Portsmouth Pub Listings C-D

These pages feature details and photographs of all Portsmouth's public houses that are currently open for business.

Some pubs may also be listed with additional information on one or more of the following pages:
Pub Architecture, Pub Crawls, Pub Reviews, Best Ale Houses

CLICK ON A PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE THE FULL SIZE IMAGE

The Cabman's Rest	1 Plymouth Street, Somerstown, PO5 4HW
023 9275 4351
The Cabman's Rest stands isolated as a remnant of the terraced housing that once stood here prior to the destruction caused by bombing during World War II and the subsequent building of the ill-conceived Somerstown estate. A true local pub, it dates from 1922 and was designed by A E Cogswell for Brickwoods Brewery. Its glazed green brickwork is an attractive feature. NOTE: This pub is presently (September 2008) closed.
Left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near right-hand photograph 4th February 2007 Far right-hand photograph 18th February 1990
Pub Operator: Punch Taverns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon Tue Wed 10:00 'til 23:30; Thu Fri Sat 10:00 'til 00:30; Sun 11:00 'til 23:00; Bank Holiday extensions

The Captain's Table	100 Clarendon Road, Southsea, PO4 0SD
Located close to Southsea sea front, this pub started life as the Waverley Arms and was renamed the Captain's Table in the 1960s. Popular with a mainly younger local clientele, the pub also attracted custom from club goers at weekends. The pub spent six years during the 1990s as the New Captain's Table before a further renaming as the Strand Bar at the end of the decade.
Photographed 11th May 1989	see also The Strand
Licenced Opening Hours: see The Strand

The Castle Tavern	119 Somers Road, Somerstown, PO5 4PT
023 9281 7171
The Castle Tavern has existed on this site since the late 19th century and the present building sports an unusual crenellated tower on the east elevation. Mainly used by locals, the pub was refurbished around the turn of the 21st century and now has a pleasant, modern interior, without having lost too much of its character. The outdoor seating area is welcome in the summer months.
Left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near right-hand photograph 22nd July 2007 Far right-hand photograph 18th February 1990
Pub Operator: MJM Inns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 'til 23:30; Sun 12:00 'til 22:50

The Cellars at Eastney	56 Cromwell Road, Eastney, PO4 9PN
023 9282 6249	www.thecellars.co.uk
This former run-down pub is now a thriving, comfortable bar, featuring regular live music and a good choice of quality real ales from local independent brewers. The pub has featured some surprisingly big names in the world of music in recent times and is roomier inside than it looks from the street. Originally the Eastney Cellars, the pub was renamed in 1995 and spent a short time as a gay bar before being transformed into one of Portsmouth's best ale houses. Well worth a visit.
Left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Right-hand photograph 4th February 2007
Pub Operator: Free House	see also The Eastney Cellars
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon Tue Wed 10:00 'til 23:59; Thu Fri Sat 10:00 'til 00:30; Sun 11:00 'til 23:30; Bank Holiday extensions
Visit the Pub Crawls page to read a detailed description of this pub (March 2007)

The Cider House	177 Elm Grove, Southsea, PO5 1LU
023 9282 7188
The Cider House was launched in the Spring of 2008 following the renaming of the Duck. The newly-incarnated pub now stocks a selection of around twenty draught and bottled ciders including around half a dozen 'real' ciders and perries. These are complimented by a smaller selection of real ales. The pub has an interconnecting door to the Dog next door and has a small yard at the rear which contains a number of picnic benches. A pool table can be found in a small room to the rear of the pub. Plans are afoot to extend the Cider House into the next door premises, which has recently been purchased by owners Wine Vaults (Portsmouth) Ltd.
Photographed 26th May 2008	Pub Operator: Wine Vaults (Portsmouth) Ltd
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00 'til 01:00; Fri Sat 11:00 'til 02:00; Sun 12:00 'til 23:59
see also The Duck

