The Isambard Kingdom Brunel in Portsmouth

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.

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

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.

Lovely pub in a historic building, Although busy found a table. Food arrived quite quick & was very good 😊

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!

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.

I enjoyed my thai soup. A big place to eat and got a lot 9f food choices,drinks and cocktails.

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.

No dogs allowed absolutely rubbish and the beer is YUK not a nice place at all

Zara had great customer service skills, would definitely recommend to anyone

Great place to have a beer... Very friendly staff.. Food cheap..

Lucy made the experience for me she gave excellent customer service hands down the loveliest bartender ive ever had :)

Food was lovely and affordable. I was served by a lovely waitress named Ruby who was super helpful and brought our food out quickly.

Got served by a lovely waitress called Ruby, amazing service lovely and attentive. Couldn’t rate it more!

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!

Lucy was a great help brilliant server

Lucy is the best server there and makes the meanest drinks ;)

Had a great night here last week only made better by Jamie who had the drinks flowing lovely:)

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.

We had a great time and great food mostly our waitress was very attentive and helpful, her name was Eva

A great burger served with a smile by Eva… one of the best spoons I’ve been to! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

great spoons with good drinks, especially friendly and very helpful server Eva!

Good, cheap, quick service, friendly staff, especially Jamie.

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

Regula haunt, always great service. Thanks Jamie for keeping the drinks flowing!

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

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

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:)

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

Good place for easy drinks and food. Was served by Zara who was wonderfully kind and patient with me.

Classic spoons, lovely staff especially Zara who served me with a smile!

It's a wetherspoons what else is there to say. Quick service at the bar, always lots of tables, albeit for 2-3 people per table. It's definitely a younger crowd here, but that's due to the area. But great place to go for meeting drinks off the train and heading into southsea.

Food and staff amazing the atmosphere due to other patrons down right awful.

Egg was a bit soft, plates cold, so food cooled quickly. Otherwise all good, and free hot drinks refills excellent. Will be back.

My son has just started university in Portsmouth so it's very local. I thought it was great in there, I'll be going back.

The Isambard Kingdom pub in Portsmouth, part of the Wetherspoon chain, is a popular spot, especially among students from the nearby University of Portsmouth. Its relaxed, budget-friendly atmosphere and Victorian-inspired décor, honoring the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, give it a unique charm. As with other Wetherspoon venues, the pub offers a wide selection of classic pub fare at affordable prices, making it ideal for students and locals alike. The diverse beer options, featuring local ales and international brews, and the lively environment, especially during term time, make it a bustling hub for socializing.

Quick friendly service plenty of tables to sit outside area is tiny though. Great meeting place to start a night out on .

We were on the South Coast and Portsmouth appeared in the middle distance. Probably the best place for it, who could tell? We took our chances on a bit of brekkie at The Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It's a Wetherspoons establishment and as such we'd be getting a traditional breakfast and as much coffee as any human being can drink. It was actually perfectly acceptable stuff when it arrived. For the tiny amount we paid for the grub, it was good enough to keep us happy for the money and get through whatever Portsmouth could throw at us. Hot, cooked and very tasty. The breakfast wasn't bad either. We strolled off into the city well fed and with the caffeine headache from the very depths of Hell.

Quick service, poppadoms with curry were very greasy, asked for no naan but got it so that was left. Otherwise all OK

Brilliant place to sit and vibe. Lots of diff characters everywhere so conversation can take any turn haha

Very quick service, food is good for the price. The only thing letting it down is the outdated toilets

Very cheap drinks that you can order at the bar or via the app. It is brought to the table quickly. The food tastes quite good, but you shouldn't expect too much. The pub has the charm of a warehouse - everything is way too loud. Tables are rarely cleared and unfortunately we didn't see any cleaning from the staff. Maybe there was just too much going on that evening. The toilets are also not particularly attractive and could use a renovation.

Absolutely filthy place full of disgusting staff members who are incapable of handling the amount of customers they get

Nice pub. Lovley artwork on the walls

My sister's treated me to a birthday lunch, the food was nice and delivered in a quick time. The place was very clean and tidy. This venue seemed more up-market for a wetherspoon. I enjoyed my visit.

It was very clean, staff very helpful we order breakfast which came very quickly, it was cooked very well, coffee was from a machine and once you pay you can help yourself again. Toilets was very clean.

Can't really give this Pub the credit it might be due,didn't have any food,I was served my Beer quickly and efficiently but being there early Monday Afternoon, it was practically deserted, so no Atmosphere at all, K

Busy pub in the middle of Portsmouth

Fairly sure I've got food poisoning from eating a beef burger from here last night.

Ok. Stopped for breakfast - eggs were stone cold, even after waiting 25 mins Otherwise like any other Spoons.

Had a night out with family that ended in this pub. Good price for a good pint. Food was ok and what we expected. I will visit again.

Ordered peas and they never arrived. They scammed me out of 94p. Will not be returning.

It's a weatherspoons. What more can I say 😊

Staff eemed more busy having a chat than serving customers

Accessible lift door not auto open and very heavy

Very large weatherspoons pub- very popular at weekends.

Great spoons good food good beer good prices

Good pub 1st visit will visit again when over in Portsmouth.

Stopped and had a meal. The food was very good

Cozy beautiful pub in the city centre

Not the best Spoons I've been in...

Good service not busy at this time, excellent price.

