What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Rocka Restaurant
Review
About
Travelers' Choice
2024
With over 20 years of experience in a mixture of independent restaurants/branded/international and high volume, it’s time for Chef Alecio to launch his long awaited restaurant. It’s a project with Mario Figueiredo that shows unique creative culinary style mixed with authentic hospitality
Features
CUISINES
Seafood, International, Mediterranean, European, Healthy
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 12:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Contribute
4.8
762 reviews
Excellent
687
Very good
38
Average
15
Poor
14
Terrible
9
kaycou
Portsmouth1 contribution
Sep 2024 • family
Visited Rocka tonight with my brother and family for a get together and midweek treat. We were all very impressed with the friendliness of staff and quality of our meals. My kids actually ate without moaning and it was an ambient environment to get together and catch up. Will be recommending to friends.
Thank you Rocka
Written September 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lavinia-Gabriel... C
3 contributions
Mar 2025 • friends
A fantastic dining experience! I visited this restaurant with a friend, and we were both thoroughly impressed. I had the octopus with sweet potato mash, which was cooked to perfection—tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. My friend enjoyed a fresh and vibrant quinoa salad that was just as delicious. The service was excellent; Yara (our waitress) was very attentive, friendly, and made us feel welcome from start to finish. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making for a truly enjoyable meal. We’ll definitely be coming back!
Written March 4, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ivan W
Wolverhampton24 contributions
Nov 2024 • friends
Our friend had read the reviews of Rocka and suggested that we should try it on this trip to Portsmouth - we were not disappointed! We arrived earlier than we had booked for but the staff were very accommodating and friendly. We all liked the little touch of water being brought to the table in glasses, with a full decanter of water with them; it saved us the trouble of having to keep asking for more water.
The menu had a good selection and we found it difficult to choose from such a varied selection. The food was brought to the table by very friendly and informative staff, and the food itself was delicious. The only negative comment was brought about not by the food but by the selection, which in a way was expected. It did not detract from the whole experience though.
There was a good selection of beer and wines. Only one of our party had a dessert, and the final bill was not a shock!
All in all a lovely place to visit and to enjoy an evening with friends.
Written December 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Blue Sky
Gosport21 contributions
Dec 2024 • solo
The chicken bits were deep-fried, hard, tasteless and tough, so I left them. The main meal chicken was not fully cooked, so I returned it. Staff responded, "Oh, sorry about that. " The bill was not adjusted for the problems, and even a 10% service charge was added! It was a real rip-off. Never again.
Written January 19, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DB
Swadlincote3 contributions
Sep 2023 • couples
We went to this restaurant for dinner as it was close to our hotel. I was surprised to see lots of other diners there on a Monday night. There was a nice vibe, more like a weekend.
We shared a starter of shredded crispy lamb, which was moreish. My crab burger main was good (its appearance made me laugh!). My wife enjoyed the seabass.
Service was attentive. I thought the £76 bill (included bread, drinks and service charge) was reasonable given today's prices.
The owner was an excellent host, happy to tell anecdotes but not overbearing. My wife told him the panna cotta was the best she'd ever tasted and they immediately fell into a culinary huddle (something technical about why the Panna Rocka differs from a traditional panna cotta).
And as we were celebrating our anniversary, he threw in two baby Guniness cocktails for free.
A memorable night.
Written September 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trevorhall136
Manchester7 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
We had a great time here on the 11th August 2023, it was our wedding anniversary! We contacted the restaurant via email the week before to guarantee a table, the reply’s we got were very helpful in addressing our needs on the night.
Upon arrival we were dealt with very quickly and attentively, they were expecting us and knew exactly what table was set up for us.
Ordering the food and drinks was nice and easy, and came relatively quickly.
For staters I had the crispy chicken strips…..oh my word…..I never knew you could get chicken that crispy and piping hot, with a great chipotle mayo, an amazing start. My wife and I shared those (she doesn’t usually do starters).
My wife ordered the seabass for her main and I ordered the fish and chips.
When the meals came they were presented very nicely and looked very impressive. My wife’s seabass with veg was totally amazing, the carrots were fantastic and the fish….just fell apart being so flakey and cooked to perfection.
My fish and chips looked bloody lovely, it came with tartare sauce which was fantastic, I’m not a fan of mushy peas but I was pleasantly surprised by how nice they were. The batter on the fish was a lovely dark colour and was superbly crisp, the fish just flaked apart it was that fresh and so nicely cooked.
I had seen a few negative feedbacks before coming but I always tend not to read to much in to those and choose to make up my own mind.
I’m so glad we came here for our anniversary, it was a lovely place with attentive staff and fabulous food, I would highly recommend coming here, and if we travel back to Portsmouth in the future, we know where to come to for great food at a great price
Written August 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pat H
3 contributions
Sep 2024 • couples
The Rocka Restaurant definitely lives up to its great review rating. At our request, we were given a quiet booth, but the service was perfect, attentive and friendly but not in your face. The food was some of the best we have ever eaten and we don't say that lightly. The pork belly tempura was delicious and something we've never had before. Even what you might expect to be standard, the fish and chips, was excellent, the fish was cooked to perfection, and the mushy peas were clearly home made with care. The melange friture was delicious (I'm running out of superlatives) and the desserts were lovely too. We live over an hour away and we will be back again soon, it's worth the drive. We can't recommend this restaurant too highly.
