Smile in Portsmouth

We have been going here for 12 years now, after finding the café one wet, windy day after another café we were due to meet in rudely told us we could not bring a sleeping child in. We asked if we could come in and not only were we greeted warmly, we were helped by staff to make a space by the table for the pushchair. It is a family run café and they make every customer feel valued. We went on Mother's Day for our lunch and as per usual was not disappointed. The staff were very friendly and make changes to meals to accommodate any allergies or dietary requirements. I am meeting a friend here again tomorrow and looking forward to yet another lovely meal.

Did my usual research on Trip Advisor and once again was not disappointed. Breakfast was spot on, cooked to perfection, delicious and served on a hot plate. Staff were so friendly and welcoming. Thank you would not hesitate to recommend

We had a breakfast, great quality ingredients and choice! Staff are friendly and the service is really good. Facilities are clean.

Really impressed with everything about this place. I contacted them on Facebook the day before to check they had highchairs for an infant. They responded and do have. Got there before they officially opened, but they let us in and out of the cold. Staff, friendly, attentive and helpful. Breakfast great, good quality local butcher's sausage amongst the other traditional elements, which were all pleasant. They were happy to cook our egg as poached, instead of fried. A lady came and chatted to every table. Believe from other reviews this is a family run cafe. The loos although needing to go outside the back to reach them, were spotlessly clean. Good ambience inside the Cafe, all staff said goodbye and said have a good rest of day. Honestly cannot fault the customer service or anything about this place. I think it's important to leave a review just as much when you receive a great experience as a bad one. Would be happy to come back without hesitation. Have already started recommending this place to others.

This family owned cafe serves excellent coffee and delicious food in a friendly atmosphere. I had chicken breast with mash (or roast or chips) carrots, broccoli and gravy (or honey and mustard sauce). My husband opted for homemade mince beef and onion pie with the same vegetables and gravy. Both meals were hot and very tasty and I am sure we will go back soon, but they are closed Monday and Tuesday so we must remember that or we will be disappointed!

I have breakfast here every week with 6 mates. Great service. All food freshly cooked. Proper mug of tea too. Great value too.

Here for breakfast, prompt friendly service and tasty traditional English breakfast. Clean looking place so a good experience overall.

Excellent breakfast will be making this our go to. Great service too. Would recommend the blue booster smoothie 😊

Stopped off for breakfast en route to the ferry port. The breakfast was really lovely but the special thing about this cafe is the way the staff treat their customers. Very friendly and so lovely to see such care and attention to their older, regular customers in particular. Would definitely recommend.

Just stopped off for a quick bite to eat and drink! Had a cheese and ham toasted sandwich and a cup of tea, it was lovely!

What a lovely cafe and great food! We were looking for an all day breakfast with quality ingredients and we were not disappointed. The cafe was busy but with an extremely welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The staff were very attentive ensuring every aspect of the visit was comforting. The food was of a higher quality and very reasonably priced. I would definitely return!

We came across Smile Cafe by chance through trip advisor reviews whilst trying to find somewhere nice for breakfast. We visited today and I can honestly say it was the best breakfast we’ve ever had eating out EVER! And we eat out every weekend. Not only that but the staff are so lovely and welcoming and it is a lovely family run business. We are so pleased we’ve found this little gem and will be visiting again often. Our children had clean plates too! Thanks so much!

Hi guys, This is without a doubt the best cafe in Portsmouth/Southsea. A fantastic family run business that know how to cook great produce (no 'value' ingredients here) brilliantly!. This is flood that looks great and that you want to eat. Not a hint of grease, and presented with care, this is food you want to eat again tomorrow and tell your friends about. Pay a visit, you won't be disappointed!

Been visiting Smile most Fridays for a few years for breakfast with friends, always a cheery welcome & decent food/service - Well done Gray & the troops

Dropped in first thing on a Sunday to fuel up for the day ahead. Partner had scrambled eggs on muffin, plus a pot of Earl grey. I opted for the big breakfast and a large americano. Everything was delicious. Partner grabbed a large slice of bread pudding to take away. Each and every member of staff was attentive and friendly. Well worth each and every one of the 5 star rating.

Smile is a very good cafe, run by local people and providing very good food, including vegetarian and vegan options all at reasonable prices. Service is excellent and the hot food comes on hot plates, as it should. The tea is good too. Highly recommended.

