Eager to
track down some more foodie action in Portsmouth, we headed back, this time to examine
the claims of The Bold Forester. The pub has had a recent refurbishment, and a
quick nose at the menu was enough to convince Dad that it was worth exploring.
Parking can
sometimes be an issue around Albert road, but we struck lucky, finding a space
just 30 seconds walk from the pub door. First impressions were good. A sound
track of trendy dinner party music was sliding out the speakers and the pub was
warm. Our greeting was friendly enough, and luckily for us, we learned that we
were in deed able to order some lunch. We picked a table by a window and got
stuck in to the menu.
We did,
probably me more so, get rather excited with the contents of said menu. There
was plenty to choose from, much of it sounding very tempting, but the biggest source
of incredulity was the prices. Everything was under £10, much of it far less. Most
standard meals were in fact closer to £5. After a few ums, but no ah's, I
selected the camembert and beetroot pie. Dad was seduced by one of his
favourites, ham, egg and chips. Both of these were less than £6, so to
celebrate, we decided to get some garlic bread to start.
Just as I
was getting carried away with a pub that sells decent food at ridiculous
prices, the garlic bread arrived. At first glance, all seemed well. It wasn't
until I attempted to lift the bread, that my heart sank just a little. Garlic
bread should be crisp and easy to pick up with your hands, this branch of the bread
family was a touch more floppy. The top had clearly been grilled, but the underside
was soft and bendy. It tasted alright, but was far from the garlic bread hall
of fame. Brought back down to earth, we awaited our mains.
When our
plates were placed before us, again all looked well, but this time there was to
be no massive disappointment. My pie, which we learned were bought in, was very
nice. An open puff pastry case, filled with oozing cheese and sweet beetroot.
The accompanying chips were good, and the small side salad was coated with a
beautiful dressing. Dad's ham, egg and chips were also decent. It may not have
been mind blowing, but for the price, you could argue that it was outstanding.
This is where relativity comes in. If you pay £15 for a plate of average food,
you will of course leave disappointed, never to return. If you pay £5.95 for a
plate of decent food, you will be content, feeling that you got a good deal.
This is
what I call a transformer pub. Trying to be two things at once, and I can't blame
them. In the daytime you try and attract the lunch crowd, creating a pleasant
atmosphere for casual dining. In the evening, it's more about the drinking side
of pubington. It is impossible to argue with the value on offer here, and if we
hadn't had the garlic bread, our meal would have been without issue. The mains
were good, regardless of the price. So if you are ever looking for a great
value lunch in Southsea, you could do a lot worse.
Atmosphere 7
Service 7
Food 7
Value 10
Verdict 4*
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