Based on 4.315 opinions finded in 4 websites
Based on 4.315 opinions finded in 4 websites
Nº 628 in 901 in Portsmouth
Nº 80 of 110 British in Portsmouth
Opinions
Full of students they get heavy drunk then spoil the place by swearing shouting and generally being a pain in the ass door staff not interested rather just stand on the door drinking coffee the. Dealing with unpleasant students behaviour not a place for families in the evenings
richard newman . 2025-05-28
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Kicked out for having a dog. Sitting outside! Don’t bother.
Peter Green . 2025-05-25
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Very busy due to a show in the Guildhall but the staff done very well at serving customers as quickly as possible.
Dave Barrett . 2025-05-24
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A very busy place with a young, noisy clientele. Service was very good - quick and polite staff, and the food was as you would expect from a Wetherspoon's. Not the place to go for a quiet drink & a chat, but otherwise it was fine
D . 2025-05-23
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Great staff but Wetherspoons no longer does Steak Tuesday so we were somewhat disappointed...
Beach Dog . 2025-05-22
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The food is good , but the service can be a bit slow sometimes, but that's because it can be very busy sometimes being in the city centre, but overall a good place
andy hill . 2025-05-20
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It's a great size pub and the beer garden is small but if you can sit out side it's a really nice place to people watch
Kevin Winchester . 2025-05-18
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Decent food for a good price in a nice setting. No complaints
Arturo Freeman . 2025-05-12
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Drinks a little slow to arrive after ordering on the App. Tables needed clearing. Had a lift for disabled customers which was good.
Lydia Hunt . 2025-05-12
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It's a spoons, cheap and cheerful. Always busy here, pub grub is cheap. Service is with a smile
Dawn Cuthbert . 2025-05-10
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Average spoons cheap beer average food
Bryan Paget . 2025-05-10
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We enjoyed a few visits here the other week. Good beer and friendly staff.
Stuart Seale . 2025-05-09
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Terrible burger. Ordered a classic burger with tomato, lettuce and red onion. Arrived at the table minus tomato lettuce and red onion. Took it to the bar to rectify and received it back with a smattering of lettuce, nothing else. They really don't give a shit. Never again 😔
Andy Doe . 2025-05-03
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worst wetherspoons i've ever been to. smallest food menu - hardly any options, most items unavailable. cut menu on drinks too. untidy, tables uncleared and food took ages.
Freya Lipscombe . 2025-05-03
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First of all, we're fierce Wetherspoons lovers, and have visited almost 70 in the 3 years we've been back in the UK. This is the first and very likely the last time we have to give 1 star (would give 0 if I could) and will escalate our experience to the Head Office. We've been in this pub twice now, both times absolutely appalling service (so much for giving places a second chance eh). Today was completely unacceptable. We went in there at 11 am on the spot, pub was quite full due to Comicon and football. The vast majority of people were just having a drink. My husband went to the bar to order breakfast. After 25 mins, we asked the waitress when to expect the food. She informed us that there was a ONE HOUR wait for food, which nobody bothered to tell us when ordering! After 50 mins, my "fresh fruit" came - a plate half full with 6 pieces of rotten strawberries and brown mushy bananas. No sign of the ordered cooked breakfasts. We had enough, took the disgusting plate to the bar and requested a refund for everything. The lady told us that they were simply not expecting this many customers (no why would you on a Matchday with Comicon next door!) which still doesn't explain why nobody informed us about the hour wait. It didn't say on the app either. Clearly the management isn't up to their job and needs to be replaced. Shame for all the other really decent Spoons in Pompey. Needless to say, we won't give this one a third chance. Avoid by all means.
Dulcinea C. . 2025-05-03
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Staff are bit rude. Appreciate it was a busy Monday night. But if you don't like pressure. Is it the right job?
Zac Holloway . 2025-05-03
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Classic Spoons! Usual characters, great value.
Chrissi . 2025-05-02
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Typical 'spoons with the usual offerings. Staff good; duty manager (day) efficient and friendly. Quality real ale served.
Ben Rains . 2025-04-29
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Terrible place Dirty smelly Disinterested staff However the door men we're polite!
