Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2024) with rpadam
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Barley Mow, Southsea
Southsea
PO5 3DE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Barley Mow
This is a comfortable, traditional two bar local's pub in the back streets of Southsea. Much like ETA's experience below, my introduction to this pub was via the deserted games room on the right hand side of the building. Darts and pool seemed to be the order of the day in here, with basic seating around the perimeter and a few photos of various famous faces on the walls. It looked like a decent enough bar, but the lack of other customers and an ale-free servery suggested that I'd be better off in the main lounge through the other entrance. Here I found a carpeted room with the servery on the right hand wall. The bar has a dark wood counter and stained glass canopy whilst opposite there is a large ,open seating space with a pillar in the centre. Pew and standard seating through the main part of the room fills up a lot of the space and there was a small snug of sorts alongside the bar, which I didn't explore properly. The place felt pretty homely thanks to the dark wood panels and brick fireplace and various old photos lined the walls with a modern photo montage next to the bar. A huge beer bottle collection above the bar caught my eye and there was an upright piano to the left with old wine and port casks on top, whilst a TV screen remained off in favour of music from a local radio station. A door to the rear leads out to a decent garden which was very popular in the dying light of a warm summer's evening.
The pub's ale range doesn't look out of place alongside those found in other nearby ale houses, with options on this visit comprising Fullers London Pride, Gales HSB, Theakston Black Bull Bitter, Thwaites Lancaster Bomber, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Triple fff Moondance and Piddle Slasher with Irving Invincible in a cask on the end of the bar. My pint of the Moondance continued a run of excellent quality beer on my crawl around town, which I enjoyed whilst taking in the pub's warm ambiance.
This is another quality back street pub which is well worth adding to any crawl around the area. I though the place had got a lot of the basics right, creating an environment in which it was very easy to settle down and enjoy a quality pint. It maybe falls just marginally short of the towns top watering holes, but I really enjoyed this visit and will make an effort to return.
On 31st August 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Barley Mow
A bit of a time warp pub this one but in a good way,there are two bars, public and saloon but not interconnected internally ,except from behind the bar itself,the public bar seems to be not in general use despite housing a pool table, all the action appears to be in the saloon bar. Very much a locals bar, there are actually 9 handpumps here although it took a while to spot the detached 9th pump hidden behind the general bar clutter, this was serving Old Rosie Cider, beers on the more prominently visual pumps were, Greene King Abbot, Otter Ale, Ruddles County,Gales HSB, London Pride, Flack Manor Union Flack, Harvistoun Bitter and Twisted and Portobello Northern Line Milk Stout, not a bad selection for a back street boozer, I had a pint each of the latter two and they were in decent nick,another nailed on pub for a crawl.
On 29th February 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1875 recommendations about 1848 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Barley Mow
This Victorian GBG regular, currently owned by Enterprise, is best described as chaotic. I fell into the trap of first going into the small corner bar, The Sports bar, which was completely deserted. The pool table and dartboard looked lonely, very much like a games room on the Marie Celeste. The main Lounge Bar, however, was much livelier. It is a vibrant, fun-filled room with a gaming machine, TV screen (both mute, thankfully), a second pool table and a variety of humans scattered around. The latter were all at different points on the un-dead:alive continuum and were at differing levels of consciousness, some speaking in French. A piano, a stuffed dragon and what looked like a tiger’s rear end also caught my eye, but this was after about my seventh pint so shouldn’t be taken as a confirmed sighting. There were 6 active handpumps on the bar dispensing DBC’s Jurassic Coast and Clout, Mister Chubb’s Lunchtime Bitter, faux-HSB, Oakleaf Stout and one I forgot to write down. This is a must for anyone who enjoys a surreal experience along with high quality real ale.
On 6th May 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3287 recommendations about 3252 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Michael Wright left this review about The Barley Mow
A return visit after 4 years, lovely sunny Sunday 8th June noon time, pleased to report the pub is a good as ever, in the GBG again for 2014
Must be one of the few remaining pubs to put bar nibbles out on Sundays, and was told roast spuds on the way, but left before they arrived
I had Timothy Taylor "Landlord" Can't remember other choices, but two were London Pride & HSB
I can assure Quinno the beer garden, whilst small, is impressive, like many thing in this pub.
