Ship and Castle in Portsmouth

Great English pub food at a reasonable price. Large portions.

This seemed the ideal spot to stop for dinner before taking the ferry to France so we booked ahead. No problem with parking in the car park park and we had a friendly greeting. The decor is certainly no frills and we weren't too sure until the food arrived. Absolutely superb food. I had the mixed grill and my wife had the lasagne. She is a lasagne aficionado and said that it was excellent. After the mixed grill I didn't have room for dessert but she had the spotted dick and custard. Again she said it was excellent and looking at it I was disappointed I didn't have room. The prices are from a time long ago so it was fantastic value. If you are looking for over priced food and drink with chi-chi surroundings then this isn't the place for you. If you are looking for good value and a friendly welcome then I can recommend the Ship & Castle.

I do not recommend this restaurant! This is a restaurant to avoid at all costs. First of all, the service was very long; we waited almost 30 minutes for only one person to be served. In a second, both the catering team, more precisely the servers, were unfriendly, even rude. We had a time to eat which was about fifteen minutes. As soon as we finished, they “took” the plate out of our hands. Despite everything, the dishes were good and hot, except the beer which was undrinkable and hot! I do not recommend this restaurant except for having a drink on the terrace with the family without alcohol!!!

Very poorly served, no time to eat, hot beer but not warned in advance, 20 minutes to serve but 30 seconds to eat without laughing really I don't recommend it, he snatches the plate from our hands

Very good service really friendly atmosphere brilliant staff 👏

One of the worst restaurants of my entire life. The service was really very unpleasant for one of the waitresses. I really don't recommend it

Absolutely ideally located 3-4 mins walk from Brittany Ferries gate, I had read a review stating that the food was very good and I'll second that! I was waiting to board the night sailing to the UK and walked over and ate at the pub. The Brittany Ferries marshal allowed me to leave my car parked to the side and I walked over. The pub is easy to find as it's right next to a big Orange storage company. I had a mixed grill which surpassed what I was expecting. It was really tasty and there was virtually zero oil/grease on the plate. The portion size was good too. The staff were really helpful and filled a flask with coffee for me, special thanks to Libby! Would I eat there again? Definitely, I recommend it!

Magnificent meal on this winter evening, the waitress, very helpful accompanied by a magnificent fish and chips. See you soon

Very good restaurant to recommend

A great time with friends! We had a great evening in this cozy pub. The atmosphere was friendly, perfect for a group meal. The service was top notch: fast, smiling and attentive. As for the cuisine, a real treat! The fish and chips were excellent: crispy breading, tender fish and golden fries. Not forgetting a nice selection of drinks to accompany it all. An address to recommend without hesitation for those looking for a good pub where to eat well and have a good time

pleasant restaurant to enjoy with family these restaurants remind me of my mother's dishes descend and warm with their Christmas decorations in April

A great historical place, excellent food and drinks and friendly staff. Recommend to anyone. Children and pet friendly too!!

Lovely food, great beer. Nice atmosphere with very friendly staff. Highly recommend

Lovely pub with good food & friendly staff

Lovely sunday roast nice hot fresh food

Nice old fashioned pub serving pub grub. Pleasant bar staff. Love pubs like this that have relevant to the area pictures and ornaments!

Pleasant service, typical UK prices. Cozy place with endless historical photos.

Friendly, cosy pub, serving typical pub grub, very conveniently situated near the entrance to the ferry port

Ordered a risotto which is obviously not their forte since it was disgusting. I've never had a mushroom risotto with carrots before, and £17 for it is absolutely ridiculous. It was worth about fiver.

Great pub off the beaten track with a great selection of beers. Ham egg and chips is massive. Staff are ace.

Lilly and Layton were absolutely fantastic, great service in a proper pub. 10/10. Ham egg and chips are to die for! Thank you Bonne voyage

Fries good but not cooked enough…

A wonderful welcome here beside the ferry terminal before my sailing to Ouistreham. Full of history with good food and well-kept ales. You can see in the old, sepia photo that the Ship and Castle car park used to directly overlook the sea, the English Channel.

Stopped in for a pint. (Or two) Short walk from the international ferry port in Portsmouth. Just missed the lunch menu, what I saw looked great!