We all had a delicious meal, I had 3 sausages mashed potato with onion gravy, dad had cheesey cottage pie and mum had poached salmon. Staff were very friendly and polite. Cafe was also very clean

This is a gem of a place for breakfast, and I am sure for everything else. This was like having a really good home made breakfast. Food was excellent, service good and friendly, clean and good value for money.Smile cafe is opposite waitrose car park. You can always tell if some where is worth visiting because that is where the locals eat, and there were plenty of locals enjoy the food and relaxed atmosphere when we visited.

Staying in Southsea and on our last morning wanted a cafe for breakfast. Seem good reviews so decided to visit, we parked in Waitrose opposite which is a paid car park unless shopping in store. The waitress took our order at the table, the menu was vast and also catered for children which was good. I had a cooked breakfast which was great, my husband had a sausage sandwich and my son had a cheese sandwich and a milkshake which was served in a kids friendly sealed beaker which was a great idea.A very busy cafe with no seats after we arrived, seems to have a good footfall and no reason for it not to have.

Me and a friend went for Sunday lunch. Greeted well by the lady who served us. The potatoes we were served were dry and tasteless. The person who took our payment wasn’t the best with customer service and had a slight attitude. It’s a shame as it’s a beautiful little place in a great location. Unfortunately we won’t be returning.

Me and my friend meet up most Sundays for a breakfast the food is very good and the staff are all very friendly

Genuinely the best full English breakfast I’ve ever eaten. And being a builder I’ve had a lot all over the country. Really fresh meat, amazing hash browns and all perfectly cooked. Great service. Very friendly. Relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Popped in as I was a bit peckish whilst shopping, I was told there would be a wait as it was busy which was not a problem, the food came out fairly quickly still, just a sausage sandwich, I think the sausages had been deep fried and they didn’t taste great, disappointing when they’re meant to be the star of the dish, the staff are always incredibly friendly and I’m sure I’ll give them another go in the future.

A really friendly cafe where staff are attentive, and food is tasty with generous portions. Particularly liked how we were asked if our toddler needed cutlery and a plastic plate. Small detail but showed due consideration for little ones. Very reasonably priced, served quickly. Would recommend and visit another time we’re in the area.

For me this Cafe serves the best breakfast in Portsmouth. The service is excellent and the staff friendly. Everything on my order was cooked perfectly and despite them being busy with all tables taken the food was served quickly. The portion sizes are good while not being over the top.

Absolutely delicious Blt with incredibly good service.Clearly well run friendly cafe with lots of customers. Thank you

Great staff and extremely nice food always happy to help and keep customers happy lives up to their name smileys

Un ambiente agradable con un personal realmente amable, no solo un nombre.El menú es lo que espera con algunas ofertas especiales que se ofrecen.La comida llega caliente y bien presentada, sabrosa con porciones generosas.Solo deseo algunas ofrendas más de postres, pero por lo demás, es un buen lugar para comer.También ofrecen opciones vegetarianas y veganas, así que hay algo para todos.Siempre aparecen clientes habituales y se dirigen por sus nombres, lo cual es bastante raro en estos días.

Took my wife to lunch and was looking for a nice cafe in Southsea. Popped in here as my wife had been in before. Big smile and nice greeting as we walked in, just one table available, so busy. I had the ham egg and chips, my wife had an omelette. Both meals are fantastic and priced well. Menu has plenty for me to go back and try. Saw the cooked breakfast go to another table and looked great. The chicken and mushroom pie looked good too. Great place and we will be back.

Lovely little cafe, amazing service, and the best jackets we've ever had! so good we had to come back the next day!!

Been coming here for as long as we can remember .. Such A friendly family Happy cafe... Breakfast always Bang on point... Ham egg & chips is my favourite & that’s not forgetting the-shepherds pie... Service is always at its Best.

We loved our breakfast they were delicious glad we only went for a small one but added hash browns as extra. High recommend will be back. Friendly staff too.

Super little cafe with good food and staff, offering excellent quality and value breakfasts, along with some main meals.

He estado en Smile Cafe varias veces a lo largo de los años, incluso semanalmente en los últimos meses, y he encontrado que la comida y el servicio son perfectos en cada visita.

Great veggie omelette and sides. Delish homemade carrot cake. Excellent fresh 'Kickstart' smoothie. Veggie sausage/coffee could be better

Teníamos un gran inglés completo con pudín negro y champiñones añadidos y un pequeño vegano, café y un jugo de arranque. Estaba muy ocupado y nos avisaron de una espera de 40 minutos, pero valió la pena. Nos trajeron nuestras bebidas casi de inmediato. El café tiene alrededor de 34 asientos con mesas de 3 x 2 asientos afuera. ¡Todo estaba bien cocinado y su novia dijo que era EL mejor desayuno vegano que había probado en su vida! El personal puede ser joven, pero es muy eficiente en la limpieza de la mesa y mantiene limpio el café, que está muy ocupado, y los clientes están contentos. Definitivamente lo recomiendo.

