A Monday afternoon in Southsea recently became an opportunity to showcase some of the city’s best independent food scene venues, as a small group joined the Portsmouth Foodguide for an afternoon of tasting dishes across three local venues.
The concept is simple, we gather small groups, take them to multiple stops and give them an experience to sample a range of different flavours while exploring the streets of Southsea, alongside local history commentary provided throughout the afternoon by Solent Original Walks.
The first stop was Rocka, where guests were served the restaurant’s oven baked chorizo, brought to the table and flame-grilled in front of the group. The Portuguese inspired dish combined presentation with strong flavour, immediately setting the tone for the afternoon.
From there, the tour continued to RIO for a selection of Brazilian dishes, offering a completely different style of dining and another opportunity for tour guests to sample dishes they may not normally order during a traditional restaurant visit.
The final food stop brought the group to the Queens Hotel, where fresh local fish added a more classic coastal element to the afternoon.
Alongside the food tours, Portsmouth Foodguide has also recently launched its first dedicated walking tour experience, welcoming three customers who booked directly through the website. Beginning at the international port, the tour explored five traditional Portsmouth pubs while combining food, storytelling, theatre and local history throughout the route.
The experience included Portsmouth Tea provided by Tea Mountain, food supplied by Stones Throw Kitchen, historical insight from Solent Original Walks, and live character performances from Daniel McCrohon portraying a sailor who had drifted slightly off course from the dockyard into the many Portsmouth pubs.
Following positive feedback from the first events, the tours have now expanded into additional areas across the city, with further experiences available to book through the Portsmouth Foodguide website as interest continues to grow around guided food and walking tours in Portsmouth.
