Spice Island Inn in Portsmouth

Impeccable experience. Came here with the grandkids and thoroughly enjoyed the service we received. Made the day all that much better! Younger man named fin served us and wonderfully entertained the youngens. Would come again.

Didn't eat. Great service and beer.

Lovely place. Staff always friendly. Very clean. Definitely a place to return to every time we visit Portsmouth.

Great food and service. Andre & Kitty were great, there was a large party in another room but the service was faultless

Nostalgic visit, good food and drink. The spinnaker tower was a superb backdrop.

Amazing pub, in an iconic location. What's not to like?

Good place to watch cruise ships

On what turned out to be a particularly cold, early January day, (and, oh boy, was it icy in a Force-whatever wind!), my fellow-retired pal suggested a long over-due visit down to the D-Day Museum sited on Southsea's long sea-front Promenade. After a 30 year hiatus, our trip was absorbing and well worth it..even freezing to death on the magnificent WW-II Landing Craft-Tank moored on dry-land outside the Museum, it was still a riveting visit, though so blustery was the very strong wind that visitors to the uppers decks of the craft were forbidden..just in case any hapless tourists pitched over the side! Not having felt such a wintery blast as that in this country for many a year, aforesaid mentioned pal & I decided we needed a 'serious' warm-up and so lunch beckoned in Old Portsmouth.. a location just half a mile or so hence as 'the crow flies' that I've been very fond of since my time as a young Royal Naval Petty Officer Cadet Instructor in the CFF at my old grammar school in Winchester in the 1970s, but somewhere that, alas, I've not often returned to in the intervening years. So parking up near the quayside in the old part of the city, (formerly home to Charles Dickens, born amidst these evocative cobbled streets in February 1812), we took a wander past some of the splendid ancient buildings, interspersed between more modern-looking properties that were, to all intents & purposes, built in the gaps of the former bombed-out houses, courtesy of the Luftwaffe visiting this most famous naval port numerous times during WW-II. As we rounded a right-hand bend on the cobbled pavement, and caught the icy blast again, there before us lay the impressive harbour, the Gun Wharf Keys shopping centre, the incredible Spinnaker Tower and just beyond that, our nation's two new, mighty aircraft carriers sitting quietly at their moorings and, standing under an old Victorian street lamp, a half-memory started to form. But keen to get out of the cold, we turned around and found ourselves in front of a gorgeous looking Inn called Spice Island..and happily it now being mid-day and stomachs begging to be filled, we opened the door, immediately revelled in the warmth therein..and headed to the attractive old wooden bar. The Inn itself is literally right on the quayside and the first thing that caught my eyes as I looked about me, were the wonderfully large picture windows overlooking the harbour.. and so the two of us immediately bagged a vacant window seat in front of one of them, grabbed a menu and, as is always our 'test eat', plumped for the battered fish & chips.. and for me, as the non-driver, a pint of my favourite Aspalls Cider..! Sitting on the comfortable bench seats looking out of the window with our pints in front of us, (all served by the lovely Freya), I gazed across at the docks and the, now, shopping centre on the opposite quay-side beyond,..and it suddenly came back to me as I happily sat there on this cold January day as I realised that Gun Wharf Keys was formerly Shore Establishment HMS Vernon back in the 1970s, (sadly closed down and built upon, I later ascertained, in 1995) The echo of the memory I was slowly recalling was because some 50 years ago I found myself sitting on the open bridge of a WW-II Minesweeper moored alongside HMS Vernon, undertaking the 3am watch, as a busy 24-hour a day naval harbour around me busied itself for the sailings due on the dawn tide..and at one point I had actually been looking across the water... at the very pub I was now sitting in..! It was probably called something different back then... but it was amazing to think that all those years on, here I was looking back in the opposite direction, recalling the ghost of HMS Vernon when, as a young naval cadet instructor, I was a temporary member of ship's company aboard the inshore mine-sweeper HMS Isis for a weekend of sea training..wishing back then that I could have popped into this very pub for a pint..! Safe to say the rest of our very enjoyable lunch in this fantastic old Inn, in a very historic part of Old Portsmouth, was a most happy journey down memory lane..allied to the fact the fish & chips were fantastic the cider spot on and the service & friendliness of the staff was most welcoming...and I think that a return trip to Spice Island is very much on... when the weather outside warms up a bit. So thank you for a smashing welcome, a delightful lunch and the rekindling for me of some happy Pompey memories from 50 years ago..😎

My Mum wanted to take us out for Christmas day lunch. I usually cook so I agreed to this with a little trepidation. I need not have worried as Julio's said his job was to make us happy. And he didn't disappoint. Food served promptly and was delicious. Each time a course was due Julio asked if we were ready for it. My sister's steak was not cooked as she requested so a whole new meal was brought out for her. I asked for a cuppa this was given to me on the house( we all had one free drink given to us as well) So thank you to Julio and his team. Sorry done later than planned as the review seems to be struggle to save.

