Browns, Northam

A tastefully refurbished corner location pub in the Northam / St Mary's area of Southampton. The area is mostly industrial units and an estate of housing association flats mostly occupied by immigrants, so is not a promising location for a pub - but it does have the nearby football stadium, and it offers food lunchtimes (and evenings Thurs to Sat), so does have potential.

Two cask ales on my visit, One wasn't fresh, but was replaced instantly when pointed out.  There is a good vibe inside with exposed brickwork, bare floorboards, and a clean funky look. Live music and comedy on certain nights, this promises to be a lively pub in an area short of pubs, let alone decent ones.

This place deserves to do well, and will no doubt be packed on match days. I like the place.

Date: March 2017


Popped in as we were driving past and Chrissie saw a sign for Tap It, which we thought indicated that the pub were serving Tap It beers.  Nope. No cask on - I was offered some dull bottles, which we declined. Place seemed a bit run down and rough since my previous visit. We decided not to stay....


Date: April 2018



70 Millbank Street SO14 5QN

Opening hours
12-11 Mon-Thu; 12-Midnight Fri & Sat; 12-11 Sun

Food
12-2 Mon-Wed; 12-2, 6-8 Thu-Sat; 12-2 Sun

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Portswood

Prince Of Wales, Northam

This corner pub on the main road near Bitterne Bridge looks as if it has seen better days, but it is clearly trying hard as it advertises cheap breakfasts. I popped in here during a training run for the Southampton Half Marathon and found it to be a friendly place.

Went back recently to check it out again. It's a bit smelly - stale sweat on nylon, and a little dark and tatty - peeling wall and ceiling paper, roughly painted woodwork, but clean and tidy. A bunch of old locals were engaged in conversation - they appeared friendly enough, but despite a couple of attempts by me to engage them in conversation, they preferred their own company. Three cask pumps, two available, both from local brewers: Hop Back Summer Lightning and a Hammerpot, the 4.3% abv Red Hunter, which I had, though it wasn't in top condition - not off, just a bit tired. Breakfast served all day - small £3, large £4.95. A pint costs £3.

This is an OK locals pub, which usefully opens early for breakfast, and you can get a beer from 10 in the morning, but otherwise has little to commend it.


Date: March 2017   Score: 4


Notes: 

When the old landlord, Joseph Smith, was in hospital, his daughter, Anneliese, took over running the place. She was burgled in Feb 2020, when a cash box containing over £3,000 was stolen. It appears that the money was left all day in the pub, rather than being put in the bank, and as she is worried about the pub being repossessed, leaving her dad "homeless", it also appears that the pub was not insured for theft.  

Looking at the pub's Facebook page, it appears that Joe died in 2020.  

Pub appears to be currently open (April 2021) Wednesday to Saturday, 2pm to 10pm - possibly Sundays. Only serving keg lager and bottled drinks to consume in the back garden. No food.  

Date: April 2021 

Address
198 Northam Road SO14 0QF

Opening hours
10-12   (Breakfast from 9.00)


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***

Portswood

The Two Brothers, Townhill

Large, light, airy and pleasant modern estate pub. Family friendly and food focused. Three cask pumps, two marked as waiting for IPA, and a third offering Doom BR, so I went for Hop House Lager.

Veggie sausage and mash and a pint of the lager is just over £9.

This is a flexible pub offering a range of seating areas. Customers on my Friday lunchtime visit are mainly elderly, though there are a good number of younger folk.

Quite likable for the locals, but doesn't quite offer enough charm and character to recommend making a detour. The location is a modern estate, and while not unpleasant is not especially scenic or interesting.





Townhill Way SO18 3RA

9am-Midnight Mon-Sat; 9am-11 Sun
(Meals 9am-10)

Sizzling Pubs (Mitchells & Butlers)


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Pubs in Bitterne

The Stile, Highfield/Portswood (Closed)

We've popped in here a couple of times when visiting the university. It was OK. decent value family food, and a small beer garden. Nothing special, a fairly ordinary family friendly eating pub. A little careworn and in need of refurbishment. I think it has been done up by Greene King, so I will be looking to visit again this year to give an up to date review.

Date: March 2017    Score: 4

Closed

Update

The pub has closed. The Daily Echo reported that the staff were given 10 days notice that Greene King would not be renewing the lease with the university. The university say they are not going to demolish the building, but haven't yet revealed what they intend to do with the building.

There had been some drama at the pub in 2012 when the manager and his wife ran off, taking £4,000
from the safe.