The Clarence Pier	Long Curtain Road, Southsea, PO5 3AA
023 9273 4622
This Brewer's Fayre pub was opened in 1997 by Whitbread and was soon joined by an adjoining Travel Inn. Originally named the Clarence, the pub has now been renamed as above. Concentrating primarily on diners, the pub is most popular during the summer season, with visitors to the fun fair next door. The patio area now has perspex screens protecting it from the sea spray.
Left-hand photograph 3rd January 2005	Right-hand photograph 15th July 2007
Pub Operator: Whitbread
Licenced Opening Hours: 10:00 'til 01:30 (open 24hrs to hotel residents)

The Clarence Gardens	118 London Road, North End, PO2 0LZ
This prominent pub in North End's shopping district was rebuilt in 1937 to a design by A E Cogswell. Until the 1990s the interior consisted of two large bar rooms, with a central servery. The pub's reputation suffered for a time, with the licence being revoked temporarily in 1991. In 1995 it underwent a major refit and in 2005 was given the ludicrous new name the Mischief.
Left-hand photograph 14th February 1988	Right-hand photograph 23rd January 2005
Pub Operator: Greene King	see also The Mischief
Licenced Opening Hours: see The Mischief

The Clarendon Tavern	80 Clarendon Road, Southsea, PO5 2PB
023 9283 8744
The Clarendon Tavern has stood on this site since Victorian times, only once being subject to a name change which came about in the 1990s, when it was known as Micawber's (due to the rumour of Charles Dickens having once lived on the site). The pub has had many owners including the Jewell Brewery, Brickwoods, Whitbread, Usher's and now, Punch Taverns. In recent years is has been rechristened the New Clarendon and by 2007 the pub had also received a second name, Quigley's Bar, on the left-hand façia board.
Top left-hand photograph 15th July 2007 Bottom left-hand photograph 30th September 2006	Top right-hand photograph 19th September 2004 Bottom right-hand photograph 11th May 1989
Pub Operator: Punch Taverns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon Tue Wed Thu 10:30 'til 23:30; Fri Sat 10:30 'til 00:30; Sun 12:00 'til 23:00; Bank Holiday extensions

The Coach & Horses	London Road, Hilsea, PO2 9SE
023 9266 0533
One of Portsmouth's most well-known buildings, the Coach & Horses is the first pub that motorists pass as they drive onto Portsea Island. The imposing structure that is the present pub was built to a striking design by A E Cogswell in 1933 and replaced an earlier pub of the same name (as seen in the right-hand photographs). The building features a high tower at its northwest apex with a crenellated parapet and is built in a Scottish Baronial style. Up until the early 1990s the pub consisted of a large saloon bar, with dining area, plus a public bar accessed via a seperate entrance. The public bar spent a short time throughout the mid '90s branded as a Cheese & Ale House, with a good choice of cask ales and free peanuts. Now knocked through into one large, comfortable, single bar with a separate dining area, there are a number of distinct seating areas radiating from the bar counter. Now owned by the Spirit Group, it was originally a Portsmouth United Breweries house before being taken over by Brickwoods. In the '70s it became part of the vast Whitbread empire. July 2007 has seen further work take place at the pub, with a new decked area facing the northbound London Road and new signage on all sides of the building.
Top left-hand photograph 14th August 1988 Centre left-hand photograph 14th August 2005	Bottom left-hand photograph 14th August 2005 Bottom centre photograph 13th July 2008
Pub Operator: Spirit Group	see the Pub Reviews page for further details (Sep 2004)
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon Tue Wed Thu 09:00 'til 00:30; Fri Sat 09:00 'til 01:00; Sun 10:00 'til 00:30; Bank Holiday extensions