Great cafe,warm welcome every time. Good variety on menu, all freshly cooked. Hearty portions with fabulous value for money. The best breakfast ever.

Ordered a cup of home made soup and half sandwich. Informed that the homemade soup wasn’t homemade in the summer The waitress came back and said there was only one soup left. Perhaps the tin opener had broken? I said my friend could have this and I would have a toasted cheese and onion sandwich. She came back as she had forgotten which sandwich I wanted - too busy admiring my friend’s jewellery to get the order right! The sandwich was thick and not toasted enough. For dessert I ordered apple and walnut sponge and custard - this was lukewarm, stodgy, tasteless and accompanied by thick custard which had set. This was not cheap and if it had bee free it would still have been overpriced. A mere shadow of its former skef. Give it a swerve!!!!!!

We always leave happy, full and satisfied when come to visit smile cafe. Amazing breakfast, friendly staff, great location. No complaints from us at all and would definitely recommend.

This is one of the best known Cafe's in Southsea. Well established it can be relied on to provide one of the best value and tasty breakfasts in Southsea.

I love it here, best breakfast along the cluster of cafes on Marmion Road by a mile, the staff are always really friendly as well.

The best breakfast in Southsea. Just sad it's not open on a Monday. I guess they have to rest sometimes. Cannot recommend enough. Great team and made to feel very welcome.

A very very good breakfast ... well priced using quality ingredients.... served with a smile from excellent hosts.... i have spent some time visiting as many Cafes in the Portsmouth / Fareham/ Gosport area and this establishment shines above all the rest. 10 / 10.....

My wife and I visited some time ago when she was giving veganism a go due to health reasons (no bandwagon jumping) and it being recommended by a friend. She enjoyed a nice vegan breakfast while I had a traditional one, we weren't surrounded by people being all judgy either just because I dare to eat non vegan in a vegan cafe, so that was nice.

We had a lovely breakfast on Sunday morning which was served with big smile and it made us smiling cause it was delicious. Five stars with no doubts.

Heard good things about Smile so wanted to see for myself. We ordered the full English breakfasts and they arrived promptly. It was all reasonable priced and staff were the right amount of friendly. A very good café to visit!!

First time visit. The freshly made smoothies were amazing. The big breakfasts were cooked perfectly. The eggs were especially cooked well, and the sausages were proper sausages. Staff were great. Thoroughly recommended.

The breakfast here is really very good and reasonably priced too. The staff were friendly and my breakfast arrived promptly. I highly recommend this cafe.

Ideal place to have a tasty breakfast. Nice staff.... Very reasonable prices. Been here a few times... Well worth a visit.

Luckily, our airb&b; was situated just around the corner, so after a careful search of the local cafes, decided that this was the one following the great reviews.

Absolutely brilliant breakfast- great service and superb food. Plus extremely good value for money. Couldnt ask for any more

Hoy acepté a una amiga porque no había nada más abierto que le guste en Marmion Road. Le encantó y fue muy buena relación calidad-precio. Verduras frescas que era una ventaja y el servicio era encantador. El único problema fue el paso en el que fue difícil para mi amigo.

A real gem in pompey excellent food Great choice for breakfast and always warm food and terrific value. Doesnt look much from outside but go in you wont be disappointed.

Had a full cooked breakfast which was delicious ,fresh ,tasty and filling ! The staff were very friendly and worked hard to keep the tables cleanin the busy cafe! Would highly recommend!

Spot on breakfast to start a busy day served by really friendly staff. Not a bad smoothy either! Can't fault it.

we had an excellent breakfast here.very friendly staff.nice setting good choice of menu.nice cup of tea.

Great little cafe with excellent choices for vegan ,vegetarians and others.

Nice traditional café with good food and friendly personnel. Would happily return next time I'm in town.

Un desayuno inglés vegan en el Centro de Portsmouth. El ambiente del restaurante es acogedor y tranquilo, el servicio es amable y rápido. Tienen una carta con opciones veganas. Buen precio. Muy recomendable

Great family friendly atmosphere, brilliant service, great coffee and delicious food. Cannot fault anything

Well done smile cafe. In these days when weight watching is important you have different size breakfast. Good ingredients and hot plates and food. Staff friendly and welcoming and knowledgeable. Really clean cafe and toilets.