Anne Follington . 2025-04-27
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The Wetherspoons experience is pretty consistent wherever you go. The usual good prompt service & food.
Marc Stephens . 2025-04-27
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Typical 'spoons, with a young crowd
Andy Gill . 2025-04-23
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Next to the Guildhall Gets busy before a concert Plenty of beers available
brackets thepolicefan . 2025-04-17
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I ordered a fish and chips and got the most tiniest fish I had ever seen.. a small portion of chips and what seemed like, a teaspoon on beans. It tastes okay, then I ordered a dessert, I went for the ‘giant profiterole’ The inside was FROZEN. You couldn’t get your spoon through it, the pastry tasted stale - almost freezer burnt. It’s not even like it was busy !! It was empty in there ! Honestly, the meal wasn’t too bad just the portion was ridiculous, but the dessert was a pisstake.
El . 2025-04-16
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Very busy but it was friday night in a universitet town. Food came out quick and hot
Alice wood . 2025-04-11
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I think everyone knows what to expect from a spoons.
Steve Attwood . 2025-04-10
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It was very busy, almost every table taken but we found a few stools free. The food was OK, just nibbles to share and it all came out really quickly.
vicky sochor . 2025-04-09
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Great place for beer and food. Quick service even when packed out. Typical Spoons fare but of good quality
mark shepherd . 2025-04-07
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Saturday's: full of meatheads, slappers and idiots. Cheap beer though.
Roger S . 2025-03-29
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I love the breakfast here, nice, fresh and hot. The staff are lovely here and are always polite and professional.
Katy Baker . 2025-03-26
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We didn't manage to find a table it was so busy. So we went elsewhere. It was very loud and almost oppressive inside with everyone talking over the top of everyone else.
Jason Rincewind Anthony-Rowlands . 2025-03-26
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Very warm and welcoming. Great service but a little brash and tired
Mark South . 2025-03-24
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Cut us off after 3 pints, staff must not be very experienced.
James Davey . 2025-03-21
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Fab place! Lovely atmosphere, good food at affordable prices. Friendly helpful staff! Disabled facilities good too
ShenaRibena Ribena . 2025-03-20
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City centre pub, plenty of tables.
Paul S . 2025-03-19
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Great use for a historic building, part of the fabric of Portsmouth's history, respectfully converted to a hostelry. Perfectly placed to greet newcomers to Portsmouth off the end of the train line as well as cater for the ever evolving student population. Especially the breakfasts and refillable hot drink, are priced to give students a good deal. If I was still a student and living on campus, I'd try and have breakfast here every day. Then whatever happened to the rest of the day; racing back and forth across the miles of campus between lecture buildings and long hours of studying, each day would get the best start.
sharon reeves . 2025-03-18
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Breakfast here is awesome 👌 11 on 10
Sam Patel . 2025-03-16
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Had a better visit to this branch of Wetherspoons this time round.!! Compared with last visit all went well. Service was fast after using the app. Although pub was incredibly busy we found a table fairly easily. Food this time round was cooked well and not 'nuked' like last time we visited. Only issues we found was due to a 'protest' in Guildhall Square some people were getting 'tanked' up and very loud. So you could not hear very much. Atmosphere was very uncomfortable due to the ongoing protests outside!! Other than that not a bad visit.
Kevin Smith . 2025-03-15
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A bit of a zoo, revolving more around alcohol than food. Nevertheless, food was brought promptly and accurately. Noise level far too high.
John Oram . 2025-03-14
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Great place to eat and have a relaxing drink lovely and spacious friendly and pleasant staff and in a good location guild hall across the way we'll worth a view highly recommend
Steven Rooney . 2025-03-10
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Run down, very noisy. Tables took ages to be cleared and food order was wrong with missing items. Steak grissly and pork chop too hard to cut on mixed grill.
Michelle Curtis . 2025-03-09
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Lovely pints nice pub. Ignorant staff
Ryan Edwards . 2025-03-06
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Service can be quite slow even when not too busy. Sometimes difficult to find a table. Bustling and busy during university seasons or when there is a show on at the Guildhall next door. Generally has a good selection of ales, but slow to turn the badges round and update the app when they have run out. Very good selection of spirits, wines and other beers.
