Eating Ashore Gosport

[Iain C]

+1 for The Lightship, and food aside it's a really interesting place to eat (as is The Victualler with the old Navy bread ovens all lit up). If you want to wander up the harbourside towards Hardway there's a cafe open during the day at the Explosion museum with a great outside area, and the Jolly Roger and Old House At Home. Both have recently changed hands and although I've not eaten recently in TOHAH, the JR food is good.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I've always found the lightship a bit unwelcoming. If you were "in" all well and good but otherwise they acted as if they were doing you a favour by serving you and taking your money. I've not been there for about seven years.

I thought it had changed hands once or twice in that time, but it was very nice last time I was in there.

I quite like the Wetherspoons, though.

 

[Cuan]

It's been a while since we were in clarence marina but a quick google shows that the G's (which used to shut at random times even if customers were still in the bar) is now "The Victualler" and Red's (comically dire service and random food) is now "Arty's". Anyone got any experience of either?

I note that the Pizza place that used to deliver to Clarence from Fareham has closed down. Anyone got a recommendation for decent (ie not dominos or pizza hut) pizza delivery options to the Gosport marinas?

We ate in the Victualler at Royal Clarence on Friday. I had very good bangers and mash <£10 and Mate had a chicken dish that she thought was very good too.
Anyone proposing to eat in the Castle on a Friday/Saturday will need to book these days. They seemed to have moved up market.

 

[Lucky Duck]

They seemed to have moved up market.

When did that happen? They were still serving school dinners at the back end of last year.

 

[Applespider]

It's been a while since we were in clarence marina but a quick google shows that the G's (which used to shut at random times even if customers were still in the bar) is now "The Victualler" and Red's (comically dire service and random food) is now "Arty's". Anyone got any experience of either?

I note that the Pizza place that used to deliver to Clarence from Fareham has closed down. Anyone got a recommendation for decent (ie not dominos or pizza hut) pizza delivery options to the Gosport marinas?

Yes - Clarence is now my Gosport marina of choice if my crew don't want to head over to Gunwharf/Old Portsmouth. The office is now in the main building (next to Arty's) and they've converted some of the ground floor shop units into 7 or 8 mini bathrooms so facilities are great compared to the trek to the carpark that was there before.

The Victualler is pub grub, pretty basic but cheap with primarily lots of variants of lager on tap; there are tables outside but the inside is worth a look as you can see all the old ovens etc. Arty's has an amazing gin menu (40 or so?). I've only eaten there once but anything I've seen going past looked and smelled good. It's primarily Italian-based. They both do pizzas. Arty's are better IMO and they do takeaway options - mini menu. Only downside is that last food orders is relatively early - 9, I think?

 

[Bobc]

Emma's in the High Street gets good reviews.

????

 

[Cuan]

When did that happen? They were still serving school dinners at the back end of last year.

Well, thats how it seemed to me in October 2019. maybe i am thinking of how it used to to be a few (7 or 8 or 10 - can't really remember - yrs ago) when it was more geared to big portions.
It was definitely fully booked though. We couldn't have a a table have table to sit for drink unless we were out by 7.30 on a friday night.

 

[xcw]

Still school dinners rather than fine dining I'm afraid. Nothing wrong with that, I like school dinners from time to time. You certainly won't go hungry there.
I remember going in there last year and my daughter order sea bass (I think), the whole fish arrived on the plate - she asked for it to be filleted; they took it away and it came back two minutes later with just the head an tail chopped off, complete with bones - no attempt to fillet it!

 

[Skylark]

I haven't been to the Mary Mouse as yet this season but I've been there half a dozen times over the last couple of seasons. It's a novel attraction. The showers are good. The food was nothing to write home about but the bill was attention grabbing.

There's a Spoons in Gosport main pedestrian road. Exceptional value for money but, granted, not to everyone's taste.

Taking the ferry to Gunwharf and eating anywhere around the shopping centre is usually a very mediocre experience. A walk to The Bridge Tavern, Camber, is worthwhile. Lovely atmosphere, reasonable food at a reasonable price.

 

[scrambledegg]

It's been a while since we were in clarence marina but a quick google shows that the G's (which used to shut at random times even if customers were still in the bar) is now "The Victualler" and Red's (comically dire service and random food) is now "Arty's". Anyone got any experience of either?

Yes, I have.
Arty's has become very popular as it serves decent food ( top end of gastro-pub quality ) in a nice, quirkily decorated, relaxing restaurant. Eat there often.
The Victuallers is, or perhaps was, even better quality food, proper restaurant. I say "was" because for a while it lost its way a bit by dividing its (enormous) room into two halves and appealing to the young set with bar and quite loud music. This probably put off some of the diners. I haven't eaten there for nearly a year so don't know the current setup. It's very interesting inside with the huge brick ovens that used to bake the navy's bread all opened up. You can also eat outside with views over Portsmouth harbour.

 

[richardbrennan]

In my view, the best place to eat in Gosport is the New Bengal in Stoke Road, witnessed by the fact that they regularly turn people away on Fridays and Saturdays, so you need to book, and it is very reasonably priced. Bobbys, also in Stoke Road is good for pizza, and if you want Chinese Tin Tin opposite the ferry on the Portsmouth side, is a very reasonable option and much better than the Great Wall; don't be put off by the outside appearance. The last time my son and I ate in the Great Wall, we both had very weird dreams afterwards, so God knows how much MSG was in the food, although this was some years ago. The chippy underneath is good for basic fish and chips, it's called "Fridays"

 

[Iain C]

In my view, the best place to eat in Gosport is the New Bengal in Stoke Road.

+1, a really excellent curry house that also does takeaways. I had a takeaway with friends a few weeks ago which we ate on board my boat...although let's just say after a particularly fine lamb madras, I'm glad my friends were sleeping on their boat rather than mine. Apologies also to QHM the following morning who probably couldn't work out if the Bav32 on the Hardway pontoon was signalling intentions to turn to port, starboard, or operating astern propulsion... :ambivalence:

 

[Bobc]

In my view, the best place to eat in Gosport is the New Bengal in Stoke Road

Oh don't tell everyone. Now I'll have even less chance of getting a table

 

[Airscrew]

Hardy's, opposite the marina, on Haslar road, WAS only ever average, I understand.

Now taken over, and re-named Trinity's at Haslar, and run by the same team as on the lighthouse.

Through our sailing club, visiting Haslar this weekend, I hear it is totally transformed, and excellent.

 

[XDC]

Hardy's, opposite the marina, on Haslar road, WAS only ever average, I understand.

Now taken over, and re-named Trinity's at Haslar, and run by the same team as on the lighthouse.

Through our sailing club, visiting Haslar this weekend, I hear it is totally transformed, and excellent.

#2

Their takeaway pizzas are amazing.

 

[Poignard]

I have heard very good reports about the re-vitalised Alverbank Hotel overlooking Stokes Bay. It had been allowed to become rundown but the new owners are working very hard to make a success of it. It is not too far to walk from the marinas at Gosport and I think there is a bus service.

https://alverbank.co.uk/menus/

 

[ZoeImogen]

Was expecting to have to trek across to Portsmouth to get some decent grub this weekend having read Tom Cunliffe's less than enthusiastic comments about Gosport - but we ended up in the Boathouse Bistro at Gosport Marina itself, good food and friendly service if a little pricey.

 

[Poey50]

The lightship in Haslar Marina was brilliant this weekend. Fish platter for two is highly recommended. Not especially pricey.