Gin & Olive in Portsmouth

Great food and wine selection. Had the steak shaking board with side of fries a d creamed spinach. Very good . Loved the atmosphere and the decor. Brilliant eclectic music . Work a try . X

Booked a table at 6pm for7 people for birthday celebration. Got there at 5.50. I asked the waitress if I could order our drinks at the bar as we wanted the cocktail offer to which she replied No I’ll be with you soon. She came to us just before 6 and refused to serve us the offer as our table was booked for 6. Confused I said the reason we got in here early was to get the cocktails. She was extremely rude, rolling her eyes, tutting and had no customer service skills whatsoever. I asked if I could speak to the manager, she said the manager wasn’t there. I asked for the manager’s name which she refused to give me. She also refused to give me her name. We left immediately as her attitude was very unwelcoming.

Lovely place. Reasonably priced and a great atmosphere.

Popped in here on my way to a gig at Wedgewood Rooms (about 7 minutes' walk away). I was struggling to find anywhere for a quick bite to eat and thought Gin & Olive was maybe going to be a bit 'fancy' for solo dining, but the staff member (possibly owner?) spotted me looking confused at the menu outside and asked if I need help so I decided to sit down. I had a lovely veggie risotto which was massive and a mocktail (on the pricey side but I seem to remember that there was a happy hour offer that made it good value for couples). Plus, I don't mind paying more for quality (they had loads of non-alcoholic spirits which meant their mocktails were 'proper' rather than just a fruit juice!). Food and drink was very good but highlight was how lovely the staff were. I was given directions to the music venue and I really appreciated it. Would dine here again if I was back in the area for another gig.

Great food!! 2nd roast I’ve had here and they fail to disappoint, lovely staff and atmosphere too. Thank you

We had a delicious Sunday lunch quite late in the day. We were the only customers when we arrived but several more people arrived a little later. Great food, surroundings and service.

I used to go here all the time when I was at University and it was amazing - the steak board used to be so good. I came back thinking this place was as good as it was, but it has just fallen off a cliff. The meat was so bland, I know you can make better steak at home. The chicken was bone dry and we didn't get the BBQ sauce it used to come with. The creamy spinach recipe has changed for the worst - it's wilted spinach in a pool of cream. Anyone who has been to a decent steak restaurant knows this just ain't it. The cocktail selection and quality is still as good as I remember, a wicked place for a drink. Pains me to say, but do skip for food

Tried sudsy lunch. Invited the in-laws. Food was delicious. Great service as well.

The best bottomless brunch in southsea 2nd visit for us 1st visit for our friends .. we love the gin and olive. Bottomless brunch is well worth every pound. All cocktails are freshly made none of this pre made stuff that you get served in other bars. The staff are great and you’re never without a drink or food. Honestly this is the best bottomless brunch in the area and we will be back.

We were going to Kings Theatre after dinner and we were asked if we were going and they ensured our food came in a timely fashion. Food was excellent as were the cocktails. Service was good. Would definitely go back and would recommend to others

This is the best place for a bottomless brunch. The cocktails are all made from scratch, not weird over sweet syrups like other places I've visited. The staff at G & O are exceptional - attention to detail is wonderful along with helpful suggestions when ordering . Id recommend this place to anyone who likes proper cocktails, tasty tapas and wonderful service in a place full of character - check out the wall hangings and see if you can work out what they are 😊

Came in for drinks and food, lovely atmosphere however It took over an hour for one of the GINS to come out and over an hour for a portion of OLIVES to come out despite ordering multiple drinks and snacks at the same time. Service could be better.

Nice food and service but felt tables were too close together for our liking

Ate here on Monday 23rd August. Not too busy when we arrived early afternoon which is how we prefer it. Service was very attentive and the food was delicious. I had the olives as a starter which were large and certainly enough for one. My wife had the Chicken in garlic sauce and I had the Chicken and Chorizo Tagliatelle which was in a creamy sauce, both dishes were cooked and presented to perfection! As a dessert we were going to have Cheese and biscuits but were told by a member of service (or could have been the manager) that they didn't do this anymore as it was not popular but he would check with the kitchen. He came back and advised that they couldn't do it as they had no crackers but could do a board with cheese and breads which we happily said yes to! The board arrived with 4 different cheeses and warm breads with butter, onion chutney, grapes and mixed lettuce leaves. Fantastic. We would like to say thanks to this team for going out of their way for us as it certainly sets them apart from some other establishments who would not have entertained the idea of being flexible for a customer! We will return!