Derek Clarke . 2025-03-06
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Did let use in with are service dog 🐕🦺
Nathan Milne . 2025-03-05
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Excellent atmosphere, good and drink. Draught beers well kept, and prices very good!
Andrew Hayes . 2025-03-04
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Nice clean and well appointed pub . Excellent choice of beers
Jon Race . 2025-03-02
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Refillable coffee and a small breakfast under £8 great value for money
Andrew Wheatley . 2025-02-28
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Positive : quick service and nice view seating negative : surprisingly expensive compared to other Weatherspoon branches perhaps it’s due to student area no idea 🤷🏽♂️
BTSECURITY Services UK . 2025-02-27
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The atmosphere is good but noisy like a Wetherspoons usually is, the food was great but wait times can be a little longer then usual
Daniel Jones . 2025-02-26
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Typical spoons. Beer was good, food cheap but ok
Caraman On Tour . 2025-02-25
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Tim's just killed the atmosphere having televised sport on, no where to sit, single blokes sat at a tables of four, what a way to run a good business down.
stephen wells . 2025-02-22
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Awful. Very loud sport on TV, uncontrolled obnoxious children running around like it's a playground screaming at each other with no effort to control them and tables occupied by single men watching the sport nursing a pint for the entirety of the game. Such a shame to ruin a good atmosphere with brats and sports.
Amanda Wood . 2025-02-22
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Excellent evening staff were amazing y
Polly.solutions7@googlemail,com Lloyd Jones . 2025-02-20
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Lovely friendly place and service and staff very friendly
Steven Rolfe . 2025-02-19
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Great atmosphere, proper traditional english pub
Cameron Smith . 2025-02-16
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We popped in to get out of the cold and decided to stay and eat lunch. It’s a lovely big place with lots of seating and the staff were keeping everything as tidy as possible considering how busy it was. I opted to use the app so we could just sit chatting at our table and, the service was quick and friendly. The food was absolutely fine, at these prices you don’t get gourmet ingredients so, it was all edible and filling.
Phil Branigan . 2025-02-15
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You get what you pay for, but in a good way - depending on what you order
Shanaenae - Senpai . 2025-02-12
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All fantastically excellent good quality service thanks
Anthony Trowbridge . 2025-02-10
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It's a spoons, food was hot 🔥,beer is cheap, what's not to like
Darren Merry . 2025-02-01
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I was on a break to explore Portsmouth, and in the early evenings went to the Wetherspoons for a couple of pints before going back to the hotel. It was fine, they had a citra type beer I like, and had enough capacity to find a table to have a quiet read. Staff were pleasant and very capable. All in all a fine pub, though very big and busy. Rather spoilt on my last day when I went for a breakfast before catching a train home. I had beans on toast with an extra poached egg. The egg yolk was black and brown - never seen one like it before. Didn't have time to complain, but ate the rest and left for my train. Shame.
runton . 2025-01-24
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Bradley was class.manager worthy. Hard working, dedicated and stupendous staff member. Couldn’t ask for a better worker, made my experience 10/10 he is the real deal. Thank you Bradley for the good time
Matt Kirkby . 2025-01-19
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Male staff serving the pretty girls immediately while middle age people served would just have to wait. D.O.V. December 18th/19th.
Anthony Bright . 2025-01-13
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Brilliant! Stayed in Portsmouth overnight and this Wetherspoon was just around the corner from the IBIS hotel, so a few well kept beers in the evening and a fry up in the morning, sorted!
Clive Webb . 2025-01-08
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Spoons ain't it. Most crowded spoons in the city so hard to locate a table, but good prices.
Jon Palmer . 2025-01-01
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Enjoyed a decent breakfast with old work friends at Christmas, was very nice & nice atmosphere.
Matthew Hawnt . 2024-12-29
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Bouncers are rude, ruined our whole night
Finn Hutton . 2024-12-27
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It's a nice pub, but unfortunately, the toilets need refurbishing, and there was a shortage of toilet paper. Attention to detail is very important.