The Coal Exchange	1 Bath Square, Old Portsmouth, PO1 2JL
This famous old pub was one of three which survived at The Point in Old Portsmouth until 1991. Originally the North Country Tavern, the pub was also known as the Jolly Sailor before becoming the Coal Exchange in around 1859. It survived as such until 1991 when Whitbread, in their wisdom, saw fit to merge the pub with the Lone Yachtsman next door to produce one large pub. This resulted in the sad loss of the pub's original character. The Webmaster has visited only rarely since.
Photographed 11th May 1989	Grade II Listed
Licenced Opening Hours: see The Spice Island Inn

The Coastguard Tavern	91 Clarendon Road, Southsea, PO4 0SA
023 9282 4622
This ugly 1962 building replaced an earlier pub of the same name that stood on the site since Victorian times. The pub spent most of its modern day life under ownership of Allied Breweries (Ind Coope) before being sold off to Punch Taverns in the late 1990s. It remains a rather tatty establishment, in need of a refit.
Left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near right-hand photograph 11th May 1989 Far right-hand photograph 30th September 2006
Pub Operator: Punch Taverns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon Tue Wed Thu 10:00 'til 00:30; Fri Sat 10:00 'til 01:30; Sun 12:00 'til 23:59; Bank Holiday extensions

The Compass Rose	Sywell Crescent, Anchorage Park, PO3 5UH
023 9267 3037
This pub was built during the 1980s as part of the large Anchorage Park estate, which occupies the site of the former Portsmouth Airport. It became the city's only Gibbs Mew pub, though the brewery has since ceased production and the pub is now privately owned. The pub is modern and comfortable with a mix of both local and business clientele.
Left-hand photograph 14th August 2005	Right-hand photograph 28th April 1991
Pub Operator: Enterprise Inns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 'til 00:30

The Connaught Arms	119 Guildford Road, Fratton, PO1 5EA
023 9264 6455
Constructed in 1891 as the Connaught Hotel, this pub is unusual in having retained the same name throughout its whole life. The Connaught underwent a major refurbishment in 1993, with its former three bars now knocked into one. However, where such modifications can often destoy the ambience and appeal of many pubs, the refit managed to retain the pub's homely feel and the bar area is now seperated into three distinct areas. One of these featuring a well-used dart board. The pub spent its early life with Portsmouth United Breweries before transferring to Brickwoods in the mid 20th century. It was latterly bought by Whitbread before being sold on in the 1990s.
Top left-hand photograph 13th July 2008 Bottom left-hand photograph 14th August 2005	Top right-hand photograph July 1990
Pub Operator: unknown
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 'til 23:59

The Deco	128 Elm Grove, Southsea, PO5 1LR
023 9282 2000
This pub spent most of its life known as the Elms until it was given the inappropriate name the Deco. The pub caters for a younger clientele, with DJs playing at weekends. A pool table is available and real ales are a surprise inclusion. The licence is held by the owner of the Ship & Castle, The Hard.
Photographed 30th September 2006	see also The Elms
Pub Operator: unknown
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 'til 23:30; Sun 12:00 'til 22:50

The Derby Tavern	47 Stamshaw Road, Stamshaw, PO2 8LG
023 9266 4208
Typical of Stamshaw's public houses, the Derby is a true street-corner local. Dating from the late Victorian era, the pub has retained the same name for well over a century. Threatened with possible closure in the early 1990s, the pub was thankfully refurbished and reopened with a more open-plan interior. Pool and darts are played. The exterior floral displays are an attractive feature throughout the summer months.
Left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near right-hand photograph 6th September 2006 Far right-hand photograph 14th August 1988
Pub Operator: Punch Taverns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon Tue Wed Thu 10:00 'til 00:30; Fri Sat 10:00 'til 01:30; Sun 10:00 'til 00:00; Bank Holiday extensions