Great gin - fantastically presented.

Stumbled on this gem of a restaurant by chance and were blown away by the quality of cocktails, food, service and facilities. A really great way to finish the weekend, thank you Tony and team 10 out of 10.

Visited Bank holiday Sunday following the Victorious Festival, the hospitality provided by Tony and his team was superb! Delicious cocktails and lovley enjoyed both Chicken and Beef roast dinenrs. Would recommend and return ln future.

The ideal restaraunt for casual dining if you just want: great food, great attentive service & enjoy a cocktail or two …

We have had bottomless brunch in a few different places in southsea, however Gin and Olive has been by far the best. Food brilliant as usual. we had free range of the gin and cocktail menus and the service was brilliant, we didn’t have to keep asking for refills! Highly recommend. Lovely afternoon. Thanks Gin and Olive staff.

We had a nice late birthday lunch here, the staff are friendly and helpful, the gin & tonics are a plenty and the choice of food is perfect for sharing! We had the sea sharer with a side of skinny fries and it was perfect for three!

We enjoyed our steak & seafood platter. Nice atmosphere / friendly staff & quick service with nice presentation of food & drink too

Very good quality food ,friendly staff

Booked for 6 for my birthday dinner, we were sat upstairs seating and decor needs updating, inparticular the banqet seating simple little touches had been missed like lighting the candles on the table, I had to ask. Battery candles in lanterns that line the banquet seating had not been switched on. Biggest disappointment of the night was the steak platter we had to send it back because it was cold, not warm cold, concerns around food compliance and temperature checking processes in place. When the platter returned, the steak selection portions were less, so I'm guessing someone else got some of our cold steak.

My son graduated University and we chose Gin & Olive as the venue for lunch. It was a lovely Summer’s day, so the doors were open creating a really nice venue sitting at the high tables watching the world go by. Our waitress was very good. The food was excellent. We had the ultimate sharer and it did not disappoint. Fabulous prawns, steak and salmon. The toilet had 50 different hand soaps, which was a nice touch.

U had the lamb and it was by far the best crunchy on the out side and fell apart in your mouth the flavours were on point my husband had the steak and he didn't even use a knife

This amazing place has never disappointed! We been as a couple, with family for Sunday Lunch (fabulous food) and for the Bottomless Brunch once or twice. The food is delicious and presented beautifully the cocktails are spot on. Nothing is too much for the young staff that wait on or are behind the bar. If you have an intolerance, not a problem they will adapt the meals if they can. Can definitely recommend the fantastic place. Keep it up!

Had a lovely anniversary dinner- had some cocktails during happy hour which was so reasonable as we didn’t even know it was 2-4-12 when we booked, there was so much selection and everything tasted lovely. Service from Tony was lovely he was so polite and attentive. The food was so nice we had three small plates and mains. Portions were big and filling and it was all delicious. I definitely recommend the prawns.

Steak was rare asked if some could be taken of Bill staff said no won't be going there again

The Best Brunch by far !!! Great service Lovely staff Amazing food Banging cocktails Our glasses were never empty Superb 👌🏽

About 6 staff stood around and doing nothing, took 15 minutes for one drink. Wondering why it costs so much at these places 🥱

Always a great experience in Gin & Olive. Very consistent, staff are super nice! 5⭐️ The very minimal downside is that you can only have the steak cooked one way if you have the platter which is slightly disappointing considering the amount you pay for the ultimate sharer. Nevertheless, always eat here on a regular basis - bottomless brunch is good £50 for unlimited food & drinks! 🍻

Lovely place to experience some unusual and different gins.

Best bottomless brunch I have attended in Portsmouth, the food and drinks were lovely, huge selection to try from and really good value for money.

Had a roast dinner today, I had chicken my friend had beef. Tried both meats and both spot on. Cauliflower cheese was good and I’m not even a fan of cauliflower. But finished my helping of it. Would have again 😋

Great food and drink and staff were lovely

Brilliant all round, always come here for high quality drinks at a good price. The sharing boards are INCREDIBLE.

