Pub website:
https://www.jollyrogergosport.co.uk
Review at a glance:
Would we return: Yes
Food: Mixed bag
Price: Reasonably priced
Ambience: Always good
Staff/Service: Always friendly
Anything else: Right on the waterfront
Choice of menu: Fussy eater approved, selection of veggie and vegan, gluten-free not obvious
Right along the Gosport waterfront a little way up from the Explosion Museum is The Jolly Roger. It’s a lovely pub that looks out over the harbour.
On a sunny day you can sit outside and dig into your meal and savour an ice cold drink to the soft soundtrack of lapping water and moored boats clinking.
Grub’s up – what we had:
The fussy eater ordered: Garlic and herb grilled chicken wrap
Garlic & herb grilled chicken wrap, red cabbage slaw, aioli
We’ve visited The Jolly Roger a couple of times and loved it each time, so it was a bit of a no-brainer that we’d go again. It’s just a shame that this time, for the fussy eater, the food wasn’t as good as it has been.
The wrap was stuffed with red cabbage slaw and aioli alongside the chicken and with skin on fries on the side. The chicken itself was bland with none of the garlic and herb taste promised on the menu. Rather than crunchy, the red cabbage slaw was soggy and added no flavour.
The chips were nice, but not crispy.
The veggie ordered: Beetroot and sweet potato falafel wrap
Beetroot & sweet potato falafel wrap, baby gem, green chilli relish, red onion chutney
For the vegetarian, however, it was a different story. A little stuck for choice – the veggie options aren’t as plentiful as other places – she went for this wrap and found a new favourite.
The falafel managed to avoid the trap of being too dry and, in fact, was bursting with a lot of flavour while the beetroot offered an earthy counterbalance. But the real star of the show? The green chilli relish.
That relish underpinned the whole thing and brought it all together. Packing a pleasant heat that never became overpowering, while adding a lot of zing to the wrap. The aftertaste of it hung around for a while, a nice reminder of the meal.
To share: Onion rings
Naturally we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a side of onion rings. There were plenty to share and they were nice and crispy. Eat them hot and they’re moreish despite being a little greasy. But leave them for a bit longer and that grease turns them a bit soggy over time.
Still pretty nice though.
Overall
If you’re out and about along the waterfront, or maybe after visiting the museum, or even just looking for somewhere new to eat. Go to The Jolly Roger. It’s a nice spot, rain or shine, with a menu worth exploring (and really cheap if you order from the lunch one), a friendly atmosphere and staff.
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