Colin Fletcher . 2024-12-26
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Quite a big spoons with a long bar down the left hand side as you enter - and there looks as though there could well be a second floor upstairs, but by the time I got here, I just wanted something to eat (the fish and chips were excellent) and drink before hitting the sack. This is more of a traditional spoons with loads of dark wood everywhere and little raised areas here and there as you walk through the place. The building looks old and historic, and according to their website it was built on the site of the Portsea Island Gas Light Company, which burnt down - It was rebuilt in 1915. The outside is cover in changing coloured light at night which just adds to the wonder of the building The Guinness was excellent.
The Whisperer . 2024-12-22
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Always packed great food and cheap
Gary Marshall . 2024-12-10
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Very impressed with the public house. It was extremely clean and the staff were friendly. The food came quickly and was delicious. I ordered at the bar for food and staff answered my question. Later we ordered drinks on the app, which came quickly. Will definitely go again
Helen H . 2024-12-09
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Great staff, friendly, Checking back even when it's so busy 👍
Jennifer Ashton . 2024-12-08
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Stopped for breakfast before going on the ferry huge place
Anthony Brown . 2024-12-08
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You would love the atmosphere 🍝
Atikul Shahadat Soikot . 2024-12-07
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A great venue , very popular. It was standing room only on Saturday lunchtime But they managed to produce our food in ten minutes Great staff, very friendly and helpful
Howard Jacks . 2024-12-07
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Firstly i have visited this pub on severly occasions while attending a consert at the Guildhall and all though the food isn't the best didn't have a reason to write a review but because the food i was servered yesterday was nothing short of a disgrace i think i should share my experince , I ordered the Brie and Bacon Burger and on its arrival i didn't think i was going to have any issues with it so started eating the chips plus the two pigs in blankets that were on top after pulling out the stick from the burger i went to remove the tomato from the bun that's when i discovered that the burger was pitch black burnt cold and hard as nails and if i had taken a bite i would have had to visit the dentist to get my teeth fixed, So i headed to the bar to complain and the lady came over to the table to have a look and even she was gobsmacked what she found and imeadiately removed my plate and ordered me another one , So please be aware that the food is not up to standard and should never be served to any customer like that , i'm affraid i will not be going their again while attending the Guildhall
Chris Cass . 2024-11-24
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Normally I would rate this wetherspoons high, however dues to this occasion where in was not allowed entry due to being drunk, even though I was sober and not drinking during November, was quite a concern. Especially when the bouncer allowed several people in after me who were way past 'gone'. Just a weird experience to be honest, and no idea why.
owen omeara . 2024-11-20
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Lovely pub in a historic building, Although busy found a table. Food arrived quite quick & was very good 😊
Mark Nicholls . 2024-11-17
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I love this pub. The staff are really friendly. It can get quite busy and still they manage to serve you fairly quick. The food is delicious!! Five stars pub!
May C . 2024-11-17
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Visited on Remembrance Sunday, a huge day in a military town. The IKB was functioning well. I am not a huge fan of Spoons, but this one seems to be run by good staff who have self respect and care about what they do.
Paul Barden . 2024-11-10
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I enjoyed my thai soup. A big place to eat and got a lot 9f food choices,drinks and cocktails.
Anna Grace Guevarra-Noble . 2024-11-09
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Don't even bother if u have allergies they the screen to tell u what's gluten free is inaccessible and staff can't tell u what's in stock and what's not.
Zoe W . 2024-11-06
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Zara had great customer service skills, would definitely recommend to anyone
Lily Fuller . 2024-10-30
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No dogs allowed absolutely rubbish and the beer is YUK not a nice place at all
Gary Day . 2024-10-30
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Got served by a lovely waitress called Ruby, amazing service lovely and attentive. Couldn’t rate it more!
Anwen James . 2024-10-27
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Lucy made the experience for me she gave excellent customer service hands down the loveliest bartender ive ever had :)
leah tolson . 2024-10-27
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Food was lovely and affordable. I was served by a lovely waitress named Ruby who was super helpful and brought our food out quickly.
Aimee Marlow . 2024-10-27
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Pub that refuses dogs, even outside on the terrace, which is amazing... In short, not pet friendly at all...and no effort in reception to adapt to the needs of all customers. Avoid!