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

Had really lovely meal with family real value for money

Was in a rush so didn't have time to complain but have to say this was the worst meal I can recall . Popped in about 6pm Sunday and ordered a large mixed grill and it was awful . I mean really bad. All the meat had obviously been sitting on hot hold for longer than the legal 4 hour period . It was all so dry, dark , tough and discoloured from sitting so long . It must have been flashed at the grill if at all when plated up as was all so cold . Even the chips . Use wetherspoons once a week . Normally the Palmerston road , or Havant one near where we live and is always good . Great Yarmouth one 2 weeks ago was good . This was terrible. On top of that the app wouldn't let me order a pint of beer . I thought maybe if I go to the bar and ask but the gas was down so no pints . I asked if I could have coke instead as I'd paid for a meal and drink and the abrupt lady behind said that wasn't possible as meal had been ordered already . FFS it's a coke on tap which costs about 10p a glass . When I said I would like to cancel my order I was told I couldn't do that either and if I wanted a drink I'd have to pay for one (despite I'd already paid for one ) so another near £5 to get a drink . I'd avoid this one in future and try one with a decent chef and nicer barmaids . Sorry don't have a photo of my meal or you would see what I mean .

Inedible steak 🥩 harder than the table.

Good wetherspoons, reasonably priced. Expect the usual wetherspoons fayre

Wetherspoons, you know what you are getting. I do wish they would swim against the weak lager teide and get in a guest lager. All Brit lager is tasting like Budweiser now. Stella, Amstal, Moretti, even Strongbow now all brewed by Heineken. No wonder they have to warn the fans about 'strong' lager in Europe!

Yeah, it was a good experience. The football was on and everyone seemed jovial. The drinks were nice and well priced and the staff were very friendly.

Wetherspoons pub near a university and navy dockyard says it all 😁

It's a spoons, you know what you're getting every time. Simple as that

Used this wetherspoons several times ..gets busy but.. the service and food are excellent.

Lovely, helpful staff but does need a refurb! It was tired and in need of reupholster and paint job.

Fed us two days in a row breakfast and dinner very nice it was and good price

Use this Wetherspoon Pub when in the City centre if in Guildhall area. On this occasion was just passing. Mid afternoon and pub was busy. Plenty of seats and room to move around. No food ordered on this visit just a couple of drinks. So we didn't stay that long. Pub is very popular still and will still use it when in the area.

Excellent for a quick meal and good value for money. Great customer service and clean and tidy inside.

Rude staff kicked us off table for their work colleges chubby dark complexion girl with curly hair and tall bold guy woth dark complexion and glasses

Lovely pub, does what it says on the tin. Cheap drinks and food. Good quality though.

Great pub and service. The food you seem to get bigger portions than most spoons pub's

Just your normal town centre busy wetherspoons, you get what you pay for. No complaints at all.

Popped in for a few drinks whist in Portsmouth. Place was packed and great atmosphere

Busy as there was a convention in town but, still managed to find a table and food was delivered fairly quickly.

Went here for the first time yesterday for a lateish lunch, it has a lovely atmosphere and friendly staff, the food was amazing and the plates arrived super hot, the halloumi fries were especially amazing 🤤

The pub was dirty and sticky and the doors to the smocking area were left open so the front side of the pub stank. The staff were unhelpful and rather than engage in conversation just stated “wait”. The food was thrown together with no regard for standards, when the menu states you get tomato with your burger you expect more than a 5p floppy piece. Overall the food looked sad and didn’t taste very nice. Furthermore, having the hot chocolate refills by sachet at the bar doesn’t work, you have to queue up rather than just use the machine. Weatherspoons is known to be cheap and cheerful and this experience was neither cheerful nor very cheap anymore.

Food quickly served. Gets quite busy but found a table after waiting around for 5-10 minutes

A very well run establishment with efficient, welcoming counter-service and food delivery. Breakfast quickly delivered - hot & well cooked; evening meals likewise. Tables promptly cleared and cleaned. Sauce bottles the best regimented I've ever come across as though on parade. Was fairly quiet during morning visits but busier in evenings - could get more hectic later.

Food was cooked though went cold as plates was cold. Although staff were friendly and the food quality was good value.

Only popped in here for a pint, Good atmosphere. Plenty of seating. Food menu was,your standard spoons menu.

okay spoons, the food was okay but the waitress was a bit rude and unfriendly

Cheap and cheerful. Great food and good atmosphere. Definitely would come again. Its always busy but you don't have to wait long.

Lovely cheap place to eat out, close to everything in Portsmouth, so ideal for various events. I ordered through the app, and my drink came within 5 mins and my lunch within 10 mins. Cutlery was given, but no condiments, except a weird salad dressing. The waitress didn't point out to us where they were, so we had to wander around looking for them. The venue itself was a little run down, decor wise. If it was more modern looking, it would draw a lot more people in, I think. The ceiling screams Dot Cotton! 😂

Busy morning service great value for money.

Somewhere my food order was lost, but when it came it was good. Excellent beer

We love coming here but when the bouncer with no hair is on he always refuses us, the past 2 times we have been sober me and my friend got on but our boyfriends didn’t, if we were drunk we would understand but the fact we were going for dinner is a bit annoying. He turned our boyfriends away straight away saying they were drunk but they were completely sober. Very disappointed as we love coming here but when trying to come as a group it’s just sad.

An above average spoons this, food was lovely, pints were cheap and well poured and the general vibe was nice. And of course, the toilets were a trek away from my table, never change Whether spoons x.

Im used to weather spoon s and there mirowave curry, but when they naan turns out to be harder than bricks you have to say something, well was i in for a treat a smeeming hot naan that for soggy and wet, after this i have given up, They need to sack there miro wave tech for anther who can use it properly

Very very busy. Had a job to get a table. Staff were very busy. Food served promptly.

Good atmosphere and a cracking breakfast.

I came on Saturday night during a rugby game and the place was very busy. There was a great atmosphere and even at that time the staff was very swift and professional. Especially the team leader Elliot, who found a chair for me in the crowded pub. The food was ready quickly and very good for its price.

Aicha was absolutely amazing tonight! Lovely personality and amazing service, thank you so much for a lovely night!