Date: September 2017

Demolished - July 2019

163 University Road SO17 1TS
(corner of Burgess Road)

Hours
12-11 Mon-Fri; 11-11 Sat; 12-10.30 Sun   Closed

John Barras (Greene King)   


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***

Portswood

The Bellemoor Tavern, Shirley

Clean and pleasant family pub near Southampton Common. Relaxed atmosphere with music softly playing in the background. Staff friendly and helpful. Does a range of cask ales and good value meals. I love the treacle pudding and custard - worth coming here just for that.

I haven't been in for over a year, and I note that it is now owned by Greene King, so worth coming back to check out what has changed. 

Date: March 2017   Score: 5 



Came here in the summer of 2021 with Myles and his dad. We struggled with the service. Not impressed. 

Date: Summer 2021    Score: 3 


 

 

  

Visited with Chrissie when doing a Mystery Shopper. It was an OK experience, much better than the visit in the summer, though there were were still some delays and problems with the service. Food is the typical Greene King pub grub. Edible, but not good. I stopped doing the Mystery Shopper because even when being paid for it I just could not stomach eating any more Greene King food. It's not that the food is terrible - it is edible, it's just that it is bland and boring. 

Date: Dec 2019   Score: 5 

Temporarily closed for refurbishment. Should be open in September. 

Date: Aug 2022

250 Hill Lane 

SO15 7NU

Open: 12-11 Mon-Thu; 12-Midnight Fri; 12-11.30 Sat; 12-11 Sun
(Meals  12-10)

John Barras (Greene King)


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Greene King pubs in Southampton

• Pubs in Shirley

The Cowherds, Portswood

Country pub on the edge of Southampton Common. Intensely popular with diners, so advisable to book, especially at the weekend.  We like it here in the bar area for drinks and a snack, less fond of it for meals as it can feel a little cramped and soulless in the dining area, and service - while friendly and professional - can be a little slow.


Date: March 2017    Score:  5 

Visited the Cowherds after a long time (last time was when Chrissie and I had a farewell dinner for a friend, who was leaving the UK for a job in Spain). Came for lunch with Lyn on one of our Sibling Days. Booked a table in the bar area as I find the restaurant area to be a little lacking in character compared to the bar area.  Cowherds is usefully placed in a corner of the Common, so is popular both as a pub, and a convenient parking area. Since my last visit the pub has introduced a parking scheme, whereby you have to enter your registration number in a console just to the right of the bar. This allows you a generous parking period. 

  

The charm of the bar area

The mediocre cask beer selection

I lost my review. Why is it always the reviews I spend time on, with loads of research that I end up losing? I will get around to writing it up again at some point.....

Date: Aug 2022   Score: 6 

The Avenue
SO15 7NN

Vintage Inns (Mitchells & Butler)


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***

Portswood

Walnut Tree Farm, Nursling

A Greene King modern family dining pub using the Farmhouse Inns branding. This is a new build on the outskirts of Southampton on a new business estate. The place is so new it has only just acquired a permanent post code. It's in a vague area between Nursling and Lordshill - possibly called Hillyfields.

I popped in for breakfast just after it opened in 2016 and was impressed. Large, comfortable, clean, pleasant, and with a decent veggie breakfast.  It's stuck a little way out, but seems to be getting lots of business judging by the reviews on Trip Advisor. People are quite happy to drive out for a meal to one of these modern family dining pubs. It's clean, safe, and good value.


Date: March 2017   Score: 5


  

Came back in Feb 2022 with Richard to do a Greene King Mystery Shopper. As part of the mystery shop I had to buy a take away slice of cake. Huge slice! 

The place is very meat orientated, with a hugely popular carvery. It is somewhat surprising, but a significantly high number of poorly educated people still don't understand (or refuse to accept) that eating cow meat contributes to the global warming that is already impacting the world and already accounts for five millions deaths annually - and that figure will continue to rise.   

Richard helps himself to
several meats and a huge dose of gravy

The ice cream display

My sad looking fish and chips

The cake display

The place is very popular, and its best to book. It's kind of a noisy, functional, crowded place. It sort of reminded me of a canteen on a caravan site, or a working men's club. If that's your thing, then you'll enjoy the vibe here. 

I didn't find it very appealing, and the Greene King beer selection was quite limited. Not my sort of place. 

Date: Feb 2022   Score: 4

Adanac Park
Nursling

Southampton
SO16 0AT

Greene King


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Greene King pubs
in Southampton

• Pubs in Shirley

The Saints, Millbrook

Large modern estate pub that seems to serve the community well. It was the location for an audition for Britain's Got Talent in 2014. It's right on the far edge of Southampton from me, part of a large council estate. Not somewhere I pass by or go to, so it took me a while to get around to visit.

