The Belle Isle Southsea

Posted on July 7, 2011 by admin

If you like your food in large portions then the Belle Isle in Osborne Road southsea is well worth a visit. The menu has a Caribbean cum Mexican theme to it. We have eaten here on a number of occasions and have always been satisfied with the service and the quality of the food. They have an especially good meal/drink deal on Monday and Tuseday. For only £5 you can have a large Burrito and either a glass of wine/beer/soft drink and on the Tuesday the Burrito is swapped for a large plateful of Nachos. I get jealous if I only go there for a drink and all these massive plates of food come out!

The Belle Isle Southsea

The Belle Isle

The restaurant/bar is very informal and always seems busy which is a good sign. You could say its buzzing most of the time. There are seats out on the pavement too so you can watch the world go by.The drinks are reasonably priced and they do deals on food if there are four of you dining.

All in all a great place to visit for a drink or food if you are in the area.

Reviews

Great sharing platters

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dont want to go to another boring wetherspoons for a cremated burger and chips? This place has a great selection on their bar menu, some old classics like nachos, fajitas and burritos as well as a…

A great place to eat & drink with great atmosphere.

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Brilliant selection of beers, lovely food (especially the tempura prawn starters and steak fajitas). Admittedly could have a wider selection but the menu they do have is outstanding. Including daily…

Food looked amazing

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had nachos and they were tasty. I don’t think the mexican style food at the belle isle is spicy enough though. There should at least be a bit of spice but have found the food here to be pretty…

Great atmosphere, cocktails & food

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Has a really great, extensive menu which is more than just pub grub. A huge selection of mexican themed food such as Nachos, Burritos and Fajitas. If you’re not feeling that hungry there is also a…

Fantastic food, great atmosphere, and very good value

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lovely atmosphere, very friendly, cosy rustic looking restaurant, good real ales, and great good value menu including main course and a drink £5 on Mondays and Tuesdays. 10/10 in all respects!

Tremendous Christmas Party

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Went to Belle Isle for our Christmas Party on 20th December. Always book somewhere for the Works Christmas bash, this was the best ever. The place has a really good vibe, good lighting, very…

Busy popular eatery

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 3 of 5 stars

Food was good, hot but service was on the slow side.
Very popular place just off the water so often packed and difficult to get a place right away.

Great food & excellent value

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jerk chicken for 4 and a large jug of Red Stripe beer, all for £20! This has got to be the best value in town.
The service wasn’t the fastest but the food was well worth the wait.
We will certainly…

Hearty Lunch

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heard about “good food” served at this cafe restaurant – so we went for a lunch. Buy One Get One Free – cannot ask more!

At the1st visit on a weekday, we tried homemade soup (parsnip) x 2 and…

Good food pity about the service!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good food but brought starters and mains at the same time and refused to change it or take any back which spoiled the overall experience . Seemed to imply we were to blame for not emphasizing that we…

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Hole in the Wall Pub Southsea

Posted on June 15, 2011 by admin

If you like beer, especially Real Ales, then a visit to the Hole in the Wall in Great Southsea Street is a must do. John, the Landlord, serves and keeps a great range of real ales and ciders that constantly changes. In fact you can see the evidence of all the beers that have passed through the pub if you look at the ceiling on entering.

As well as a great range of beers at probably the best prices in Southsea, you can eat here also. The pub serves up a range of sausages from O’Hagans with mash and also suet pudding and mash, both very filling! The food prices are very reasonable too ranging from £4.95 for a vegetarian pudding.

The locals are very friendly (some might say too friendly), and if you stay for too long you might end up with a nickname or two! All in all a great pub, but being on the small side it can get packed to the rafters quite quickly. There’s no garden and there’s a pub quiz every Thursday.

Current Beers

Beers Currently Available

Hole Hearted (Oakleaf), Twitter (Twitter), Nautical Mild (Titanic Brewery), High Wire (Magic Rock), Rapture (Magic Rock), Special Dark (Dawkins), American Pale Ale (APA) (Dark Star), Quercus Folium (Oakleaf), Pompey Royal (Oakleaf), Oatmeal Stout (Festival Brewery)

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King Street Tavern Southsea

Posted on May 20, 2011 by admin

The King Street Tavern in Southsea, is a great little pub. Run by Sam and Nicky, the owner and staff are welcoming and friendly. They serve a small selection of home cooked food that changes each day. Because of the limited amount of seating its probably best to book a table. Alot of tables are normally reserved on Fridays and Saturdays. Inside is clean and well kept.

king street tavern southsea outside

King Street Tavern

On some Fridays there is free Tapas at the bar just like at the Kitsch n d’or next door and on every other Saturday the pub is packed to the rafters as Jazz is hosted featuring the Angelhart Quartet with saxophonist Ricky Eastman.

