Guide to Portsmouth
Food scene
Fantastic real ales including their own ‘Shant’ (shant is the Portsmouth slang for drink e.g. going on the shant, going out drinking! They also have a wide selection of other drinks and have great food from vegan superfood bowls to burgers. Expect to pay around £6-8 for a starter and around £13 for a main meal.
9 locals recommend
Croxton's Kitchen & Tap House
94-96 Palmerston RdFantastic real ales including their own ‘Shant’ (shant is the Portsmouth slang for drink e.g. going on the shant, going out drinking! They also have a wide selection of other drinks and have great food from vegan superfood bowls to burgers. Expect to pay around £6-8 for a starter and around £13 for a main meal.
Great food in a relaxed atmosphere with a wood burner in the winter. Expect to pay around £9 for a starter and £16 for a main.
19 locals recommend
Becketts Southsea
10-11 Bellevue TerraceGreat food in a relaxed atmosphere with a wood burner in the winter. Expect to pay around £9 for a starter and £16 for a main.
Located at the end of a cobbled street just past the Isle of Wight car and passenger ferry by Viviers fish market. This has views of the harbour and the Camber Dock and across to the HQ of Ben Ainslie racing. Amazing seafood but also meat and veggie dishes and incredible wines supplied by Camber Wines situated upstairs. Around £9 for a starter and £20 for a main
25 locals recommend
abarbistro
58 White Hart RdLocated at the end of a cobbled street just past the Isle of Wight car and passenger ferry by Viviers fish market. This has views of the harbour and the Camber Dock and across to the HQ of Ben Ainslie racing. Amazing seafood but also meat and veggie dishes and incredible wines supplied by Camber Wines situated upstairs. Around £9 for a starter and £20 for a main
A 2 minute walk from the house. Fantastic cocktails (2 for 1) during happy hour each day (my personal favourite is the Negroni). If you like steak then the steak sharing platter is a must have!
14 locals recommend
Gin & Olive
17 Albert RdA 2 minute walk from the house. Fantastic cocktails (2 for 1) during happy hour each day (my personal favourite is the Negroni). If you like steak then the steak sharing platter is a must have!
They have live music in the garden on the weekends and very good sharing platters
8 locals recommend
Queens Hotel Portsmouth
Osborne RoadThey have live music in the garden on the weekends and very good sharing platters
This is a great pub in the pedestrian area of Palmerston Road which serves great home made pizza and a huge section of ales and ciders along with beer wines and spirits.
The Southsea Village
81 Palmerston RdThis is a great pub in the pedestrian area of Palmerston Road which serves great home made pizza and a huge section of ales and ciders along with beer wines and spirits.
A great pub with a large sunny garden out the front that does good pub food and a wide selection of drinks. Located right by the Westerly end of Southsea Common
6 locals recommend
Brewhouse & Kitchen - Southsea
51 Southsea TerraceA great pub with a large sunny garden out the front that does good pub food and a wide selection of drinks. Located right by the Westerly end of Southsea Common
This restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has an outside area towards the Eastern end of the sea front near Canoe Lake. They also offer a selection of food and drinks to take away from their hatch.
55 locals recommend
Southsea Beach Cafe
Eastney EsplanadeThis restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has an outside area towards the Eastern end of the sea front near Canoe Lake. They also offer a selection of food and drinks to take away from their hatch.
This is now called The Beach Club and has a gorgeous outside eating area right over the sea close to the Hovercraft. Pizza's, burgers and a good selection of freshly cooked food along with some great cocktails. Weekend evenings in the summer they also often have music on the outside terrace.
Mozzarella Joes
Clarence EsplanadeThis is now called The Beach Club and has a gorgeous outside eating area right over the sea close to the Hovercraft. Pizza's, burgers and a good selection of freshly cooked food along with some great cocktails. Weekend evenings in the summer they also often have music on the outside terrace.
Sightseeing
You can visit Nelsons flagship, HMS Victory, King Henry the Eighth’s flagship, The Mary Rose (be aware this ship is not intact, it’s just one side panel but also a whole load of artefacts from the wreck site). Finally there is HMS Warrior, the first metal hulled warship who never fired a shot in anger! There are lots of other museums and exhibits that you can visit in the ticket price too. You can access harbour boat tours from within the attraction too. There is an NCP car park close by in Admiralty Road but it’s very expensive!
345 locals recommend
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
You can visit Nelsons flagship, HMS Victory, King Henry the Eighth’s flagship, The Mary Rose (be aware this ship is not intact, it’s just one side panel but also a whole load of artefacts from the wreck site). Finally there is HMS Warrior, the first metal hulled warship who never fired a shot in anger! There are lots of other museums and exhibits that you can visit in the ticket price too. You can access harbour boat tours from within the attraction too. There is an NCP car park close by in Admiralty Road but it’s very expensive!