Started our New Year’s Eve with dinner at Spice Island where we enjoyed excellent steaks with great views of the illuminated Spinnaker Tower across the harbour. Shout out to their fantastic staff: Sam, Freja and Colette who are always willing to go the extra mile. Happy New Year guys - see you again in 2025!

Great service on New Years Eve. Sam, Freya and Collette provided an efficient service, always with a smile. Great Steak and Christmas pud. Even at night great view of the Harbour and Spinaker tower.

Started our New Year’s Eve with dinner at Spice Island where we enjoyed excellent steaks with great views of the illuminated Spinnaker Tower across the harbour. Shout out to their fantastic staff: Sam, Freja and Colette who are always willing to go the extra mile. Happy New Year guys - see you again in 2025!

We had the best time at the Spice Island Inn for Christmas lunch. The team were brilliant. The food was delicious and plentiful. Service was great and even when there was a small issue it was dealt with quickly. We had booked in for Christmas lunch and were staying nearby on holiday. Because of the fabulous service and great food we ate here on four occasions. Each time the service was excellent and the staff were friendly and helpful, Sam and Finn in particular. If we are in the area again we will be back. Thank you so much.

Cosy interiors. The spider crab burger absolutely slapped!

Excellent family meal at the Spice Island yesterday. The staff - particularly Sam and Tiago - were so friendly and accommodating (with all sorts of dietary requirements!) Delicious food and puddings and great sea views. Always a warm and welcoming pub, thank you to Julio the manager!

One of my first times in this establishments, had the absolute pleasure to be served by Fin and George who bring so much life to this bar. Had so many chats with them tonight and you cannot ask for any better service. Highly recommend this place to anyone who finds themselves this side of town

Sam, Mia and Harry were absolutely amazing. Absolute legends!! Very attentive, remembered names and was very helpful. Very enjoyable Christmas meal and will definitely be back soon!

George and Finley great service, went above and beyond! Definitely would recommend!

George and Finley made us feel at home. Very appreciated.

Dec 24, I organised my works Christmas party, I chose Spice Island for the menu choices which they customised some of it as I had quite a few vegetarians and it was very reasonably priced. There were 59 of us, so we had a private space upstairs, it was beautiful, clean, well decorated and lovely views. The food was on time, looked and tasted lovely, there was a slight issue as all the vegetarian options got eaten by everyone else but Sam who was looking after us managed to get us an extra vegetarian platter. He checked in regularly to make sure my guests and I were all content. Bar was fully stocked with lots of options. The best party I’ve held so far and would definitely look to book again next year. Thank you so much ☺️

The location will keep it open forever but lacks any real understanding of their industry - ‘hospitality’. Staff seem to change often and service differs from month to month as a result. Place is always cold in winter despite having several real fires they could keep well stoked if they wished and the front doors have banged so loudly (and do so every ten seconds due to footfall) for years that the staff simply don’t notice. Makes it near impossible to have a conversation anywhere near the entrance. Menu is generic and a bit pricey for what it is, thought the food has always been palatable. Looks and feels like a chain pub, which I suppose it is. Such a shame, as it should really be the jewel of that area and was in the past, in mine and my wider family’s memories. But these days the two other pubs close nearby are simply… better.