The Devonshire Arms	29 Devonshire Avenue, Southsea, PO5 9EA
023 9282 8785
Constructed in 1906 to a design by architect J J Cotton, the Devonshire Arms occupies a large corner plot in a residential district of east Southsea. Originally owned by Longs Brewery (as shown in the black & white photograph), the housed passed into Brickwoods ownership in the 1930s and later to Whitbread. It is now operated by national pub company, Punch Taverns. Sadly, the pub now sports one single bar room after having its dividing walls demolished by Whitbread, as was the craze in the 1980s. The result gives the Devonshire the feel of a public bar and is frequented almost exclusively by regular customers from the surrounding streets.
Top left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near top right-hand photograph 14th August 2005 Far top right-hand photograph 11th May 1989
Pub Operator: Punch Taverns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Wed 10:00 'til 23:30; Thu-Sat 10:00 'til 00:30 Sun 10:00 'til 23:00; Bank Holiday extensions

The Diamond	70 King Street, Southsea, PO5 4EH
This lovely Victorian street corner tavern is a perfect example of traditional pub architecture. The frontage is courtesy of Portsmouth pub architect A E Cogswell, who was commissioned in the late 1880s by the Brickwood Brewery. In 1991 the Diamond was sold by Whitbread to the Wadworth Brewery of Devizes and it received an internal refit. In 2006 it was inexplicably and unnecessarily renamed the King Street Tavern. It remains however, a very pleasant and welcoming local.
Photographed 18th February 1990	see also The King Street Tavern
Pub Operator: Wadworth & Co	Grade II Listed
Licenced Opening Hours: see The King Street Tavern

The Dolphin	41 High Street, Old Portsmouth, PO1 2LU
023 9282 3595
This 17th century inn is one of the oldest in Portsmouth, despite its rather nondescript frontage. Known as the Dolphin since the early 1800s, it was granted a licence in perpetuity by King Charles I. The pub now sports one large, narrow room which opens up at the rear. Well patronised as an Hogshead Ale House during the 1990s, it is now owned by national pubco Enterrpise Inns. August 2007 saw the pub reopen following refurbishment, though the licencees soon found themselves in financial difficulties. The house reopened once more in August 2008, serving a number of real ales, though with the emphasis firmly on food sales.
Left-hand photograph 27th January 2008	Near right-hand photograph 9th July 2007 Far right-hand photograph 11th May 1989
Pub Operator: Enterprise Inns	Grade II Listed
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 'til 00:30; Sun 12:00 'til 23:59; Bank Holiday extensions
Visit the Pub Crawls page to read a detailed description of this pub (January 2008)

Dragon	19 St George's Road, Old Portsmouth, PO1 2EH
023 9275 1751
Reopened with a new identity in the spring of 2007, the former Gloucester Hotel and Mary Rose has been rechristened the Dragon and advertises itself as a bar and restaurant. The interior still sports the feel of a public house and even retains its pool table. It is open to both diners and non-diners alike and is therefore still considered to be worthy of inclusion on these pages.
Photographed 15th July 2007	see also The Mary Rose
Pub Operator: Enterprise Inns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 'til 23:30; Sun 12:00 'til 22:50

Drift Bar	78 Palmerston Road, Southsea, PO5 3PT
023 9277 9839
This cosmopolitan, modern café style bar stands next door to the Slug & Lettuce and is popular with students and young professionals. The long, narrow interior is dominated by the large projection screen on which Sky Sports is shown. Piped music is played throughout the bar and food is served during the day. Drinks are confined mainly to premium priced draught lagers and bottled beers, as well as the usual spirits and cocktails. Sheltered pavement seating is available beaneath an awning. A second lounge bar area is available for hire. DJs play at weekends.
Photographed 18th March 2008	Pub Operator: Free House (S Jervis)
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Wed 11:00 'til 02:30; Thu-Sat 11:00 'til 03:30; Sun 11:00 'til 01:30

