The Briny in Portsmouth

We didn't have a booking but luckily they could offer us a 'high table' which was fine. Very helpful staff, varied menu (mainly seafood) and wine list. The food was delicious and we didn't have to wait too long.

I found this place by accident when I was about to settle for yet another boring fish and chips, and I was absolutely delighted. The fish was fresh and perfectly ehnanced by the chef's seasonings, which blended French and English flavors. The setting was amazing, and the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The variety of drinks to pair with the dishes was extensive. It was so addicting that I felt the need to return as soon as possible

We go here 2-3 times a week. Staff are lovely and never had a bad meal in 3 years. Sometimes there is a bit of a wait for cocktails….so we order double rounds :) If we fancy a change we go to abarbistro which is owned by the same people ( they also own the canteen and the tenth hole. Canteen is best for breakfast, tenth hole is good for tea and cake) I celebrate here with my family and I have taken clients for lunch meetings. Recommended.

Had lunch here on a Saturday, and it was busy so a little bit noisy. It used to have a great view of the sea but I fear that once the sea defences are finished, the view won't be so great as the wall will block it! Having said that, the food and service were excellent. We had two small plates (mackeral & trout) and the fish of the day (bream). All were simply delicious and highly recommended. Service was pleasant and quick. Recommend that you book though!

Beautifully cooked seafood, with lovely fresh tasting dishes. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Good atmosphere too. Will definitely be back.

Hardly unlimited!! Advertised as ‘every Wednesday unlimited mussels for £15’. Arrived at 7:30pm all of us ordered the mussels, 40-50% of them were empty shells. No problem we thought, as we can just order more. Each portion comes with chips between 2 and bread between 2. We ordered 3 bottles of wine and planned to be there all evening as it was a birthday meal. 6 of 7 of us asked for a second portion of mussels. The second portion was tiny, a cereal bowl full. Half empty shells again. One person did not eat chips nor bread so wanted more mussels. At 9:30 we were told ‘the kitchen is now closed for hot food’. At 9:30???? This unlimited mussels offer is false advertising. The food was nice, the service was ok. Had to ask twice for tap water, waited a while for the bill etc. Not sure why a busy kitchen would be shut by 9:30pm. Is it simply to avoid serving ‘unlimited mussels’??

This is usually our favourite restaurant - we go here a lot and have never had a bad meal. Decided to go on a Sunday this time, wasn’t the normal menu and unfortunately our food came out luke warm and was really uninspiring. The best part was the panacotta. Service was slow too. Such a shame. Will still come back but wouldn’t return again on a Sunday.

Attention to detail both in the menu and in the service. Fully booked but each dish was spot on. Oysters very plump and fish if the day beautifully cooked

Ok have visited this place a few times although quite expensive has always delivered in food quality and service so much so I came here from South Wales as I wanted to have my birthday lunch here and stayed local booked a table, started with the Brixham bay crab soup with what was described as crab rarebit toast ( it was more like fish paste mush) awful followed by fish and chips soggy batter soggy chips 2 waitresses delivered our main course one carrying the chips the second the fish neither one ask if we wanted any condiments I.e basics vinegar I had to go and ask very poor will not return.

Politely asked can we order, after a modest 10/15 minute wait; waitress replied without eye contact ‘yeah yeah’! Not inspiring and neither was my espresso; watery and very weak after second effort.

Very underwhelmed and disappointed after reading all the great reviews i thought this would be a special venue for a reunion with friends. Uncomfortable seating. Greasy fried samphire drowning in fat. My plaice main very poor for the price. 4 or 5 scraps pf kale with potatoes. Pudding and coffee was v tasty. Not worth the price.

What a fantastic experience. Top service; humorous, skilled and timely. Great bar, we had champagne, wine and cocktails, all superb. And the food... well we stopped talking because we were in heaven. Complete, well-planned plates of joy. Can't wait to return. Our thanks to the whole team xx

Recommended by various friends as excellent. We were meet with a warm welcome. All the staff are very pleasant and helpful. The atmosphere is lovely and the surrounding modern and bright. The food was fantastic. A wonderful treat of the Lobster platter. We will definitely go again

Popped in unplanned at 5.30 on a Wedensday and was welcomed no problem. Been a few times, but this was the first time in a while. But everything was still great so more than happy. The £15 all you can eat mussels promotions was superb and a great addition to midweek. Long may it continue. And the tempura zamphire starter was very good, but maybe avoid if your main course is of a batter nature. We will be back :-)

This is our second visit and it’s our new favourite seafood restaurant. Food choice, quality and service all of a very high quality and reasonably priced.