Open, airy, relaxed and friendly inside the single room. Floor to ceiling windows on two sides. Fireplace with tv on third side, and the bar on the other side. No food, but barmaid gave me the few days when they do food, and offered a suggestion of a nearby pub that does food: the Walnut Tree. Sport on tv with sound off and music playing at a moderate level over the sound system. It seems a decent enough local pub. Just keg beers, and nothing distinctive to attract outside visitors this is nevertheless the sort of pub that keeps communities together.

Date: March 2017   Score: 4

View from The Saints

Popped in again while in the area. Doesn't take cards, so had to use cash. Place is OK. Customers all male. Subdued conversation.  Not the most interesting, charming or attractive of places, but serves a purpose. Feels more like a working men's club than a proper pub - or even a day centre for old people. Possibly more lively in the evening. Nothing really offensive about the place, but lack of food and no cask ales, and a view of the car park, doesn't make it very appealing. Sport shown on large TV, but nobody watching.

Date: June 2019   Score: 3 1/2


Mansel Road West  SO16 9LP
Open: 11 - 11
Food sometimes at the weekend, but not to be relied on.
Children accepted until 8.


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• Pubs in Shirley

The Malvern, Shirley

Large pleasant multi-purpose pub in a part of Southampton that lacks pubs. I've been here a few times as its near the garage that I use to repair and MOT my car. It was totally refurbished a little while ago. It does food and Greene King beers, and is large and comfortable and is clean and well run, though lacks charm. Not a place to make a detour to, and a little too large and soulless to be a proper local, but a useful spot for a drink and/or something to eat.

This area is classed as Upper Shirley.

Date: March 2017    Score:  5  

I found an old review for TripAdvisor

Large detached building with an open leafy garden in a prominent corner location on a main road. Recently refurbished so the inside is clean and modern albeit lacking in character. Has a feel of a European bar. Spacious, yet the seating is slightly cramped and awkward. Does standard pub food for around £8 a meal. It's ok, and is very popular. Lots of TV screens showing Sky Sport while bland modern music plays at an acceptable level. Though lacking in charm, character and interest, it's a clean and tidy place. Normally four cask ales, only Pride available on my visit. Has a small selection of bottles - as with the cask selection, nothing interesting, but Duvel and some BrewDog are offered

Date: Aug 2015    Score: 6 

 

It's been several years since I last visited, so Lads Who Lunch descended on the Malvern on a busy Thursday in January, doing a Mystery Shop for Ipsos (free lunch, and some modest expenses on top). 

The smart exterior

The cask beer range

Something every day

Hunter's chicken for Myles

Scampi and chips for me

Myles with his full fat Coke

Toilet needs some attention, a common
fault with Greene King pubs

Modest/bland décor gives more of a
café feel than a pub 

Nothing much has changed since my last visit. Place is clean and tidy and functional. It provides a space with tables and seating for people to have food and a drink. But it does not (at least in the daytime) provide any sort of charm or atmosphere or sense of community.  It's a Greene King pub, and while some of the better Greene Kings do offer beers outside the Greene King range, the Malvern sticks to the core beers. The food is typical Greene King - with a focus on the standard "pub grub" fare: meat and chips. Mashed potato is offered with the pies, but it is mashed.  We had the scampi and the hunter's chicken - choices dictated by the Mystery Shopper guidelines, otherwise we would have gone for something smaller or more interesting, such as the salt and pepper squid or the chickpea curry. The food was edible (as is typical), and the beer (IPA, as per the guidelines) was palatable. None of it was delightful, or something you would recommend to friends. It is functional, and it works. We ate, we drank, we chatted, and we left satisfied. 

Since my last visit a charge has been introduced for the car park for non-customers. According to signs in the car park we should report our registration number at the bar - we did, but the barmaid shrugged and said we didn't need to.  Probably best to check, just in case! Lots of cameras around the outside of the pub. Myles suggested it might be due to the close proximity of the hospital - I doubted that, as there is free 2 hour parking in the streets around the hospital, but he may be right.  Service at the bar was functional rather than warm, which would perhaps be down to staff available on the day of our visit, and that could be different on a different day or time. Most tables were occupied, mostly by older people like ourselves, and certainly all the tables with chairs had gone, so we took a table with benches. We didn't find the benches comfortable - they don't have backs to rest against, and they are a little too high so you either have your legs dangling, or you lean forward and sit on the edge. Sigh. 

All in all not a pub to heartily recommend, but neither is it a pub to dismiss. It is clean and functional, and - apart from the benches - comfortable. It serves a purpose. A place to come for an unpretentious standard pub grub meal if you're in the area, and then to move on. 

Date: Jan 2022   Score: 5 

290 Winchester Road

SO16 6TU

12-11 Mon-Thu; 12-Midnight Fri & Sat; 12-11 Sun
(Meals 12-10)

Greene King

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• Pubs in Shirley

Greene King pubs in Southampton