Delicious food, friendly service, and welcoming atmosphere. We came for our work Christmas meal at Spice Island a week ago and everything was spot on from the moment we arrived! We were able to pre-order food in advance, which makes it a lot easier then there're 30 of you! A couple of dishes came out wrong, but were quickly rectified without any hassle. This was our 3rd Christmas meal at Spice Island and it's now a firm favourite with the team. Special thanks to Jenessa, Sam (aka James Blunt), and the guy behind the bar whose name I can't remember but managed to remember my drink every time! You, and the rest of the team, really went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, and we can't wait to come back next year :)

Tuesday 10th Dec, we had our staff christmas meal and drinks. From the moment i contacted them to the end of the night was fantastic. They set us up, upstairs, all the staff were really helpful, the food was fantastic, we had people with dietary and allergy requirements and they made sure everyone was sorted. There was 16+ of us in total and we all had a really really good time. Definitely will be back next year.

Been here all afternoon on a Xmas do. Food good. Service great- thanks to Collette, Julio and Luke. Fun entertainment, good service at the bar. X

Lovely Christmas Meal! Sam was the best person to serve us and deserves ten stars rather than five!

Sam was a brilliant host full of fun and laughter. Really enjoyed our evening looking forward to coming back and tormenting Sam again tomorrow night!

Sam was the perfect host for our Christmas party. Really got us in the mood! Not many men could handle 9 women but he was great! Thank you for a great evening Spice Island ! Merry Christmas to all!

Sam was brilliant, service was lovely and a great time was had by all

Had a great time. Enjoyable Christmas Meal and Luke did a great job of looking after us at our table. See you next year.

Superb Pub, very well located. Close to Portsmouth Harbour. Ideal for dinner before taking the ferry. The owners allowed us to accommodate a group and we were very well received with a private place for the group. The meal was excellent. We all enjoyed this friendly moment!

A really nice pub with excellent views.

Came here for a work Christmas party and the function room we booked out was amazing. Great atmosphere and views of the harbour. Sam and his team were fantastic hosts, they were hospitable, friendly, catered to every request we had and set up the tables in a Christmassy theme. Big shoutout to Fin on the bar who kept the drinks flowing! The food was also great - tasty and good portion sizes. If you’re looking for a venue to host a work party I really recommend spice island!

Just had our Christmas meal at Spice Island I have to say the service was excellent we were well looked after by our waiter, the Christmas dinner was excellent hot and very tasty so was the sticky toffee pudding. Would highly recommend to others will definatly be returning in the future. Thank you to the chef and staff for such a lovely experience.

Fin is great and looking after us so well at our Xmas do. Sam the manager was looking after us so well and always checking on us if we need anything.

Excellent service from all members of staff, so helpful - from reserving a table at the last minute to accommodate my mum in wheelchair and my dad to have a sea view despite the busy lunchtime period. Food - burgers and starters -delicious, freshly cooked and served within 10 minutes at height of lunchtime. All bar and waiting staff so warm and helpful - all very professional, which is so appreciated when some customer service so lacking. We are regulars but highly recommend to day visitors as the service is always like this!

Lads Xmas do, great atmosphere, speedy service and the staff couldn't do enough for us. Excellent!!!! Servers were Sam and Fin.

Super warm atmosphere with polite and friendly waiters followed by an excellent meal

Great views of the boats and spinnaker tower. Helpful staff. Good food.

Great views from upstairs restaurant

I hosted a surprise birthday celebration for my Mum and Auntie on the weekend for 20 people and had the best time. In the lead up to organising the occasion, Jenessa was great over email and on the phone, answering all my questions and helping with the food order. I booked a table for 20, and was delighted to see we had our own private area! On the day, George, Fin, Harry and Mike were so excellent - the customer service was outstanding. We all had the best time and they ensured that we had a great experience. They were so friendly and helpful. Thank you to the team for a wonderful day that we'll cherish :) The location was lovely, with a great view of the sea (it was raining but we could appreciate how nice it would be on a sunny day!).

Colette, Owen, fin & George were very helpful and gave a great service. Cosy atmosphere and very welcoming.

Nice place to hunker down in the evening and have a pint. Great views outside and nice staff.

Lovely pub! Very cosy with fantastic views

Good service and excellent food

Always great service wonderful food great views

Very enjoyable. Friendly staff ,edited as i thought i had left a five star review, The staff could not have been more helpful

We went for a lovely roast dinner on Sunday. Colette served us and she was so lovely, friendly and helpful. She made sure we were ok the whole time we were there which was lovely. Would definitely recommend and will be going back soon!

Best views in Portsmouth from the dinning room.

