Maya

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#12 of 542 Restaurants in Portsmouth££ - £££, Latin, Central American, Vegetarian friendly

+44 23 9229 2646+ Add website

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Hours

Tue

18:00 - 23:00

Wed

18:00 - 23:00

Thu

18:00 - 23:00

Fri

17:00 - 0:00

Sat

16:00 - 0:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

5.0

212 reviews

#12 of 542 Restaurants in Portsmouth

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Latin, Central American, Vegan options, Vegetarian friendly

“Some real standouts the pork belly, the aubergine, the ceviche and the guacam...”

“The ribs were tasty but a rather small portion and with some toughness.”

“Standout was the steak and peppercorn and the tuna!”

“The guac was 10/10, ceviche was lovely and fresh, and sweetcorn tasty.”

Location and contact

15 Jubilee Terrace Southsea, Portsmouth PO5 3AS England

+44 23 9229 2646

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Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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Details

Manage this business?

About

Latin American Restaurant and Bar based in Southsea, serving a mix of small plates, cocktails and wines.

PRICE RANGE

£4.00 – £12.00

CUISINES

Latin, Central American

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Street Parking, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available

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5.0

212 reviews

Excellent

186

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

David W

Portsmouth314 contributions

Unique and cool!

Feb 2020 • couples

A different twist on tapas.... South american tapas! This restaurant is all about the small dishes! Unique menu choices and super friendly and efficient staff make this place a must try. Yet another great establishment to add to southsea's already eclectic and impressive list! They recommend 3 dishes each, we had 6 between 2 of us and a couple of nibbles and we were pretty full. Still managed a couple more drinks afterwards but vary the No. Of dishes you have based on what you want to do after, hit the town, maybe 2 dishes each, go home and be in a coma you could push 4. The design and style inside is beautiful, kind of chic cross industrial, beautiful ambient lighting as well makes this a nice place to be. My advice, order nibbles and finish these before you even order mains. As they are small dishes they come out quickly and if you order it all at the same time your meal out could start and end within 30 minutes of arriving. Great if you want a quick meal, not if you want an evening of it. We spaced our orders out along with drinks and enjoyed a solid 2 hours.

Written 16 February 2020

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.

Eddie H

Portsmouth47 contributions

Great flavours, super ambience.

Feb 2020 • none

My husband, a friend of ours and I came here for an early meal mid-week. The restaurant has a dark and attractive contemporary decor, that gives an atmosphere of warmth. Our waitress was friendly and helpful, informing us of the menu options and the way the (tapas style) orders would be processed. We ordered some nibbles and beers while we considered the dishes we would order. The beers that we chose were exceptionally tasty (mine was Mexican) and quite strong. They also complemented the food very well. The menu is varied and has a good selection of vegetable, fish and meat dishes and would be very suitable for vegetarians. All the dishes we ordered were really very flavoursome and it was great to be having a taste of all the foods we ordered between us. My favourites were the seared tuna and the mushroom dish. Exceptional! Service was good and we will certainly be returning. Recommended!

Written 8 February 2020

Joseph G

8 contributions

A very enjoyable evening.

Jul 2020 • business

I visited Maya with two work colleagues three days after it’s reopening after lockdown. I have to say how impressed we all were with the attentiveness and level of service, the measures that they had put in place took nothing away from our dining experience. Some of the more closely situated tables had been separated by Perspex but it had been done in a way so it wasn’t too noticeable. Drinks and dishes were delivered on decorative trolleys and trays and we were asked to take them off ourselves. The menu had a superb variety of choice, I can personally recommend the chimichurri steak and the toastida chicken. Will definitely be returning again soon.

Written 19 July 2020

Davey

London193 contributions

Delicious food, great service and C-19 safe

Jul 2020 • none

We were a group of four we had a wide selection of small bites and a lovely (couple) bottles of wine. The food was delicious, hot and we didn't feel bloated afterwards. The chef patron come and chatted to us about foodie stuff for ages, the server was very efficient and kept her distance. C-19 wise the tables are well spaced, the door was open, there were (classy) screens between tables and hand sanitiser on each table. Highly recommended.

