The Knowhere Guide

Eating and Drinking in Southampton, Hampshire*

Southampton, Hampshire Pubs, Cafes, Coffee Shops and Restaurants

Food

• Ted's Fish & Chips on Bedford Place is cheap and edible.
• Burger King Rodeo burgers 99p mmmmmmmmmmm......Theres 2 in town but the one by the bargate is better as the other has been renivated and now looks tacky, the staff are also much nicer and funny at the bargate 1!!
• SUBWAY - it's nice!
• Buon Gusto(on corner nr Mayflower)-good itlaian, not too expensive
• The Olive Tree, located on Oxford Street, makes you feel very sophisticated (trendy art decor) but not uncomfortable. The food is very reasonably priced as well (especially at Lunchtime) and very tasty. Mostly French, but something for everyone.
• SUBWAY is the best fast food restaurant in the world, if you don't allready know, they make you big fucking roll baguette things with everything you want, and you get refillable drinks.
• Subway in town does very filling American sandwiches. Kuti's is Southampton's best (and most expensive) Indian restaurant. You can find it across the road from Stanley's Casino and O'Neill's "Oirish" pub on Oxford Street.
• Picolo Mondo's off of Civic Centre Road (tucked round near the back entrance to the Marlands Shopping Centre) offers great cheap italian food and pizzas. Goblets in Above Bar Street (opposite the Cenotaph) also offers bargain tasty food.
• Southampton has recently had a SUBWAY sandwich shop open opposite Tyrell and Greens at the top of the high street. You can get massive amounts of food there for not too much money.
• La Marguerita on Commercial Road...a must for anyone who loves Italian cooking made and served by feisty Italians
• Lots of fast food shops like McDonalds and Burger King, as well as Pizza Hut, Pizzaland and the odd kebab shop/chinese takeaway Several expensive resteraunts near the Mayflower Theatre.

Pubs

• Goblets has a very nice atmosphere and the quiz on Sunday nights is famous, so go to that. The Fez Bar, above the Lizard Lounge is the only actually authentic theme bar I've been in and its very relaxing, in a morrocan sort of way.
• 4 words THE OLD FAT CAT
• Square, Yates, Goose and Granite, Avondale, lizard Lounge, Greenhouse, Wetherspoons etc etc
• Varsity has just opened on London Road, definitely catering to the more "sophistacated" (ie loaded and sporting Ben Sherman attire"). Ironically enough, this homage to Capitalism and smily faced extorion is actually housed in the old Trade Union Building....
• Its gotta be the Winston, Archers Road, opposite the Dell, friendly, wicked juke box (if you're playing pool, you must play 'Tracks of my tears' and 'Upside down'). Lizard Lounge, Bedford Place, trendy jazz-inspired bar, with Fez, the morrocan bar upstairs.
• There is too many pubs to name them, BuT, check out the joiners arms and lennons
• The London Hotel, Oxford Street Southampton Pool teams Tuesdays and Thursdays - players always wanted. Contact Alan (Tuesdays) and Ray (Thursdays)
• The ingnoramus who thought that Goblets was in a really old building needs medical treatment. The property was built in the 1930s on the site of Prospect Place as a representative of Southampton's old buildings. I am amazed that the lack of knowledge that so-called "students" have of the city and the English language. Why can't we get shot of them?
• The London Hotel, Oxford Street, Southampton
• The Alexandra, off London Road is a pretty good place for a pint. They used to do a Sunday pub quiz as well.
• The Fitzhugh on Milton Road - a "locals" pub but if you fancy a rendevous with the farmer-types of this world then check it out!!! Avondale House (nr. London Road) - pretty cool and relaxed atmosphere.
• Goblets (Free House) in Above Bar Street (opposite the Cenotaph)free jukebox and monkey nuts and lovely barmen. Parkside Tavern (Marstons) in Poundtree Road friendly atmosphere and cheap beer. Goose & Granite in Above Bar Street (opposite Square Balloon) is cheap and quality for food and beer.
• You mention the brilliant Square Balloon but please don't forget the Old Fat Cat, only a few shops down the main High Street from the Square Balloon. Great atmosphere but gets V. busyWeird bloke who stands outside River Isan
• The Square Balloon is an awful place. Full of girls in tiny lycra outfits trying to pull blokes with moustaches. wednesday is 2for the price of 1 cocktail night though and you can get very drunk quite cheaply.
• 25 Oxfords St. A great place for meeting new friends, friendly, likeable. The manager is a real character, a mixture of straight and gay people. Visit it in a Sunday night, a real singalong, kareoke, dancing on the bar. Brilliant fun.
• Goblets, Above Bar, is THE place to be. Although small it is very friendly and even the goths meet there for lunch on Saturdays! Also does good chips and cheese
• Above Bar in the high street is new, clean and with some good beers
• Others say stear clear of O'Neill's because of fluctuating prices.
• Yes, the Square Balloon is a very nice place. O'Neill's is another good Irish pub. It is near Ocean Village.
• Can't agree that the Frog and Frigate is the best - this statement should be deleted. You have to be one of those people who's really into Derek to get off on this. OK maybe it's worth a visit, it's rather unique. The Hobbit's better, other places to try are: Clowns in Beavois valley, avoid Wednesdays unless you like drunken rugger buggers, the Square Balloon, the Dorch.
• Southampton used to be quite bad for night-life. Now we have 'The Square Balloon' which is at the top of town. The pub itself is massive - It is in a converted cinema. The interior design is wonderful. Basically the pub is definitely the place to go from now on. They do amazing cocktails, I am especailly keen on the 'Jo Jo Ivory' - if anyone knows what goes into it please let me know. I hope to see you all there. Remember NO TRAINERS!! It is hopefully going to get a late liscense so that everyone can get even more pissed on the cocktails.
• If you like students (of all ages) then The Hobbit in Bevois Valley is good, with a late night licence at peak times.
• The Frog and Frigate is quite simply the greatest pub in the world (and has been since 1983)
• The best place to be in Southampton on a Friday or Saturday night -- the Frog and Frigate pub on Canute Street. Derek plays guitar and it's awesome - a huge obscene singalong and a hell of a lot of fun! Also The Talking Heads (Swaythling) with live music, films theatre etc. And the Joiners pub (St. Mary's Street) which has a lot of live music (most nights).
  The Tapas Bar in Ocean Village is packed with gorgeous women in the summer!

Cafes and Coffee Shops

• There's a nice french one near the square.
• None-there should be some though!!
• Area 51 (London Road, next to Kelly's) is very small, cosy and friendly. And you can smoke!!!! Very nice spot to meet someone for lunch or just go and read the paper before work, and they have some of the nicest staff you will find in the city. Can get a bit nippy in winter - open front - but don't let that put you off.
• Chateux du Pain, high street, tasty sanwiches made to order, and real cute take-away bags.
• there is a cafe at the bottom of the bargate centre where all the goths and new gens hang, so steer clear of it.
• Harbour Lights Cinema in Ocean Village offer an excellent Sunday morning of jazz and coffee.
• There's a French-style patisserie next to C&A in the City Centre that does good take away coffee.

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Last updated: 2008-02-16