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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Northcote
The Northcote has an L shaped bar to the left that houses a dartboard on a raised area and a pool table at the rear. I counted four hand pumps amongst the premium and standard keg offerings. In the right-hand side of the pub is a lounge bar with very red décor. The same ale offerings are available in here. Out the back is a paved beer garden full of picnic tables. I found the service to be polite and enjoyed my stay on the recent Friday evening I visited.
On 30th May 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Northcote
Surprising number of decorative features on both façades of this side-street corner pub, and it retains two bars separated by a central servery unusually featuring a window between the back-to-back bar-backs. The lounge is comfortably furnished, with a pool table and dartboard available in the public bar. Four real ales on handpump: a 'house' Northcote Hotel amber ale from Wadworth, Landlord, Long Man APA and Irving Invincible (£2.05, half).
On 24th April 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Northcote
Much as I recall it from my two previous visits. Four ales available as usual; a house beer from Wadworth, Tim Taylor Landlord, Long Man APA and Irving Invincible. My Longman was fine, an NBSS 3, though there were unfavourable reports about the Irving which was a shame. Worth popping in for one when you’re doing the area and pop by Saint & Greavsie in the lobby to say hello.
March 2014
Another Pompey backstreet pub with nice exterior tiling. Two bars, with a separate entrance to each). Rugby was on in the public area with a vociferous and sweary crowd, also pool and darts in there. I retreated to the much milder carpeted lounge. This was rather pleasant, plenty of knick-knacks, decorated in the mid-90s by the looks of it and had the feel of your Nan’s lounge, with an assortment of porcelain, bottles and clocks on display as well as a homage to Sherlock Holmes. Local radio was piped through here which made for a rather grating clash with the rugby crowd over the way, which could be observed via the unusual bar back, which has glass instead of mirrors. A selection of daily papers and CAMRA mags spotted, which are always a welcome sight. Four ales on, a fair selection of Doom Bar, Wadworth 6X, Hop Back Summer Lightning and Irving invincible (good nick). Not a bad stop. Rated 7
On 10th April 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Northcote
The PS & Co monogram to the upper left side of the Francis Road façade is a clear indication that this was once a pub belonging to local brewers Pike & Spicer; the metal ellipse above the sign frame is also a clear indication that at a later date this was a Whitbread house.
I opted for a half of the Irving’s Invincible at a higher than average £2.10 which I’ve also noted was ‘on the turn’.
Again, a pub which I recall little but as it gets good reviews from others, I’ll go with the current majority.
On 5th April 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Northcote
I whole heartily agree with a previous reviewer in that this is a great example of a traditional two bar pub, with its basic, down-to-earth Public Bar and a plush, attractive traditional décor Lounge Bar. I entered and ensconced myself in the Lounge with its very nice, well upholstered seating around the perimeter and it took me a fair while to realise that there was another bigger half to the pub finally spotting people moving through the glass windows in the bar back which I originally thought were mirrors.
The public has its own entrance apparently, but I managed to find the connecting corridor via the toilets, but didn’t spend too long in here because as described below it is basic compared to the lounge.
The four regular house beers described below were all on the go and I went for the Long Man American Pale Ale which was very well kept.
Another solid back street Southsea pub in this part of town.
On 4th April 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Northcote
I agree with BF that this is certainly a fine looking back street Victorian pub. I enjoyed the lounge side on this visit and found it to be very spacious and comfortable, along with a relaxed atmosphere. The back court yard was also a decent size, which will obviously come in handy in the summer months. I went for the Longman APA, which was spot on.
On 2nd April 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Northcote
A fine looking Victorian pub with a traditional interior and a courtyard .The public bar has a raised and seperate darts throw,a pool table to the side,with a flatscreen in another part.
The 4 handpumps were drawing Irving Invincible,TT Landlord,Wadworth brewed Nothcote Amber Ale and a decent Longman APA.
Very solid boozer,and should be included on any Southsea crawl,it's not far from Fratton Park and may get busy on match days.
On 31st March 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Northcote
A respectable and proper back street pub with two separate bars. One side is a comfortable lounge, the other is a larger public bar with pool and darts and both have a traditional feel. Large patio garden at rear. Some excellent beers on offer and kept in good condition. Regulars are Landlord, Irving Invincible, Long Man American Pale Ale and a house beer from Wadsworth, plus guests.
On 4th November 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Northcote Hotel
A large two roomed pub in the backstreets, a pool table and dartboard for entertainment. Four pumps in each room, beers were Long Man APA,Harveys Sussex Best, T.T Landlord and Irving Invincible. Nice enough.
On 3rd November 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Northcote Hotel
This is a grand looking pub and former hotel with an impressive facade that includes smart brick banding and glazed tile panels. You enter into the front Lounge Bar – an attractive carpeted room with the servery to the left, along the rear wall. The bar has a nice dark wood counter and an unusual bar back fitted with windows that allow you to look through to the Public Bar. The lounge has very nice, well upholstered seating around the perimeter and various nicely presented displays of ceramics and the like. The room also seems to have a bit of a Sherlock Holmes theme which, as I discovered in the Lord Palmerston earlier in the day, is probably to do with Conan Doyle’s links to Southsea (he wrote the first two Holmes novels whilst practising as a doctor on nearby Elm Grove). A passageway to the left leads through to a huge Public Bar, with an empty area to the left filled by a pool table and another empty space on a raised platform to the rear dedicated to darts. Most of the seating was to the right, with a long bar counter running in an L-shape along the front wall. I thought the right hand side of this room was quite a pleasant space to sit and relax, but the rest of the room was a bit spartan and too big to generate much of an atmosphere. A TV screen near the end of the bar was showing a sports round-up show and there was music playing quietly in the background. Past the pool table, a door leads out to a patio garden, which looked a bit basic but seemed popular enough.
There were five ales available here and I was pleased to see a personal favourite – Long Man American Pale Ale – available, so I ordered a pint before going off for a snoop around the premises. This was a very nice pint, suggesting that these guys certainly know how to keep their beer properly.
This is a great example of a two bar pub, with its basic, down-to-earth Public Bar and plush, attractive Lounge Bar offering very different pub experiences. I thought the lounge in particular was a lovely place in which to stop off and enjoy some quality beer and whilst this place doesn’t quite have the charm to match up to the town’s classic back street boozers, it at least provides a good alternative to them and is somewhere I would certainly consider returning to.
On 29th August 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]