Bold Forester in Portsmouth

I come here quite alot , tryed out starters not for me

We’ve been coming to this pub for over 2 years, fantastic food (especially the small plates), staff and atmosphere. Highly recommend to visit.

Great pub, great atmosphere, food is excellent. Served by Ellen, super friendly and welcoming!

Good vibe and excellent beer garden for the warm weather. Sophie served me and was welcoming and helpful. Offered recommendations on what drink to get with my taste in mind. Would come again 100%

Fantastic local pub! We came in after walking around after dinner and stopped in. Clean and friendly looking atmosphere, and it did not disappoint! The bar staff and manager were so perfectly friendly and we even chatted with a group of local dart players who let us join for a fun, friendly game. An excellent addition to our vacation. Definitely give them a try!

Lovely chilled atmosphere on a bank holiday afternoon

Great place, great atmosphere, really friendly people! Can’t wait to go back.

Had a brilliant time here playing darts tonight , met up with some American visitors and had a fantastic time. Connor knows his beers and loves popping a cheeky clover in a Guinness. Fantastic night all in all , will definitely be returning due to the fantastic people and service!

Bar staff were brilliant friendly and helpful

Very friendly relaxing place, food was very nice.

Haven't been here in 13 years, but still great! Excellent food, great staff, good food. I definitely recommend.

Big Man had a bad night last night....Just straight up rude, if you don't wanna work go home save everyone the bother of having to deal with your mood.

Up until today the bold forester was one of my favourite pubs in Portsmouth Sat in the garden and ordered a beer on the app. After about 20+ minutes of waiting I walked inside to see what’s going on. I walked inside to see a flat pint of neck oil sat at the end of the bar with all the waste/empty glasses. I’d like to also add it was a busy Friday evening and a full bar was standing around it. At this point in my eyes the beer could have been tampered with and I do not want it. I said jokingly Is that the beer I ordered ages ago. I then got some big fella and woman very rudely and abruptly say. “Yeah that is your pint, YOU put the incorrect table number in” I then asked if I could have a fresh pint and the fella genuinely scoffed and laughed and said “I’m not pouring you a fresh one as you put in the wrong number” After pulling up my receipt right in front of him on my phone, showing him I’m right and these pair of numptys are wrong he then persist to say “well my end says 121 not 114”. That my friend sounds like a bloody you issue. Fair to say I won’t be returning and if that’s how you deal with your mistakes you need to change your staff.

Very friendly lively pub situated on Albert Road in Southsea good beers and quality wines

Came in on a Thursday at 1, spoke to a lovely lady very welcoming and we had an amazing burger ! I am vegetarian and the beyond burger was cooked to perfection with a slight crispy texture with is delicious 🤤, will be back again

The whole team are lovely, great place for a pint with friends or a bite to eat.

Leanne, Ellen and Paris were outstanding brilliant Saturday night. We will be back

Paris, Ellen and Leanne were very welcoming. Brilliant Saturday night

Place with a very nice atmosphere! The service is top notch and the food delicious! Thank you for speaking in French with us, we felt very comfortable! We will come back during our next visit to Portsmouth :)

I came in for a meal with my family the food was amazing and Leanne made us all feel very welcome. Can't wait to come back in the summer to make use of the garden

Nice traditional old world pub Nice chatty bar staff

Thank you Leanne and Ben for a lovely service and atmosphere. Lovely food and a warm welcome. We will definitely be back. Xxxx

Been a local for many years. The atmosphere and staff are one of a kind

Lovely local pub always feel welcome

Fantastic, friendly atmosphere with great staff

The Best Garden in Albert Road.

Really good food and really professional staff.

The food was delicious and the service was very friendly, the only niggle was that the coffee machine wasn’t working, so no hot drinks.

Standard Portsmouth Point boozer!