Recently booked a Christmas Eve brunch to catch up with an old friend, fully aware of the expected hustle and bustle. To my delight, the food and drink were top-notch, and the staff ensured we felt pampered from the moment we sat down until we bid farewell. I must admit, the unexpected Saxophone player initially raised concerns of an unwanted musical intrusion, but to my pleasant surprise, it added an extra touch of festive joy to an already fantastic atmosphere. Big thanks to the entire team at The Briny, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and here's to a thriving New Year ahead!

21 of our friends descended on The Briny on Saturday 16th December. The restaurant was bustling but staff were unphased, professional and did a sterling job with a smile. Food was fantastic! Delivered in a fine dining fashion and all 21 of us had an excellent 2/3 course meal. Special thanks to Eve, our waitress, who was exceptional! She was charming, attentive and always had a smile without being overpowering. Credit to the chefs for providing every dish perfectly, despite having a choc-a-block restaurant! Can’t wait to come again! (If they’ll have us 😉😂) - Blythe x

It’s our third visit to The Briny and it never disappoints. The food is just amazing. Fresh delicious fish every time. The staff are so pleasant and helpful. We drive down from Aldershot to The Briny every few months. Love this hidden gem in Southsea.

Fabulous, fabulous fish! Service a bit hit and miss. Started really fast then we had to chase up orders. Lovely menu and good wine list. Plaice was EPIC and the specials very good. Sea defences being built up so it’s not pretty outside at the moment but ignore it if you’ve not been before. The fish is incredible.

Looking for a place to eat found The Briny, great evening meal, staff very attentive, food was very good enjoyed emensely, we will be back (we live in East London)

We visited the Briny for a wonderful family meal and were sat at the chefs table. It was fantastic to see them all hard at work and the intricacy that goes into making each dish perfectly! We started with a lovely bottle of English white...

Went here because my husband loves seafood and he wasn’t disappointed. The seafood platter was enough for two to share but he scoffed the lot! He said the oysters were really tasty and the crab was huge. I had the salmon wellington which was ample...

Excellent lunch - the place was very busy on a Monday lunch, which speaks volumes ! We had the skate special which was delicious, if a slightly smaller portion than we were expecting. The rest of our party had the fish and chips and fishcakes,...

We’ve never eaten at The Briny on a Sunday before, but circumstances dictated we were in Portsmouth, so booked a table Sunday evening – 8.00pm. We were given a set menu which was disappointing as I was looking forward to choosing some of their wonderful...

We came to The Briny on a very stormy night and had a fabulous time. Warm greeting, great food (for both of us, smoked trout to start, halibut for mains with a lovely parsnip side dish). With a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc the bill...

Wonderful lunchtime venue for a catch up with friends. Food good service great very attentive & understood personal requirements ie allergies etc

Overall really good. Fantastic setting (lucky with an exceptionally warm weekend). The fish cakes with mussel remoulade had loads of mussels rather just a token couple as a garnish. Samphire & taramasalata nibbles were excellent. I did feel that a starter of glazed carrot was...

Excellent menu! Great variety of seafood dishes. As a couple who dine out a lot, we were recommended this coastal restaurant by the hotel we stayed at and we were not disappointed. Some unusual offerings from a chef who definitely has a creative flair. The...

Gorgeous sea view ... adorable waiter ... great food but very long wait ... think they actually mislaid our order but we sat back, enjoyed the sun and sea ... definitely worth waiting for.

We have eaten at The Briny on many occasions and never once had a reason to complain. Unfortunately today we did. Both ordered the crab soup and large moules. The crab soup was beautiful but when the moules arrived we couldn’t believe how few mussels...

The view from this restaurant is incredible, even viewed from the inside on a chilly evening! The invisible chips caught my eye straight away- what a thoughtful idea! We went straight for mains, leaving just enough room for the amazing desserts...it was really hard to...

We ordered a fish platter for our table of 4, which cost £95. When the platter arrived, it consisted of 6 prawns, 6 oysters, a dressed crab, some cockles, a portion of samphire, a small portion of fries and 5 slices of bread. The prawns...

