The Portsmouth Student Guide: Southsea

About the author: Hi everyone! I'm Claire Munro, a recent Digital Marketing graduate from the University of Portsmouth. After spending the best three years of my life in this amazing city, I've made it my mission to help you make the most of your time both in Portsmouth and in London (where I now live!). When I'm not working or writing about my student life, you can find me shopping or hanging out with my friends.

Are you new to Portsmouth? Coming back for your second or third year at uni and figuring out where to live? Or have you recently moved to Southsea and are keen to explore the area? Well then, this guide is for you. With a vast array of pubs and eateries, and all the essential shops close by, this area offers everything you could want and more! Let’s delve deeper and explore Southsea (my favourite part of Portsmouth) together.

Location

Located in the very south of Portsmouth, Southsea combines seaside charm with a buzzing social scene, making it the city’s most popular student area. Just a short walk or bus ride from the University of Portsmouth, Southsea offers easy access to university buildings without feeling like you’re living in a student bubble. This gives you the chance to live your student life, while also making the most of life outside of campus, like Southsea’s beautiful beachfront. You’ll be feeling like Hannah Montana: “you get the best of both worlds!”

Food

There’s no denying that Southsea has some of the best eateries out there. I love the café scene so much that I’ve even written an entire blog post dedicated to it. Some more of my regular spots include Sisters for brunch and The Parade Tea Room for lunch. But if I had to choose, my café gold star would go to The Southsea Deli, and my restaurant gold star would go to Fuegos.

I know, I know, we can’t go out to eat all the time – we have a student budget to stick to. I hear you, but don’t worry, there are plenty of food shops dotted around, so the choice for your weekly food shop is YOURS! Will you choose from the big supermarkets like Asda, Lidl, Aldi, or do you prefer to grab your food when you need it? In that case, you can pop into the Tesco Express, Co-op, or possibly Waitrose if you're feeling fancy.

Can you tell I was spoiled for choice? It’s incredible how many amazing restaurants, cafés and food shops have been squeezed into this area. Let’s just say, you’ll never go hungry in Southsea!

And if you’re still looking for some more restaurant recommendations in Portsmouth, then check out Karishma’s blog post where she shares her top restaurant picks!

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Nightlife

However you like to spend your evenings, Southsea has something for everyone. For a quieter night out, The Honest Politician is perfect for a few rounds of darts or pool, or just a chill drink with mates. The One Eyed Dog may look like a regular pub by day, but at night it comes alive, with tables pushed aside to make space for dancing. Feeling a bit more adventurous? Go Rogue is the place to be, offering arcade games, darts, and karaoke for a fun and unpredictable evening out.

With so many pubs and bars within walking distance, Southsea makes it easy to enjoy a great night without needing to stray too far from your home.

Student housing

With Southsea being the most sought-after student area, you’ll find that there are many student housing options for you, whether you are looking to live on your own, or with a group of people.

The average rent in Southsea (as of November 2025, according to UniHomes) is £147.99 per person per week, with the minimum rent being £107 PPPW and the max rent being £407 PPPW. It’s safe to say, there is something for everyone in Southsea, and with UniHomes, bills are included! You can’t go wrong with that!

So, if you’re thinking about where to live next year, Southsea is definitely worth exploring – and with Unihomes, finding the right place for you has just gotten easier! UniHomes works with letting agents from across Portsmouth to bring you a wide range of student accommodation in Southsea and beyond, so all you have to do is go onto the UniHomes website and filter by bedroom size or price. Easy!

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Our UniHomes Content Ambassadors are current students across the UK who share tips about student life in their city to help you make the most of your time at uni. If you're interested in writing for our programme, click here for more details.

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.