Although its tied to Wadworth, there is usually a guest ale at the bar but they often run out of several ales if its been a busy weekend until delivery of more ales in midweek. There is a nice scrumpy cider too (Westons traditional Scrumpy) which is a favourite of mine. If youre really into cider then a visit to the Florence Arms in Southsea should be on your agenda as they serve over 50 different ciders!

We have eaten here several times and the food is consistently of a high standard and reasonably priced.  Sam and Nicky have recently opened a new cafe in Osborne Road called the Teatray (see map for its location).

Reviews

Friendly

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really good home cooked food, I had the venison sausages with mash, very tasty. My vegetarian son thought his meal was very good as well as the 6xxxxxx beer. Son & daughter played chess, available…

Every neighbourhood should have one…

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every neighbourhood deserves to have a pub like this. It’s a really well preserved Victorian Public House with an enthusiastic and charming patron, friendly staff and great food and drink at…

Fantastic place for ale and food

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Up Market pub in a working class area. Really good basic food, cooked and presented really well. Four real ales, one guest, all well kept. Value for money too – best thing about the evening was when…

Excellent Sunday Lunch

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable visit for Sunday lunch. Great food, good friendly service in a chic pub.

Superb food in great location

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Went Saturday lunchtime. The home baked gammon, potato cake and fried egg was divine. My egg was cooked as I wanted it – well done – and the gammon was perfect. The apple pie was lovely. Will return…

Excellent food, enthusiastic owner, fantastic pub!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

We went for a Sunday Roast and couldn’t have been happier.
The owner Sam was very helpful and showed great interest in seeing that we enjoyed our meal and provided us with a top notch service- Even…

A very pleasant surprise…..

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kings Street Tavern has a very small, but high praising following on Trip Advisor. As we were so underwhelmed by Kitch n Door we decided to give it’s neighbour a go and see if the TA crowd were…

VERY limited food choices but amazing quality

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here is the thing with this place- the atmosphere is great, the barman was terrific, the quality of the food is top notch, but the thing is that you must be prepared to have one thing of the other….

Lovely staff and meals!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

we found this place while searching for a simple dinner before getting back to the hotel, and we were so satisfied with the personel and about the meals, with a nice few dishes to choose but extremely…

Fantastic food and service

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic food and excellent service. Not bad value!! Always leave here stuffed and happy!

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Jamie’s Italian Restaurant Portsmouth

Posted on May 19, 2011 by admin

Jamie Oliver opens a new branch of his Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain soon at Gunwharf Quays. If I can get in on the opening night (dates are not confirmed yet – only by “the end of May”), I’ll post a review as soon as possible if I can get a booking. As Italian food is my favourite, it had better live upto expectations :-}

As Im on the subject of Italian food, one of out favourites is Nicolinos in Emsworth, a short drive from Portsmouth. Tasty Italian food at a great price and huge portions, which I like. Ill post more information in a future blog.

Reviews

Very average food

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 3 of 5 stars

I recently visited Jamie’s Italian as Upper St Martin’s Lane with three others. It was very busy and service was slow but adequate. There is a good choice on the menu and it is reasonably priced. Our…

So-so and expensive for what you get

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 3 of 5 stars

My cousin really wanted to try this restaurant having read about it in Hong Kong.
I was not overly impressed, the food was expensive for what you get and there are better less expensive Italian…

Best Pasta Dish I’ve Ever Had

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Managed to get a table on Saturday lunchtime (the restaurant doesn’t take bookings). Whilst we were waiting for a friend to arrive we munched on a selection of breads which come in a mini bucket with…

Oh Dear!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 1 of 5 stars

Wet food and unhelpful staff spoilked what should have been a good experience – but really! Sending pasta out ffrom the kitchen with water on the plate is simply not acceptable at this level. The…

Good food, good value

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

our first time we were told the wait would be an hour before we could be seated for lunch. so we left and returned a couple of days later, close to opening time and were seated right away. service…

Good

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 3 of 5 stars

Went to James in Islington nwith a friend which was in London on holiday , and I can’t say that it is not nice , the food and the presentation of the plates a very good. However I foud the porcions…

Third Jamie’s Italian we have tried and just as good!!!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

My husband, daughter and I spent a very relaxing and enjoyable Saturday lunch at Jamie’s. We arrived early as I knew there would be a queue if we waited until 12pm (when it opens). We got there about…

Easily accessible

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Food service and ambience excellent.The chocolate pudding was to die for.