We had the pleasure of booking chef’s table for my wife’s 30th Birthday, and we’re so glad we did. The restaurant has never disappointed but they excelled even further that night. The staff were as always attentive, well informed and very accommodating. The menu was...

I see from my last year's review of The Briny that I commented on how long the wait was for desserts to arrive – we found exactly the same today. However, I have given five stars this time as all other aspects of our visor...

First time for us at this delightful restaurant. Table with a view over the water, beautifully prepared food and splendid service from all the staff we met. Probably helped that the weather was good although this can’t be guaranteed of course

This used to be one of my favourite places to eat for a special occasion, but this time really wasn’t great.After being seated it took 20 minutes to receive our drinks and 55 minutes before someone took our food order, to which there were only...

This is our 5/6 time at the Briny, we live in Nottinghamshire so it’s not a regular occurrence, however we have started making sure that if we head to the south coast we must visit Southsea and the Briny. On this occasion we had my...

I've always loved visiting The Briny, and today was no exception. Perfect weather, thankfully cooler on the coast than my home town in Berkshire. I chose one of the smaller plate meals, the fishcake, with a portion of skin on fries. Perfectly cooked and beautifully...

We were recommended to visit this restaurant as we were in Southsea. The welcome was great, the staff were all happy to be working and our order was delivered with a smile. I had mussels and they were perfect. I would definitely go back

Popped in for a brioche roll with sausages. So good I didn't need any sauce on it. Nice hot coffee served just after my roll. Clean facilities.

Fantastic location , right on the promenade with beautiful views .Lovely menu with great selection . We had fish & chips which was outstanding . Good cocktail & wine selection . Would definitely recommend .

Fantastic fish and shellfish, great wine list, attentive but not over bearing service and a laid back, chilled vibe. Add the views across the Solent as the sun goes down. Fantastic. Highly recommend.

Lovely food, staff and atmosphere. Varied menu. Best situated Southsea restaurant Always our favourite seaside experience.

The dish of the day was Monkfish , Wasabi and Samphire. The fish was fine , the Wasabi too shy and the samphire did not make an appearance. The sea view was fine.

Incredible atmosphere, charming and attentive staff. Beautiful food and drinks…..all against the beach backdrop. Highly recommend for any occasion.

The menu and location looked good but the service was terrible. They are more than staffed enough, you can’t order your food at the same time as drinks. Having waited forever for a table, we waited 30 minutes or more for our drinks, once I...

The Briny is a must on our annual Southsea holiday. We went as a group of 6 at 5pm on a Monday, our ages ranged from 14 to 70. Our meal was absolutely spot on. The Cornish lobster was hot with melted butter dripping from...

We often stop at the Briny’s takeaway window for a coffee when walking the dog. Always friendly service and good coffee. Today I stood at the window for what seemed like an eternity by staff only the other side of the opening. In the end,...

I came in yesterday with my husband as a belated birthday treat. We unexpectedly had the day to ourselves so booked last minute... I have been wanting to try The Briny for years. It truly didn't disappoint. From the second we entered the building the...

If the service matched the food, this would be a 5* review. The food was absolutely stunning, could not fault. The freshest most delicious seafood I’ve had in a while. However slow and impersonal service let’s this place down. Starters were sat on the pass...

1st visit as given a gift voucher. Will certainly come back again. Staff very attentive without being over powering. Food 1st class. Certainly a gem on our doorstep.

I visited the Briny with a friend for lunch, enjoying some of their fish dishes. The setting is good, with views of the sea that will be impressive during summer. The service was attentive, and the waitress gave a good wine reccomendation. Good. And reccomended.

Excellent once again. I felt I had to write another updated review as there are so many negative reviews for June 2023. It was Friday lunchtime and very busy. I had pre-booked online (luckily). We both had a small plate each of mussels and a...

We were refused entry to the restaurant because we had a dog. Our dog is an assistance dog in training. It is illegal to refuse entry to assistance dogs including when in training because they have to become familiar with all situations. The reason given...

My partner and I enjoyed a really nice light lunch at The Briny, we wanted something a little better than an ordinary sandwich so we dropped in to The Briny, fortunately it was still relatively quiet so we got a table outside. We had one...

