Last month, we visited Southsea Coffee on Osborne Road to experience their festive specials menu before the season came to a close. Known for its strong local following and very thoughtful approach to seasonal food, the cafe offered a menu that felt very special.
One of the standout dishes was the All the Trimmings festive sandwich, served on focaccia and filled with turkey and bacon, complemented by gravy mayonnaise, cranberry chutney, sprouts and a crisp stuffing crumb. It was a well-judged combination, delivering familiar festive fillings, offering a satisfying lunch rather than feeling too heavy.
Alongside this, we tried the Winter Glow Bowl, a vegetarian and gluten-free option that demonstrated the same attention to detail. Creamy goats cheese was paired with lentils, roasted squash, hot honey carrots, sprouts and toasted hazelnuts. The dish was warming, vibrant and thoughtfully layered, offering a depth in texture whilst remaining both fresh and nourishing.
To finish, we shared the Loaded Banana Bread, which proved to be an indulgent end to the meal. Served with banana, berries, maple syrup, jam, cinnamon sugar and mascarpone, it was rich and comforting without tipping into excess, and ideal for sharing.
These dishes formed part of Southsea Coffee’s seasonal festive offering, available for a limited time and clearly designed to reflect the cafe’s ethos of providing quality ingredients. Experiences like this highlight the value of seasonal menus and the opportunity they offer for venues to connect with their customers with seasonal classics such as this all-year round.
This experience also prompted some serious reflection on what could come next. There is real potential in bringing people together to try new seasonal menus ahead of their official launch, offering honest reactions and constructive local feedback while supporting independent venues.
We have a taster event taking place on Tuesday 10th February, where all food items will be half price. Booking is essential via the link below, a £5 fee is charged to help fund the filming equipment and editing time on the day to promote the business and capture your honest opinions of the food, however a lift to the venue is available as a token of my gratitude for joining me on the day. Here is the link:
Google Form Expression of Interest
Also, keep a close eye on their supper club events, hosted occasionally in the evenings and priding themselves on using only the best ingredients and delivering real quality to all their dishes.
Southsea Coffee is located at 63 Osborne Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO5 3LS, and typically closes at 3pm, making it a popular daytime destination. Our visit last month was a reminder of how much care and creativity local independents continue to bring to Portsmouth’s food scene, particularly when they embrace the changing seasons.
