Every athlete knows that the way to prepare for a ten mile race is to drink 6 pints and eat like a Belgian. Which is why I found myself in Huis the evening before the Great South Run.

Pompey/Southsea never fails to surprise. Huis is a perfectly assembled outfit that puts Belgo to shame. Excellent attention to detail showed from the decor to the service with the highlight of the room being the floor to ceiling beer cage where they stored the good stuff. The only thing missing was some Fatal Error on the jukebox but Metronomy wasn’t a bad alternative.

They have a lot of beer to offer but I went for the house Wit because I was in training and committed to sub-5% booze. The family taunted me by getting a Gueuze and a Duvel each and I definitely had beer envy.

The food was hearty stuff. Up front we shared three croquettes of cheese, ham and oxtail with a smattering of salad. Perfect bar food with crispy outers and gooey inners. For main a big bucket of moules marinières might have been a risky move in a more dodgy kitchen but I trusted them to deliver good moules and they did. Chips on the side did the carb loading.

There are cheaper places to eat in Portsmouth but the bill wasn’t too steep by London standards and you’d be hard put to find somewhere better to eat in this neck of the woods if you like good, honest food.

8/10

To see where else I’ve eaten go to the google map …

Portsmouth Restaurants Belgian Food Restaurant Southsea