Absolutely appalled by The Briny! They abruptly canceled my wife's birthday dinner a mere week before the reservation due to their sudden change in opening hours. We specifically chose 4pm to accommodate our newborn. This last-minute cancellation, with travel plans already set, is downright unacceptable!...

Stopped off here with a friend for a superior lunch after browsing around Southsea and was not disappointed. Friendly, attentive but not clingy service, fast turn around of drinks and a mains that were worth their wait. Being a pebble throw from the sea, fish...

Excellent food and service as always. Nice relaxed ambience. Price was very reasonable - not cheap, but then good food shouldn't be.

I am underwhelmed. We went here for dinner and at the start I explained my allergy to chilli and paprika. It was explained what I could and couldn't eat and so made my order. I had the haddock fishcake to start, which was delicious and...

The coffee brand has changed. Now doesn't taste of coffee! Previously, the bread was changed. Now tastes of cardboard. Don't have toast there, anymore and don't think we'll be having their coffee either, now. A shame, as really nice staff.

Fantastic location on a lovely sunny evening. Staff super friendly - they could not seat us outside but instead sorted a table right next to the big sliding doors which felt like we were practically outside :) Food was delicious and cocktails tasted fantastic too!...

Amazing meal and very attentive staff inside the restaurant . Only downside was the not so helpful guy at the door. Asked to sit at an outside table after our meal in the sunshine to finish my half a glass of wine and was told...

Despite supporting this restaurant since it opened I was really disappointed to see the decline in standards when I went last night. We waited for a while at the entrance before we were even acknowledged despite having a booking. Had to call the waitress twice...

Eaten here before without problems but I don't know what's going on with the kitchen. Starter sent back as the so called 'brioche' was like a small brick and the main of cod with clams, came out with four clams, one of which was empty,...

Nice location with good views of the Solent , however food is mega expensive and not good quality to be very honest , we had fish and chips , not sure there are many square fish swimming in the sea , it was pretty disgusting...

Came here one evening wanting to sit outside as we had a dog, there were plenty of tables free outside and waited a good 20 minutes with waitresses going past without even being acknowledged. We decided to leave and not bother giving them our custom....

Service was awful, waited a long time for order to be taken, and when we ordered more drinks they took about 30 minutes to arrive, and it wasn't that busy. For the price food was not the best. I think they charge due to their...

Found this restaurant by accident as we'd headed to see the sunset over the sea Thursday evening. Wanted somewhere close to the seafront and walked in without booking (I'd recommend booking), the welcome was warm and friendly and they found a table for us, it...

Wonderful lunch. We were recommended this by a butchers in Southsea. We decided to just go and see what’s in Southsea. A girls day out and a bonding experience. We went reminiscing of Knight and Lee and Debenhams along with lots of quaint shops but...

I’d come down to Portsmouth for professional meetings that were delayed. Hungry and a bit deflated I was recommended to come here for dinner… put simply, in two words, thank you. The service was sweet and clean, the food was elegant and light. I recommend...

The food is nice, expensive for the portion sizes though. What I didn't like is that the staff seem over worked. Seems like the kind of place that says to their staff 'we're a family' but don't treat them well, which made me feel sad....

My sister and I went to The Briny for her birthday. We always go there for celebrations of our birthdays. Even though the table was not available the manager offered us complimentary nibbles and drinks at the bar. She was hugely apologetic and looked after...

We went here for ‘date night’ but unfortunately it was a very poor one food wise! We had the special octopus grilled it wasn’t grilled it was more like boiled! So didn’t eat that! Mains I had the ‘special’ lemon sole’ yes a nice fish...

We were a large group and were served very well by very good staff who were obviously used to large numbers. It was very busy but everything was served together which is important. A variety of dishes were ordered (as a large group we had...

Family meal out on a Sunday - so got the cut down Sunday lunch menu. Not a great deal of choice - but you don't mind that if the food is good. Service was informal but reasonably attentive. The food though, not good. A couple...

Fresh local fish! Good stop for lunch with sea-view. Might take longer to be served when it’s busy but absolutely worth it! Wine is very reasonable too

We enjoyed every aspect of our visit to this lovely restaurant situated on the seafront. We were greeted in a very friendly manner and seated quickly. The server was very helpful with my order. I am recovering from illness with a small appetite and I...

