ALBERT ROAD SHOPPING
Albert Road is located in the heart of central Southsea and is a bustling hub with an eclectic mix of shops, Albert Road restaurants and pubs.
There are only a few national and chain retail outlets, the majority of shops being mainly independent traders helping give the area its unique atmosphere and feel.
The area has been described as, "exciting, Bohemian, contemporary, highly diverse and unique to Portsmouth."
At the heart of Albert Road is the Kings Theatre on the corner of Exmouth Road.
The Kings which opened in September 1907, was designed by the highly respected theatre architect Frank Matcham and is described as one of the best examples of Edwardian playhouse to be found in the British Isles.
The theatre retains most of it's original features including the highly ornate and richly decorated plaster work and cornices evident in the main auditorium and public spaces.
Plus many, many more, interesting and quirky shops.
- ALBERT FOOD STORE
Grocery shop stocking a wide variety of international foods and spices, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables.
Tel: 02392 753335 - BORED OF SOUTHSEA
Bored of Southsea sells skate board equipment and clothing, Carhartt WIP, Spitfire wheels, DVS shoes, Independent Truck Company clothing and Southsea Bronx Strong Island products.
Tel: 02392 426388 - DRESS CODE
Selling vinyl, retro clothing and quirky gifts, Dress Code is an independently owned vintage boutique. A great range of 80s and 90s vintage sportswear, 90s grunge check shirts, denim jackets and shell suits, for men and women.
Tel: 02392 731972 - HEAD CASE CURIOS
Head Case Curios have a great range of unique and unusual items such as swagger canes, goggles, sunglasses, antiques, vintage, retro, gothic, steampunk, nautical and much more.
Tel: 07825 322725 - JUST FOR YOU EMPORIUM
Stocking a wide range of antiques and collectables, Just For You is a treasure trove of vintage clothing, house hold items, incense sticks, greetings cards and much more.
Tel: 07592 968766 - LANGFORD ANTIQUES
Langford Antiques is a great antique shop with loads of stock including costume jewellery, art prints,furniture, naval items and Middle Eastern specialties.
Tel: 02392 830517 - PARMITERS ANTIQUES
On the corner of Albert Road and Exmouth Road, opposite The Kings Theatre, Parmiters Antiques has a wide range of items from classic pieces, architectural gems, art, sculpture, fairground and circus items to advertising objects.
Tel: 02392 293040 - ROOM 237
Room 237 is Southsea's premier source of American comics and graphic novels, from main stream super heroes to independent creations.
Tel: 02392 862136 - SOUTHSEA MODELS @ GAMES
Southsea Models and Games has an extensive stock of vintage and new collectables and role playing games, wargaming, roleplaying board games and model kits.
Tel: 02392 733208 - STREET LEVEL
Great little music shop in the heart of Southsea, Street Level has a wide range of instruments and accessories, specialises in guitars, sales, repairs and set up.
Tel: 02392 877800 - TANGO TEA COLLECTABLES
Tango Tea Collectables has a great range of vintage pieces, furniture, art works. Also arts and crafts and picture framing.
Tel: 02392 733363 - TWEEDY CLOTHING LTD
Tweedy Clothing specialise in sustainable and ethical fashion clothing. Ladies, mens and childrens ranges as well as accessories and jewellery.
Tel: 07732 410023
There is a diverse range of shops to choose from in Albert Road including comic book stores, cafes, hairdressers, music shops, vintage and retro clothing shops, art and crafts, a great range of antique shops, off licences, second hand books, furniture dealers, specialist food shops and fruit and vegetable shops. The area retains the feel of a traditional high street and has a real sense of community.
Albert Road restaurants are renowned for their wide range and choice of cuisine catering for all budgets, there are restaurants and takeaways providing cuisine from around the world such as Indian and Pakistani, Pizzas, Kebabs, Chinese, Thai, Caribbean as well as traditional British food.
The area also has a wide range of pubs, bars and cafes. Many of the pubs such as the Wine Vaults and the 5th Hants Volunteer specialise in serving real ale and many serve great pub food. The Phoenix in Duncan Road is a great traditional pub which has stable facilities sometimes used by the nearby Kings Theatre to house animals appearing in productions.
O'Neill's, on the junction between Albert Road and Victoria Road, is housed in the building that what was previously Southsea Police Station. Opened on 14th June 1873 the station originally housed twenty eight Police officers. The station was rebuilt and expanded in 1956. The Police station finally closed in 1994.
Towards the eastern end of Albert Road is the Wedgewood Rooms a live music and comedy venue with a capacity of 450 - 500 people depending on use. Before becoming a music venue the Wedgewood Rooms was a more traditional function suite hosting dinner dances, awards ceremonies, society functions, wedding receptions and private parties.
The current Wedgewood Rooms venue has hosted concerts by bands such as the Klaxons, Travis, Renegades and Bowling For Soup. The venue is a favourite of many bands to host pre tour warm up concerts and promotional events.
Until 2009 a very popular community street festival called Love Albert Road Day was held each year in late July. The festival included street entertainment, live music and bands and was aimed at promoting the Albert Road area and showcase the businesses located there.
However the event became too popular, with an estimated 100,000 people attending in 2009. Due to the large scale of the event the costs for bus diversions, road closure, policing, insurance and the clean up operation afterwards became prohibitive and Love Albert Road Day was cancelled in 2010 and has not been held since. A smaller ticket only music festival, Southsea Fest is now held annually, featuring live music and entertainment located in participating pubs and venues along the road.