Nice lunch while waiting for the ferry, very well prepared classic dish (cottage pie), pretty typical seaside pub decor

The picture is not of the Ship and Castle Rudmore. We have been here several times the friendly staff have been great every time. A handy pub while you're waiting for the ferry with good food and great beer. Can be busy but who wants a quiet pub.

Excellent pub, great beer, lovely staff

Whenever we travel from Portsmouth, we try and pop into this traditional pub beforehand. It's directly adjacent to the port and has become a 'bon voyage' tradition for ourselves and many people we know. Although we've not eaten here, the food that passes us always looks delicious and a sizeable portion. We recently stopped by with friends who had never been before. They are planning to add The Ship into their itinerary whenever heading to the ferry. There's a small car park in front.

The staff are so lovely and friendly, we had never been in this pub before and the lady who served us was so nice and interested in what we had been up to ( me and 2 friends had just come from the local cinema about 5 mins away). The pub is really clean, also has that historic vibe to it. The 5 stars go to the lady with the short hair and glasses behind the bar, we will always use this pub now after nights in Portsmouth purely based on the customer service we received.

Our second visit, great place to eat and have a drink before we get our ferry. Staff really helpful especially as we were struggling for parking. Lovely atmosphere and reasonable prices 😊

Didn't have food but I'm told it good lovely old pub definitely be going back there

First class! Thoroughly enjoyed the delicious Sunday Roast. Will come again and have already recommended the Ship and Castle to other family members!!

Nice and quiet. Pleasant staff. Good pub grub

Great place for a beer and food after a long drive for the ferry. Very welcoming. Thanks guys.

Great restaurant, we were in a hurry to catch the ferry, 10m for delicious fish & chips, yum! One of the best I've tasted. Many thanks

Absolutely brilliant Katie was very helpful as we needed to park our motorhome and meet family before we left for home Really exceptional several and food was 1st class a big thank you

Great little place. Just missed food, but they let me eat my sausage+chips with a pint. Good beer, lovely people 👍

It's in a strange place hidden by the port entrance. There are regulars, but I had exactly the same kind welcome as they got. It's a real pub, precious few of those left now. Check it put, you won't ve disappointed. 😃

Marine atmosphere in this very typical pub. To do while waiting for the ferry (7 minutes on foot)

Met some friends here before they shot of to France, a lovely surprise, good food, good service.

The fish was cooked in diesel and the fries were served frozen, the mayonnaise came from the burger king next door, it felt like a canteen I don't recommend unless you're drunk

The fish and chips really not good. This caused severe diarrhea for 1 week with leaks.

No fish gets seasick, the waiters don't want to be there

Excellent watering hole for killing time before getting a ferry

The staff saved my holiday! Brittany Ferries refused to allow my dog on board because they claimed one the dates put on his paperwork by the vet was incorrect! However they sneakily said I could change it but had to be in BLUE INK and unfortunately no-one there had a blue pen 😩(bloody French!) Luckily I had been in the pub earlier for some excellent food and so I went there and amazingly they had a blue pen ( I apologies that as yet I haven’t returned it) which meant I made the crossing with minutes to spare. Thanks you so much to the lovely staff in the Ship and Castle - we beat the French again! ⚔️

Visited 12.04.24. Dog friendly pub. In a handy position near Brittany Ferries. I had steak and kidney pudding which was good but the chips or peas were not to my liking.

The Ship & Castle is a great traditional family run pub… I visit the “The Clubhouse” our name for the Ship & Castle with my mates a few times a month… Sometimes it is just for a swift half on the way home and other times for something to eat along with a pint. There are two Ship & Castle’s in Portsmouth, this one is tucked away in an area called Rudmore near the Ferry Port are the bottom of the M275 motorway. The paneled walls have many photos of Portsmouth’s naval history and provide a great insight into how pubs were in years gone by. The menu is of traditional fare and always of great quality. The clubhouse is a family run pub, and the landlord and staff always have time to have a chat and seem genuinely interested you. Obviously as regular visitors the staff have got to know us a bit more than those passing by. Would I recommend it? YES, for sure, especially if you want to step back in time for a little while when the world seemed somewhat simpler, and expectations were more realistic.

Great pub whilst waiting for ferry to Caen as a foot passenger - just a 5 minute walk to check in. London Pride on offer. Pub food was very good - homemade feel to it - excellent fish pie and apple crumble.