Thanks to Andre & Fin for being so awesome ✨

I booked upstairs at spice island for my sons 50th birthday. It was a great success Staff were very helpful. Buffet was very nice We have had a few family celebrations over last few years And would highly recommend

I booked the upstairs space for my 40th birthday party at The Spice Island. From the moment I made the booking, the service has been efficient and the staff at the Spice Island have been really helpful. The evening itself was superb- the staff were so helpful and made sure I had the best night- the venue is beautiful and was perfect for my special occasion. The catering was delicious and plentiful. The staff helped with setting up and made sure the evening ran as smoothly as possible. Thank you all for such a brilliant experience and a memorable party.

We chose to hold our friend’s baby shower at spice island, and wow we were not disappointed. We had a separate area upstairs that they allowed us to rearrange to suit our needs, and decorate. It had real lovely views out over the water too! We went for the mid range Buffett and the food was delicious, everyone enjoyed it. We had a lovely lady attend to us called Kitty. Throughout the baby shower the manager Sam popped in several times to check everything was ok and if we needed anything. I cannot fault spice island for hosting the baby shower, and the friendly attentiveness of all the team I encountered. I would definitely use spice island again.

Great Sunny Sunday lunch - Good choice for Vegan and GF guests.Dog friendly and some very friendly bar staff and excellent selection of ales

The perfect place to see the sun set around the Spinnaker Tower. The service is fantastic, and the atmosphere is great especially when live music is on. Had a really great night.

Even for a Monday night it was a nice atmosphere. Food and drinks at a reasonable price too

Fantastic establishment. We had an evening meal here and can highly recommend the place for food and service. Live music downstairs too when we visited. The staff were brilliant. Now the drinks. The family had soft drinks and Madri, which they enjoyed. I had the Spice Island Best Bitter and was not disappointed. If your taste is towards lovely ales and bitters instead of lagers, you really have to sample it. I sampled it a couple of times to be sure before I reviewed it and discovered I was correct after the first sip. Highly recommended establishment with a fantastic view of Gosport and towards the dockyard. You simply have to try this place.

Amazing location and view of the spinnaker tower. Food was delicious and the service was great with politeness and efficiency.

Location is brilliant, food good, wide selection of beers. Will definitely visit again!

Nice place to enjoy a pint and watch the ships come and go.

Excellent pub nice atmosphere good service and food

This is my favourite restaurant in Portsmouth! The view of the harbour, naval base and ferries is captivating. The staff are very attentive, friendly and helpful. My ‘duck hash’ was cooked to perfection and it came highly recommended and was absolutely delicious, look at the presentation, just fabulous!

Visited Spice Island for a small wake with family. Staff were helpful and friendly, lovely warm atmosphere inside the pub itself. Food was absolutely lovely and amazing views across the harbour. Most definitely the nicest pub in Portsmouth.

We really liked the food; the homemade nachos are absolutely delicious! Compliments to the chef! It's great that they allow dogs, and the place is spacious. However, they should be better organized because both times we visited recently, they ran out of some food items. We'll be back soon, mainly for the nachos! I recommend this place.

Gorgeous location, historic pub. Good variety of drinks. Food was okay but not great - fries were way over seasoned, fish cakes tasty but kind of mushy, onion rings a bit greasy, but burger excellent.

Great atmosphere great food excellent service fantastic staff I recommend visiting here awesome location

Had a lovely meal with family and friends, reasonable price. The triple cooked chips are the best chips I have ever tasted. A return visit happening soon.

We went there to celebrate our daughters birthday, the food was amazing. Highly recommended

Never been to the spice island before, certainly wasn't disappointed. 8 of us went for a family birthday, 7 roast dinners and a Korean chicken burger. Right from arriving the staff team were friendly, accommodating and helpful. Sam took our orders at the bar. We ordered food and drinks and expected to wait a while as it was Sunday afternoon service, but the food arrived quickly and efficiently. Everything was just as we ordered and was beautifully cooked and very tasty. I had 28 day aged roast beef with cabbage, cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes, carrots, (extra) Yorkshires and gravy. Beef was absolutely superb, soft tasty and melted in your mouth. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals and the service was great. We were quite demanding as we had a birthday cake, balloons and all the associated bits to go with them, but our servers Kerry and Collette couldn't do enough for us and made the meal a pleasure. Many thanks to Sam, Kerry, Collette and the other two young gents (sorry i didnt get your names!) who helped us out, brilliant. Only thing i could fault is that at the time we visited the coffee machine was broken! There's great views over the harbour and lots of seating outside too, a great walk along the hot walls or on round to Gunwharf; definitely recommend a refreshment stop here.

