We have
been conscious for some time that we hadn't really covered enough of the pubs
in Portsmouth/Southsea, so thought it was time we put that right. When I first
looked at some of the pubs in this area "The Marmion" was rated top
on Trip advisor, though I am reliably informed by my dear father that it has
since slipped several places.
After
making use of the nearby Waitrose car park we took the short walk which was necessary
to appropriate the purchase of food from this pub that neither of us had
previously experienced. It is what I like to call modern rustic, or modstic.
Lots of wood, but clean and dare I say a bit trendy.
We found a
nice table in the corner and settled down with some cold diet cokes to examine
the menu. After last week's shock with the prices, I was keen to find out the
average cost of a main. Thankfully and properly, you can get yourself a main
here for just under £10, exactly what it should cost. Firstly we went through
the specials board on the wall, then we went through the printed menu. It
didn't take long to realise they were the same. Turns out it probably wasn't a
specials board, just a menu board. Both menus sounded good, with something for
everyone and a few dishes which sounded more interesting than your average pub
fodder.
I was
tempted by several things, but decided to settle on the chicken burger. I know
that sounds like a bit of an unimaginative option, but it read well on the
menu. It involved red onion, dill pickle and some kind of posh tomato sauce,
all in a toasted brioche bun. It also came with chunky hand cut chips and I had
a good feeling about it. Dad had fish and chips, same chips, different animal.
We were
served promptly at our table and handed our cutlery before being asked the obligatory,
"Would you like any sauces with that?", turns out we didn't. Our food
was delivered after precisely the right amount of time, right in the Goldilocks
bracket. My chips came in their own little dish as is the habit of modern gastro
pubs, but I felt my plate would have benefited from some kind of token salad.
If not to make the plate look nicer, then to give you something extra, to get
past burger and chips. Having said that, my burger was wonderful. It was a good
sized bun which normally means a small burger inside that doesn't fit, a burger
which is out of its depth. Not this burger. This burger was as big as the bun
and the afore mentioned garnishes put it in to my top 5 burgers of all time.
Technically it wasn't a burger, it was chicken breast. The chips were good and
very obviously homemade, though Dad felt they could have been a touch crispier
and I think I agree. I suppose it comes down to personal preference, but we do
both like a chip to be crispy and there's no shame in that. It turns out Dad
wasn't quite as impressed with his choice. He wasn't too excited about his peas
and suspects the fish may not have long been out the freezer. I'm not entirely
against using frozen fish, but if not thawed completely there can be too much
water involved which ruins the texture and can be detrimental to the crispy
factor of the batter. Also when you're a stone's throw from the ocean.....
So in
conclusion and after much deliberation, we can say this is a good pub. It is
trying to do things properly, and aren't chancing it with their pricing. I
think they're almost there, and as with most pubs, it can depend on what you
order. My burger was very good indeed but Dad's fish wasn't so good. I think
with the abundance of traditional pubs, cafe's and restaurants in the area, The
Marmian is to be applauded for being a proper pub which does proper food.
Atmosphere 8
Service 7
Food 7
Value 7
Verdict 3.5*
Verdict 3.5*
