If you are after Spanish food in Southsea, Nicholsons Restaurant and Tapas Bar is the place that started it all around here. It opened back in 2005 and was the first tapas bar to set up in Southsea, so it has been doing this for a while now. It sits at 245-247 Albert Road, and the menu is built around authentic Spanish tapas, with more than 30 freshly prepared plates to choose from, alongside mains like paella served in a traditional paella pan, fresh fish and steaks.
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What makes it easy to drop into is how it caters to almost everyone. There are options for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets, so nobody gets left out, and the tapas format means you can pick and choose rather than commit to one big plate. Around the tapas, there is an extensive range of drinks, cocktails and desserts to round things off, so it works as well for a few plates and drinks as it does for a full dinner.
It is open every day from midday until late, which gives you plenty of flexibility. There are a few deals worth knowing about if you are planning ahead: early dinner deals run before 6.30pm every day, and there is a two-for-one offer on drinks before 7pm on weekdays. On Fridays, the Tapas Lunch Deal gives you 20% off the full tapas menu or a main course for £10 a head between midday and 4pm. Prices generally land in the £20 to £30 range, so it is not an overly expensive night out. It also takes a wide range of payment methods, from American Express and MasterCard to Maestro and Visa, and even Euros if you are visiting from elsewhere.
If you are bringing a group, it is worth reading the booking conditions before you commit. Tables for up to four people are booked for a 90-minute slot, while groups of more than four get 120 minutes. For parties of eight or more, a deposit of £10 per person is required, and shared menus or pre-orders need to be in at least 72 hours before the booking date. Cancellation fees are tiered by how much notice you give: a full deposit refund with at least a week's notice, 50% with less than a week down to 48 hours, 20% with less than 48 hours down to 24 hours, and no refund with less than 24 hours' notice. Outside food and drink are not allowed, with the exception of birthday cakes and baby food, so it is best to plan your evening around what is on the menu.
Getting there is straightforward. There is free on-street parking nearby, though you will need a bit of luck to snag a space right outside, and Fratton Station is less than five miles away if you are coming in by train. Advance booking is recommended, especially at busier times, so it is worth a quick call or booking online rather than turning up and hoping for the best. With a TripAdvisor rating of 4.78 out of 5 from 716 reviews, it is clearly a well-liked fixture on Albert Road, and after all these years it still holds its own as one of the more reliable spots for tapas in Southsea.
