The Italian Bar, Southsea

Previously the India Arms and the IBar, it's mainly an Italian restaurant, closed Tuesday and Sunday evenings. Only one way in now, into what was the public bar, which now serves as a reception and pre-dinner drinks area for the restaurant and has a couple of tables and some comfy chairs. Behind this is a small lounge with large leather sofas, and (oddly) a dartboard, while the restaurant occupies the large room on the left hand side of the pub. Background music was light jazz and 1950s pop, and there was WiFI available. Staff were helpful and friendly. Two hand pumps on the bar, but only one ale on, Sussex American Pale Ale, which was rather good, well kept and tasty, although over-priced by quite a way. Not a pub I'd include in a crawl, and overshadowed by the Hole next door, but OK to drop in for a quiet pint.

When we visited this pub it was called the India Arms. The India Arms looked like it used to be two seperate buildings years ago and once inside there were two seperate rooms one of these was a room serving food and the other was a normal bar which is where we had a drink,this room was fairly dark inside and seemed a bit nondescript to me. There were two real aels on the bar and we had a drink of London Pride and this was a decent drink the other beer was Bass. This pub was ok for a quick half but was not a pub i would have stayed in any longer. Pub visited 17/2/1999