Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Clarence Esplanade, Southsea.
&
023/9282-7261.
www.ddaymuseum.co.uk. Admission £6 adults, £5
seniors, £4.20 students and children 6-17, £16 family ticket, free for accompanied children 13 and under.
Apr-Sept daily 10am-5:30pm; Oct-Mar daily 10am-5pm. Closed Dec 24-26.
Portchester Castle
CASTLE On a spit of land on the northern edge of the
Solent are the remains of this castle, plus a Norman church. Built in the late 12th
century by King Henry II, the castle is set inside the Roman walls of a 3rd-century
fort built as a defense against Saxon pirates, when this was the northwestern frontier
of the declining Roman Empire. Though the original castle itself is long gone, the
keep remains (and was used as a prison during the Napoleonic Wars), and from it you
can take in a panoramic view of the harbor and coast. The free historical audioguide
is excellent.
Church Rd., Portchester (off the A27 btw. Portsmouth and Southampton, near Fareham).
&
023/9237-
8291.
www.english-heritage.org.uk. Admission £4.50 adults, £3.80 seniors, £2.30 children 5-15, free for
children 4 and under. Apr-Sept daily 10am-6pm; Oct-Mar daily 10am-4pm.
Southsea Castle
CASTLE A fortress built of stones from Beaulieu Abbey in
1544 as part of King Henry VIII's coastal defense plan, the castle has been much
altered since. It's now a museum, with exhibits that trace the development of Ports-
mouth as a military stronghold, as well as the naval history and the archeology of the
area. It was from here that Henry VIII watched his flagship, the
Mary Rose,
sink in
the Solent.
Clarence Esplanade, Southsea.
&
023/9282-7261.
www.southseacastle.co.uk. Admission £3.50 adults,
£3 seniors, £2.50 students and children ages 6-17, £9.50 family ticket, free for accompanied children 13
and under. Daily 10am-5:30pm. Closed Oct-Mar.
Where to Eat
Finding great food close to the main sights of the Historic Dockyard isn't easy. The
outlet retail mecca that is
Gunwarf Quays,
Portsmouth Harbour (
&
023/9283-
6700;
www.gunwharf-quays.com), is home to a number of quality, if unadventurous,
chain restaurants such as Japanese-style noodle bar Wagamama, pizzeria Zizzi, and
eclectic, family-friendly Giraffe. Alternatively, the
Old Customs House,
Gunwharf
Quays (
&
023/9283-2333;
www.theoldcustomshouse.com), serves hearty pies and
a menu of pub classics in the atmospheric former revenue-men's headquarters, built
in 1811. Main courses range between £9 and £11. There's a selection of Fuller's ales
on tap—it's a good place for a pint even if you don't want to dine.
Montparnasse
ENGLISH/FRENCH With a long-established reputation for
serving the best food in the city, Montparnasse offers a welcoming atmosphere and
bijou bistro surrounds. The cooking is a now-familiar but superbly executed fusion of
English and French flavors, with an emphasis on locally reared meat and locally
caught fish. Expect to be bowled over by such dishes as roast breast of grouse served
with chicory and orange, or filet of sea bream with potato dumplings.
103 Palmerston Rd., Southsea.
&
023/9281-6754.
www.bistromontparnasse.co.uk. Reservations rec-
ommended. Main courses £14-£20; fixed-price 2-course dinner £32, fixed-price 3-course dinner £37.
AE, MC, V. Tues-Sat noon-2pm and 7-9:30pm.
Restaurant 27
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH An unassuming side-street
off Southsea's fading esplanade is the unlikely home for one of Hampshire's genuine
destination restaurants. Behind a whitewashed exterior, the contemporary dining
room offers creative, modern cooking to match. Menus change with the seasons, but
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