If you have never done a seafood boil, Alandco Seafood Boil in Southsea is a straightforward place to start. It sits at 56 Middle Street, about a mile and a half south of Portsmouth city centre, and the whole thing is built around the boil bag: a mix of seafood, corn, baby potatoes, a hard-boiled egg and sausages, all tossed in a sauce of your choice, with garlic lemon butter being the one to know.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Portsmouth and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The bags are the heart of the menu and the prices are consistent across the board. The Prawn Bag is £23.99 for ten head-on shell king prawns, and the Mussels Bag is the same price for eight green shell mussels. Step up to the crab and lobster for a bigger spread: the Brown Crab Bag is £39.99 with one brown crab and five prawns, the Blue Crab Bag is £41.99 with two blue crabs and five prawns, the Snow Crab Bag is £42.99 with a snow crab cluster and five prawns, and the Lobster Bag is £45.99 with a whole lobster and five prawns. Each of those comes with two corn on the cob, three baby potatoes, an egg and two sausages, plus your choice of sauce. The brown crab meat is described as savoury with a slightly acidic tang, sweet and salty with a rich, paste-like texture.
It is a casual, family-friendly spot rather than a formal night out. There is casual seating, bouncy houses for younger visitors and live music, and dogs are welcome both inside and out. There is an on-site bar, Wi-Fi, a restroom and outdoor seating, and wheelchair-accessible seating is available. Alcohol is served, and while you do not need to book, a reservation is worth it at busier times. On the practical side, there is both free and paid parking nearby, and the venue does not guarantee allergen-free meals given that seafood is the main ingredient in most dishes.
Opening hours are worth checking before you travel, as they are not the most conventional. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Sundays, and on Tuesday to Friday it lists 05:00 to 21:00, with Saturday running 00:00 to 09:00. Another source suggests it typically opens at 12:00 and closes at 22:00 daily, with hours that can shift on holidays, so a quick call to +447 552 319119 is sensible. If you would rather eat at home, delivery runs through Uber Eats in Portsmouth with a minimum order value, and takeaway is also an option.
Reviews lean positive, with an overall rating of 8.6 out of 10 and a food hygiene rating of 4 as of 12 June 2026. People point to fresh food, quick and friendly service and generous portions of mussels and prawns, though some have found the lobster and snow crab a bit dry and others felt the sauce could be improved. It is a relaxed, unpretentious place to get a big bag of seafood on the table, and it sits in a walkable part of Southsea, not far from the independent pubs and cafes that give the area its character.