The Bold Forester on Albert Road, Southsea, is a fantastic spot that perfectly combines great atmosphere, excellent service, and quality offerings. From its inviting interior and friendly staff to its standout beer garden with a famous outdoor pool table, the pub caters to everyone, whether you're looking to unwind after a long day or enjoy a night out. Their menu of traditional British pub food is both generous and flavorful, and the extensive selection of drinks is reasonably priced. With weekly entertainment like open mic nights and a welcoming environment for families, The Bold Forester truly stands out as a vibrant hub in Southsea.

The food was awful, the pie was more like a suet pudding, it had obviously been microwaved, it came out within 5 minutes of being ordered. I went to speak to the member of staff, who said it was supposed to be like that. The manager then proceeded to tell me the festive pie was supposed to be like that… apart from being 5 minutes from order to table…. I said my friend had had one the week before and it came out looking nothing like that he argued that it was the festive menu and so how could she, then said I was probably getting mixed up with a steak pie!!! What a rude unhelpful man. I won’t be eating in there again and I am still waiting for my refund. I usually go to the Red Lion in Stubbington, where the staff are all lovely and the food is good.

Lovely little pub with amazing food and reasonable prices.

Great staff , perfect pint of guiness with shamrock ☘️ well done guys

The Forester is a good local boozer with a good outdoor garden. The pub regularly runs Karaoke and open mic nights and is popular with people from all ages. The food is good, and the drinks are reasonably priced.

Booked for 5 adults 2 children and our dog. The service and food was great. Water and treats given for the dog. The food was all really good, the children’s meals were exceptional. Large portions and great quality.

Friendly service and the pie was delicious.

Food typical pub grub. Good and priced right.

Nice evening meal. Friendly helpful staff.

Great pub garden, food was average for a chain pub (not a fan of Merlot wine ) but the guy behind the bar with glasses provided great service! Top bloke

Knowledgeable bartender, great service, good selection of interesting whiskys, and great food. We had the selection of small dishes and they were fabulous.

Sunday roast with the family. Delicious, very good value for money and lovely staff!

Late night drink... sat in the garden .... was lovely

Popped in here for a drink as a busy afternoon house viewing in the area. We sat in the garden and enjoyed a nice chilled drink and some delicious crisps. We would have stayed longer and enjoyed some food, it looked good but we didn't have enough time unfortunately.

Lovely bar staff very accommodating!

Been going to this pub for forever. I went with some friends to watch the European football final. My friend's girlfriend is Spanish and so are her friends. Although it felt like we were in a sea of shirts, even though England lost, the crowd was great, and it was a fun filled night. Never felt unsafe.

Great beer garden, but pub stinks of BO!

Great atmosphere ready for the footi, big screen in garden and a bite to eat before match. Landlord seemed to know customers by name and staff were busy but smiling. Will return next time in the area.

Brilliant food and excellent ale. Friendly landlord, great staff. Will definitely come again . Nice secluded darden. X

Great pub, usually with a great atmosphere. My last visit was a Tuesday lunchtime, so it was quiet, but I received a warm welcome from the landlord. Discount offered for veterans, which is always a bonus.

Nice pub, got a lovely big back garden to enjoy the nice weather. Friendly staff

Great little pub with friendly, welcoming atmosphere, lovely pub garden for summer, only ever been served by one man there but hes been very friendly and was patient when my friends and family discount wasnt working scanning and made sure i got my discount on my drinks. Their pub chips were very tasty as well.

It would be great if the kitchen was open more often and they were open later then 10 pm

Wow. What an experience. Great service and great prices.

Brilliant beer garden Have done some great work to it and I’ll be excited to revisit again in the summer and for the euros football

Nice friendly pub lunchtimes. Good beer selection. Must try the steak and ale pie; excellent.

