The Vaults, Southsea

Official site of The Vaults - www.thevaults-southsea.co.uk

Official site of The Vaults - www.thevaults-southsea.co.uk

Facebook page of The Vaults - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Vaults - www.facebook.com

I came here completely unplanned after messing up the bus journey to Southsea shops. It's a Fullers pub but I don't recall it ever being a Gales outlet. There are two bars visible as you enter with only the left hand one having hand pumps. It's a typical trendy minimalistic sort of place with the only low seating in the left bar being a tiny window area. The eight hand pumps had just five beers on with Fuller's London Pride, HSB, Seafarers, Dark Star Hophead and a Vibrant Forest beer. Darks Star Revelation was available soon. I went for the HSB (£4.10) which was pretty average. The only saving grace here is that the staff were friendly. If this is the sort of place that Fuller's are replacing their original pubs with then I'm more than happy to completely avoid their estate. I Wouldn't return. The only plus point was the friendly young bar staff.

A large interconnected open plan pub with dark wood beams and uprights, mixed seating throughout. Eight handpumps in all, from Fullers there was ESB, Pride and Seafarers and guest beers on were Hawkshead Lakeland Gold, Bristol Beer Co Milk Stout and Bad Seed Bunco, the latter being only average in quality but not price, at £4.50 a pint it was well over the average for the area. This pub didn't feel like the real deal to me and despite the possibility of some good beer choice I would think twice before returning.