Usually pretty good atmosphere, cocktails are pretty good (if not a little sweet and sickly) the 3 stars is because they currently have no draft beer, and I resent paying £5+ for a bottle. Also Asahi and peroni only, which is pretty poor to be honest.

The food is excellent. Great venue. Have been back again within 2 weeks as liked it so much. It has really nice toilets.

Thank you Ruth for a fab brunch

Food fantastic Pricing inconsistent with advertised pricing on website Watered down gin that was changed accordingly Spoke to mr Ferreira this morning to ask why advertised Webb price was different to that charged he told me that they had changed the pricing on Wednesday I explained that website needs updating he told me to have a good day and dropped the call Absolutely unacceptable I didn’t get the chance to tell him I had ordered a double rhubarb and ginger gin that on arrival was something other which was watered down although this was changed again this was unacceptable Price of meal-£174.75 Over charged by £13 An insignificant amount of the total I would not have raised this situation to the public until having been Somewhat patronised by mr Ferreira I do hope that 13 is a lucky number for the gin and olive southsea It wasn’t for me Remember good news travels quick Bad news travels much faster On reading other detrimental reviews the owner’s seem to become quite dismissive and bordering argumentative Thanks for your swift response Im under no illusions that my drink ordered was rhubarb and ginger which is not as you stated ,your drinks waiter attended the table to confirm the contents of another drink ordered and yet you didn’t notice this I presume your cctv record sounds as well as images by your response I find this intrusive if it’s the case and so would others Im not getting into review war with you The customer isn’t always right on this occasion they were Please don’t respond

We went only for drinks and the cocktails were very delicious 🙏

We went for the Bottomless Brunch today and it didn't disappoint. Food was outstanding and Jordan behind the bar was awesome. Cocktails were divine. Already planning our next visit. Thanks for looking after us so well Jordan 👍

Fillet steak was dry and overcooked, as was my friends ribeye. Drink prices aren't clearly displayed as per shot, so beware getting a double, let alone daring to have a tonic with it as you'll get charged extra again. 20 minute wait for drinks. Dusty bathroom. Overpriced and overrated. Edit: The owner has now replied to my review and somehow managed to check whether issues were raised, despite the table not being booked under my name!

The worst meal out and experience we have had in a very long time. My partner booked for us to go here for my birthday and the service and food was truly awful. We asked if the sharing steak platters could be cooked medium and was told no they could only do medium rare, yet we could order steaks individually how we wanted. Having worked in restaurants for years this makes absolutely no sense and is not customer friendly in any way. The steak meals that we then ordered were the worst quality steaks, they were pure fat to the point they were essentially inedible and the garlic butter ‘sauce’ was so awful we couldn’t eat it, we have never tasted anything like it. We were cramped upstairs with large tables and were not looked after at all, the waitresses only cared about the big tables and we had to constantly get up to go and find somebody to order more drinks etc. We wanted to try this place for a while and we will never eat here again, the food and service was the worst we have ever had. Extremely overpriced, tiny drinks, awful atmosphere and the upstairs is very cold. The meal ruined my birthday which was a shame and we will definitely stick to what we know in future and go elsewhere.

Absolutely incredible food, the drinks were lovely and the staff were very welcoming and kind. I visited from Southampton and will 100% be wanting to dine here again. I’m quite gutted the gin and olive was shut down in Southampton as I believe I’d be in there a lot. Thanks again for the amazing food!!

Been here three times now before heading over to see a show at Kings Theatre. Lovely little restaurant with delicious food, and the staff were very friendly. We will be back!

Steak was the best I've ever eaten

Belated celebration for my sister's birthday. Food and drink were good. However, after our main meal we said we would like a break before dessert. Then when we asked if we could order dessert we were told that the kitchen was closed! It would have been helpful if staff had let us know that we had to order by a certain time. Also we were seated upstairs and waiting staff were bumping into my chair as they walked past the entire evening.

I was disappointed with my New Year's eve experience. The waitress wasn't very helpful. I wasn't able to change the chunky chips that came with my steak for alternative fries, and therefore just had a steak that was under done and hadn't been seasoned. She also refused my daughter in law a piece of foul or cling film to take her leftovers home for the dog. Much friendlier and better value restaurants nearby.

