Tiger Tiger, Portsmouth

More a nightclub and restaurant than pub, this entertainment factory occupies a large chunk of prime real estate in the Gunwharf Quays complex. Happy hours is from 5 – 9pm, and you have to pay to get in after 9pm. You enter the modern concrete and glass construction at ground level through an impressive atrium where there is a receptionist who smiles nicely at you, into what they term a ‘chill-out area’, or what we might call a ‘bar’. There is no real ale, but there are comfy chairs. A wide, wooden spiral staircase leads to a carpeted corridor which splits into two, one way taking you past a cloakroom and another bar (no real ale) to a dance floor, while to the right is a large restaurant area, also with no real ale and a mediocre wine selection. The food is overpriced and as far from healthy as you can get – fashionable, fatty and formulaic. The worst feature is the noise, which probably exceeds what is comfortable for those of us with normal hearing; I suspect that Portsmouth’s PYTs will all be deaf by the time they’re in their 30s. Perfect for an over-priced warm lager on an overcrowded dance floor if wearing ear-defenders.