Great value

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

For a Jamie restaurant this is really good value and the service is great. The beer nuts are incredibly good!

Over-priced

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 2 of 5 stars

over-priced and small portions – not best Italian food you can eat

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Kitsch n d’or Southsea

Posted on May 19, 2011 by admin

Our favourite restaurant at the moment is the Kitsch n d’or in Southsea. This family run restaurant serves tasty meals at a reasonable price. It has a small wine bar attached to it (which has a great atmosphere), open on Fridays and Saturdays, that also provides free tapas on the bar each Friday. Prices range from £20 to £23.50 for a 4 course menu in the evening depending on the day of the week. They also do a very reasonably priced lunch menu which consists of 2 courses for £6.50 and you can accompany this with a carafe of wine for only £5!

kitsch n dor southsea outside

Pete Codling recently exhibited some of his art work in the wine bar to raise funds so he could go travelling. You can see a video of the exhibition on Youtube here: – youtube.com

On some days there is live jazz in the restaurant with Harry Strutters Hot Three

Inside the Kitsch n dor French restaurant in Southsea

Last Thursday me, my wife and a friend attended their monthly wine tasting evening featuring a Spanish menu of ten tapas dishes accompanied by four different wines. I must say it was one of the best wine tasting evenings that we have had there in recent times.

Paul, the owner who also cooks, introduces the evening with a talk of what we are about to eat and drink. The menu consisted of bruschetta with serano ham and tomato, grilled courgette, broad bean and mint mousse (which was delicious), calamari (which we all agreed was the best we have tasted), prawn skewers (I didnt particularly like this one but the others did), peppers filled with crab, black pudding with chorizo sausages (very filling), chicken and potato, beef stew and creme catalan to finish.  All this for £23.50.

Two of the wines were outstanding, one white and one red. They were served up by an employee of  wine merchants Portal, Dingwall and Norris in Emsworth, who supply all the wines for each wine tasting. The white was a glass of Bornos Sauvignon Blanc and the red I’ll have to find out what that was.

All in all a very nice evening was had by all.

Reviews

Lovely French Bistro

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Delicious food and wine, great service. Very reasonably priced. Highly recommend!

It was ok!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 3 of 5 stars

Went here for Christmas meal. Service was pretty poor, had to wait over an hour for the table because they seemed to have forgotten about us. Food was average. They ran out of drinks at the end…

Avoid

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 1 of 5 stars

Set menu looks appealing but standard of cooking is less than amateur. My Scallops (2) for starter were rubbery and tasteless. Sea bass main course was worse. The flesh was mushy; I can only imagine…

Superb!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great food, great atmosphere, this place ticks all the boxes for any occasion. You get quality without breaking the bank.

French cuisine

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a warm and welcoming restaurant which gives good value and offers some exceptional dishes, e.g. the seafood platter which requires 24 hours notice, is extraordinary!

99% perfect….

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve visited Kitsch’n d’Or a number of times in the past year for dinner, Sunday lunch and for a 90th Birthday celebration.
Every time the service has been great and, overall the food of a very high…

Fanbloodytastic

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

We have been to this restaurant a few times now and have always had a really good time. Not only does it have a good and lively atmosphere the food has always been top notch too. its important to add…

Lunchtime treat

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve been to this restaurant for lunch three or four times over the last couple of years and it continues to impress me with its excellent food and all-round value-for-money. Yesterday I had the…

Consistently excellent – food, atmosphere wine & service!

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars

My partner and I love Kitsch’n d’Or.
I first went there a few years ago, and started using the restaurant again last year, since which we have been back at least three or four times, including with…

Always a winner

TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ive been many times over the past 8 years. I’ve never once had a bad meal here and no matter what the occasion have always found it a great place to go.
I’ve taken staff here for set menus, great…

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