Recently updated and with a DDay landing craft added to the seafront that you can see up close for free.
41 locals recommend
D-Day Museum
Clarence EsplanadeRecently updated and with a DDay landing craft added to the seafront that you can see up close for free.
A pretty small sea life centre right on the sea front
29 locals recommend
Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth
Clarence EsplanadeA pretty small sea life centre right on the sea front
Gunwharf Quays was a disused Naval area which has been developed into a marina, with outlet shopping and many nice chain restaurants and bars.
Gunwharf Quays
Gunwharf Quays was a disused Naval area which has been developed into a marina, with outlet shopping and many nice chain restaurants and bars.
Albert Road has an eclectic mix of small shops, restaurants and pubs, popular with the students of the City.
Albert Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea, UK
Albert Road has an eclectic mix of small shops, restaurants and pubs, popular with the students of the City.
Palmerston Road is the pedestrian area of Southsea where you will find a few shops, coffee shops and independent bars and restaurants along with plenty of al fresco dining in the summer. There are often markets here on the weekend as well.
Palmerston Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO5, UK
Palmerston Road is the pedestrian area of Southsea where you will find a few shops, coffee shops and independent bars and restaurants along with plenty of al fresco dining in the summer. There are often markets here on the weekend as well.
Old Portsmouth has many cobbled streets and is right at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. Here you will find the Cathedral, The Dolphin (the oldest pub in Portsmouth with reputedly some graffiti from Nelson himself), the Square Tower, The Hotwalls and some lovely old pubs (The Bridge Tavern, Spice Island and the Still and West)
Portsmouth Point, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2JJ, UK
Old Portsmouth has many cobbled streets and is right at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. Here you will find the Cathedral, The Dolphin (the oldest pub in Portsmouth with reputedly some graffiti from Nelson himself), the Square Tower, The Hotwalls and some lovely old pubs (The Bridge Tavern, Spice Island and the Still and West)
The historic castle of King Henry VIII where he watched his flagship The Mary Rose sink during battle. There is a cafe here and you can walk around the castle battlements. In the summer they have a champagne bar here in the evenings.
76 locals recommend
Southsea Castle
Clarence EsplanadeThe historic castle of King Henry VIII where he watched his flagship The Mary Rose sink during battle. There is a cafe here and you can walk around the castle battlements. In the summer they have a champagne bar here in the evenings.
Travel
The hovercraft goes from Southsea beach across to Ryde and is around £24 per person return. You can walk to the hover craft in around 15 minutes from the house. Ideal for a quick trip over to the island!
25 locals recommend
Hovertravel - Portsmouth to Isle of Wight Ferry
Clarence EsplanadeThe hovercraft goes from Southsea beach across to Ryde and is around £24 per person return. You can walk to the hover craft in around 15 minutes from the house. Ideal for a quick trip over to the island!
This ferry is the car ferry that goes to Fishbourne.
You can travel as a foot passenger but there is really nothing in the vicinity to do so you would need to take public transport to the place you want to visit.
7 locals recommend
Wightlink Gunwharf Terminal station
Gunwharf RoadThis ferry is the car ferry that goes to Fishbourne.
You can travel as a foot passenger but there is really nothing in the vicinity to do so you would need to take public transport to the place you want to visit.
One of three stations in the City where you can get trains to London, Southampton, Brighton and the West.
Portsmouth and Southsea Station
One of three stations in the City where you can get trains to London, Southampton, Brighton and the West.
Neighbourhoods
Southsea is the southern most part of Portsea Island in the centre of its south coast. It has its own shopping precinct and area with bars and restaurants called Palmerston Road. The other main area of Southsea for shops and restaurants is Albert Road and both these places are a short walk from the house. Southsea is also where you will find the sea front with both Clarence Pier and South Parade Pier with their fairground and amusement arcades. It’s also the home to Southsea Castle where King Henry the 8th watched his beloved Mary Rose sink just off the coast. Southsea common stretches the length of the seafront and you can take a stroll through the beautifully landscaped Rose gardens
46 locals recommend
Southsea
Southsea is the southern most part of Portsea Island in the centre of its south coast. It has its own shopping precinct and area with bars and restaurants called Palmerston Road. The other main area of Southsea for shops and restaurants is Albert Road and both these places are a short walk from the house. Southsea is also where you will find the sea front with both Clarence Pier and South Parade Pier with their fairground and amusement arcades. It’s also the home to Southsea Castle where King Henry the 8th watched his beloved Mary Rose sink just off the coast. Southsea common stretches the length of the seafront and you can take a stroll through the beautifully landscaped Rose gardens
Traveler advice
Getting around
Transport
There are plenty of busses to get around and taxis and Ubers are readily available. Portsmouth is a flat city and relatively small so walking around doesn’t take long either.