Phil Sampson heads into the historic Hampshire town of Gosport and discovers a great little restaurant
BOBBY’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
GOSPORT
With its rich maritime heritage and nautical attractions, including the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and the Museum of Naval Firepower, Gosport is a must-visit destination for many boaters. Located on the western side of Portsmouth harbour, the town is well served by two large marinas, Haslar and Gosport. While many visitors will be attracted to the bright lights of Portsmouth and the array of restaurants in the Gunwharf Quays complex, anyone turning to Gosport for their evening meal may, like us, find themselves pleasantly surprised by the options on offer.
The eatery epicentre of Gosport is Stoke Road which, via its own website, Twitter and Facebook pages (I do like a street that’s into PR) proudly boasts more than 120 businesses packed into a road less than half a mile long. Among these are various eat-in and takeaway establishments, as well as our choice for this review – Bobby’s Italian Restaurant, which offers not only eat-in and takeaway but delivery too. I can’t think of too many other Italian restaurants that do that.
From the outside, Bobby’s presents an attractive façade, with frosted glass, a crisp coat of beige paint and grey faux-shutters on the upstairs windows. Venture inside and there’s café-style seating in a saloon decked out with some intriguing Italian imagery – vintage photos of Venice, shots of family groups around the dining table and people riding scooters. There’s also the option of eating al fresco in an attractive patio area to the rear.
