Spice Island Inn in Portsmouth

Great atmosphere with a thought out menu that isnt overcrowded with choice. Busy in the evenings but booking is easy. Great views of the harbour too.

Great views, good and kind service. Food was very nice

My friend and I had a lovely time at Spice Island, the food was lovely and Sam and Harry made the experience even better by providing amazing customer service! Will definitely be recommending Spice Island to others!!

The place is nice. The view is breathtaking over the bay. There are tables outside on the terrace and the space inside is very large. The Mac and cheese was very good, the nachos were disappointing. The salad was ideal. The staff was very friendly.

Beautiful pub overlooking the Portsmouth canal and opposite the Spinnaker tower. Classic and typical dishes of the area well served and well prepared. SALT & pepper squid are very good fried calamari, the Salmon & vintage cheddar are salmon batter on salad and it's a must try. I absolutely recommend coming!

Great place to sit in the sun with a drink and look across to Gunwharf, watching the world on the river go by. We didn't eat here so I can't comment on the food

Lovely dog friendly place, staff very attentive, good menu & Sunday roast. Would have given 5 stars, but some of the inside seats could do with a clean

Not so many pubs in this area, but this was a nice one.

Quality food. You do get what you pay for compared to cheaper establishments. Friendly staff. Lovely location with great views. Clean toilets, and spacious interior.

George, Kitty and Andre served our large-ish group efficiently and without errors - friendly and professional - food lovely and a special evening made even better - thanks x

Towny pub. Great views over the water and spinnaker

I recently had a large booking at Spice Island for a family celebration. From start to finish the team were absolutely fantastic. They reserved the upstairs area for us which was amazing on a beautiful evening. The staff (in particular George) were really organised and helpful in getting our orders ready. On the day, the pub was really busy but Luke informed us when we arrived that the food might be a little later than the 7pm we had discussed. This wasn’t a problem for us at all. The food was served all together (baring in mind there was 20 of us!) and it was absolutely delicious. I have been coming to Spice Island since I was a child and it is one of our favourite places to come and visit. The whole evening was amazing and a lot of that has to do with the staff - in particular Luke and George. Thank you so much for looking after us so well. All 20 of us had a fabulous time.

Beautiful place to just hang, have a drink and watch the ships go by.

One of the best selection of food and drink available

Just a drink, but the front door slamming forced us to sit outside. Otherwise lovely and the menu looked good.

Lovely pub in a stunning location. Staff so friendly and helpful. Myself my grandson and his mum ordered the Nachos sharing plate, chicken and bacon sandwich and steak sandwich and chips. Bread on both sandwiches was really dry, meat over-cooked dry and chewy and not hot. My grandson ate half of the nachos and we shared the chips which were the only good part of the meal. Very disappointed with the food and it was a Mothers Day treat. Wish we had just stuck with the drinks then it would have been 5 star all round. There was a large queue at the bar when we left or I would have asked for a refund.

A decent Greene King experience.

Very expensive but they do armed forces discount, you can pay just shy of £20 for a beer..

Very expensive drinks , a small coke and a pint of " spice island " £9:70 ! Nice and clean pub, though.

Reasonable price for soft drinks, no food consumed this time.

Had a fantastic afternoon at Spice Island on Sunday the 16th March. Great service from a young guy Finlay who made sure we were well taken care of even when it was a bit busier. Was very impressed with his attitude and they definitely need to hang on to him! Highly recommended 👌

Superb location, views to die for. Excellent food and drink, great service from friendly staff.

So lovely there and the food is amazing! the staff are so lovely too, will definitely be going there again 🤞🏼

Amazing views overlooking Portsmouth Harbour!

The food was really lovely , the staff were really helpful and friendly

Thank you for a great evening with friends, food was good and made for a good evening watching ferries depart....

First time in Portsmouth, and what a great venue, great location over the waterfront watching the ferries and to top it, although we had plans to eat elsewhere, on seeing the specials, we opted to stay, live music arrived supplemented with the Mussels and Squid, very reasonably priced and an amazing service. Many thanks, will be back again! Ps very dog friendly, which was nice to see.

We had our valentines meal here and it couldn’t have been any nicer. The service was incredible and the food was amazing!!! We have been coming here for years and this is the BEST it’s ever been under Julio and Fernanda’s leadership. Sam is also a credit to their team and is so friendly, helpful and lovely!