Little bit quiet but staff friendly and place nice and modern

Local pub and just a good craic

Awful service. Staff just didn't care. I had booked a table for dinner at 7pm. Pub was in chaos, no one on door, had to fight way to bar to ask about the table id booked, which i had to ask the occupants to vacate. My brother got a drink from the bar and we waited for our friends. They arrived and used the app to get their drinks. we sat looking at the menu, making our choices, after about 25mins no drinks had arrived so we decided to fight to the bar to investigate and order the food as the app seemed to only be partly working at this point. We finally got to the bar to be told the two drinks ordered on the app were unavailable and were told it was quicker to refund them and reorder alternatives. At this point we were then told they weren't serving food. I booked a dining table, upon arrival why was i not informed that they had stopped serving (they obviously had been serving as the tables were littered with dirty plates) also why leave menus on tables if you are no longer serving food. I did see on the menu that it stated sandwiches were served til 7pm but i had assumed that was just that specific section of the menu, well you would assume that food was being served til the norm for a pub if you have booked a dining table not a drinks only. If they do not serve food past 7pm why was i able to book a dining table and if this was a mistake why was i not called or emailed when they saw the booking (which they mustve seen as they had reserved us a table) to tell me they stop serving at 7pm and id need to change my time. In addition to this, Why didn't they tell me upon arrival, i spoke to a member of staff at least three times in order to get seated, and i had mentioned food but nothing was said. Not until we went to the bar to chase the missing drinks. Such a horrendous contrat to the other Greene King pub i frequent. So disappointed

Food was nice and service was fast. Just what we needed after a long day!

Had a good burger meal at a reasonable price

Love this pub, always good service and good drink selection. My partner and I came for lunch on a Sunday, we didn't want a roast and the full menu was still available, the food was perfect, great portions and delicious. Service, as ever, was impeccable with a friendly greeting and attentive throughout our meal. Had some good ales on offer and a great wine selection. Perfect for a family visit or drinks with friends.

I've been coming here for two years alone and with my family. They are always so friendly here. I even study here. I love it. ❤️

The Bold Forester is always a good time. They boast a huge selection of Gins, spirits, and a good beer choice too. Their beer garden is spacious and perfect for a sunny summer day. There is also a huge covered area with heat lamps for the colder months. They host regular events such as Karekoe and raffles. One of the best spots on Albert Road.

Had a drink in the garden and it was super cute.

The staff were great 👍 thanks and will definitely be returning 😊 😀 ☺️

Very disappointed on our visit to the pub. We had booked a table for a meal before visiting the kings theatre. Received confirmation that our table had been booked the day before. However arrived to be told the kitchen is closed today because they had a problem with the chef. I would have thought a phone call to the customer would have been a polite response. Would not recommend this pub or be returning. If the manager had apologised for the inconvenience then I would have understood but just to be told I did not have a booking is unacceptable.

One of the best pubs in Albert road🍺

Went to this lively pub for a family meal. Staff very friendly, informative, and patient in discussing menu options for allergies. Everyone enjoyed their food, which was good value and the staff checked that we had everything we needed.

Brilliant experience, lovely staff

Just fancied fish and chips and a couple of pints. Hello are you doing food? No sorry kitchen is closed. No explanation. Website states it's open. I wonder why so many pubs are going out of business?

Not LGBT friendly. We (two women) were assaulted by two men and the staff did nothing until the same men started to attack a table of men. Not a safe environment. Really scary place.

Hi I would just like to congratulate the bold forester and all its wonderful staff for an excellent Christmas lunch, the food was excellent and lizzy and her staff went out of their way to make the day absolutely perfect well done lizzy and staff keep up the good work Yours faithfully Tony prothero

Great place had great time 🍺🍺🍺🎄❄️

Yummy food, lots of beer choices - lovely staff! Tasty vegan choices!

Christmas lights are up and the best looking pub on Albert Road.