It is a must visit if in the area
On 8th June 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 526 recommendations about 382 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Barley Mow
This fine backstreet pub has a real community feel with a range of activities and events advertised, including a forthcoming halloween party, pumpkin carving competition, weekly quiz, Christmas club, chess league, golf and cricket teams, regular live music and even a monthly singles club (pick your night to visit with care!). There is also a book and DVD library with hire at just 50p. The pub still maintains a two room format, with the public bar having a pool table and dartboard but be aware that all the handpumps are situated in the lounge bar side. The cosy feeling lounge bar is carpeted, has a beamed ceiling and lots of wood panelling, there are a couple of fireplaces and plenty of brass artifacts and jugs. Decor also includes a ship's wheel and lanterns, naval and shipping photos, a number of newspaper clippings regarding the Battle of Southsea and a montage of photos of regulars old and current. There is also a working bar billiards table and a splendid but sadly not currently working '50s style juke box. There is a TV but is was off at the time (Weds lunchtime)
The pub is a mobile phone free zone and has a no tolerence of swearing policy.
The bar is on a side wall between the two rooms and has jugs and tankards dangling from hooks along the gantry. Stacks of clips on the bar ceiling indicate the rotation policy; there are seven handpumps, one wasn't clipped, but the six on were Ruddles Bitter, Pride, Fullers/Gales HSB, Thwaites Crafty Devil, Caledonian Autumn Red and Wadworth's The Bishop's Tipple. Beer quality was spot on.
I enjoyed my brief stay here, a good old fashioned backstreet pub with great beer and a friendly welcome.
On 28th October 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Barley Mow
I approached this pub from the south ands is dwarfed by a really imposing Tudor style building that might once have been a pub and is now a hairdressers, so this fifties looking pub really looks bland on the opposite IDE of the road.
Don't make the mistake I made by going in the first door which is the public bar with a pool table nod only fizz on the small bar.
The next door leads to the lounge and this is very different and has a really nice wood panelled interior which is so different o the lounge.
Seven hand pumps were in use and The Entire Stout I went for was superb. I paid £3,35 but the bar lady came back tome sayingI had given her 10p too much. So not only great honesty but great value for such a nice pint.
Well worth visiting this friendly place..
On 29th September 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Michael Wright left this review about The Barley Mow
Return visit, still same real ale pub, 7 hand pulls, food and free range eggs There is really nothing not to like about this pub
Only possible fly in ointment may be parking, but that is common with nearly all Southsea pubs. Buses run very close by
As previous comment, in Good beer Guide, a worthy inclusion
Check out their new web site for more details
On 17th July 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 526 recommendations about 382 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
dan bert left this review about The Barley Mow
As has already been stated, a cracking pub. It's a bit like someone's (large) front room with a piano, tables and chairs.
A good range of real ales plus cider and lagers. I believe that the real ales constantly change which in my book is a plus as I like to sample a variety of brews.
Judging by the various notices on the walls there is quite a lot of community based events related to the pub including music events.
This pub is a worthy inclusion in the GBG and should be on your list of pubs to visit when in Southsea.
On 29th March 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 19 recommendations about 19 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Michael Wright left this review about The Barley Mow
A cracking pub, has everything going for it, warm & friendly, with 7 different hand pulled bitters when I visited [see photo for details]
Mobile phone free area, live music Thursdays, juke box only turned on in evening
Limited food, but excellent sarnies at only £1.40, jacket spuds coming soon it says on board
And you can also get free range eggs at 60p for 6, xl at 65p, now that is what I call a real pub
2 bars, one "Public" with pool tables, other "Saloon" with comfy chairs, I used the Saloon, bit dark but great "atmosphere"
Do not miss this one if you are in the area
On 25th February 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 526 recommendations about 382 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The Barley Mow
Ringwood Best, Hammerpot Red Hunter, Yates YSD (went), Hogs Back Winter Ale, HSB, Pride, fff Pressed Rat & Warthog. Two-roomed pub, separate entrances, plain public bar with no handpumps at the servery, pool table & two dartboards. Larger more atmospheric saloon, carpetted, wood tables, upholstered chairs, old jukebox, upright piano in corner, homey lounge style area to rt of bar with more tables, sofas, real fire (unlit). Wood panelled walls carry plenty of naval photos, nice wood canopy bar-surround with upper glasswork lead-lights. Pleasant flagstoned patio beer garden.The only one of 3 target pubs in the immediate area to open early Sat (11:00), and good bluesy soundtrack and good beer make this, for me, a must visit in Portsmouth.
On 17th February 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]