2 Best Restaurants in Portsmouth, The South

A relaxed, modern bistro midway between Old Portsmouth and Gunwharf Quays, this place is ideal for a snack, meal, or glass of wine from the thoughtfully chosen wine list. The changing Modern British menu specializes in seafood dishes like pan-roasted chalk stream trout with a Nicoise salad or ale-battered haddock-and-chips, mostly sourced from Portsmouth's fish market directly opposite the restaurant. Alternatively, opt for honey-and-sesame-glazed duck breast or sweet potato, spinach, and cauliflower Wellington. You can sit indoors, in a garden at the back, or at Continental-style tables on the pavement.

Owned by chef Kevin Bingham (who lives upstairs) and his family, this 35-seat global French restaurant serving only set-price six-course tasting menus (£65) for the whole table is very much a personal vision, with Bingham's sophisticated, technically assured take on French classics (expect gels, foams, "soil," and smears) winning rave reviews (and now a Michelin listing). The set menus change daily according to what fresh ingredients are available, but dishes might include blackened beef sirloin with cavolo nero, a starter of whipped goat cheese with rhubarb and pistachio, or roast halibut with king prawn and wild garlic. The three-course Sunday lunch is a deal at £45. There's also an extensive, well-chosen wine list.