appreciated the music in the back by Cream, Stones, early U2, Derek & the Dominos and Pattie Smith. Polite service. (Visited with Finn 23.10.2019).“

Rune 1657 days ago

“Only 2 cask pumps. Backstreet local.“

Finn 1674 days ago

“Large spacy modern place with 2 on casks and a lot on keg.“

Finn 1674 days ago

“Inviting place with a large outdoor seating. Even good music!“

Finn 1674 days ago

“One of those pubs that seems to be few and far between - a busy oldschool locals pub but with a decent array of beer. Busy buzzing atmosphere. I stuck to the cask Hampshire ticks (6 casks) but the 'craft bottle shop' was well stocked. Also have 8 ciders during the summer. A place to spend an evening more than a specific ticking destination.“

BeardedAvenger 1700 days ago

“Long thin modern bar. A mixture of rebadged average Belgian beers and craft options on tap plus a wide range of bottles. A tad style over substance? A place to drop in if passing. Update following a 2nd visit in 2022. This time Iate. The food was very good - the serving of meatballs was very generous, In fact I couldn't finish it and had nor desert or more beers. The French speakers at the table next to us also left unfinished meals. Improving my score.“

BeardedAvenger 1703 days ago

“This place manages to combine modern high street pub with real craft options. So can't complain. Wouldn't head here specifically but definitely a place to drop in.“

BeardedAvenger 1703 days ago

“Nice little place in Southsea, Portsmouth. Taps/casks were mainly Marble, Siren and Burning Sky, so good beers, but not many locals here. Otherwise typical English pub.“

saxo 1774 days ago

“Visited 15/7/2019. Very attractive B&K with a great setting, vibe and ambiance. Beer range was as wide as most. Service was good. Enjoyed this visit.“

Grumbo 1774 days ago

“Regular BK. Always a nice range of locally brewed beers. Music a bit too loud. Lots of people here on a Monday night.“

saxo 1774 days ago