HUIS, Elm Grove, Southsea – Food review

With their global selection of more than 60 beers on offer, it's no surprise that it’s always packed on a Friday and Saturday night.

So we can assume the beer is good – but what about the food? 

Well, it did not disappoint. 

As Storm Freya raged outside, the cosy bar was the perfect spot to take shelter on a Sunday evening. 

The bar’s decor takes inspiration from a 1960s living room with warm lighting and modernist features. The cosy bar was warm and and friendly and the staff are very accommodating, with a great knowledge of the beers and what drink would compliment your meal. 

My companion and I opted for two of their fruity beers – one being Fruli Strawberry Beer and the other being a guest blueberry and vanilla sour.  

From moules et frites to croques, Huis prides itself on catering ‘a taste of pure Belgium’. For those with a hearty appetite and also those opting for a smaller portion, plus a couple of gluten free and vegetarian options, the menu.

I’m glad I booked because although the bar wasn’t heaving like it normally is, the restaurant filled up quickly – even on a wet and windy Sunday evening. 

After not a lot of deliberation, we ordered the traditional beef carbonade which is a beef stew cooked slowly in dark, cherry and wheat beers with smoked lardons, root vegetables and stoemp (£13.95) and moules mariniére et frites which is mussels cooked with celery, shallots and garlic, served with chips in garlic butter, white wine and parsley (£15.95). 

It was less than 20 minutes before our food was placed in front of us and it tasted as good as it looked. 

The slow-cooked beef literally melted in your mouth and the beer gravy was delicious. The stoemp – for those who don’t know – is similar to bubble and squeak but is a Belgian twist of mashed potatoes, cream, onion and herbs and it was tasty. 

The portion size was good and I left feeling stuffed. As tempting as they were, there was no chance I could squeeze in a waffle. 

My companion enjoyed the moules mariniére – although they weren’t as good as some other mussels dishes they have had. The mussels were cooked well however there could have been a bit more garlic and white wine sauce to accompany the dish. The chips were nice but again, a couple more would have gone down a treat. 

I would heartily recommend the beef carbonade and am looking forward to returning to try another meat dish. The variations of moules et frites, such as the witbier which is a sauce made out of curry spices and HUIS wheat beer, mean we will definitely be paying another visit. 

Initially I thought the prices were a little expensive however for the quality of food, I wouldn’t mind paying it again. The portion sizes were good that we decided to leave dessert and opted for another fruit beer instead. 

HUIS, Elm Grove, Southsea

Tel: (023) 9217 6465

Ratings (out of five)

Food: 4

Value: 4

Ambience: 5

Child-friendly: 4