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Portsmouth Nightlife
TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Portsmouth > Portsmouth Nightlife
Here is a guide telling about some of the places popular with students in Portsmouth.
Liquid and Envy
Vodka Republic Thursdays are THE BIGGEST nights out! Students only! Again very busy and a great atmosphere every night! Carnage always ends up in this superclub and you can see why!
Pure (Previously Route 66)
£1 drinks on Tuesdays! The place to be every Tuesday!
Tiger Tiger
Vodka Island on Mondays is where it's AT! Mystic Disco every Thursday!
Situated in Gunwharf - worth the walk!
This is a great club (imo) but it does have its set backs. Prices & Queues. To avoid the queues, buy a ticket (OR) use their "VIP" booking service (via text messaging) to place yourself on the list. We did this many times and although on very busy nights, such as when everyone’s come back after Xmas or Easter, it can still take a while to get in.
I'm not sure if the VIP service is open to everyone, but we were lucky enough to get to know a few of the people who managed / bar tended at the club. And well, we were put on the VIP list 1 week (via text) then we used the same text number to text each week we wanted to go! it worked every time. Ask about inside. Its worth it.
Inside Tiger Tiger, there are roughly 6 bars. But only one of these bars (Vodka Island) will sell drinks cheaply as the flyers state. This is the bar up the stairs from the main entrance and to the right. The amount of times I’ve been in the club area or a different bar and ordered or drinks then been shocked yet to embarrassed to comment on the total cost. Is untrue.
Walkabout
With £1.50 drinks all night on a Tuesday, Walkabout has made a fine mess of my carpet quite a few times. They have stunningly fit barmaids and loads of them to boot. Longest time to queue for a pint here is about 10 minutes due to the fact there are more barmaids than pumps and a bar about ten miles long. Huge screen available for the football and cricket but beware of the beer throwers when England score, I got drenched. There are quite a few tables with benches to sit on, leather sofas, and tall tables to stand around. A medium sized dancefloor, a stage where they hold the games on student night, and two weak attempts at podiums which are in fact just two raised parts of the stage. Toilets are downstairs which can get messy during peak times with everyone trying to go up and down a corridor about 3 foot wide. Nice toilets, long urinal so no queueing for a lash. Bog troll didn't seem to give a toss last year so didn't hassle pished punters too much. Food is nice but a little pricey, yet unique (kangaroo burger etc). Loads of TV screens showing extreme channel mostly all night which gets mesmerising after a few stellas. Can't remember entrance prices but no where in Pompey charges more than £5 entrance with NUS as far as I know/remember. Open til 1am during the week and 2am at the weekend. Managed to be sick on the back of a bouncers trousers and not get thrown out, result!
Yates
Not a bad place, but mainly inhabited by the older generation locals. Only ever had trouble in their once and that was when I went in accompanied by about 6 femmes. Some old bloke started calling them sluts and told them to go home so me being the Alpha male hid behind a pillar while one of the girls gave as good as she got and could have reduced the guy to tears if it wasn't for the fact he'd drunk so much whiskey he was sedated. Can't remember how much drinks are but roughly similar to Spoons' prices. No dance floor as far as I can remember, just loads of chairs, sofas and tables. I think they have no trainers rule on Fridays and Saturdays. Never eaten in there so can't comment on the food but I assume it's similar to Spoons again. Don't know what time it's open until.
Roast Bar
Affectionately nicknamed "the spit roast", it's fugging expensive and so have only ever been in there once and had one pint. Nice classy place to take a girl, but not suitable for the purpose of getting pissed on the cheap.
V Bar
This is where the night gets really messy. £1 shots all day every day. There are 50 shots to choose from, they maybe watered down and taste rough but it's a good pitstop for a good old fashoned alcohol injection if your night is going a bit slow. Favourites are the Tom Tom and Silver Bullet. Pints are £2.50ish. A small seating area is available and small dance floor. Upstairs there is another bar, can't remember what it's called but it's a bit more classy up there and good for a bit more of a chillout after consuming loads of shots. Only open until 11pm as far as I can remember.
Bar:Me
Only been in here once due to the fact it is a Navy bar. Shady kareoke on Thursdays I think. They do these half yard shooter things which only contain 3 shots and the rest is ice and orange juice (according to one of my pals who works there).
