When the pubs feel too quiet and you are after cocktails, wine or a bit of a scene, Portsmouth’s bars deliver. Most of the action is in Southsea, where a short walk takes you from a tiny gin bar with a secret garden to a wine specialist, a theatrical cocktail den, a thumping rock bar and a late-night club room.
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To rank them we leaned on what drinkers say, weighing the things that make a good bar: the drinks and how well they are made, the atmosphere and the welcome, the setting and that harder to pin down sense of a place you want to stay in. We kept the focus on bars for a night out rather than traditional pubs, which have their own round-up.
Scores are out of ten across the whole experience, so a one-trick bar loses out to a genuine all-rounder. Here are eight of the best, starting with the top.
1. Southsea Spirit
The best bar in Portsmouth is also one of its smallest. Southsea Spirit, on Albert Road, is a quirky independent cocktail and gin bar with an enormous spirit collection, a cosy pared-back room and a little secret garden out the back. The owners and staff win constant praise for a warm, relaxed welcome, the cocktails are beautifully made, and touches like a midweek Wine Wednesday keep regulars coming back.
It is small, so it fills up and the limited opening days are worth checking, but that intimacy is exactly the point. For drinks made with care in a genuinely friendly room, nowhere in the city does it better.
Why it tops the list
Expertly made cocktails and a huge gin range in a warm, characterful little room.
Worth knowing
It is tiny and open limited days, so check ahead and expect it to be cosy.
If you visit one bar in Portsmouth, make it this one.
2. Crushed & Cured
For wine lovers, Crushed and Cured on Victoria Road South is a treat. Part wine bar, part shop, it pairs a superb, well-chosen wine list with a craft beer fridge and excellent charcuterie and cheese platters, and you can drink in or buy a bottle to take home. The owner and team are genuinely knowledgeable, happy to steer you to the right glass, and the atmosphere is cosy and grown-up.
A standout touch is free corkage on certain nights, which makes it even better value. It is more a place for a relaxed glass and a graze than a boisterous night, but for quality and warmth it is hard to beat.
What makes it special
A brilliant wine selection, proper charcuterie and staff who really know their stuff.
Bear in mind
It is a laid-back wine-and-cheese spot, not a lively party bar.
For a civilised evening over good wine, this is the pick of the city.
3. Rapscallions
Rapscallions on Osborne Road has built a big following on theatre as much as taste. Its cocktails are excellent, and the signature captain’s cocktails come with a bit of storytelling that turns a round of drinks into a performance. Open late into the early hours, it runs lively and party-style downstairs with a quieter upstairs, and there is sharing food like nachos and pizza to keep you going.
It can get loud and busy at the weekend, which is part of the fun but not to everyone’s taste. For a cocktail night with a sense of occasion, it is one of Southsea’s favourites.
The draw
Great cocktails with genuine theatre, open late for a proper night out.
Keep in mind
It gets loud and lively downstairs, so head upstairs if you want to talk.
Go for the cocktails and the show, and stay for the late licence.
4. Scarlet Tap
If your night out means craft beer and live sport, Scarlet Tap on Palmerston Road is the one. It keeps a strong, varied beer selection, including the odd American guest, and shows all the major sport across its screens, so it is electric on match days and big fight nights. The atmosphere is friendly and buzzy, and there is food to go with the drinks.
It is more a lively craft-and-sports bar than a quiet cocktail spot, and it gets packed when there is a big game on, but that energy is exactly why people love it. For a sociable, beer-led night it is a strong choice.
Best for
A big beer range and every major sport, with a lively crowd.
One caveat
It is a busy sports-and-craft bar, so expect noise and crowds on match days.
For beer and the big game, Scarlet Tap is the obvious call.
5. Gin and Olive
Gin and Olive on Albert Road pairs a vast gin and cocktail menu with Mediterranean-style small plates and sharing platters, which makes it as much a place to eat as to drink. The gin list alone is huge, the cocktails and mocktails are well made, and the room is warm and welcoming, with a popular, good-value bottomless brunch pulling in weekend crowds.
It leans more towards a relaxed drinks-and-food evening than a late party, and portions and value get a lot of love in reviews. For a long, easy night of gin and grazing, it is a reliable favourite.