Foot was fantastic and good choice of beers

Excellent food, excellent service - lovely atmosphere and a fantastic view. Server: Colette.

Hired the upstairs of Spice Island for a 40th birthday party. The team were extremely accommodating and George, our server, could not have done more on the night - moving tables, helping with the DJ setup and working behind the bar all evening. A great night at a great location at a very reasonable price. Thank you Spice Island team!

Great pub with great staff. Good location for lunch and watching the boats go by.

Just popped in for a drink and to check out the menu, the staff was friendly and welcoming, I'm pleased to say the food was great, beautifully cooked by the kitchen staff. Next time we are waiting for the Isle of Wight ferry to go home, we will pop in again.

Seafront pub with yummy food. Bar and waiting staff were all welcoming and friendly, despite being busy. Good range of food and reasonably priced given location. Fantastic views of Portsmouth Harbour, some seating outside. Would visit again.

Great food, great service. Mia was brilliant

Absolutley amazing place!! We initially went in and spoke to Luke who straightaway understood that we just wanted a small area for us to enjoy a meal with our guests after our wedding. We were also able to take in our cake the day before. All the staff were amazing and so helpful, everyone enjoyed their food and the atmosphere was great as well as the beautiful view. Luke even popped in to wish us well even though he wasnt working. We were able to leave the cake there so that we could pick it up the day after. Fantastic service so thank you to all of the staff.

Great food. Great staff. Great views.

Had a reunion with some old friends. Great location with super views. Oh and the Guinness was superb!

Always busy during the summer months and great location. But just not what it used to be.

Very friendly and helpful staff. The food was good and my mother and I could hear each other whilst chatting.

On the tip, you have to come and see Spice Island. Take a few moments to admire the view of the port, the fortifications, the ships, the Spinnaker Tower....

Very special place and wye on the sea by harbour ,

240906 had a very good lunch here super British atmosphere, excellent food, exceptional location. I'll be back

Great food and location. Recommending!

Had a lovely lunch at the Spice island today. The staff went above and beyond when a member of our group became poorly. We can't thank them enough for the kindness the gave. Plus, the food was lush xx

Great place to drink and watch the world go by, even better when the sun is shining

Love this place!!! Could stay here for hours just watching boats go past!!

90th party This is best day really can’t thank this venues enough the buffet we book the food was incredible well laid out and so professionally run would like to tank janessa and Luke who really stood out made who day so eventful nobody waited for a drink food on time lovely and hot laid out so well. we are booked to return for another family event thanks again to whole team for making the day special

The crew, Luke, Sam and George were an absolute delight! The pie was the best ever and the Sirloin was a great piece of meat well cooked! We always when in Portsmouth go to this establishment, wouldn't go anywhere else!!

Really lovely family meal at Spice Island. Generous portion sizes and super service from Charlie. Lovely views out to the harbour and on a nice sunny day, this would be amazing place to sit and enjoy a drink or meal.

Great location, food was lovely (have the steak!!), staff were very welcoming, our server Charlie was very attentive! Highly recommend this place nice view too

Wow. So Glad the Still and West was too busy, I'd say you've poached us away. Twice a year I visit my friend and we meet up for dinner. What a first class find. Friendly staff and stunning food. Will definitely be back and will recommend the pub to anyone in the area

Great value food and a decent pint

Excellent food, didn't wait too long for our evening meal. Food served hot, very clean, staff great. Highly recommend.

Didn't eat food ,just beer, very nice and clean, would definitely go back

Can get busy but meals come to table quick and I find always hot. Staff are great too.

Had a beer with a friend. It has a nice atmosphere with nice views out of the window towards the sea.

Nice sitting outside watching View go by good selection of beers friendly staff 👌

Had the chicken sharer. Peri wings were so hot I could not eat any more. Chicken tenders chewey. And took them over an hour to clear my plate. Terrible service. And not even a check back.

We dipped in here to get out of the rain. It's a large pub with something for everyone. Comfy seats, a lovely view and all set in a fab area of Portsmouth. You can go for a walk along the waterfront first, and cross your fingers that you get a rain cloud come over so you too have to pop in.