The Cormorant

REALLY poor service — from, of all people the Landlady (!) Carol Frewing. From the moment we walked in to the pub at the start of a Sunday lunch time we got the vibe that this wasn’t the most welcoming establishment my husband or I’d been too (outside of a particualrily memorable experience in Paris, France,)
We were going as a family, the kids (a toddler and a tween) were hungry, so under pressure to feed 2 complaining children, instead of getting the hint from the rather less-​than-​warm welcome (a tersely delivered «Can I Help you??») from said landlady, to which we would have normally said ‘no thanks’ and gone elsewhere, we made the mistake of staying to eat (what we had already identified outside, looking at the menu) as a rather lackluster offering of pub grub.
The meals were filling, quality wise nothing outstanding. The décor is dated and needs refreshing… The price was high (£14 for the carvery’s 2 course option — the beef was fatty and not the best) so value for money rather poor — which was surprising the fantastic location right by the English Heritage castle.
Not content with giving us the attitude at the front door (well it’s her business I s’pose) Mrs Frewing followed us to her our seats as we installed ourselves. I had not even got my behind on the seat before she’d conveyed the ordering protocol and asked what we wanted to drink… I politely asked if we could have a minute (to sit and settle for a second)…seemingly not «we’d have to go to the bar then» was the reply. the final blow was her venturing up to us to ask if everything was to our satisfaction half way through the meal — I started to reply «yes, thank you’ but before these words had passed my lips she’d already turned on her heel and gone… Gee thanks for asking!
The dessert was a rather undercooked and over-​sugared (fruit crumble), it just about summed up the fare for The Cormorant. rather substandard for such an up market location, not that imaginative, and tourist-​trap expensive… but then, considering what I just discovered regarding the £14,000 fine the pub got for Health & Safety offences in 2013 (Google Portsmouth News + The Cormorant, you’ll see the public reporting) i am not surprised, they probably need the money…
Pity they won’t be getting our business again then eh?

The Cormorant is a fine pub with a full menu. It is also one of the closest restaurants to Portchester Castle, so it probably gets a fair amount of tourists stopping by for a bite. and that was us…
I got a pint and some lamb & mint pie, which came with a side of veggies and mash. I don’t have a huge frame of reference for traditional British pub cuisine, but I was quite pleased with the lamb and mint pie (though was sad that my first choice — a daily special of a pork pie, was already out).
My wife was happy with her burger, which came with a slice of British style bacon, and a big pile of chips.
Our local friend got the Cajun chicken served on a sizzling platter of veggies, and also came with a side of mash. Since my local friend knew that Cajun and Mexican are kinda the same in England, having slightly blackened chicken on a sizzling plate of fajita veggies fit the bill. The side of mashed potatoes was uninspiring in taste but made up for it in volume, while my side of veggies seemed to be prepared in the way that British veggies are stereotypically cooked: overcooked to the point of blandness but edible.
Good food, friendly staff, reasonable prices (and they have a «credit crunch» menu and a kid’s menu as well) If you’re looking for food near Portchester Castle, this place will fit the bill well. and if you’re looking for a pint of ale, they have a good selection at the bar.

Visited on a Sunday lunchtime. We were a party of 15 and we were well looked after. 2 courses for just under £12 and the portions are very generous. The food is british home-​made in style and those that had the carvery loved it. The only issue I have with pub is the décor is very tired and scruffy. The men’s toilet would also benefit from some work. After lunch, you can take a stroll around the nearby castle.