Southsea has grown a genuinely good independent coffee scene, the sort where beans are roasted with care and the baristas know their craft. These are the cafes worth going out of your way for, ranked for more than a quick flat white.
1. Broadway Coffee Roasters
On Highland Road in Southsea, Broadway Coffee Roasters is the pick for anyone who takes their coffee seriously. It roasts on site, holds one of the highest ratings of any cafe in the area, and is often credited with helping revive its whole parade of shops.
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This is a destination for the bean itself, the place to go when you want to taste what a small roaster can do rather than just grab a cup on the move.
Reasons to go
- coffee roasted on the premises;
- one of the highest-rated cafes in the city;
- a serious, knowledgeable approach to the craft;
- a genuine anchor for its local parade.
Reasons to pause
- it is a little way from the Osborne Road crowd;
- it is more about the coffee than a big food menu.
If you judge a cafe by what is in the cup, this is the best in Portsmouth.
2. Hunter Gatherer Coffee
On Albert Road, Hunter Gatherer has been a speciality favourite since it opened, and the ratings bear that out, hovering around the top of every local list. It roasts and brews with real quality, and the food and cakes are well worth ordering too.
It manages the neat trick of being both a proper coffee specialist and a genuinely nice place to sit for an hour.
Reasons to go
- excellent speciality coffee;
- well-reviewed food and cakes;
- a consistently high local rating;
- a central Albert Road spot.
Reasons to pause
- it can fill up at weekend brunch time;
- seating is limited at peak hours.
The all-rounder of the Southsea coffee scene, and hard to fault.
3. Southsea Coffee Co
On Osborne Road, Southsea Coffee Co is the local institution, trading since the early 2010s and still a cornerstone of the area’s independent scene. It pairs speciality coffee with a solid brunch offering, and it has earned its laptop-friendly, settle-in reputation.
It is the dependable regular that locals keep coming back to, year after year.
Reasons to go
- a long-running Southsea institution;
- reliable coffee and a good brunch;
- relaxed and welcoming for a longer stay;
- a central, easy-to-find location.
Reasons to pause
- its popularity means it gets busy;
- tables can be scarce at weekends.
The safe, friendly default for a Southsea coffee and a catch-up.
4. Sisters Cafe
On Marmion Road, Sisters Cafe wins on atmosphere as much as coffee. It holds a very high local rating and gets praised for its decor, its music and its overall vibe, making it a lovely spot for a relaxed brunch.
It is the kind of cafe you choose when the setting matters as much as the flat white.
Reasons to go
- a stylish, well-designed space;
- a very high local rating;
- a strong brunch and all-day feel;
- a pleasant Marmion Road setting.
Reasons to pause
- it leans more cafe-and-brunch than hardcore speciality;
- the popularity brings weekend queues.
Go for the atmosphere and stay for a second coffee.
5. Baffled Coffee
On Fawcett Road, Baffled Coffee is the neighbourhood favourite that readers reliably name when asked for their go-to. It has been a fixture since it opened and carries a strong community feel.
This is a local in the truest sense, the sort of place regulars treat as an extension of their front room.
Reasons to go
- a genuine community local;
- a loyal, reader-favourite following;
- good coffee at friendly prices;
- an unpretentious, welcoming feel.
Reasons to pause
- it is small and can get cosy;
- a little off the main Southsea drag.
A proper neighbourhood coffee shop, and a lovely one.
6. Hideout Coffee Company
On Lord Montgomery Way, near the university and the city centre, Hideout is a reader-favourite speciality cafe that pulls in a student-adjacent crowd. It does good coffee in a handy spot for anyone in the middle of town.
It is a useful, well-liked option away from the Southsea cluster, right where the city centre needs one.
Reasons to go
- solid speciality coffee;
- a convenient city-centre location;
- a reader-favourite reputation;
- handy for the university.
Reasons to pause
- it gets busy in term time;
- a smaller spot than the Southsea names.
The pick of the city-centre cafes if you are nowhere near Albert Road.
7. The Canteen
Down by the water near the Historic Dockyard, The Canteen rounds out the list with something the others cannot match: a view. It is an independent waterfront cafe serving good food and drink with ships gliding past the window.
The coffee is secondary to the setting here, but as a scenic stop it is hard to beat.
Reasons to go
- a genuine waterfront setting;
- good food alongside the coffee;
- a scenic break from the high street;
- handy for the Dockyard and harbour.
Reasons to pause
- you go as much for the view as the brew;
- it is busiest when the Dockyard is.
The one to pick when you want your coffee with a side of sea air.
The scores side by side
The ratings at a glance (out of 10)
| Position | Name | Score (out of 10) | % (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broadway Coffee Roasters | 8.7 / 10 | 87% out of 100 |
| 2 | Hunter Gatherer Coffee | 8.5 / 10 | 85% out of 100 |
| 3 | Southsea Coffee Co | 8.1 / 10 | 81% out of 100 |
| 4 | Sisters Cafe | 7.7 / 10 | 77% out of 100 |
| 5 | Baffled Coffee | 7.4 / 10 | 74% out of 100 |
| 6 | Hideout Coffee Company | 7.1 / 10 | 71% out of 100 |
| 7 | The Canteen | 6.8 / 10 | 68% out of 100 |
What the comparison shows
The top three are separated by very little, and they split neatly by purpose: Broadway for the serious coffee, Hunter Gatherer for the best all-round visit, and Southsea Coffee Co for the dependable brunch. Lower down, the list is really about mood, whether you want the stylish room at Sisters, the community feel at Baffled, a city-centre stop at Hideout, or a sea view at The Canteen.
How we ranked them
Each cafe was scored out of ten on coffee quality, consistency, atmosphere and value, with the quality of the coffee itself weighted most heavily, followed by how reliably good the experience is. We focused on genuinely independent places that are open and well established, and left aside chains and anywhere that has recently moved or closed.
One last word on the cup
If there is one conclusion from all this tasting, it is how spoiled Portsmouth is for good coffee.
“The best thing about coffee in Portsmouth is that you cannot really go wrong,” says one of our editors. “Pick a street in Southsea, walk until you smell roasting beans, and you will almost always end up somewhere good.”
Wherever you land, you are rarely more than a short stroll from an excellent cup.
