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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Wellington, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
PO1 2LY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 3½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about Wellington
Well I was warned by the previous reviews but it wasn’t as bad as I expected, it’s been redecorated, and on entering a blackboard said “Cask Ales: Type 42, Frigate “ as well as a list of four kegs, described as Draught Beers. I was excited however enquiring at the counter I was told “we did them but the company went bust and we’re waiting to have the board repainted”, it looked like that liquid chalk stuff to me and the keg list was up to date, there were no pulls or other cask dispensing contraptions; WhatPub says No Real Ale and that was updated in October 2023, but whatever.
Poncy is still an apposite description of the decor, chandeliers and those oh so witty portraits with animal heads, I don’t think they have one of the eponymous Duke himself with his own head but a lintel or two has a potted biography upon it. Sadly Quentin Crisp wouldn’t recognise his drawing room here any longer and I was saddened not to see revolving puddings. There’s a nice little beer garden at the back to escape the food smells while enjoying your Birra Moretti, Inch’s cider, Fosters, Brixton Pale Ale or an oddly served Guinness.
On 28th July 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Wellington
As mentioned below, this is an old boozer that is now trying to be some sort of bistro with a result that looks like a cross between Quentin Crisp’s sitting room (red and gold shaped wallpaper at the front, gold and silver at the rear, heavy red wine coloured divider curtains, red lighting and drapes) and just a bonkers brilliant early 80s restaurant retro vibe including my all-time favourite, the puddings in a showcase revolving lit fridge. There is a bar at the front where we settled. En route to the gents I noted an upright piano, the top of which was adorned with a number of creole musician statuettes. Three pumps serving two ales - a fairly dull choice of Doom Bar and Ringwood 49er, the latter of which was long in the tooth and not worth finishing. It’s an experience in here all right but not one I’m inclined to repeat.
On 21st February 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Wellington
Once a decent traditional high street pub, and even an ex-GBG entry, The Wellington is now trying to pass itself off as a poncey bistro and failing miserably, instead achieving an effect which is more akin to a Dutch knocking shop. Original features such as the open fireplace, with its original Georgian inset, and structural timbers are overshadowed by a colour scheme which is predominantly brothel-maroon in colour and pervades every flat surface as well as all the soft furnishings; lots of red lights complete the allusion. There is free WiFi available, a mute piano, a small garden at the back and a jukebox in the bar. They run regular quiz nights. There were two ales on draft, Doombar and Ringwood Best. When we eventually managed to get served, an event enabled by the gobby barmaid’s finishing her mobile phone call, we discovered that both beers were drastically over-priced and both tasted insipid. I shouldn’t bother again.
On 23rd April 2015
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3517 recommendations about 3481 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Michael Wright left this review about The Wellington
Lunchtime visit, on the Saturday of a Bank Holiday weekend
A near empty bar, a few seated customers, landlady was behind the bar, I stood in front of her, adjacent to beer pumps and was completely ignored
Landlady proceed to go to cupboard in main bar area to get some bar mats
Meanwhile a party of four appeared, sat down near window, landlady greeted them as old friends, I remained standing at bar completely ignored, without even a "Be with you in minute luv" sort of greeting
Flummoxed at this lack of customer care I stood there a few minutes longer, just in case I had died and was in spirit form
Then I walked out
Shame, looked like it could be a nice pub, if you can get served that is
On 30th August 2010
- rating: 1
[User has posted 526 recommendations about 382 pubs]