Southampton's newest bar (I think - it's hard to keep up!) - it intended to open this weekend (29 Oct 2016), but appears to have managed to sneak open a little earlier on the 25th. Like the Tramstop, this isn't quite finished yet, but unlike the Tramstop this place was previously a bar anyway, so moving in wasn't as much trouble. I hadn't been to Goblets, the bar it replaces, so I can't compare the layout or vibe, but judging by the comments the staff left on a board in the corridor leading to the toilets, it was a warm and vibrant place.
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| Vibrant Forest beers, brewed in the New Forest |
It's a downstairs bar, so that creates an immediate positive atmosphere for a drinking den. There are four cask beers - all from Vibrant Forest on my visit, which unnerved me, as I find their beers too hoppy and too American for my palate. There's also two cask ciders on the right side of the bar (I mistook the pumps for beer at first, and started to order one!). But the main interest of the place is the focus on Belgian beers. There are several Belgian beers on tap and another 40 in bottle. You can ask for the Beer Bible, if you want to browse the selection. It is quite common in Belgium to offer 100 or more bottles, and to have telephone directories from which customers select their beers.
Good buzzy and warm atmosphere on my visit. I left just as the dj was setting up, so I expect it was going to get even warmer and intimate!
Given the central location, and the interest that folks have in both craft beer and Belgium beer, this will do well, and it provides something of a link between Oxford Street and Bedford Place. If someone could open a couple more decent bars between here and the High Street below Bargate, that would assist things even more!
Date: Oct 2016 Score: 9
Been here several more times now. By myself. With Ian. And with Chrissie. It's always a good place to come to.
Date: Summer 2019 Score: 9
Date: Summer 2019 Score: 9
* Website
* Whatpub
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