The Powder Monkey — Restaurant in Gosport

We came for breakfast having emailed to book a table, which was never replied to. This was fine, there was space and the restaurant was never more than about 60% full in the 90 mins we were in

As you order at the bar, our party of 4 ordered as two pairs, for our ease. We had no issue if food came with a small gap between, assuming this, as we ordered one after each other. 30 mins later, our friends food came first, and we checked ours was coming with the staff member as we'd assume that ours would have come first, having ordered first and being a very similar order. We explained it in the terms. He said it will be out shortly and blamed us splitting the order. To be honest, it was a pretty contemptuous and arrogant attitude to then not go and check.

Fast forward 10 mins, and with 3 or 4 tables who came in after us having their food. So, I went to the bar, and queried it. Again, same staff member, same comment that it's because we split the order, same arrogance, same contempt. I asked him if he could please just check it's being done please, because a good number of others had been served at this point. So, he checked. On coming out of the kitchen, they never received our order.

The attitude changed dramatically and was very polite and apologetic. Apparently it had nothing to do with splitting the order. They'd simply not taking it to the kitchen. Suddenly, there so apologetic, and comped the meal. Fast forward another 15 minutes, and the food finally comes. But we have to wait another 5 minutes for cutlery. So it was somewhat cold when we ate it, and hour after ordering (I checked the card payment time when I went to the bar, it was almost an hour exactly)

It's all a bit embarrassing really. I fully understand sometimes things happen, that's life. But the contempt with which we were borderline blamed, and then the contempy to not try and ignore the issue says a lot about how the business is run. The food was decent the beer good and I'd have gone in the shop and bought a case of two. I didn't, simply because of this.

Oh, and as we were finishing, the table next to us couldn't order anything with sausages z because they'd run out

Can't really recommend it given the above, make your choice, but order as a group, and be...

Great beer but with the most bizarre and insignificant menu served by inexperienced staff lacking hospitality. I personally can't stand seeing staff huddling as a group on their phones whilst customers wait for them. It's not the only local pub that suffers from this lack of customer service so there's definitely a gap in the market for a pub that serves great beer with good food with a good atmosphere and right now you can only rely on one of these 3 essential ingredients for a pub. The Powder Monkey severely lacks any real reason to walk through its doors for anything other than its pretty good beer. With a more substantial menu and more experienced hospitality aware staff I'm convinced this venue would be more utilized by it's locals. The last 4 visits of ours were quick in and outs staying for just one drink where we would happily stay longer and spend more money on food and more drinks if they offered a sensible menu and provided a more hospitable atmosphere. On all of the last 4 visits it's been far from full and surely not offering a revenue it's capable of to it's owners . I'll keep checking back to see if it improves but I won't be bringing friends or family groups for meals here until they get the right balance. This place has the potential to be so so much better but in October 2023 it's way below average. Come on Powder Monkey show us what you're really capable of. EDIT - EDIT December 2023 I have revisited Powder several times since writing the above and have noticed a marked improvement. Staff are far more engaging and the menu is looking more substantial. The beer remains excellent and I have high hopes this place will continue...

After an inspiring day at the Historic Dockyard – exploring HMS Warrior, HMS Victory, and the Mary Rose – we took the boat across the water and headed straight for The Powder Monkey Brewery. Time was short, only two hours before we had to return (and swimming back was not an option), so we made the most of it.

I enjoyed three perfectly poured pints alongside a pork belly wrap that was simply delicious. The highlight, however, wasn’t just the food and drink but the atmosphere: live music filling the room while the rain drummed outside, creating the perfect contrast. There’s something magical about British pubs – the worse the weather, the better the beer tastes. By the third pint, I honestly didn’t care about the rain anymore.

The Powder Monkey Brewery is the kind of place that makes you wish you had more time. Great beer, great food, great music – and a reminder why pub culture in Britain is second to none. Next time, I’ll...