What you get
A giant gin menu, good cocktails and tasty small plates in one warm room.
The trade-off
It is a drinks-and-food bar rather than a late-night party spot.
Go hungry as well as thirsty, and settle in for the evening.
6. Sherlock’s Bar
Just off the main drag on Clarendon Road, Sherlock’s is the understated, classy choice. It is an easygoing bar with a good range of drinks, a nicely kept wine and rum selection, and regular live music that stays at a volume where you can still hear your friends. Reviewers love the friendly staff and the welcoming, chat-to-the-person-next-to-you feel.
It is smaller and quieter than the party bars, which is exactly its appeal, and the live entertainment adds just enough atmosphere. For a relaxed drink with a bit of music, it is a lovely spot.
Why people love it
A friendly, understated bar with good drinks and the right level of live music.
The catch
It is low-key and intimate, so it is not the place for a big raucous night.
For a classy, easy evening, Sherlock’s quietly gets it right.
7. The Deco
The Deco on Elm Grove is Portsmouth’s home of rock and alternative, a welcoming dive bar with great music, pool tables and gaming machines. Its party piece is the Viking pint cocktails, big and very reasonably priced, and the crowd is famously friendly and mixed, with staff who make everyone feel at home. Recently refreshed, it stays open very late at weekends.
There is no hot food beyond bar snacks, and the loud rock soundtrack will not suit everyone, but for alt and metal fans it is a genuine favourite. For a loud, cheap, friendly night, it is hard to beat.
The appeal
Rock and alternative music, cheap pint cocktails and a famously welcoming crowd.
Not for everyone
The music is loud and rock-led, and it is drinks and snacks only.
For an unpretentious, music-fuelled night, The Deco is a Southsea institution.
8. 7 Bar
Rounding off the list, 7 Bar on Albert Road is the stylish, late-night option. The venue is kitted out to a high standard, with a smart cocktail bar at the front and a back club room full of lights, lasers and a video wall for DJ nights. The cocktails are well made and the space is designed to impress, which makes it a good pick for a dressed-up night that turns into dancing.
There can be an entry charge for the back room later on, and it is more about the scene than a quiet drink, but for cocktails followed by a dance it fits the bill. For the end of a big night out, it is a stylish place to land.
Best for
Smart cocktails and a late club room with DJs, lasers and a dance floor.
Keep in mind
There may be an entry charge later, and it is a scene bar rather than a quiet one.
For cocktails that turn into dancing, 7 Bar is the late-night choice.
How the bars score
Rated across drinks, atmosphere, welcome and setting, this is how the eight compare:
The bars at a glance
To match a bar to the night you want, here is the quick version:
| Bar | Area | Best for | Score |
| Southsea Spirit | Southsea | Cocktails and gin, done with care | 9.3 |
| Crushed & Cured | Southsea | Wine and charcuterie | 9.0 |
| Rapscallions | Southsea | Theatrical cocktails, late | 8.7 |
| Scarlet Tap | Southsea | Craft beer and live sport | 8.4 |
| Gin and Olive | Southsea | Gin and small plates | 8.1 |
| Sherlock’s Bar | Southsea | A classy bar with live music | 7.8 |
| The Deco | Southsea | Rock, alt and cheap cocktails | 7.5 |
| 7 Bar | Southsea | Late cocktails and a club room | 7.2 |
So where should you drink?
For the best drinks in the friendliest room, head to Southsea Spirit, with Crushed and Cured close behind for wine and a graze. For a lively cocktail night go to Rapscallions, for beer and sport to Scarlet Tap, and for gin and food to Gin and Olive. Sherlock’s is the classy, low-key choice, The Deco the loud and cheap one, and 7 Bar the place to end up dancing.
Almost all of them sit within a short walk of each other in Southsea, so the honest answer is to string a few together and build your own crawl.
How we chose and ranked these
Our order reflects the things drinkers mention most often, from the quality of the drinks and the welcome to atmosphere and setting, cross-checked against each bar’s character. We deliberately picked a spread of styles, from a gin bar and a wine bar to cocktail dens, a sports bar and a rock dive, rather than eight versions of the same place, and kept the focus on bars rather than traditional pubs. Opening hours, menus and prices change, so check before a special trip, and drink responsibly on any night out.
