History by the harbour

I am back in Old Portsmouth with the chance to visit one of my favourite pubs. The Still and West stands right on the entrance to the harbour and if you are ship watcher this is the place to be.
The bar and main restaurant stand check by jowl with the harbour entrance and overlook the busy waterway.
That’s possibly the reason I first got to know of the pub, but I subsequently found some good beers and over the years, food to be envied.  So it was a pleasure to be back today and enjoy a bite to eat of the one simple meal they do specially well here.
It stands just a few yards from the city’s Camber Dock, home of the fishing fleet, and centre for the city’s fish markets which probably gives a clue to the popular dish I can come back for, time and time again.
Yes, dear old English Fish and Chips. At one time I would often make a 20 minute journey along the motorway from Southampton at lunchtime to enjoy it as a lunchtime treat. Mind you, that 20 minutes could well be extended if you were snarled up in city traffic either end of the journey.
But I would always argue that the Fish’n’ Chips were something special and well worth the journey. Of course, there were many other options on the menu.  Today, for example, the sea bass looked equally tempting.

Being right at the entrance to the harbour in the oldest part of town, the pub clearly has an intriguing history. When I visited regularly it was owned by a local Hampshire brewery, now it’s part of a London brewing group.  But thankfully it’s identity is still unique.