
The Spinnaker Café
“Easygoing pit stop serving full English breakfast, plus fish & chips, sandwiches & salads.”
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Quick info
About The Spinnaker Café
On Broad St in Old Portsmouth, The Spinnaker Café is a cafe overlooking the working harbour, serving full English breakfast with a choice of tomatoes and options on how bacon and eggs are cooked. A gluten free menu is available alongside fish and chips, sandwiches and salads, plus a selection of cakes and baguettes. Food and drink orders are taken separately by table service. Seating runs to about a dozen tables, and during busy periods you can leave your number and wait to be called when one is free. It operates on a walk-in basis, with no reservations taken. Dogs are allowed inside, provided they stay on the floor. Parking is on-street in the surrounding residential area, with a small payable car park nearby for those driving in.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention full english breakfast, cakes, fried bread and mushrooms and gluten free menu.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention full english breakfast, cakes, fried bread and mushrooms and gluten free menu.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Google recommended the cafe as a place to get an English breakfast and it didn't disappoint. My wife and I both got the medium breakfast and it was perfect. And service was very good and friendly. Worth the visit!”
- Google user
“We haven’t been here in such a long time, but remembered the breakfast to be very decent. Sadly on this occasion. It didn’t live up to memory. A good brekkie lives or dies by its sausage, and, for me, these weren’t good. Quite mushy and a bit bland sadly. Also the cooking of bacon is obviously very individualistic. I like mine to be more cooked than this. Wasn’t bad just would have been nice to have a bit more colour. Pluses. Service is quick and friendly. The fried bread was lovely as were the mushrooms and beans. Also the egg was nice and runny. Overall. Ok”
- Google user
“A great place to have lunch. Friendly staff and a good view of the working harbour.”
- Google user
“Good cafe in a good location. Prices aren't too high. Staff are welcoming and friendly.”
- Google user
“I am extremely disappointed and honestly quite upset by our experience at this so-called “dog friendly” café. We arrived to see a “please wait to be seated” sign outside, which seemed strange considering there were no customers inside. We walked in (not realising this was apparently wrong) and I immediately asked politely if my small dog was welcome, as there is a “dog friendly” sign on the door. The waitress responded bluntly, “Only if she behaves.” Not exactly a warm or welcoming start. Things only got worse from there. My small dog was quietly sitting on my lap, not touching the table, not on the chairs, not bothering anyone. (The floor was filthy) Yet I was sharply told off in a very unfriendly manner and the waitress aggressively pointed to a sign saying “dogs on the floor.” She was on my lap, not on their furniture, not causing any issue. The tone was completely unnecessary and embarrassing. If you advertise yourself as dog friendly, you should actually be friendly, both to dogs and their owners. The attitude we received was rude, hostile, and unwelcoming. To make matters worse, the coffee was overpriced and the cake was stale. Overall, a horrible experience with extremely rude staff. If you don’t like dogs, don’t allow them. There are plenty of genuinely dog-friendly cafés out there. I would not recommend this place to anyone, especially dog owners.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Customer Review Summary
The full English breakfast is what most reviewers come for, with several calling it the best they have had in Portsmouth. Praise lands on the bacon, the egg cooked perfectly with no grease, and a medium breakfast that arrived just as one couple wanted it. One diner also liked the fried bread, mushrooms, beans and runny egg. Staff are described repeatedly as friendly, welcoming and quick, and one reviewer liked being able to pick which tomatoes came with the plate. Cakes and baguettes get a mention, along with a decent gluten free menu and a good view of the working harbour. The breakfast draws some criticism too. A returning diner found the sausages mushy and bland and the bacon paler than they like. The sharpest complaint concerns dogs. One owner asked about the dog friendly sign and was told her small dog was welcome "only if she behaves", then sharply pointed to a sign saying dogs belong on the floor. She also called the coffee overpriced and the cake stale.
Location
Cafes near The Spinnaker Café
- The Boathouse4.31770.6 miOutdoor seatingReservations
marina and Gunwharf views, perfectly cooked steak, cheese and mushroom omelette
- Hong Kong Tea Bar4.34201.2 mi
braised beef brisket, bbq roast pork belly, beef ho fun
- Café Fresco4.72481.8 mi
coffee and tea, mac and cheese, chocolate brownie
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Spinnaker Café | 4.7740 | — | full english breakfast, cakes, fried bread and mushrooms |
| The BoathouseOutdoor seating · Reservations | 4.3177 | 0.6 mi | marina and Gunwharf views, perfectly cooked steak, cheese and mushroom omelette |
| Hong Kong Tea Bar | 4.3420 | 1.2 mi | braised beef brisket, bbq roast pork belly, beef ho fun |
| Café Fresco | 4.7248 | 1.8 mi | coffee and tea, mac and cheese, chocolate brownie |
The 3 nearest cafes by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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