Ripper & Co — Restaurant in Portsmouth

Strap yourselves in, this is a long one....

This is no novelty horror restaurant, with tacky ornaments and fake cobwebs collecting dust in what looks like a bad halloween makeover that's been left to rot.

I will break it down:

Venue: These s horror memorabilia but If there is a thing as tastefully done horror then this is it! Everything from the seating, to the toilets is classy. You can clearly see alot of money has been spent and this is no 'Munsters cafe"

Staff: The staff were exceptionally polite, friendly and attentive. What was amazing though was their knowledge of the menu and cocktails. They were very well versed and it was a pleasure to see.

Food: OK, now this is where it comes down to brass tacks and why your here!

The menu is small, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In most michelin star restaurants you won't find 300 mains and this is no exception!

This is not a 'burger' joint, there are plenty of them nearby. This is fine dining!

What we had:

Prawn kebab: the name doesn't do it justice. This is a skew with a burnt shimp. This was a beautiful borderline fishcake accompanied by a stunning avocado mousse.

Goats cheese: beautifully presented and an interesting take

Beef pie: stunning, with beautiful meat and delicious gravy.

Chicken: again well cooked, and tasty

Lamb trio: an amazing combo, rich, and filling. I've never had anything like the lamb croquette, and the mini lamb hotpot was outrageously good.

Drinks: there is a huge range of horror titled cocktail with some pure theatre!!!! These make the Alchemist look positively boring!!!!

So all in all a 5* experience.

Make no mistake, this is not some Jack the Ripper homage bar for the 'unusual'

Seriously, I could see this being a Michelin star restaurant if they maintain these...

A cocktail bar with theatrics.

At first we had our doubts about Ripper & Co due to the name and the celebration of real life serial killers but we were passing by and thought we'd give it a try. And we have been converted. Given the chance the staff were able to elaborate and justify the name but even before then we could see that this bar is not about glorifying real life crimes but instead has lent into the movie theme. The bar and restaurant is adorned with a whole range of horror film memorabilia that makes you constantly find hidden Easter eggs and brings back memories of decades of horror classics. Then you open the drinks menu which has a plethora of horror inspired recipes. Rather than ingredients, we found ourselves choosing drinks based on the films we love. Then came the theatrics. I won't put any spoilers here but, they ran the risk of being tacky but instead they definitely added to the fun and made the whole evening special. But what really made the evening special was the staff. Danny and Naz were great. Prompt, attentive and obviously into the theme and excited about their product. When asked about the ingredients (my partner's coeliac) they were very willing to help. We didn't have the opportunity to try the food but we shall definitely be returning. Especially if they go ahead with their horror film showings! In the photos you can see the "Seems an awful shame", "The Margaritas Till Dawn" and the "Your mother sucks...

We booked in for the Fright Brunch at Ripper & Co for Valentine’s Day, with a 90-minute slot that included a selection of seven cocktails. Unfortunately, the drinks were underwhelming—presentation was lacking, the taste was average, and they weren’t particularly strong. The only redeeming factor was that cocktails were continuously brought to our table without needing to place an order, which was convenient, especially as getting a staff member’s attention was quite difficult. That being said, we did manage to try all seven drinks on the menu.

We also ordered one drink each from the Final Cut menu, and these were noticeably better—much better presentation and a stronger alcoholic taste, which made them far superior to the standard brunch cocktails.

As for the food, we each selected three small dishes, and while the food itself was very tasty, it took over an hour to arrive, which felt far too long for a brunch experience.

The overall atmosphere was also just okay—there’s definitely room for improvement in the aesthetic. Additionally, the venue was extremely loud, making it difficult to have a conversation or even hear the staff properly.

For £45 a head, I would say the experience wasn’t worth the price. While the food and select drinks were enjoyable, the slow service, lackluster cocktails, and overwhelming noise made the experience feel average at best. There’s potential here, but some improvements are...