Mme Delamarre . 2024-10-27
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Lucy is the best server there and makes the meanest drinks ;)
Miah White . 2024-10-26
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Lucy was a great help brilliant server
Robert Toth . 2024-10-26
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Everytime I go I have an amazing time. Food and drinks are quickly delivered to the table and are always top notch. Server Jamie Gooch definitely has that star quality service
Marid Smolders . 2024-10-24
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First time visiting a wetherspoons and the service doesnt disappoint especially for this server named Jamie Gooch, he was so nice to me and got everything I needed quickly and right. Would come again
Different One . 2024-10-24
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Love this place and a home away from home when visiting Portsmouth.we were really looked after by Jamie who definitely pours a mean drink, Definitely be back for a good chat and drink soon:)
MR broken . 2024-10-24
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As a student it is a great place to go with friends, especially on a nights out. Even when it's busy, they get my orders right and quick. A server named Jamie has served me a couple of time now and I love that guy. Super friendly and great server. Wetherspoons has never let me down
Maria Clasina Smolders . 2024-10-24
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Had a great night here last week only made better by Jamie who had the drinks flowing lovely:)
Tracey Hills . 2024-10-24
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We had a great time and great food mostly our waitress was very attentive and helpful, her name was Eva
Jane Raynsford . 2024-10-24
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Very well run, large, Spoons in the centre of Portsmouth. An absolute desert of a place for restaurants near the Guildhall so the IKB really packs them in if there is a concert at the Guildhall next door, as we were for Steve Hackett. Packed out between 5pm and 7.30pm, they nevertheless produced a perfect two-course supper for us two, with the minimum of wait, as they did for nearly all the tables in the place. And the fish and chips were very good indeed. We feared a disaster with all the customers but it is obviously no bother at all. Impressive.
david s . 2024-10-24
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A great burger served with a smile by Eva… one of the best spoons I’ve been to! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Michael Wingham . 2024-10-24
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great spoons with good drinks, especially friendly and very helpful server Eva!
Adelaide Oakey . 2024-10-24
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Good, cheap, quick service, friendly staff, especially Jamie.
rachel gooch . 2024-10-24
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Hello everyone, a pleasure to be here. Great pub one of the best I’d say, I’ve had many a great night here. I’d like to mention Jamie gooch, I like to come here sometimes and watch him work, he is a fantastic drink maker and has an even better smile. Shout out to my bro Jamie get that bag sis
Madison Hills . 2024-10-24
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Regula haunt, always great service. Thanks Jamie for keeping the drinks flowing!
wayne gooch . 2024-10-24
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These schedules may not be completely accurate on special days. Please always confirm with the restaurant
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1352 Opinions
Went in for a family meal — walked out feeling ripped off and let down. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Pizza. What turned up was laughable: around 7 dry, bite-sized pieces of tikka chicken, thick slabs of raw onion, and some sauce lazily splattered on top. No cheese pull, no balance, no flavour. To top it off? They handed me a steak knife to cut the pizza myself — like I was expected to finish making it. The missus had the Ultimate Mixed Grill — a £27 plate that was anything but “ultimate.” The rump steak was well overcooked (despite asking for rare), the gammon was mostly fat, and the “half chicken breast” looked more like the dried-out tip of one. Peas were overcooked to mush, chips were overdone and tasteless, and the eggs were clearly sat under a heat lamp for far too long. The little one had chicken breast and chips — plain, dry, and barely warm. Even she didn’t want it. When your child turns down chicken and chips, you know there’s a serious problem. Bottom line: Not worth the price, not worth the wait, and definitely not a place to bring your family. There’s zero care in the kitchen, poor quality ingredients, and the overall experience was a massive letdown. Avoid if you’re looking for a decent family meal — this place isn’t it.
1706 Opinions
I did not visit the Ship and Castle, I merely looked it up online as I was around there in 1977/78. I was then asked to rate the pub by Google!
1125 Opinions
I really feel this could and should be a great boozer … but sadly it’s lacking any kind of friendly welcome / engagement / atmosphere from the staff who’ve served me when ive visited on recent occasions. When other local pubs within a few hundred metres of The Wellington are busy with a great atmosphere, sadly this pub is virtually empty. Given they have a great location at the bottom of the High Street next to The Square Tower I can’t help but think they are missing a major trick in not attracting more customers/ tourists / visitors to Old Pompey by offering a better experience.