Perfect pit stop before ferry! Really good value, friendly staff and good honest food. It’s like pubs used up be! Highly recommend.

A quick stop for a pint and a bite to eat before we catch the ferry to Caen this evening, great food, a nice pint pint of cider, FABULOUS service and lovely atmosphere .... WELL DONE TO THE BAR LADY, AS IT WAS VERY BUSY AND SHE WAS SO CALM 👏😀

Always pop in for a drink always friendly staff and great atmosphere

Lovely ham, egg and chips and friendly staff

Excellent little gem. Great food and lovely staff.

Food great, stuff friendly and a nice atmosphere. Killed time waiting for the ferry. Recommended

Real pub, real food, lovely staff.

I come here a lot, and typically love it, I will absolutely come again. Though with that said, my most recent meal was of a noticeably lower quality than is usual for my pub, the grave in particular wasn't smooth as it usually is, the pastry was still nice though.

Love this pub, very traditional friendly and inviting and the HSB real ale is spot on.

Friendly staff and excellent food, far better than the ferry

What a great authentic pub. Good beer and great staff.

Arrived in Portsmouth Docks for a Wave 105 St Malo cruise a bit early and decided to have a drink in the bar on port The Ship & Castle. They had stopped cooking food on arrival but were happy to rustle us up a sandwich with some lovely ham. Got chatting to the landlord who kept us enthralled with his many years of cruising ( as this was our first ), which kept us entertained till our friends arrived and the bar filled with other passengers. Would throughly recommend before boarding a ship. Loved every minute, a proper traditional old skool boozer. Thank you 😊

Stopped in here for a few drinks on the way to St Malo. What great service from the staff and especially the owner.landlord. He took the time to sit and regale us with amazing stories about all the cruise he had been on. Felt so welcomed. Will defo be back. Thank you so much! Great service. 5 🌟

Love this ship and castle , parked car , met up with my mate, had a nice lunch , baked potato & prawn rose Marie & salad and a prawn rose Marie lunch sandwich. Very fresh, great quality and presentation, bloody nice as well, both staff were brilliant and chatty , made a nice atmosphere with locals inn, very welcome on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, well done we wish all pubs were like this. Ship & castle a little off the beaten path by the port , but well worth it

Lovely little boozer on the edge of the city by the ferry terminal. Well kept beer, lovely home cooked food at nine seventies pricing! Seriously, lovely old school pub, well worth a visit. No 8 bus route handy for you are Brahms and want to get back home!

Lovely pub. Interesting pictures all over the walls. Nice bitter right next to the ferry terminal. Worth the 5 minute walk from the terminal if only for the cheaper prices.

Good basic pub food. Friendly staff and very convenient for the Portsmouth ferries (5 minute walk). Food better than in the terminal!

Popped in for a meal whilst waiting for the ferry to Santander. Don't be put off by the outside and surroundings, the food was wonderful - best lamb shank by husband has ever eaten. Great atmosphere, very friendly staff (family run) and amazing value for money. Highly recommended.

Staff great. Beer good. Food is spot on 👌, although you may have to pre-order. Very dog friendly. Not to be confused with the Ship & Castle located in The Hard, at the lower end of the docks. Personally, I prefer this pub over the other.. Good selection of real ales on the pump. Quality pub. 👍

Nice little pub friendly staff and good service

What an excellent find. Delightful little pub. Delicious and incredibly good value home cooked food and very friendly host.

As homemade food as you can get. Lovely staff. Great value for money. No bells or whistles just simple good dinners! Thanks

Old style pub serving very good food.

Excellent little Irish pub where you can spend pleasant moments with colleagues. Beautiful address not to be missed.

First visit would definitely call in again.

Made to feel welcome in this traditional pub. Good simple food offering with a good range of beers

Our 2nd time of going here and I am so pleased I have found a lovely old fashion pub. Not very big but loads of seating, food is freshly cooked (not microwaved from a container - like some of the chain pubs) , so may take longer but worth the wait. Car park is small but will take (i think) about a dozen cars. Will be nice in the summer to sit in their beer garden. Will be back in December for our Christmas meal and think this is my new 'regular' pub in Portsmouth

Friendly staff and reasonably priced good food. Will go again when in the are.

