City Guide: Croxton's Kitchen & Tap House

Waseeque shares his guide to Halal shops and restaurants in Portsmouth

4 min read

International students International student stories

Students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds come to the UK to study. As an international student myself, I can relate to the challenges of adapting to a new country and being away from loved ones. And as a Muslim student, finding a place where I could belong was a top priority for me. Exploring new cuisines and trying out different restaurants is one of my favourite hobbies - I definitely consider myself a foodie.

When I decided to come to Portsmouth, my biggest concern was not only finding halal but also delicious food. To my surprise, I have come across many cafés and restaurants in Portsmouth that offer halal food and I continue to discover new ones. Let’s get straight to the point and tell you the places that I have discovered!

Note: All the places I have listed are hyperlinked to direct you to their location.

If you love to cook

If you know how to cook, it will help you to not only save money but also bring a taste of home by making your own style of food. Here are my top halal food shops in Portsmouth where you can get halal meat and all the essential spices and ingredients from your country to make the food you love. 

  1. Mediterranean Supermarket
  2. Salam Madina International food center
  3. Portsmouth International food center
  4. ASDA and Tesco supermarkets – You can get halal meat and ready to cook chicken from these supermarkets. You also can find other ingredients in the world food aisles

 

Quick eats on campus: time-saving for busy students

During busy times, I prefer to grab a sandwich from University cafés while on campus. You can get halal chicken sandwiches, tea, coffee and other snacks from almost all of them. There are many cafés located in various University buildings.

  1. The Hub Café at the Dennis Sciama Building
  2. Anglesea Building Café  
  3. Portland Building Café
  4. Eldon Building Café  
  5. Park Building Café
  6. The University Library Café

On the go affordable halal food choices

  1. Ultimate Taste Kebab – Affordable chicken wraps, chips, chicken wings and burgers. It is on Cambridge Road just opposite the University library
  2. Gida Express – It has similar options: donner wraps, burger meals and cheesy chips. It is located on Guildhall Walk
  3. Perfect Pizza Portsmouth & Southsea – Delicious halal pizzas with the most affordable student deals
  4. Kens Kebabs & Speedy Pizza – Good pizza and burger deals 
  5. Sam’s Chicken Portsmouth – Quick affordable fried chicken meals

Off-campus dining: exploring fancier options

These are my favourite halal fast food options in Portsmouth and some of them are within walking distance of campus. For some of these restaurants, you will need to take the University bus or bike. I would suggest bike - you can get a used bicycle for £30-70 from Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and other local shops. It is one of the best options to explore and try different food around the city.

Fast food choices

  1. Messy Chef – I like the ambiance of this restaurant. I love their loaded fries and signature burger the most
  2. Kango’s Gourmet Burger & Piri Piri Restaurant – Middle Eastern style food. You have to try the grilled chicken!
  3. Tortilla – A Mexican restaurant in Gunwharf Quays that serves halal chicken
  4. UMAMI Street Food – Their best dish is their delicious and spicy piri piri chicken with rice

I asked my friend Zarin from Bangladesh for her top restaurant recommendation and this is what she said:

“If you ask me about my favourite restaurant in Portsmouth, then it undoubtedly has to be UMAMI. If you are Asian and want to satisfy your Asian taste buds then UMAMI is worth checking out. And the best part is that this cozy little restaurant serves halal food. My favorite dish at UMAMI is the medium piri piri chicken with rice.”

Traditional food options

I love the popular south Asian dishes like biryanis, kebabs, chaats, thalis, and all types of breads and sweets. South Asian cuisine has a rich culinary history and continues to evolve and adapt to changing tastes and cultural influences.

These restaurants are a little bit more expensive and are around 15-20 min walk from campus but you can also take the University bus for free.

  1. DESI - Old India Café – This restaurant offers all the south Asian dishes mentioned above. Their biryanis and chicken curries are delicious
  2. Siddiqa's Kitchen – An authentic taste of Pakistan. This restaurant offers Pakistani style curries, biryanis and they are offering Ramadan essentials from dahi bhalay to chana chaat, samosa, pakoras and more

 

About me

My name is Waseeque and I am from Pakistan. I moved to Portsmouth in February 2022 to pursue my Masters in Engineering Management. I am really enjoying my course and love this beautiful coastal city. My tips for new students are to look for student discounts e.g. Unidays offer great discounts on multiple brands and shops. 

If you like to travel and explore, a Student Railcard is essential to buy at the start of your university journey; it will save you a lot of money!