Portsmouth Recommended Eats: Family-run Abarbistro in Old Portsmouth dishes up 'diverse' menu

The bistro, which is located in Old Portsmouth, was established twenty years ago and it has been a family-run business ever since. The eatery is known for its extensive menu consisting of pizzas, starters, mains, deserts, bar snacks and Sunday roasts - all of which are rich in flavour and are mouth-wateringly good.

Not only is the food a welcome combination of contemporary and traditional cuisines - but so is the inside which creates a warm and cosy atmosphere whilst also being modern and stylish. The family has fully embraced the home-from-home decor and customers immediately feel welcome upon their arrival.

Steven Martin, director of Abarbistro, said: "You could say that I was second generation - my mother and father-in-law started the business 20 years ago so we are still going strong 20 years later. We are based in Old Portsmouth - so Abarbistro has been within the family for 20 years, during that time, we have expanded with my brother and sister-in-law - they own The Canteen over in Old Portsmouth and also the Tenth Hole Tearooms.

"We've also introduced The Briny seafood restaurant back in 2019 - that was the latest introduction to the family businesses and my wife said no more for the time being.

"It's, what I would call, a really casual bistro or gastro pub experience. I feel like we do cater for lots of different budgets as well as lots of different types of people. We're really relaxed, you can come in just for a drink and a bar snack or you can come in and have a full blown three course fantastic evening dinner.

"We've also introduced, in 2021, a wood fire pizza oven which has gone down a storm over the last couple of years. I think it was just introducing something new to the bistro and I think it has been really well received."

The menu consists of delicacies including seared scallops, honey and mustard glazed ham hock, pan roasted duck breast, chestnut mushroom parfait and much more. Steven said that the most popular item on the menu is the honey and mustard glazed ham hock which comes with a soft duck egg, a glazed pineapple and fat cut chips. He said that it was taken off of the menu for a duration but locals demanded that the kitchen bought it back - and it has been a hit again ever since.

Steven added: "We are massive believers in all things wine. We have a fantastic relationship with wineries across the globe - lots that we've visited first hand.

"We have a real diverse menu - we have our traditional dishes, the classic fish and chips and the classic burger but then a lot of people come in for those top end dishes - the duck, the steaks, scallop starters that sort of thing - so there is a broad variety."

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