Definitely unable to cope with Saturday evening. Stroppy ‘manageress’ didn’t help and I was all for leaving before the conclusion of our meal. Won’t be back. Staff are there to look after customers, not criticise them

Lovely evening dinner, the welcome was great, service was prompt and consistent throughout and food was excellent. Our waitress was lovely and the duty manager was really on the ball, attentive to us and all other patrons. All in all a great dining experience with...

Recommend to this eatery and much to my delight it was superb if you enjoy fresh fish in a beautiful surroundings this place is for you

First time of visiting The Briny today. Deco really nice. Staff friendly. Really lovely breakfast. Had hash browns as extras. Latte also very nice. My daughter had the breakfast and fresh orange. All very nice. Will definitely be back. Total price £35. Well Done The...

Popped in for a coffee and a sausage bap on Easter Sunday. It wasn’t busy but we had to wait for the ‘greeter’ to search amongst the empty tables outside to assign us one. Then the waiter brought menus and even though we knew what...

Gorgeous location, brilliant food - best kid’s breakfast in Southsea! We love coming here on a sunny morning to take in the view and enjoy the delicious food.

We booked in advance and the restaurant was busy on arrival. Waiting staff very friendly and pleasant. We had starters of crab mayo and haddock cake but without doubt the star was the cod and chips. The cod was thick and crispy batter, the chips...

We had a delicious post-Parkrun breakfast on a miserable, wet and windy day. We received a warm welcome from attentive staff and an all round great experience!

To celebrate my mother’s 92nd birthday we spent a lovely few hours at The Briny. Overall the food was excellent, though still expensive. My fish of the day course (halibut @ £27) with extra for chips (£4) was delicious but pricy. The fish and chips...

£3 for one slice of toast from the child’s menu, disgusting pricing. Also asked to exchange the tomato on the adult breakfast (never been a problem in any other restaurant I’ve been too) but they “can’t do that unfortunately” as they were too busy?!

Came here after visiting Southsea Rock Gardens whilst heavily pregnant. Queued and asked the woman at the door if I could use the bathroom here as needed to pee urgently and she said no and to find a public bathroom. Was momentarily stunned by this...

We booked a table for six to celebrate Mother's day, we last had breakfast in this restaurant in 2018 and my review then said excellent, and 5 years on I give it excellent again. The menu, was varied and covered for all tastes, the staff,...

Met some friends for a long overdue catch up at the restaurant for Sunday lunch. We were seated at a table by the bar beneath one of the many speakers. The music was so loud none of us could hear a word each other was...

Very friendly and efficient staff, great setting…… the food we had was nothing but quite superb!!!!!!!!!! Very fresh, and very tasty and beyond all expectations. We had the Halibut main course and I asked to swap the broccoli for samphire which was no trouble at...

As a lover of seafood, was treated to dinner here for my birthday and oh my word it was delicious. I had the crevettes followed by the mussels with a side of skin on fries, husband had hot smoked trout and fish of the day...

Excellent (and no ordinary) menu, wonderfully presented and, I felt, good value for money especially given the day of the year. Staff, organisation and ambience all first class. This was a second visit and just as enjoyable as the first, probably more so.

Excellent location on the beachfront, with lovely views. Food was absolutely delicious, and all freshly cooked. Service was also excellent, and very friendly.

We had a fabulous Sunday roast at the briny on my birthday- the food was delicious. I always ask for gluten free (I’m coeliac) and there is always a good selection of meals to choose from. They also had live jazz music which was very...

Went over for dinner last night and it was fabulous! The service, ambiance and atmosphere were outstanding. The food was exceptional, amazing flavour combinations, high quality ingredients and clever chefs. We'll be back really soon. My new fav restaurant 😁

Fabulous food and service. It was a great atmosphere and a modern upmarket venue very welcomed to Southsea. See you soon!

We visited on a Friday night and dined at a high table. We selected oysters and taramasalata with sourdough to start and a selection of small plates to follow including the sticky rib, poached trout, fishcake with mussels and crevettes. Every dish exceeded expectations, massively....

We went on a Sunday, the staff were really welcoming and friendly. We both had fish and chips which were cooked perfectly. The atmosphere was great with a saxophonist playing in the background.

Tonight we visited The Briny for the for time, it was busy (Saturday night) but not overwhelming/loud, service was wonderful from the young lady and Freddy who was incredibly attentive and welcoming