Written September 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Samarmo
36 contributions
Aug 2024 • family
Food was incredibly bland and extremely average in quality for an expensive price. The starters were far better than the mains and saved the whole meal. The salmon thai curry was extremely disappointing, a spicy tomato dish with plain jasmine rice. Katsu chicken was defiantly not proper katsu sauce tasted like something out of a ready made packet and the burger was some really cheap burger meat. All dishes nearly £20 a main, really quite shocking. Really miserable service to. One our food and drinks arrived that was it no check in , we had to get up and walk over to be served again. I can imagine the lunch menu is the saving grace of this place but full price, absolute rip off
Written August 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Viviana I
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • friends
I went to this restaurant yesterday, Thursday, 5th September, and it was an awful experience. The service was horrendous! The staff seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves than actually serving customers. I felt completely ignored, and it wasn’t just our table—they weren’t paying attention to anyone. The atmosphere was chaotic and unpleasant, and it honestly ruined the entire meal. The food, which might have been decent otherwise, tasted awful because the service was so bad. I couldn’t wait to leave. If you’re looking for good service and a relaxing dining experience, avoid this place!
Written September 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark C
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • family
Last minute booking and able to accommodate a table of six. Great menu with plenty of choice, James was very happy to help with menu suggestions and recommendations Ring very positive and enthusiastic as well as offering great service. Every one enjoyed the food and drinks and will definitely recommend giving Rocka a visit, I’m sure we will be back.
Written August 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dhdaioxvid
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • friends
The reviews massively oversell this restaurant. The food is not good at all, it was worse than average. Ive had better food at a Whetherspoons and it was £20 for a main course!!! So overpriced for what it is. I’d never eat here again, none of the food tasted fresh. We were told we could only come at 9:30pm, we arrived 15 mins early and the place was empty so we could have come earlier like we wanted. We obviously had all the dregs as the food was stale or off cuts of fish. Some of mine wasn’t even cooked through. We were then rushed out of the restaurant even though they told us to arrive late. We come from London so have relatively high expectations but assumed from the reviews and the pricing this would be exceptional, however, it was diabolical. Avoid at all costs or you’ll be ripped off and disgusted by the food.
Written March 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alecio Mendes
Good afternoon,
Thank you for choosing us for your evening meal, and we apologise that you didn’t enjoy yourself this time around. We would like to respond to a couple of the points you made, starting with your booking time. Friday’s and Saturday’s are our busiest times and due to our reputation, we often get booked up a week in advance, so sometimes our availability is limited. Additionally, we also give a standard of 2 hours on the table for all bookings, hence our designated time slots. When you called to book, we only had 9:30 bookings available. We also cannot predict if every table will use the full 2 hours, so sometimes a table can be empty earlier than anticipated. That being said, I can confirm that we only had 4 tables empty at 9:30, 3 assigned to our 9:30 bookings and 1 free, so our restaurant was far from empty upon your arrival.
Secondly, we take pride in using fresh ingredients and all our food is cooked to order. We also don’t leave any ‘stale food’ for our guests at the end of the evening. Actually, considering the high volume of food that we serve, it’s practically impossible for us to have any stale or out of date food in the building as it’s not here for long enough. As a result, we think it’s a real shame that you would compare us to Wetherspoons. As you can see from our other reviews, thankfully they don’t share the same opinion.
Finally, our prices are advertised on our website, and on our front door, so that our guests can make reasonable decisions about whether they would like to dine with us. These prices were also available to you prior to your booking. Despite this however, only 4 of our meals are £20 or above, those being either steaks or octopus, so we consider our pricing to be accurate to the industry. We’d also like to add that due to inaccuracies within your review, the extremity of the descriptive language and the fact your account has only one review - ours, that we are investigating this further with the TripAdvisor team, as we find it disrespectful to our loyal customers and staff who work extremely hard to bring our guests the best experience possible.
Written March 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
juliepetrou1
Portsmouth9 contributions
Feb 2024 • family
Great location , staff very pleasant and accommodating .
However, the food was mediocre for the price. I had mussels which were very salty / tin tomatoes thrown in... The tomato dressing I had were also present in 2 other meals we ordered ; pasta and salmon meal - The salmon was dry. The steak was over cooked and we had asked for rare. The meals shouldn't have left the kitchen ... looked as though it was sat around. No care .
The cocktails were great ..
We went for a birthday meal, the concept is well thought of but afraid the execution of the food was not tasty for the price.
If you're going for drinks and starters / nibbles it's good evening out with friends. However, as a restaurant to eat main courses - 6out of 7 mains we had were not tasty or cooked well.. too many sauces used for every fish it seemed . Such a shame as we were looking forward to it. The waitress was nice.
Written February 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M77
England104 contributions
Jan 2025 • friends
Once again come here in a very busy Saturday night and can’t regret, food and staff is just amazing
All off us had starter, mains and some dessert, some of the friends had already which was not problem for the server or the chef
My favourite food in this restaurant is the chicken gyosas and picanha, you never go wrong
You must visit if you leave or visiting Portsmouth
Written January 20, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicholas R
7 contributions
Sep 2024 • business
Came with a coworker for a nice dinner on a trip down to Portsmouth and it did not disappoint! Food was amazing, ambiance great with a cute interior, and service was incredible - and we were served by the sweetest girl Yara. Super knowledgeable with the menu, gave us lots of great recommendations for the area, and went so far out of her way to ensure we had such a memorable evening. Thank you Yara, we will be back and hopefully get to see you again! Love from Spain, Nico.
Written September 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fay P
Portsmouth26 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
Very disappointed. Came for our wedding anniversary. We ordered one white wine and a glass of water (Husband doesn't drink alcohol) to take while waiting for our order. But then they brought 2 (? complementary?) Proseccos. But before I could drink any of the three glasses, the red wine and steak arrived! The steak was good. (Rare). But a dump of pea shoots ‘decorating’ one end of the steak and chips was it! The steak was plonked on top of half the pre-salted chips making them soggy. A mini ramekin of sauce was on a side plate. They did not remove the surplus glassware until requested to do so. Husband had ice cream and I had Panacotta (rubbery). Total cost £81. We were there just 1 hour.
Written August 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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