Written 22 July 2020

Bryan M

Portsmouth42 contributions

Great food, Service and Pricing

Jan 2020 • none

I have been to this recently opened restaurant 3 times now and it has been consistent on each visit. The ambience is peaceful and the decor sombre. I was made to feel welcome and my order was taken by the owner, Chris, who is very knowledgable about the menu and wine list. My order of Flank Steak arrived in good time and I could not fault it so I ordered another dish of Lamb Tacos which also arrived in good time and was perfectly cooked. All this was washed down with a delicious glass of Postales Malbec. On my most recent visit I ordered a dessert of a Chocolate and Chilli Pot. This was excellent too. This is a new restaurant in Southsea and, if this standard continues as I am sure it will, can become very popular.

Written 9 January 2020

LordH64

London108 contributions

Welcome addition to Southsea bar / restaurant options

Feb 2020 • none

Housed in a former Victorian pub this venue has seen several small restaurants come and go in recent years. I really hope this one stays. The space is small but well designed and well used. On a Saturday night it felt more upmarket casual dining than bar : waitress said it's a bit more emphasis on the bar mid week. Food is South American 'tapas' small plates ranging from dips etc through fantastic fresh fish dishes (some raw) and prawns to slow cooked pork belly, steak, ribs plus deserts and a really good wine list. Nice staff too.

Written 10 February 2020

Rob W

Portsmouth68 contributions

Spot on, great food, great tastes.

Jun 2021 • none

I was hesitant about this as so many new restaurants appear and disappear now but was I surprised or what! All food is nicely cooked and carefully arranged to look great. Nice vibe, polite waiter staff too. They coal smoke and grill meats so there’s a definite twiste of taste in their meats especially ribs.. Theres not one thing oh this menu I wouldn’t like. I did think that I needed more after so I recommend 4 plates per person and desert if hungry. Cocktails were great especially the chocolate ones. They aren’t cheap but quality is sure here ih this place. Definitely recommend this. I have a feeling this will be in top 5 restaurants within a year on here. To me it’s the top 5. Just be prepared that 2 people with a couple of cocktails will be 100 quid.

Written 3 June 2021

Anna M

Portsmouth60 contributions

Perfect evening in every way

Jan 2020 • friends

Fabulous food, service and ambience. A great new restaurant exploiting a more unique spin on tapas. The staff were friendly and engaging and every dish we tried was delicious. A good variety offering vegan and vegetarian options as well as some good meat options for the carnivores out there. The wine list was comprehensive with a heavy bent towards South America, unsurprisingly, but with a good mix of reasonably priced up to some quality bubbles. The added bonus of a small but well balanced cocktail menu really topped off a great evening. Thoroughly recommended for a quiet romantic meal or a catch up with good friends, plenty of opportunity to chat and order as you go so no need to worry if you get distracted as the staff are really patient, the food speedy and tasty and the quality excellent. Totally deserving of 5*.

Written 22 January 2020

Southseabeach

Portsmouth76 contributions

Good food and service...but...

Oct 2020 • none

We sat downstairs, which was a bit dark and cramped. Drinks and food was excellent, as was the service. We ordered a couple of sharing nibbles plus 3 portions per person which, to be honest, was too much. Only problem was the music. The speaker was wiggt above us and at first was far too loud and a but lively for a restaurant. We asked for it to be turned down and, to be fair, it was. But as the evening went on, all four of us found the music just too intrusive. I think the upstairs seating is a better option...note light and spacious and, it appeared, no music.

Written 29 October 2020

Diane C

2 contributions

Great restaurant

Jan 2020 • couples

Ate at this restaurant Tuesday evening, having been on a 2 night break in Portsmouth. We hadn't reserved a table but fortunately turned up early enough to get one of the last remaining unbooked tables. By 8 p.m the restaurant was packed. The tapas were excellent with a wide variety for all tastes. The food, service and staff were right up there, we had a great night and all reasonably priced, just gutted it's not local to where we live.

Written 22 January 2020

TripMember05062015

Hampshire95 contributions

Not Bad Food, But Not A Great Experience

Jun 2022 • none

The food was actually quite nice. The birri beef and kale manchego were really tasty, although the chimichurri steak was disappointingly tough and bland. What spoiled the night was that it seemed as though the management would stop at nothing to squeeze every drop of cash out of a Sat night. There are too many tables, particularly downstairs, meaning the atmosphere is all heat and noise. Scrimping on staff numbers meant that the drinks we ordered when our mains arrived weren't ready by the time we asked for the bill. Removing a table and taking a hit on the profits would be a massive step forward.