We have been there several times. The food is homemade and very tasty. The staff are lovely and nothing is too much trouble. We’ve taken friends there and they were as impressed as we were. I would recommend it to anyone looking for good home cooking and lovely coffee. The price is very affordable and doesn’t reflect on the quality.

The name is what’s written on the tin .. SMILE... The best Ham 2 Eggs & Chips... Not forgetting The Shepherds Pie... Love Love ... Been going here for for many A year...? P.S the omelettes... Simply The Best.

Discovered this little gem just few weeks ago. Great Sunday morning traditional breakfast. Could not fault it. Hot , cooked to order with good quality Sausage bacon and eggs. All served by very polite staff. Rally good value.

Have eaten there several times and have enjoyed every meal, wish it was larger as is aften very busy

Today I had the best bacon and egg sandwich I've ever had anywhere. Lovely fresh crusty bread, tasty bacon and a fried egg plus a cup of tea, a wide selection of newspapers and a friendly welcome. Thank you!

We popped in to Smile for a pre-matinee lunch. We were warmly greeted and seated. For a fairly small venue they have a good selection of items on the menu as well as specials offered. Chose toasties and coffee. The toasties were huge, sumptuously filled and delicious. The coffee was a generous size and quite strong. Excellent value for money!

Visited here this morning and wow what a great place, very clean and great waitress service with a big menu which includes gluten free and vegetarian options. Gd selection of teas and cakes. The service was excellent, staff are very welcoming and friendly. I would highly recommend this cafe.

We came here for lunch on Saturday and it was the nicest place we’ve found during our week’s holiday in Southsea. We’re both vegan and I had the vegan breakfast, the tastiest vegan breakfast I’ve had in a long time and my partner had the vegan cottage pie. It was delightful and so rich in flavour. It was so nice to see a multitude of vegan and veggie options to choose from! We then had a vegan chocolate sponge and custard!! Actual dessert! Heaven!!

We visited Smile cafe for lunch today for the first time. The staff are very friendly and good. The food is tasty, with good quality ingredients. It is good value for money. We will return.

Smile es un restaurante sin tonterías que sirve fayre inglés tradicional e incluso postres prohibidos como dick manchado y natillas y pudín de melaza. El lugar siempre es animado, limpio y alegre con un servicio rápido. Es como los restaurantes solían ser en la década de 1950 (en el buen sentido).

I had a super homemade quiche and great cup of tea. Service definitely with a SMILE!! It's a little gem in Southsea

Fuimos a desayunar a este local con ganas de tomar un auténtico full English breakfast atraídos por las buenas opiniones en Tripadvisor. No defraudó: muy buenos precios, un servicio muy amable y un desayuno generoso de salchichas, bacon, baked beans, tostadas, huevo frito y extra de hash browns por petición expresa (para quien no sepa que es, que no deje de probarlo). Parece ser que también ofrecen almuerzos, y estoy seguro de que igualmente sería una fantástica opción. Excepcional, repetiré.

Smile is really classic small place to grab a tea or coffee or breakfast on the weekend. The prices are really fantastic, a smile "small" brings bacon, sausage, eggs, beans, and more, you get a lot for very little, and all is great.

We were looking for somewhere for lunch and found Smile in Marmion Road Southsea.

I confess that we probably eat here more than we should! We've only really ever had the breakfasts and the omelettes but they are always very tasty (breakfasts not too greasy) and the prices are very reasonable.

Had the best Advocardo and Bacon salad and the Omelette was up there with the best too.

Select your table, almost instant service by smiling waitress. Order from a easy understandable menu. Await 15 minutes for meal, piping hot and fresh.

Freshly prepared food and table service. A nice atmosphere in the café and helpful friendly staff. Good tasting tea too, what tea bags do you use?. Good vegan choice as well as meat eating options. No credit cards accepted so cash or debit only.

The food is amazing, the options are plentiful, the staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is welcoming. Fully recommended.

This is a fantastic cafe & I can't recommend it enough. I love the fact that it caters for different diets. For example, vegan & gluten free.

Marmion road seems a nice up and coming road and this cafe has several great options for the vegan which are clearly marked with some additional Vegan? that you can ask on the day whether it was made vegan or not (e.g. soup).

We came here again today and I wanted to be healthy for a change. Well......the choice is far more for healthy eating than you expect from a normal English Cafe! As well as the usual good old fry up there is a range of omelettes, with a side salad, or indeed a selection of main course salads for both the meat eater and vegetarian as well as jacket potatoes and the most amazing smoothies ever! It's going to be a challenge to get through the whole menu, but I'm up for it!

