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Detail Pages
Duke of Devonshire, Southsea
Southsea
PO5 2SQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Duke Of Devonshire
A decent, old school, apparently unchanged by time trad corner boozer.Carpeted, wood panels and wallpaper on the walls,a dart board as you would expect in such a place. Entertainment was via a radio behind the bar. Four hand pumps serving three beers which were Hobgoblin, Pride and Irving 10:45 which was a nice pint in a nice enough place to have one.
On 3rd November 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Duke Of Devonshire
On the main street through the centre of Southsea, the Duke of Devonshire is a good, old fashioned traditional pub unburdened by the need for change. Entering through an etched glass ‘Public Bar’ door on the main road, you find yourself in the main bar area with a row of banquette seating down the right hand side and the servery over to the left. The windows have been obscured with some old fringe curtains although the fine stained glass top panes are clearly visible and dazzling on a bright sunny afternoon. A similar stained glass design lines the bar canopy above the sturdy panelled counter and plainer bar back which has been livened up by a collection of quirky green glassware. To the front left there is a darts area where a modest collection of trophies on a shelf above the board indicates the pub’s prowess over the years. Various old paintings and photos decorate the room, which has a classic combination of low wood panelling and striped wallpaper. Moving past the bar, you pass the door for the toilets, which has an old, lit Watney’s Red Barrel sign over it and a decent tiled fireplace to one side, above which hangs a large and rather handsome portrait of the pub. Passing a number of slot machines and the pub juke box, you find a small rear seating area with more banquette and low stool options and another dartboard. A door leads out to the rear garden, but having spent a scorching 90 minutes without shade at Fratton Park, I was happy to stay inside. Some decent soul and blues music was on rotation but this was offset with the irritating sound effects created by a child in the main bar playing a game on their mobile phone with the volume on full-blast.
The four ales seem to be a fairly fixed line-up and comprised Fullers London Pride, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Irving Invincible and Purity Mad Goose. I thought it best to try the Invincible, it being a local brew, and I was surprised to get a correctly branded glass from the old-school landlady. The pint was a bit chewy and a slog to get through, but others ordered the same beer after me and they seemed perfectly happy with it.
This is a quality old-school boozer with no pretensions and a good pubby atmosphere, in sharp contrast with some of the more modern, trendy bars a bit further along Albert Road. It’s the sort of no nonsense pub I imagine a place like Portsmouth should be full of and, despite not really taking to the beer, I’d be happy to lose a few more hours in such a comfortable setting.
On 25th August 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Duke Of Devonshire
A Victorian corner pub on a busy street, knocked through to form a single carpeted bar, formerly owned by Watneys, now a freehouse. It's quite an entertaining local, there are regular pub quizzes and a dartboard area adorned with many darts trophies. There was a faint hint of incense in the air, which was a nice change from some of the more pungent aromas in other nearby establishments. The staff were very friendly, the locals welcoming, and there were no idiots in. Four ales on draught: Goddard's Fuggledeedum, Irving Invincible and Pride & Purity's Mad Goose Pale Ale were all in excellent condition. A really decent local and somewhere worth visiting again for its ales especially.
On 7th June 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3278 recommendations about 3243 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Duke Of Devonshire
A pleasant and comfortable old school street corner local which is now a single room but the original multi-roomed layout is still discernible mainly due to the old doors still marked with the names of the original bars. Carpeted throughout, seating is traditional with patterned banquettes and matching small stools as well as bar stools. The pub is fairly long and narrow, the rear area dog-legs around beyond a chimney and fireplace. The windows are now clear glass but with probably original stained glass upper lights, décor includes a few large hanging brass plates, a nice painting of the pub as well as some photos and brewery paraphernalia. There are two dartboards, one directly to the left by the front door looks to be the main one with trophies above and chalkboards for scoring, the other is to the rear.
The ambience was calm and relaxed, helped by some great jazz tunes seemingly and unusually emanating from a juke box. The landlady was of the busy, bustling and warm type, possibly she is "Molly" as a sign behind the bar states simply "Mollies" (sic).
Four handpumps, Pride plus a festive selection of Goddard's Fuggle-De-Dum, Everard's Wonderland and Irving Red Plum. I didn't see any menus but I was in around 4pm.
This is a proper traditional pub, as I remember them from the late 70s to early 80s with good beer and a real homely welcoming feel. I could easily have settled in here for a few.
On 6th December 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Duke Of Devonshire
The Duke of Devonshire is a small corner pub that is on southseas main shopping street.
Once inside there was one room that was very comfortable and homely,this pub was a Whitbread tied house when we went in here and there was one real ale on here this was Whitbread Flowers bitter and this was a very nice drink.
We were quite content having a drink in this pub.
Pub visited 17/2/1999
Photo taken 20/2/1999
On 17th February 1999
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]