Boathouse 4 Restaurant

You're walking through the Historic Dockyard gates, past the tourists queuing for the Mary Rose, when you spot Boathouse 4 sitting right on the water. It's one of those places that could've coasted on location alone, but instead they've bothered to get the food right. The converted boathouse has genuine character—exposed brick, maritime history soaked into the walls—without feeling like a theme park version of itself. You're looking out at the Solent, nursing a proper drink, and realising this is what dining in Portsmouth should feel like when it's done properly.