Southsea pub The Honest Politician reopens with a revamp including a 20 metre graffiti mural by Portsmouth artist Samo White

The Elm Grove boozer reopened for indoor service on Monday after spending thousands of pounds to freshen up its interior.

As well as improving the flooring, refitting the pub’s six pool tables, and adding new lighting, the Honest Politician has had a fresh lick of graffiti paint.

Portsmouth-based artist Samo White spent a week turning the venue’s grey walls into a multicoloured mural with flamingos, octopuses, and mountain scenes.

Manager Jake Whitehead says staff and punters love the pub’s fresh now look.

The 24-year-old said: ‘We were looking to bring a bit more light, bit more vibrancy into the pub.

‘We spitballed some ideas and sent across an idea board, and then let him do his magic.’

He added: ‘It’s such a rare opportunity to be able to completely gut out your pub and clean it.

‘We spent a good couple of thousand pounds – it was a fair investment.

‘We felt there was a little bit of an expectation, people would notice if they came back and it looked exactly as they had left it.’

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Another new addition to the pub is its menu of chilled cocktails, featuring a passion fruit martini and an espresso martini, with plans for a pink gin martini and a rum martini later in the summer.

He said: ‘Smirnoff does these bag-and-box chilled cocktails, which has been a nice addition to the bar. It’s a big tap on the bar shaped like an old 1920s cocktail shaker. They’ve gone down really well over the last few days.’

The pub’s reopening follows ‘a real struggle’ over the previous 12 months, but its manager is now feeling more confident about a successful summer.

Jake said: ‘Ultimately we’re doing the best we can to keep everything clean – we’re doing everything we can.’

Now punters are flooding back with the pub operating a walk-in service only, according to the manager.

Jake added: ‘We have had a really good turnout – it’s really good to see all the locals come back.’

Last July saw Samo auction off a specially created piece of art to support Portsmouth Hospitals Thank You Appeal 2020, run by The News.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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