Great public house with great beer food and staff always polite respectful Thursday night they have an open mic run by the very talented Jordan mills

Not been in here for a while, but after a busy weekend working we thought we would pop in to grab a bite to eat. Seems they had ran out of a lot which was fine as discussed when ordering. Chicken wings came out meant to be coated in hot sauce and asked for extra hot sauce on the side(didn’t mind paying) they was dry and was just like eating normal roast chicken, and no pot of hot sauce as they used the last putting on our wings. Which seem to have none on anyway. Trio of chips, all came out cold, 2 of the 3 was wrong sauces and 1 came out was meant to be sweet potato but done normal fries instead, had to wait a further 10 minutes for them to come. Service, no knife/ forked brought out, asked for tissues as again none brought out… went away and forgot, started to serve people until I went and asked for some. Then brought out what we needed (food nearly finished, from what we actually eat) Left a fair bit and left as it was shocking, wasn’t even busy. Will not be going back any time soon.

Couple of pints after the Kings 🥳👌🏼

We had beer, good service and a nice place.

Apart from drunks fighting what can I say not again

Good atmosphere, nice garden, drinks are a little expensive.

Came down for the open mic night last week with my partner and there was some amazing local artists that played Will be back tonight to listen again as atmosphere was so good last time

Good selection of alcohol and large garden. Probably won't come back for the roast dinner as I have had better elsewhere.

We had a bite to eat and a few drink in the beer garden. The food was good. I was drinking Neck Oil, which is OK for a mainstream pub.

Always a loud and rowdy pub on a Fri/Sat night. Average prices. I've had the roast before and half of it tasted microwaved. Thought I'd give it another go. Went in and I was the only person waiting at the bar then a group of 4 walked in and the barman served them first. Bit annoying. If you prefer a personal experience then visit nearby Fawcett Inn or Phoenix they are better pubs.

As always a great time here definitely best fish and chips in southsea. Massive thankyou to Brayden, amazing service,friendly,attentive and very kind. Don't lose him guys. Cheers all of you, Jackie and Stu. Xx

Love this place, lovely beer garden, entertainment on this particular Saturday was spot on!!

Couldn't speak for the food but if it's as good as their service then it should be absolutely amazing!

Has a great afternoon with my friend, the staff was excellent as was the food and service. Will definitely be going back.

Well what can I say the previous management charlie and kaycee turned this pub around to make it a great place to eat and drink however not even 1 year later it's gone downhill popped in to have lunch and sat waiting 45 minutes later enquired about the food and was told the chef was on his break why didn't the barman tell us that when we ordered, we then waited another 30 minutes and still no food so we asked for a refund and left hungry. Real ale was served cloudy. No apology. Frankly the place is a joke talk about a turnaround I think the previous managers would cringe if they saw it now .we certainly won't be back and we're all locals

Ordered our food at about 2.45pm , Bradon took the order but did not inform us the chef was on his break, we waited for an hour and asked what the hold dup was and then he informed us that the chef was now back, we waited until 4.10 pm and got our money back , very disappointed , tea machine was also out of action , very poor service . Wont be going in there again

Dined here this evening and the quality of the food was excellent, restaurant quality food. 2 adults, 2 children and 2 grandparents, food enjoyed by us all. Will definitely return here when we are next visiting from Dublin

Great friendly atmosphere. Staff friendly and happy to help. I had the pie and chips which was delicious and alot of filling and gravy inside. The onion rings were really good also. The Mac and cheese maybe a little small but we were really happy with our food and drink and all round experience. Highly recommend

Poor food, expensive beer. Slow service. Recommend Macdonald's.. sorry

Lovely pub and a great atmosphere food was delicious, managed to speak to the manager Lee who was really helpful and welcoming we will 100% be coming back here.

Great 👍 food Great and service . Reasonably priced.

Food was reasonably priced and good value for money. Staff are helpful and friendly team.

A traditional pub. Bring more like this back .

Gorgeous beer garden and friendly staff had some great food here too! Had live music on that made the atmosphere fantastic!

Came on a busy Saturday night, food was just as lovely as the staff and the vibe was immaculate. Would recommend to anyone!!!