The Isambard Kingdom Brunel (JD Wetherspoon), Landport, Portsmouth

I was here quite early on a Saturday morning with time to kill before getting a ferry so the place was quiet. As noted below it's a large high ceilinged room with all the usual fixtures and fittings. The bar has two sets of six hand pumps with three in between which seemed to be partially covered by some signs as though they were a cause of embarrassment. The beer choice was quite frankly pathetic with the JDW Trio Of Doom, Otter Ale and Coach House Innkeepers Special doubled up, one available soon and Langham Arapaho. I spotted Oakham Green Devil IPA on keg so went for that (£3.49). The standard guest ale price here is £2.45. I'd pop in again if passing to see if the Green Devil was still here but if it wasn't would probably walk out.

This is Wetherspoon’s flagship pub in Portsmouth, located at one end of the city’s mercifully short binge-drinking strip in a fine building that previously housed the Portsmouth and Gosport Gas Company’s offices, and named after the city’s most famous son. A visit to Portsmouth generally tends to involve passing this place at one point or other, thanks to its proximity to the central train station and attractive Guildhall. A small pavement seating area to the front allows you to take in the view towards the Guildhall, albeit from an unfavourable angle. Steps lead you up through a grand corner entrance into a large, high ceilinged room, the front part of which sees uniform rows of standard seating and a few high tables before the servery eventually appears along the left hand wall. The bar has a nice dark wood counter and bar back, and is split mid way by a large, wood-clad pillar. More of these pillars appear further into the room, each topped with highly decorative lion’s head capitals which poke out above the cumbersome modern cladding. The rear space is split-level, with more standard seating in the lower carpeted section to the left, whilst high tables and stools give way to the raised laminate floored rear space. To the right there is a bookcase with the top shelf filled with old beer bottles, whilst to the rear there is a pleasant fireplace and a few stained glass features on the ceiling. Given the pub’s location in the main drinking street and the afternoon’s pre-season fixture at Fratton Park, I was expecting quite a lively atmosphere, but it turned out to be one of the more civil Wetherspoons I’ve been to in recent memory – even all the TV screens were turned off. The beer situation was slightly disappointing, with three ‘Spoons regulars doubled up on the hand pumps and three guest ales and six festival ciders using up the remaining handles. I tried a beer called Belgarum from the local Itchen Valley brewery, which was served fairly promptly in good condition and I had some of the typically no-frills food which, as always, was with me in no time at all. Despite being a large, drinking barn-style venue, I quite liked it in here and enjoyed watching a good mix of customers come and go and a bustling bar scene. It does suffer a bit from the concessions it has made to cope with high volumes of weekend evening trade and perhaps lacks the ‘wow’ factor you might expect from such a building, but I’d rate this as a solid central option for a decent pint.

Housed in an impressive building it fails to live up to once inside,it is in fact the usual formula JDW template,It was however rammed so what do I know?Well I know having looked at the 14 handpumps of which the most impressive offering available was Purity Mad Goose, which is ok and Darkstar Hophead and Oakham JHB unfortunately tagged as coming soon there was little else of interest, mostly all usual suspects, there seemed to be a queuing system in place and quite frankly I couldn't be bothered.

An attractive solid looking building close to the architecturally impressive Guildhall. Rather bland inside however as is often the case with this chain, more could have been done to retain some grandeur although some impressive ceiling cornices and column pilasters remain. Open plan, crammed in tables, one area had a bookcase which helps to add a bit of interest. A stair curves upwards to the facilities. Lots of handpumps but not a great deal of choice, apart from the usual suspects there were only three or four that I would call guests, generally doubled up. Sluggish service too. There was a graduation ceremony going on in The Guildhall, attended by hundreds of graduates and their families, most needing to be fed and watered, seems to me they were missing a trick here.

Large Wetherspoon's named after one of its famouse son's. One large space which sells a good selection of real ales. Popular with students.

Impressive Georgian building, housing - of course - a JDW. Despite the imposing exterior the interior is open-plan and a little more dull than anticipated, though there's some impressive moulded cornices. Has the usual Spoons lived-in feel and whiffs. Two huge banks of pumps but not a lot in terms of interesting guest ales (many standards were double-clipped), so I plumped for a Broadside that was in very good shape though the glass had seen better days. Partook the breakfast which came out missing an egg though to be fair the server spotted it straight away and spirited one out on a separate plate within 60 seconds. Decent enough Wetherspoons, would have given it a 7 had the ales been more diverse.

A fairly standard JDW in an imposing Georgian corner building, formerly commercial premises, with 24 pumps on display but only 6 ales and 1 cider on. I had a pint of Oakleaf Quercus Folion which was spoilt by being served much too cold. Free wifi is available, the staff are very young and inexperienced and most of the customers were students.