Abarbistro - Portsmouth

I was searching for a new lunch spot for my family while visiting Portsmouth, so we decided to try out the uniquely named ABARBISTRO today. Before our visit, I had emailed the restaurant to inquire about gluten-free options, and received a friendly response from Christina with a special menu. Upon arrival, the restaurant was bustling, which was a promising sign. The service was friendly and there was a good selection of main courses to choose from. However, there were a couple of issues that bothered me. Firstly, the turkey dinner seemed to be leftover from the previous day as the potatoes were extremely hard and the other vegetables were limp and soggy. The potatoes should have been crispy and the glazed vegetables should have been firm and fresh. If the meal was indeed cooked that day, then the chef needs to pay more attention to timing. Secondly, the dessert menu mainly consisted of ice cream options, which seemed odd for the winter season. Additionally, charging £9 for a serving of ice cream seemed excessive. I decided to try the mince pie parfait, which was frozen but presented in a nice deconstructed form. Overall, my experience at ABARBISTRO was decent, but considering the prices, I expected a higher level of quality.

We thoroughly enjoyed the roast dinners we had today, they were absolutely delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. We definitely plan on returning in the future!

I had an amazing Sunday lunch at this restaurant. The food was delicious and beautifully presented, the wine selection was great, and the staff were attentive and friendly. The prices were reasonable and it was definitely worth the drive from Fareham. I would give this restaurant 5 stars in every category!

Such a nice pub/bar/restaurant, the staff are so good from the lads behind the bar to the girls waiting the tables, they really are top class. It is always busy, so book a table for a drink and food or just sit at the bar. Don't miss this when you are down in the area for shopping or just a sightseeing trip.

We spent a nice few hours at the Abar last night. I haven’t been for a few years as I thought the food was over-priced, but as most of party lives in Old Portsmouth, we decided to visit the Abar for dinner. The house red and white wine were very palatable and all our meals were pleasing. I had the ham hock, ducks egg and chips, and it was delicious and fairly-priced. The waiting staff were friendly enough, but why, oh why do they insist on calling everyone ‘guys’? It’s so annoying particularly as we were a party of five women. It’s so casual, and whilst I don’t expect formal addressing in a pub/bistro, ‘guys’ is just awful. Please think again how you address your diners.