I have been to the Gin and Olive a couple of times in the past week. What I like most about this place is the cocktails. The cocktails are not filled with lots of ice, instead are made very well. I like the French Martini. The food is nice, the halloumi burger was lovely. I found the staff polite and efficient. You have to book to ensure a table at this place, but good to see a local business doing well.

We had our works Christmas night out at the Gin & Olive this year and it was fabulous from start to finish. Great food, amazing drinks and the staff were extremely welcoming and friendly. Thank you for a perfect evening!

Lovely evening ..food was amazing and plenty of it...my friend and i choose the fish sharing board...perfect. Service from staff was spot on. A great night.

Very cold day and heating on ground floor somewhat chilly Pricey meals but excellent quality etc and service prompt and most polite

Such a lovely atmosphere, so accommodating x

The kitchen was too busy to give us butter for the bread ? I had one bite of the steak and it was very low quality and overcooked. I sent it back. My friends ordered rump and couldn't finish it. They messaged my friend saying that I didn't want to pay for the steak. Mr owner I have been to many restaurants and I have always paid for my food and my service charge which I did in your restaurant aswell but the steak was horrible. If someone thinks your food is not as good as the rest of the market it's not because they don't wanna pay. You are the gypsy not me. thinking people go to restaurants to get free food. Your scumish response to my friend is not appreciated. Drinks were fine. Staff was friendly. Restaurant decor was good but the FOOD wasn't acceptable in my opinion. That's my opinion. But stop accusing people of not wanting to pay when they don't like the food. I find it very disrespectful. best wishes, Mr doesn't wanna pay for his steak.

One of the staff glared at my friend, really discouraged us from eating here. Unacceptable behaviour. Edit to reply: Yes, the staff member glared at my friend when we were on the pavement. We decided not to dine here as a result.

Beautiful small restaurant with a calm and comfortable atmosphere. The staff were all so lovely and run like a well oiled machine. The food was fantastic and the steak was cooked to perfection, will definitely be making a return visit.

Starters and drinks were great! Do not order the steak or lamb, 2 of us had steak 2 had lamb. All were over cooked and poor quality.

Outstanding. Very good stake to share. Very very good

wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. We ordered 2 pasta dishes that we tried to send back as they were cold, watery and had no flavour. The waitresses were lovely and explained that they tried to take them off the bill but that the owner refused and said we had to pay for them even though we hadn’t eaten them. I asked to speak to the owner as the pasta dishes were £17 each and completely inedible, however he refused to come speak to us so we had no choice but to pay for the bill. Overall the experience was awkward and disappointing and we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

We had drinks and a meal befor going to the theatre, the food was good and the staff were attentive. Good value for money

Great food and cocktails (especially when on 2 for £12!)

We have been to the G&O a few times and have never had a bad experience yet, so far as we recommend it to everyone. We have even had a few birthdays celebrations there! Food is excellent, staff are really friendly and helpful and the service is great. Couple all that with the great decor and if you get a window seat you can people watch for entertainment. We will be back, tomorrow night as it happens! We dont mind paying a little more for great food and good service, but their prices are very reasonable in my opinion for what they deliver.

"First visit and very impressed. Staff were attentive , atmosphere and ambiance were excellent. The food was fabulous and the gin was delicious all reasonably priced. Will definitely be back again"

Had a private party here. Food was outstanding. Drinks are pricey but we'll worth it

We had an excellent Sunday steak sharing board for a group upstairs first class services, great atmosphere and excellent food, what is not to like, 5 stars plus.

Absolutely brilliant food and drinks. Menu is extensive for cocktails and gins. Ruth was lovely and fab hostess. All prospered fresh and they keep them coming. They were prompt in coming to our table as our drinks were running out. Two drinks at anytime and within the 90minutes we 100% got out our monies worth.

Great place to visit with friends .. drinks are quite expensive but good choice .. loved it

Amazing venue! Amazing service! Amazing food! Highly recommend! Having previously been in for drinks and dinners we had our baby shower here over the weekend, we will definitely be back for future gatherings. Thank you so much gin and olive!

Absolutely amazing meal and the selection of GINS is mind blowing. Did get our order wrong but apologised and had free complimentary drinks. The staff were all wonderful and were happy to help and chat about the menu. The atmosphere was lovely. 👍👍

This is the second time my partner and I have been to this restaurant. The food is amazing, we will definitely be back soon!