Had a fantastic time at 'Spice Island Inn! The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, the staff were friendly and attentive, and the food was absolutely delicious. We especially enjoyed the mussels, which was cooked to perfection. Great selection of drinks, and the service was quick despite being busy. A big mention to Luke and Fin who were super professional and could not do enough for their guest. We will definitely be back.

Spice Island hosted a reception following a family funeral. They catered for 100 guests and it was hosted by George and Luke who were absolutely incredible and so attentive to our needs. The function room is ideally arranged for such an event and guests could easily access food and there was plenty of seating. George and Luke were very courteous and sensitive to the nature of the occasion.

Excellent service by a first rate team of staff. All without exception were great! A pretty good Sunday roast too. Thank you

Brilliant evening, good menu, fair pricing and great atmosphere .......Great place to enjoy the views and watch the ferries

I have frequented this pub in my time working in Portsmouth. The staff is friendly, the beer is tasty, and the food is good. All around a great place to visit.

We visited the pub on valentine's day. Julio and all his staff were outstanding. I will go back. Felt very welcome

A big advantage of this destination is the fascinating view of the Spinaker Tower in Portsmouth - so it's no wonder that when the weather is right, it's hard to get a seat on the terrace at dusk. We also really like the interior design, even if the rooms are a bit angled. More of a pub than a restaurant, you have to order your food at the counter at lunchtime. We cannot judge whether this is also the case in the evening. Solid pub cuisine is offered, which is nicely complemented by some seafood dishes due to the location. The location is both a blessing and a curse, as the rush of visitors in the evening leads to a noticeable level of noise. We particularly like this destination as a pub or for a nice sundowner. More on turtlesurf eu.

Sit out and watch the boats and ships. Eat and drink 👍 beautiful❤️

Food was great and excellent value. But what really set things apart was the service. Our waitress Kitty was great. My partner has a gluten intolerance and Kitty’s diligence ensured her requirements were catered for. Together with Kitty’s colleagues, Freya and Tiago, were courteous, attentive and friendly. Was an absolute pleasure to eat here.

My family ordered two special pulled pork daily special, two fish and chips meals, two chicken nugget meals, and a sirloin steak meal with peppercorn sauce. Personally, as the person who order the sirloin steak, it was highly thick and juicy. Definitely would come again.

We had a large family gathering today and we had really good service from Kitty, Luke, Freya & Lago. We were seated upstairs which was nice and had that whole area to ourselves. There were a mixture of food choices being such a large party but from our end of the table we were all happy and enjoyed our Sunday roasts. We asked for extra gravy and condiments, sadly some people had finished already but no complaints. A very enjoyable afternoon, 👏🏻 to the staff today. Thank you.

Great food great atmosphere had a great time

Excellent service. I have a gluten intolerance and our waitress, Kitty, was very diligent in ensuring I was correctly advised and catered for. All of the staff (Kitty, Freya & Tiago) were courteous, attentive and friendly. The dish I had, Hake & Romesco ragout, was absolutely gorgeous.

Great pub, good beers, in a quiet bit of Pompey

Very large group of over 30 people. Managed so well. All good in good time and really lovely. Very friendly service

Luke and Andre looked after a large group incredibly well. Good food, haven't left a restaurant feeling that full in a long time. Quiet Thursday night.

Delicious food, lovely views of the harbour, and a relaxed atmosphere in historical surroundings.

Fantastic food in a great location with lots of choices of beers on tap.

Went for Sunday lunch, excellent service, tasty food in a great location. Will definitely go back….

fantastic location , in a traditional old pub with bags of character. Very friendly approachable, caring staff and great food.

George and Luke were very personable and friendly. Customer service was second to none. Food great! And will be back soon. Thank you

Sam, George and Andre were an absolute hoot. They looked after us for a 50th birthday last year and remembered us for our latest visit. Bucket loads of fun. Great place to be even in the depths of winter. Looking forward to our next visit. 👍👍

Really great pub, the best spot in Southsea. Warm and Welcoming. The staff are always polite and helpful. George the barman always greets us with a smile and pours a lovely pint! Decent food. Reasonably priced. 9/10

Popped in here by chance, to dodge the rain, the food was divine and a great view. We had the Beef and a Pork Belly roast, the food was plentiful and the gravy something else. Well worth a visit.

Definitely an experience in an original, established pub that is frequented by many locals

Very good food, very nice service, staff were very friendly and helpful. Definitely a good pub to go visit and also very nice views looking out to the sea. 🌊 ⭐️

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.

Good place to watch cruise ships

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

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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!).

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

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

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