Weatherspoons/White Swan
A more down to earth pub that shows all the sports etc. Avergae priced drinks. Pool tables and seated area.
Poonana
Unfortunately closed down, Poonana was the dodgiest bar on "The Walk". Average priced drinks but small bar. Never been in there when it was busy, even at 11pm on a Friday night. Perhaps that's why it closed down. And fark knows why I'm writing about it anyway.
Lloyds/The Front Room
Quite expensive bar but a nice place. Have DnB nights on occasions. Fit birds go here.
Weatherspoons/Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Everyone loves this place for some obscure reason. No music, full of old people, closes at 11pm and the drinks aren't even that cheap! Nice food though and with 2 meals for £6.50 it's good for lunch. Steak nights on Tuesdays and curry nights on Thursdays as far as I can remember. A couple of fit bar maids but some absolutely fugly full timers. Toilets are upstairs. Loads of seating with sofas and chairs. No smoking area available. Favourite spots are right at the back behind the no smoking area in the leather highchairs by the fire place.
Fleet
My favourite bar along Guildhall, cheap beer (before 2030hrs Thursdays - Saturdays), pool tables, juke box, beer garden, big tables for loads of mates, live music on Thursdays, life is good.
Flares
My God, many a night has ended messily in here. This has to be the club that I have been sick in most in Pompey - dancefloor, carpet, toilet, toilet floor, urinal, stage, bar, you name it and I've puked on it. Student night is a Monday and drinks are cheap. £1 reef, £1.50 pint and similar for shots. This is the place to go and drink hard with strawpedoes and shots. Cheesy music, crap DJ, multi coloured light up dance floor, stage, funny games, small seated area, zebra pattern carpet, enthusiastic bog troll with a good sense of humour, funky pants. Rammed during freshers, empty after Christmas when everybody realises what a hole it really is. £1 entry and you have to have student ID to get in on a Monday. Never go here on a night other than a Monday unless you want to Grab a Granny or get aquainted with the RN boxing team, polo shirts and all.
Now for the places near Guildhall Walk, all within 5 minutes walking.
Trafalgar
The Trafalgar is a Lloyds No. 1 Bar, a brand owned by JD Wetherspoon, and as such you can expect the usual cheap booze with deals on food as well. It's a classy establishment with loads of seating and shed loads of bar space. A good night can be had here, with DJs every Friday and Saturday night, and its proximity to the University and city centre makes it ideal for lunch. This building used to serve as Navy barracks before becoming a University hall of residence.
The Kraken Wakes (used to be The Registry)
The Kraken Wakes is a very quirky place and I really like it. It is decorated with lots of random posters, CDs and models that people have made in craft sessions they hold there now, or mascots for the pub quizzes on Sunday nights. Yes, they give you boxes, straws, foil, cellotape and ask you to make your own team mascot! They also provided free sweets and Space Raiders :) What I've tried of the food is very nice there as well. They run pub quizzes, have acts perform and also have Mario Kart/COD and other game sessions there every week!
The Registry (as it was) - I fecking love this place. Cheap jukebox, pool tables, unique design, cheap drinks all the time with yellow card, loads of seating and it supports local bands and DJs. Tuesdays is student night with £1 most drinks and £1.50 others. Thursdays is band or DJ night. They also show the football although loads of the fans seem to support Aresenal. Long bar too so not too much queueing for a beverage. Proudest moment being sick not once, not twice but thrice on the floor before being escorted off the premises to the raptuous applause and laughter of my pals. Shagging expensive for a pint of Snakey in here, £2.40 odd.
The Union
CO2 and Lux (Portmouth Unis two nightclubs) are being closed down. This will mean that the Waterhole bar will be the only University run establishment. More information can be found here.
Scandals
Went here last night and had a blast. A cellar bar situated next to the union, Scandals is a good laugh. Not suitable for people over 5 foot tall due to the low ceiling which I came into contact with a couple of times last night. There is a dancefloor which I think I went on last night. Prices are fairly average although it was £4 entrance.
Also See
- University of Portsmouth - the main guide for Portsmouth Uni.
- Portsmouth Accommodation
- Portsmouth University FAQs
