Every so often I meet an old schoolfriend for lunch at Gunwharf Quays. As she is allergic to both wheat and dairy products, we have usually gone to Cafe Giardino for jacket potatoes. Sadly, Giardino has turned into the Italian Kitchen offering pizzas, pasta and salads, all under £5. Pizza and pasta are of course no good for my friend, and on a cold December day a salad was not too appealing. Arriving early, I wandered around studying menus and discovered that the Spinnaker-Tower Cafe-Bar was the only eatery offering jacket potatoes.
The Tower Cafe is situated at the base of the Spinnaker Tower, and if you visit the tower you will come out into it following your descent in the lift. You can, however, enter the cafe-bar without visiting the tower itself. It is almost hexagonal in shape with floor-to-ceiling glass around the half that faces the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. It is very close to the water's edge and the views are excellent, although the day of our visit the weather was unfortunately grey and damp. In fine weather you can sit outside, but obviously nobody was doing so on that particular day. There are several entrances in the glass-fronted section; I walked around looking for a menu but ended up peering through the glass and reading what was written on the boards above the bar.
We arrived just after 12.30pm and noticed that there were quite a few empty tables but sadly none by the windows. We didn't have to wait long to be served at the bar. The board simply said that jacket potatoes were priced from £3.15 and on enquiring we were told that the toppings available were cheese, beans, tuna mayonnaise or prawns. Both of us chose tuna. I ordered a regular cappucino and my friend asked for tea with soya milk. I wasn't given an itemised receipt, but the total bill came to £13.45. Our drinks were served in mugs on a tray, the milk in a separate small jug, and the jacket potatoes were brought to us when they were ready.
The tables are all round and most have four chairs although the ones by the windows just have three. You could squeeze an extra chair in if you needed, possibly even two if you have young children with you. After we had been there a while every table was taken (it was post-Christmas sale time) and it became difficult for people to squeeze through the narrow spaces between chairs at adjoining tables. I was once asked if I could move in a little and didn't find this easy as the chairs are quite deep.
We didn't have to wait long for our food to be served. It came on oval plates with a small bowl of salad next to the potato. The salad consisted of a cherry tomato cut in half, a thick slice of cucumber cut in half and some rocket leaves – not a huge serving, but at least the rocket made a change from lettuce. There was also a sachet of Heinz Salad Cream as well as little packets of salt and pepper. The potatoes were a good size, well cooked and nice and hot; the tuna was a generous serving. I can't say my cappucino was the best I've ever tasted, but it wasn't bad. I should perhaps mention that the top was sprinkled with chocolate without my being asked if I wanted any, so you would have to specify no chocolate if you prefer an unadulterated taste to your coffee. After about an hour we decided we wanted to stay and chat a bit longer, so my friend ordered another mug of tea and I had an espresso which I did enjoy.
Even if you are not in search of the humble jacket potato which seems to have become such a rarity, the Tower Cafe-Bar is not a bad place to rest your weary legs while visiting Gunwharf Quays. You can choose from sandwiches, paninis or baguettes, salads, or soup with bread. There is a special offer of a sandwich with any regular drink for £3.99. For £2.99 children can have a sandwich, mini cheddars, yoghurt, raisins and pure fruit juice – quite a healthy lunch. Frosted milkshakes are available in a variety of flavours, and being a bar, the place is of course fully licensed. You could just have a drink and a cake, and I noticed a freezer full of Ben and Jerry's ice cream on our way out.
There are unisex toilets on the premises which are kept reasonably clean. They are on the same level as the cafe.
The service at the Tower Cafe-Bar was polite and efficient, and I noticed that the waiting staff regularly did the rounds of the tables to clear away any trays that had been finished with. We stayed about two hours altogether, and although it was crowded we were not made to feel that we had outstayed our welcome.
I would certainly recommend the Spinnaker Tower Cafe-Bar as a good choice for a light lunch or a snack. Part of its appeal does lie in the view it affords of the entrance to the harbour, which I appreciated even on a grey, wintery day. I would also think it is a healthier choice for families than a fast-food restaurant, while still offering reasonable prices. It is open every day except Christmas Day from 10am until 6pm.