Written 19 June 2022

LUIS FELIPE B

Portsmouth15 contributions

Lovely atmosphere excellent service.

Aug 2020 • couples

I was very excited to have seen a latin American restaurant in Portsmouth as I am from Colombia and also a chef for over 10 years now I was pretty excited about the place and the food. I tell you what... The pork carnitas blew me away so I asked for a second portion. My partner and I we both agreed the tortilla was very greasy, soggy and just not like the first one. Orded the Colombian pork cracking, thought we got back a second portion to see if we might change our minds it was still very chewing and cracking at all. My partners loved the crab tacos and the sweet pot and black beans dish was better than I thought it would be. Mimi our waiter, she was incredible she was truly amazing and delivering a service I personally had not expirenced in a very long time.

Written 8 August 2020

ellie85

1 contribution

Nice food but not great for a social meal

Oct 2022 • friends

We were a group of friends and couples meeting for a birthday after not seeing each other for a long time. We ate on a Saturday night with a table booked for 8.30. It wasn’t quite ready when we arrived so we waited outside as there’s nowhere inside to wait, and were soon shown to our table by a lovely waitress. Food and cocktails were pretty nice but after ordering we were told by the management on two occasions that our group was too loud for the other tables which we obviously felt very bad about. This was our second time at Maya and as a group we have been going out to dinner in restaurants all over Southsea for the last 20 years and this is the first time we’ve ever been spoken to about noise levels. I think that the layout of the restaurant makes it difficult to accommodate larger groups alongside tables wanting a quiet/romantic atmosphere. For a restaurant that sells Latin American tapas and cocktails we didn’t feel very comfortable or welcome as a group, especially considering we spent over £300, so for that reason we won’t be returning. In terms of value for money and atmosphere there are plenty of better options locally. The waitress we had was really nice and the cocktails and food were mostly good overall.

Written 4 November 2022

Makak

Farnham53 contributions

11/10 must visit

Nov 2022 • friends

After a recommendation from a fellow foodie friend, myself and two friends visited Maya for an early dinner. We booked in advance, after I was informed that it was a popular place to dine. We arrived on time and I could see straight away the table had been laid for 3 as requested. The decor was tasteful and pleasant. Lovely low lighting and very welcoming staff. We all ordered the house cocktail which was a sour, gin based cocktail which had the essence of a margarita, but was gin based. It was delicious! The food… The pork belly was cooked very well, tender, well rendered fat, and crispy on the outside. Well seasoned, and sweet as you’d expect. We also had the broccoli as a side, it was okay, some of the stems were just a tad still raw, but the flavours were there and the almonds on top were a nice touch. The “flaca fries” were honestly cooked perfectly, huge portion for the price, and they were served with a garlic mayo. Well it was called garlic mayo on the menu, but in my opinion it was much more than that. It contained fresh herbs, was very well seasoned, and there was also a lot of citrus coming through, this could have been from the seasoning on the fries themselves, or the dip… either way it was delicious! But… the absolute show stopper for me, was the Korean bbq fried chicken taco! I can happily admit that this (which was naturally gluten free) was the best taco I’ve ever eaten in my life. Outstanding. I’d happily drive the 40 some miles back to Portsmouth for a taco from Maya. Highly recommended from myself. The town centre in Portsmouth has absolutely trash food. This is the ONLY good restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in Portsmouth. Is a must visit. 11/10

Written 22 November 2022

frosty00

Portchester60 contributions

Fantastic venue for food & drinks!

Jun 2021 • friends

What a place! If you're looking for an intimate setting & fantastic food & drink then this is it. I visited tonight with my wife & a few friends. I tried various drinks - Pisco sour, spicy Aztec, Complot IPA & Malquerida beer. All were fantastic but the spicy Aztec was a stand out! Perfect amount of chilli & beautifully smooth with smacks of chocolate. The food was also fantastic. I ordered - Mojo chicken, Tuna ceviche, al pastor ribs and the asado carrot. The chicken thighs were fantastic with a beautiful chorizo stew like concoction below and the ribs were tender & flavoursome. The tuna was ideal as a pallet cleanser so best eaten last. The carrots were recommended by the owner & I never thought this humble veg could taste so good! I found everything well priced & can't wait to visit again to try more from the menu. Highly recommended!

Written 26 June 2021

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