FOOD REVIEW: Portsmouth speakeasy that would make Fat Tony smile

Tucked away around the back of the Cascades shopping centre lies a hidden gem of a restaurant that deserves much more attention than it gets.
The Blind Tiger, Spring Street, Landport, Portsmouth, and, below, the Detective's fry-up.The Blind Tiger, Spring Street, Landport, Portsmouth, and, below, the Detective's fry-up.
The Blind Tiger, Spring Street, Landport, Portsmouth, and, below, the Detective's fry-up.

The Blind Tiger opened less than a year ago - promoting itself as a speakeasy bar and restaurant.

Inside, this venue is probably the most relaxed place I have been for food in a very long time - the rustic theme inside is twinned with soothing lighting, beautiful artwork on the walls and ceiling and incredibly comfy booths that offer some privacy for your meal.

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For comparison it actually reminded me of Fat Tony's lair in The Simpsons - and for a speakeasy bar that is definitely a good thing.

The Dish Detective's fry-up.The Dish Detective's fry-up.
The Dish Detective's fry-up.

With the World Cup imminent, the huge TV at the end of the room is a huge plus.

I popped in for some breakfast before heading into the Cascades for a shopping spree; to ready myself I purchased the large breakfast (£5.99) and a J2O (£2).

The large breakfast comes with two sausages, two eggs, two rashers of bacon, two hash browns, mushrooms, beans, a tomato and toast.

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A couple of months ago the Dish Detective went to Shenanigans for breakfast - so the bar had been set pretty high.

The eggs were nice and soft, with a big yolk - which is always a key part of a good breakfast. It means you can dunk the toast (white or brown, they let you pick).

The tomato was fresh and cooked perfectly, warm throughout and required no seasoning whatsoever; a rarity when it comes to tomatoes in a fry-up.

The sausages, I must confess, were slightly disappointing; compared to other breakfasts in the city, the sausages were very small. They still packed flavour, with a crispy skin and juicy meat - I just wish they were a bit bigger.

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But the hash browns were much better though; they were nice and flaky but didn't completely disintegrate - and went brilliantly with the baked beans.

One thing that I've noticed is difficult to get right with these cooked breakfasts is the mushrooms; in some restaurants they are dry and overcooked, in others they've been far too small.

Here at The Blind Tiger though, they get the mushrooms just right - and there's loads of them on the plate. If anything this was probably my favourite part of the entire dish; the mushrooms were just so juicy and flavoursome. As I said, there were loads of mushrooms, and I still wished there were even more.

The bacon has always been a contentious part of a fry-up. I prefer my bacon to be slightly undercooked - but comments when theses reviews have gone online show that people love bacon that has a crisp crunch to it.

 

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Well, I'm pleased to report that the bacon had a good balance of both - the rashers were thick and tender, almost melting in the mouth, but there was still a decent crisp to it.

 

I hesitate to use the word 'perfect' in a food review, but this bacon was pretty close to that.

 

One final thing - don't hesitate to bring your little Godfathers with you to this restaurant. I had a family come in while I was eating and a high chair was provided with a warm smile, and the family was shown where to find the kids' menu.

 

All in all, this is a fantastic restaurant with a relaxing atmosphere, great food, and great service.

 

Al Capone would be proud.

 

RATINGS

 

The Blind Tiger, Spring Street, Portsmouth

 

Tel: 07770 788 785

 

Food: 4

 

Value: 4

 

Ambience: 5

 

Child-friendly: 4

 

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