We seem to hang out in Croxtons a lot at the moment. Our crush on this trendy Southsea eatery all started with a burger, which by the way, we highly recommend.
Inside Croxtons
Croxtons is centrally located in Palmerston Road, one of our favourite places to people watch. Palmy Road, as it’s known locally, is still one of Portsmouth’s most popular spots for a drinky poos or two.
Inside Croxtons you’ll find minimal white and black décor that creates a relaxed vibe. The front looks particularly cool with black timber panels covering the entire wall with huge folding doors which remain open in summer – so simple yet so effective. The main wall is taken up by work from local artists, usually photographers who showcase photos of the area. This month, our very own Southsea Snapper has taken up residency and I’m sure you’ll agree, his photos are great at capturing the city we call home.
A new addition to the inside area is a sofa. Oh, how I miss having a beer on a sofa (apart from my own). Belle Isle, Meat and Barrel and a few other local bars used to have a sofa and it was always deemed the best seat in the house. It must have gone out of fashion or something because they disappeared until Croxtons brought back the trusty home-away-from-home sofa!
The beer
Now, before we go on to talk about the food, let’s just take a moment to appreciate the beer. Since meeting Carlos, I’ve become a bit of a craft beer connoisseur and we enjoy nothing more than having half a pint of ‘something new’ – my favourite being a New England IPA. Croxtons has a variety of craft beers including those from local brewers Makemake and Stragglingly Good. They also brew their own larger ‘Shant’ (great name) which is refreshing on a hot summer’s day. I’ve recently started having a glass of their French Savinougn Blanc – very nice indeed.
The food
Onto the food! So, those burgers. Both the vegan burger and the chicken options are delicious. The menu has changed a few times since we’ve been going and every burger we’ve laid our lips on has been flavoursome, juicy and well cooked. The chips are some of the best in town, word on the street is that they’re award-winning chips but this could be just hearsay. It wouldn’t surprise me though.
I’ve had a number of dishes from the kitchen; falafel bowl, halloumi fries, aubergine and chickpea curry, buffalo cauliflower tacos, fish tacos and avo on toast (brunch menu) and each and every time it’s been good. Consistency is key. We usually go on a Wednesday ‘date night’ and Carlos makes use of the excellent Steak Wednesday deal – a succulent bavette steak with sauce and chips for just £10.95. Incredibly good value. Talking of deals, you can grab a burger in Croxtons on a Monday for around a tenner and tacos on a Tuesday are 25% off. Also, in the school holidays, there are activities and offers for the kiddies.
During summer they do Sunday brunch served alongside Hideout coffee. I loved my avo on toast outside in the sunshine and Carlos enjoyed his Korean beef benedict. Over winter Sunday brunch becomes Sunday roasts and I can wait to have one of these again. Highly recommend.
If I had to choose my all-time favourite Croxtons dish, it would probably be the vegan burger and chips, or the falafel bowl – ooo too hard to choose! Brad and the team in the kitchen have done a sterling job. I haven’t had dessert here as the mains are filling and rich in flavour, so I have always been left satisfied. Let us know if you’ve had one and what you think!
Our verdict
All in all, Croxtons is a great place to hang out. The staff are friendly, the food is great and the beer taps change regularly. There are some great mid-week deals and regular events like all-you-can-eat tacos and tap takeovers.
H x
Ambience 8
Quality 9
Value 9
Service 9
Overall 9
Return? Yes!