The Druid's Arms	11-15 Binsteed Road, Buckland, PO2 7PM
023 9266 5936	www.gales.co.uk
This Victorian corner pub has retained the same name since its opening in the late 19th century. Part of the local Young's Brewery since 1897, it eventually ended up in the hands of Ind Coope until being sold to Gales of Horndean in 1990. The pub sports a large L-shaped public bar offering a jukebox, pool and darts, with a smaller lounge bar facing St Stephen's Road. The pub is an occasional entry in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide.
Left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near right-hand photograph 4th February 2007 Far right-hand photograph 18th February 1990
Pub Operator: Fuller Smith & Turner
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 07:00 'til 01:00; Fri-Sun 07:00 'til 02:00; Bank Holiday extensions

Drummond's	1 Hampshire Terrace, Southsea, PO1 2QF
Originally the Wiltshire Lamb (see right-hand photograph), Drummond's became a popular gay pub in the 1980s and continued in this guise until it reopened as part of Whitbread's Tut 'n' Shive chain in 1996. By 2003 it was trading under the name of Hampshire Boulevard. The exterior of the pub still retains much glazed tiling courtesy of the Brickwoods Brewery, though the facia has unfortunately since been covered up.
Photographed 11th May 1989	see also Hampshire Boulevard
Licenced Opening Hours: see Hampshire Boulevard

The Duck	177 Elm Grove, Southsea, PO5 1LU
023 9282 7188
The Duck is one of the best new pubs to have opened in Portsmouth for many years. Owned by the former licencee of the Wine Vaults on Albert Road, the premises first began trading in mid 2005. Behind the small frontage is a pleasant single roomed bar, with much wood in evidence. A good selection of real ales and wines is available and low-level music is piped through speakers. There is an interconnecting door to the One-Eyed Dog next door. Spring 2008 saw the pub relaunched as The Cider House, selling a large range of draught and bottled ciders.
Photographed 6th August 2005	Pub Operator: Wine Vaults (Portsmouth) Ltd
Licenced Opening Hours: see the Cider House
see the Pub Reviews page for further information (July 2005)	see also The Cider House

The Duke of Buckingham	119 High Street, Old Portsmouth, PO1 2HW
023 9282 7067	www.dukeofbuckingham.net
This pub stands on what was once the Green Dragon in the 18th and 19th Centuries, before later becoming the Cambridge Tavern in the 1850s. The pub was renamed the Duke of Buckingham in the 1920s (see right-hand photograph) and was rebuilt in 1968. Now back to its proper name after a spell as Buckingham's, the pub underwent a comprehensive and expensive refit in 1991, making it much more appealing inside and out. Named after the first Duke of Buckingham who was assassinated nearby, the pub is now a welcoming retreat in Portsmouth's old town, serving a good range of drinks as well as meals. It offers a good alternative to the area's busier pubs.
Left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near right-hand photograph 3rd January 2005
Pub Operator: unknown	see also Buckingham's
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 'til 00:30
Visit the Pub Crawls page to read a detailed description of this pub (January 2008)

The Duke of Devonshire	119 Albert Road, Southsea, PO5 2SQ
023 9282 3682
Originally known as the Prince of Wales, this small street corner local has remained a constant among Albert Road's changing pub scene in recent years. A former Brickwoods house, the pub features a single, comfortable lounge bar and has a patio at the rear for al fresco drinking in the warmer weather. Darts is played and a jukebox can be found toward the rear of the bar. The Devonshire is frequented mainly by a faithful band of regular customers, who come here for the warm welcome. However, it is well worth seeking out and is a good source of well-kept cask ale.
Top left-hand photograph 13th July 2008	Near top right-hand photograph 30th September 2006 Far top right-hand photograph 11th May 1989
Pub Operator: Enterprise Inns
Licenced Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00 'til 00:30; Fri Sat 11:00 'til 01:30; Sun 12:00 'til 00:30; Bank Holiday extensions

Please note that the Licenced Opening Hours stated are the hours for which each premises has a licence to open its doors to the public. The hours for sale of alcoholic liquor may well be shorter than the Licenced opening hours. Some pubs may choose to open for shorter hours than their licence allows. Therefore it is always adviseable to check ahead to ensure that the premises shall be open at the time of your planned visit.