The cocktail were amazing!! Foood was horrendous and took an hour to come out. When we complained the overpriced food was really not good- we were told it was our own fault for coming in at 9 (although we booked a table for food and drinks) Was bullied by the large man I’m assuming chef to pay the bill in full and who wouldn’t even listen to our concerns. Not one apology was given. Super disappointed was really looking forward to dining here.

Been here a couple times, love the gin selection. Had food a few times, usually go for the sharer boards, couldn't fault them apart from some unwashed leafs. This time decided to have a bottle of champagne, which out of the 2 they didn't have the one on the menu which I had chosen, then offered a slightly more expensive bottle, it was fine although after opening the bottle and had a few sips, the waiter comes over saying the bottle was more expensive that he had mentioned after when he opened it.🤔😐🙄

Popped in with my Mum yesterday evening for a meal and we were both very impressed. Lots of choice on the drinks menu ranging from bottled lagers to plenty of cocktails. We ordered the Grill sharing platter for food which was excellent! A perfect size for two people. Cooked very well and tasted great. The waiting staff were all very polite, attentive and had smiles on there faces. Great atmosphere, good music and quick service. Highly recommend 10/10

Absolutely fantastic meal last night, great service. Restaurant very clean definitely going back soon

Such a good find - food was really good but the welcome and service we got from Anthony was what made our evening exceptional.

We went there for a delicious and delightful brunch. The food was very nice and there was not a lack of it The alcohol kept on coming and there was not a lack of it And all for a reasonable price. I can highly recommend this place after a realy nice brunch. Very well looked after and really friendly staff.

I’ve been here twice now and the second time was even better than the first. I went with a group of friends the first time and we got a couple sharer platters, the grill and the seafood. They were both great but a some of the food was cold so that was disappointing, but it was a fairly busy night so we didn’t make a fuss. However, the second time was much better. I went with my husband and we got a grill sharer between the two of us and everything was hot, fresh and delicious. The food here is great and if you enjoy steak I highly recommend it!

If anyone is looking to attend a bottomless brunch, go out for a few drinks with friends or sit down to enjoy cocktails and food. Look no further. This is hands down one of the best bars you could attend in Portsmouth, in fact, in Hampshire! I recently had my Hen Party at the Gin and Olive, there was 14 of us. Even though it was a high number, this did not impact the service or speed of drinks. When we arrived the staff had surprised me with decorating the table, complete with bride balloons and a crown. I felt so special. We were then seated very quickly and instantly had Prosecco and bread and olives. Then the bottomless brunch started, the food was absolutely wonderful and the cocktails were spectacular, I thoroughly recommend the margarita. They had every cocktail you could want in multiple different flavours. Ethan the bartender was attentive and incredibly skilled at what he does. A wonderful host, Ruth. Remembered my name through the whole experience making chatting to her and ordering with her so easy. The drinks were constantly flowing and there was never an empty glass for long. I could not thank you enough for such a special afternoon! I am so excited to come back and will be recommended here to everyone!

Here today for a friend's Hen do. Ruth & Ethan are lovely! Fab service, fab food, fab drinks and so much fun! Thank you all!

Had lovely dinner food was served quickly even though they were full and it was nice and hot

Bit pricey but good food and staff. Didnt like the seating, was stuck up against a wall on a bar stool, having to be careful not to bang my head on big sturdy wall decorations, lucky I dont drink. Although the staff couldn't move my party they did pull the tables out slightly.

Very good restaurant and atmosphere !

What a fabulous place! Only came for drinks but the food looked delish! The cocktails were out of this world. Nothing synthetic all freshly made and when my husband asked for a rum based surprise (as he often does) Ethan behind the bar delivered every time. Fab staff , Ruth was lovely! Such a trendy (yes I’m old) and sophisticated, so much fun and definitely recommend for a good Saturday drinking sesh. Definitely will come back for food next time. Thanks gin and olive 💗

We had the bottomless brunch and it was so good! Ruth was very attentive, never an empty glass or plate. Cocktails, Gin and Food delicious!

