Portsmouth's versatile Brewhouse and Kitchen restaurant that caters to theatre goers and sports fans alike

The Brewhouse and Kitchen in Guildhall Walk is known for its home-brewed beers of which there are seven variants all on sale at the bar. However, it also has an extensive menu and shifts from being bar service to table service depending on how busy it is. They have a number of restaurants across the country but its variety has enabled it to establish itself in Portsmouth, even opening a second branch in Southsea.

Being a pub that brews its own beers, the brewing process dominates the décor with big tanks situated at the front of the pub. Nods to beer can be found throughout with malts and barley decorations and brewing equipment adorning the walls. It is certainly a good place to come for a drink.

Assistant manager, Bobby Knight, said: “70 per cent of the beers that we sell are all brewed here on site. We also use the beer in our food, so the fish in our fish and chips is beer-battered and we usually use our craft lager for that batter.

“We have about 16 beers on sale seven that we brew in-house. The rest are guest beers and are generally unique craft beers from around the world. Our craft lager is the most popular. It’s not a traditional lager, it’s a five per cent one, it has different malts in and it’s brewed externally in Shepton Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery.”

The News attended on a hot summer afternoon and settled down with their home-brewed Tropical IPA, it certainly hit the spot and was refreshing. The Brewhouse is situated right next to the New Theatre Royall and can get fully booked when productions are running. This is where their flexibility becomes a strength.

Bobby said: “Our culture varies, usually it’s an American casual dining but when it gets busy, if there is a theatre show on, it becomes much more of a restaurant with table service. Usually when there is a theatre show on we are 80-90 per cent full at a minimum so it gets busy.”

While the beer is one of the focal points, they also have an extensive menu. Bobby said: “We have a range of small plates, main meals and desserts. We do offers on the small plates so you can get three plates for £9.50, including ham croquettes and focaccia. In terms of mains we have steaks, fish and chips, and pies. Pub favourites but we have put a twist on it.”

I ordered a 6oz chuck & rib British beef burger with, beercheese sauce, chilli jam, and fries. Like most restaurants now they serve the thin beef patties which I am not complaining about. The burger was nicely cooked and juicy with the chilli jam providing a sweetness that that complimented nicely with the hint of beer in the cheese.

A number of their meals incorporate beer in them, one of their signatures is the beercan roasted chicken which comes in a beer-b-cue glaze. Whether you are popping in for a drink or a bite to eat you wont be disappointed.