We finally made it to Offbeet Southsea, yay!
Offbeet is a café and deli in Albert Road. Part of a small independent business, the Southsea venue opened last month and there’s already an outlet in Christchurch that has been established a while.
Meeting Lou, we decided to have a Southsea Folk catch-up and chose this cool new offering in the heart of Southsea. Neither of us is vegan although Lou was for about a year. When this place was first recommended to me, I admit I turned my nose up as a meat eater but we both loved it!
What’s on the menu?
The menu includes around six all-day brunch items and a shorter list of further dishes available after 12. There’s a good range of coffees, teas and soft drinks. The dishes are fun and creative, with an inspiring mix of flavours and influences. These include Asian (Indian crepes and Korean BBQ soy pieces) and LatAm (breakfast tostadas and tofu tacos).
There’s also a fabulous-looking selection of cakes and sweet treats – including the S’mores Cake (which looks just as good in real life as it does in the Instagram photo!) and even some cute doggy cakes for four-legged friends!
What did we have?
Popping in for a relaxed breakfast on a Friday morning, we both opted for the Breakfast Tostada (£11).
This consists of a generous serving of three corn tortillas, topped with all sorts of flavourful goodness including potato and black bean hash, soya chorizo, chimichurri and honeydew jalapeño salsa. Lou had a chai tea latte which apparently was very nice.
What did we like?
Darragh:
I feel the dish and ingredients are innovative, tasty and zingy. The mix of flavours in our breakfast dish was exciting, with lots going on but nothing too overpowering. It’s all homemade and fresh, with many locally-sourced items such as New Forest wild garlic and asparagus, and Alresford watercress.
Lou:
My breakfast was very tasty and agree with all of Darragh’s points. I also loved the atmosphere and surroundings. I feel I could come here just to read a book and tuck into some seriously tasty food. I also want to come back to try a cake as they looked so delicious!
Both loving interiors, we absolutely loved the stylish décor and the light airy spaces set out over multiple floors. The whole building felt relaxed and cosy. Lou felt that the whole premise felt very scandi with its natural look. Using rattan, and natural lampshades as well as opting for a completely white background really brought a sense of calm to the place. We also enjoyed sitting on the sunny terrace overlooking Albert Road (before moving inside to a sofa for some shade!).
Scanning across the top floor, there are coffee table books dotted around. You get a sense that the owners want you to stay and not push you out the door asap, which I feel makes you want to venture back. As there is ample seating, this little spot lends itself to not only social gatherings but also hybrid working and meetings.
Looking at the cake counter, we appreciated the good choice of gluten-free items, clearly marked – and we found the staff very friendly.
What didn’t we like?
Darragh:
There’s nothing much to not like! I suppose very fussy diners could find the short savoury menu a little restrictive. It’s not somewhere I could afford to eat all the time. However, prices felt fair for the quality of food and it’s a lovely chilled spot to simply pop in for a drink and cake.
Lou:
Thinking about my breakfast choice, I loved it. I just think to have such a cool place like this it would be nice to see some specials on the board and extend ever so slightly on the menu and on the opening times. I understand this is a new premise and it is always good to start where you can meet demand and build up to a bigger menu and have more things happening on site over time.
When and where?
Offbeet is open Wednesday to Sunday 9am – 3pm at 83 Albert Road, Southsea PO5 2SG (corner of Goodwood Road).
