Southsea Beach Cafe — Restaurant in Portsmouth

We were so disappointed!!! Not the type to write a bad review especially if they are a small business but felt so bad for the people around us and we felt so let down after being so excited to come here. I regret coming here and taking my partner here, wish we'd gone elsewhere.

Must have gone downhill lately as I see there are good reviews on here

Waitress was quite blunt throughout and not very welcoming at all, might have just been tired or had a hard day (I get it) but we felt like such a burden :(

Food was absolutely cold - not just cold as in warm but still edible - the very top layer was slightly warm as if it was left under a warming plate after being out a few hours. Stone cold with a layer of lukewarm over the top. Both partners food and mine was congealed, hard, not good at all :-( all in all two main meals + 2 soft drinks nearly £50... So disappointed as feel we paid for quality and didn't receive it. Felt uncaring like those involved must have known it was cold and poor quality? After food was brought out no staff seen for 45 mins, we aren't the type to complain but would have asked them to heat it up a bit more if we'd had the chance. Quality of food was poor - pasta wasn't seasoned or fresh, onion peel in it, made worse by it being so cold.

We had to wait about 45 mins for the bill, which in the end we went up and asked for because no staff around, went inside towards the kitchen and saw waitress sat at a table on her phone ... Might have been a one off, I get that we see things out of context and I know bar and FOH staff work so hard, but when the place wasn't that busy and there's tables outside waiting, maybe just a "hey sorry for the wait we'll be with you in a bit" would have been fine.. we get it totally that you've got to be patient and we were ok chattiing while we wajted but felt so utterly forgotten about to be honest.

Nobody asked if we wanted anything else or asked how the food was or really said anything at all, felt like we weren't wanted and were taking up space. By the time we'd gone up and got our bill and paid, we could only see one waitress who was busy, we waited a few mins hoping to speak to her but she disappeared so we left. Food was rubbish, service wasn't good (again we're not looking to be doted over but just basic communication and a bit of kindness!)

My partner has had a rough week as we've had some recent bad news as a family, we had a lovely walk along the seafront and food was meant to cheer him up and instead we came away feeling pretty uneasy and so very...

Unprofessional. It was our anniversary (19 June) and wanted somewhere nice to eat - very limited on Southsea sea front which is probably why they feel they don't need to try? Popped in to find out when they close, given a rough idea, sounded like they finish when they want? Don't like to be rushed so went and changed and came back shortly after, the place was pretty empty. We sat down, our waitress came and got our drinks order, returned with our drinks and took our food order, fish & chips for my partner and fish tacos for me. I mentioned I don't eat garlic and was concerned there might be in the sauce, she said we can omit that. What I wrongly thought was she'd check with the chef and let me know or offer an alternative. What arrived was something resembling a starter, 3 very small soft tacos, containing shredded iceberg lettuce and 3 fish fingers oh and a grilled half lime. No mention of the sauce does have garlic, nothing, but then our waitress seemed to have disappeared. I livened it up a but with my partner's tartar sauce, he was up and down trying to find a salt grinder that wasn't empty or blocked with wet salt. We had no cutlery on the table and had to ask for that when our meals we're delivered - a bucket of cutlery was grabbed from another table. Whilst awaiting our food, a table who'd been sat right behind, despite the place almost empty had a third attempt to order drinks the restaurant actually had in their fridge, as waitress came vack each time saying they had none of the beers... Whilst eating, a woman who seemed to be the manager? was asking our replacement waitress where our original waitress was, that she'd been gone a while and seemingly slagging her off/laughing about her in our earshot. Later the chef sat at same table ringing through the kitchen order to presumably the wholesalers... no one at any time asked about our food. My partner's fish and chips was OK but expensive for what it was. Wanted a memorable lunch, we got tgat for the...

We visited for a family meal to celebrate my stepdads 80th as he wanted a seafood/fish platter.

On a Friday and Saturday night they do barbecue from 7-9. They have meat and fish boards served on little surfboards.

I think the boards are £65 each and they serve 2 and come with 2 salads (there are various choices, we especially liked the watermelon, feta and mint salad, the goats cheese red onion and rocket and the potato salad) and breads and dips.

There were 7 of us so we ordered 3 boards, 2 fish for the adults and one meat for the 2 oldest kids and a fish and chips for our youngest.

We didn't do starters as the boards came with scallops and samphire on them (which would have been what we would have chosen). Really glad we didn't as the boards with salads and breads were plenty. Has there been some kind of calamari or squid option I think we would have ordered this.

The fish board had the scallops (2 x 2), I think 6? So 3 each HUGE king prawns, sea bass and swordfish.

I love scallops and samphire and it didn't disappoint but the standout thing on the fish platter was the sea bass. Crispy skin and delicate flaky sea bass. SO GOOD.

The kids loved their meat platter (steak, lamb koftas, some chicken and chicken wings) and our youngest, who normally says he doesn't really like fish demolished his fish and chips and ate most of the chicken wings.

I was really impressed with the quality of the food and the service and would definitely go back here.

It wasn't cheap (with a £30 tip, drinks and 5 puddings it averaged out at £47 a person) but it was definitely...