If you are down at Gunwharf Quays for the shopping and fancy a proper sit-down, The Old Customs House is the obvious place to land. It is a Fuller's pub and restaurant set inside the Vernon Building, one of Portsmouth's original naval buildings, which dates back to 1790 and is protected as a Grade I listed ancient monument. The whole place has been fully refurbished, so you get the history without the damp, and it sits right in the heart of the harbour with the Spinnaker Tower not far off.
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 food is honest, traditional English pub fare made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. There is an ever-changing daily specials board, a Sunday roast that pulls a lot of people in, and seasonal favourites that rotate through the year. The beer-battered fish and chips, home-made steak ale and mushroom pie, sea salt and thyme roast chicken, and traditional local sausages with mash are the regulars, alongside a sausage platter and a farmers board with English cheeses. For something sweet, there is Eton Mess and Treacle Tart, and a children's menu runs all day, so it is easy with younger ones in tow. Breakfast is served from 9:00 daily, which is handy if you are starting your day down by the water.
The bar is where the place really earns its keep. There is a wide selection of cask ales, ciders, wines and spirits, including the largest gin collection in Gunwharf Quays, and the fine wines are hand-picked specifically for Fuller's. The bar has won The Master Cellarman accolade and keeps a dedicated Beer & Cider Sommelier, landlord Paul Stephens, so it is a good spot if you actually care about what is in your glass. It is dog-friendly and family-welcoming, with step-free access, air conditioning, baby changing and disabled toilets, so nobody gets turned away at the door.
Opening hours are generous. Monday to Thursday it runs 10:00 to 23:00, Friday and Saturday it stays open until midnight, and Sunday it closes at 22:30. Food service is a bit tighter: 12:00 to 21:00 Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 21:30 on the weekend, and 10:00 to 20:00 on Sundays. If you are planning a Christmas or New Year visit, it is worth knowing the seasonal hours, as food service closes on Christmas Day and runs on a shorter schedule over Boxing Day and New Year's Day. There are also private event rooms if you are booking for a group, with the Buster Crabb, Lord Nelson, Overlord Room and Wardroom taking between 10 and 40 people.
A bit of background for the curious: Fuller's is the brewery behind it, founded in 1845 by John Bird Fuller, Henry Smith and John Turner, and the group now runs more than 380 pubs, inns and hotels across southern England. The Griffin Brewery in Old Chiswick dates back to the 17th century and is famous for having the UK's oldest wisteria plant, planted in 1816. Gunwharf Quays itself opened in February 2001 and has grown into a proper destination, with more than 90 outlet stores and over 30 places to eat and drink, so The Old Customs House fits right into a bigger day out.
