The Mars, Landport, Portsmouth

A glass tile fronted Victorian back street boozer, very much a traditional local, just off the Commercial Road shopping area. It’s named after one of the ships in Nelson’s fleet, rather than the planet, although the atmosphere is more reminiscent of the latter. There is a large main bar and a smaller snug, both wooden floored.. There is a pool table, gaming machines and an over-loud jukebox. The furniture looks a bit battered, but the décor is in reasonable order. Staff were a bit vague about what they were doing, while the regulars weren’t the friendliest. There is no real ale on, so I made do with a bottle of Newcastle brown. Fine if you’re a local, but I won’t be orbiting around here too often.