On the day of our visit we had lamb shank, peas and (real) mashed potatoes, which was all very tasty. The wine we had with it was more than adequate. The whole meal was good value. It was very quiet on the Sunday evening we visited, which was fine for us. There is a large obtrusive television in one area of the bar, but it didn't impact on our visit.

Nice friendly pub next to the entrance to Portsmouth freight terminal. Fullers pub inherited from Gales when they bought them out. Only had a half of Gales HSB (the only Gales real ale Fullers still seem to be bothered with) and condition was good. Other ale on London Pride. Lots of naval photos ships etc on the walls. Several locals in on my visit seemed OK although didn't chat to them. Recommended 👍. Accessed by the underpass next to Admiral Drake pub if you're a pedestrian.

We held my husbands wake here, and I can't thank Amy enough. We we're made to feel very welcome and the buffet was very good thanks again.

Had a lovely meal here tonight. I had the chilli and rice and it was lovely and tasty. A lovely pub and Steve and Aimee were fantastic hosts. This pub is tucked away by the Ferry Terminal but well worth a visit if you are in the area

This is an unspoiled traditional pub. The landlord Steve was a real gent and the atmosphere was welcoming and authentic. Good selection of beer and the food looked amazing, unfortunately we did not have time to eat as we were catching the ferry. Next time we are going to come up early to enjoy the fayre. If it tastes half as good as it smelled or looked I will be a very happy soul.

Great food in a nice location close to the dockyard. We were looking for a real British fish and chips and this place delivered on our expectations. Fish was cooked perfectly, and the chips were cooked better than Gordon Ramsay’s recipe from Street Burger.

Nice pub with real ales and good variety of meals. Little bit noisy whilst we visited. Very handy for food and drink prior to Ferry crossing.

I had fish & chips which was very nice. Great view as well. Ideal to go before jumping on the ferry.

Great place hidden by the port. Does a fantastic pie n chips. Very friendly staff. You will see us all again whenever we travel from Portsmouth.

Historic pub, a hidden gem, close to the ferry port in Portsmouth

Excellent location (next to ferry). Great food: had an excellent steak, wife had very fish and chips. Wish that I'd tried the lamb shank and/or the beef pie (which looked massive). Shame that the car park is very small and tight. Gents loo could do with a refurb.

Stopped here waiting for the ferry. Parking a bit tight but OK. I had the steak and kidney pudding which was brilliant plus a couple of decent pints of London Pride.

Food was fantastic. Had fish and chips with a pint. Staff were friendly and helpful

Quick meal before boarding the ferry to France. Not bad at all. Recommended.

Perfect gentleman serving behind the bar - lovely to see lots of oldie waldie bits on the walls... Will be back

Good food Good beer Good people What more could you want

We went here for a late lunch, and regretted it. For just under £35 we had fish and chips and a scampi and chips with cola. Barely a handful of chips with both. My partner said his fish was ok but I had two scampis in a row that weren’t deveined so the poop shoot was still in there and not something I’d expect to eat. I had eaten maybe 4 of them before that and there were 2-3 still uneaten before getting the two in a row that still had poop in them (I’m hoping the others didn’t, but not too sure). I brought this to a waiting to show, and he seemed unnecessarily aggressive about it, asking twice what I expected him to do about it and that “well you’ve eaten plenty of them already”. I hadn’t, the portions are small. Completely unacceptable and there was no need for the hostility when I’m just asking for a plate with food that didn’t have crustacean faeces on it. Seems like an ok place to drink, but don’t bother with the food.

Nice pub opposite the ferry to Portsmouth.

Lovely evening meal and friendly atmosphere.

Great location right by the ferry port. Friendly welcome and lovely pub food, Bangers and mash and pub and chips. Tasty puddings too.

Lovely historical bar very interesting and lovely food

Friendly staff,good food,great for the ferry terminal. Lunch at The Ship and Castle,marks The start of our holiday.The food is excellent,hot and served quickly. Love it.

The owner is super nice, she prepared us a simple but tasty meal while the kitchen was closed and we were able to wait for the ferry in the well decorated bar. On the way back from the Isle of Man it's nice to wait for the boat while having a drink👍

A historic Naval Pub. Very hospitable. Lunch was very tasty.