G&O is Kind of Gastro Explosion of taste and deliciousness. My brother joined in and we wanted to surprise him by visiting like a Michelin style 🤣.. But He bowled us over by the tweaks and his culinary skills on the platter. Just amazing to our levels . G&O is NOT a one time visit place. It has so much hidden in the menu that everytime I come up with something new. Let’s how frequent we can disturb the chef 😁. Highly recommend to the gastro explorers and a heaven for the cocktail indulgence!

I was on a date and the risotto was over cooked same as stake I ordered medium rare and I got medium/ medium well the fish was not worth the price and i will never come back again.

Massive disappointment and will never go back. Went for my daughters 18th and so wish we hadn’t bothered. Staff were unfriendly, rude and abrupt. No atmosphere, didn’t make any effort considering it was an 18th celebration. Food was dry and overcooked/burnt. Spent £460 and they couldn’t even give us a bowl of dry tagliatelle (no cheese or even butter) for free for a child, instead charged us the price of the fish tagliatelle dish. They didn’t even thank us for our custom and say goodbye when we left. My daughter only gets one 18th celebration and feeling very upset. Update in response to the owners reply. I think your response says it all and I think you need some training in customer relations, not even an apology. I acknowledge that the second waitress who came in at the end and brought the cake seemed more professional, accommodating and friendly. However, the waitress who served us the entire meal was very rude, abrupt, miserable and intolerant of any of requests, e.g we asked for no olive bread and all plain bread instead, this was ignored and olive bread was brought out, then when asked for it to be changed there was lots of tutting and she clearly found this an inconvenience and she didn’t like it. My daughter did not order the fish tagliatelle, she ordered the side dish of meatballs and I then asked for some plain tagliatelle to go with it. You then charged me for the fish tagliatelle dish despite us not having this dish and only when I challenged this did you offer a very small discount on the charge for the plain tagliatelle. I found you to be very rude and dismissive during this conversation. Finally, I was not prepared to make a fuss at the time, as already mentioned it was my daughters birthday which I did not want anymore ruined. The chicken burger was burnt to the point it was black, the chicken strips were burnt and black, the salmon was very over cooked and dried out. If you want to be guaranteed good food, a nice atmosphere and friendly staff for a special occasion then do not take the risk and go here. I’ve heard from a few people it’s very hit and miss but it’s where my daughter wanted to go. We obviously caught them on a bad day which isn’t acceptable.

hello, I'm disappointed. Last week I ate dry and reheated food there, it used to be different, the company seems to be saving on products, cheese not fresh now I avoid this place, there are many other nice ones in portsmouth but not this place

My first visit and I'll definitely be going back again 🙂

Had a lovely evening at the Gin & Olive. Food and drink were amazing and the staff attentive. There was a great vibe for mid week. Highly recommend.

Huge list of cocktails and spirits. Great atmosphere albeit limited seating. Not cheap and only toilets are up a long flight of stairs on public display. I hear the toilets had a great choice of soap and hand lotion. There are however public toilets across the road which are easier to get into if you have any form of limited mobility.

we had a bad experience with our food! Been with friends before in 3 restaurants it was okThis time we ordered a casual share and salmon main. The cheese and sausage board didn't look fresh, the cheese looked slippery and the sausages looked old, my partner's salmon was over cook and dry, we were disappointed because the food used to be better.

Brilliant food and service...will definitely go again.

Having been told about this lovely Gin establishment by the Fort on the beach front. We decided to pop in for a quick whistle stop visit. What an amazing suprise. Warm and cosy atmosphere, with a very good selection of gins at reasonable prices. The young barman was very knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk to. Well worth the visit. Will need to stay longer next time.

Cocktails lovely. Staff efficient. Rib eye steak was nice but very salty

This bar is one of the best I have been to. A little hidden gem. The atmosphere was great, service amazing and the cocktail were so delicious

Always a great experience at Gin & Olive Portsmouth! The steak sharer was perfect (as usual) and the cocktails were great. I recommend this place to everyone!

Lovely atmosphere drinks were lovely decorated nice , just my partner order steak burger took a bite well it was raw . I had chicken burger was yum . Definitely recommend for drinks , never got charged fir the burger was a big shame

Food average. Enormous amount if crushed potatoes with a dry salmon cutlet. No asparagus replaced with brocolli. Not impressed. Would be nice with less potatoe, well cooked salmon, and a sauce!