I absolutely love this place! We came once for Sunday Afternoon Tea and we decided to go back for breakfast on Saturday.

Came here with colleagues when visiting for business and on their recommendation, great cafe which was busy (we got the last table). Usual British food especially breakfast which looked great, I opted for the shepherd's pie special which ame with freshly cooked veg and was delicious! Very friendly and welcoming staff, very reasonable value at under £10 for lunch. Highly recommended and I shall return.

Really good deals and you definitely get your moneys worth! Had a cup of soup and half a sandwich for £6 and couldn't finish.. had to take the rest away! Lovely selection of cakes as well!

This must be the friendliest cafe in Portsmouth! After eating out in Portsmouth for over 20 years I have found the place! Not only do they serve a selection of food for the traditional meat eater there is also a varied menu for vegetarians and vegans all without a fuss. If you want something a bit different to normal - ask! If it can be done it will be. It is a fairly small establishment but they seem to have a lot of regular customers that they know - that always bodes well in my book! Easy to find (big yellow awning) easy to eat (large affordable menu and decent food) and easy to return to (made to feel welcome every time).

Been to this cafe a couple of times now and I cannot get enough of it. The breakfasts are amazing and the super omelette is out of this world! The variety of dietary options they have available for everyone is incredible and rare to see. The staff are all so happy and quick with service. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants food in Portsmouth.

I’m totally ruined for any other cafe now! I’ve had breakfast here twice now and truly have never had better. The clientele were totally different at each of my visits - mums with new babies and couples the first time and builders the second, but it made no difference. Watching the friendly staff interacting with everyone, personalising their service and knowing some names of regulars was a pleasure for a people watcher like me! Jodie served me and she just has the biggest, warmest smile and welcome. The owner (and chef) walked by and took the time to check we were happy with our meal too. I’m dairy free and they are set up to cater for all dietary needs and even have delicious vegan cake! Really cannot recommend this little gem enough. Well worth seeking out.

First of all let's make it clear that the food is really very good. I had a jacket potato which was very hot and the side salad was beautifully presented. All appears very clean although sitting at tables along the side wall makes it inevitably draughty every time the door opens. Also I think there might be just a couple of tables too many squeezed into the cafe and I'd imagine it's hard to move on a busy day.

Perfect full english breakfast for vegans and veggies, I'd go every weekend if I could. Can't wait to go back. Easy food, good location, good price and you leave feeling satisfied.

Use this cafe every lunch time fir our business lunch.

Me and my partner and 2 children went to Smile for a recomended cooked breakfast.

Traditional Christmas lunch served during December is second to none. This is a small cafe off the main street but the food and service are wonderful. Have been for the last 4 years and it never fails to impress. Family run business.

Visited this lovely restaurant today, lovely staff, lovely food, lovely place to eat .will definitely be visiting again.

Very nice little local cafe - we spotted this little cafe when looking for a spot of lunch in Southsea. Good standard cafe fare served by smiley staff. Obviously popular as it was busy. We had a coronation salad - fresh and crispy salad with tasty chicken and a full english breakfast (served all day) followed by spotted dick and custard. Quick service, good portions and great prices.

we love the Smile cafe, sweet, cheerful helpful staff, extensive choices for vegans, you will never feel left out, high quality food, delicious smoothies, great breakfasts, and i even brought home a banana nut vegan cupcake that on getting home with a cup of tea, was transported to vegan cupcake heaven, and wished i had a dozen of them.. moist and sooo yummy, can't rate them highly enough... hope they are forever there, a real gem of a place!!!! Yay Smile cafe!!!!!!!!

I went to Smile after looking at reviews on Trip Advisor and this place really lives up to the many positive comments. The staff are really cheerful and friendly and the food is superb. Do not be fooled into thinking this is a vegetarian restaurant; they do lots of veggie and gluten free which is great, but the sausages and bacon i had for breakfast were absolutely incredible. Genuinely the best sausages I have ever had! Judging by the fact that the restaurant was completely full by 10am, lots of others agree with me how good this place is. Go for breakfast here, you will not be disappointed.

Found this restaurant by accident whilst visiting Southsea for the first time. Its always a good sign when there are lots of locals eating in. The staff were very pleasant & the chips were some of the best I have tasted in years. Couldn't manage a pud, but we will certainly return when we come back to Southsea next year

Nice staff Clean tables and floor Vegetarian choices Very smiley and helpful staff. We will be back.