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Monday, 13 November 2017

White Swan, Swaythling / Bitterne




Useful family pub on the Itchen river near the popular pool by Mansbridge. Two standard cask beers. Pub grub, including cheesy chips.  Building is old. Had problems with flooding, so the delightful beer garden alongside the river has a slightly higher wall than one would expect or like.


Beer selection

Beer garden, possibly 2017



 
After canoeing in 2021


We've been here many times, and always sit outside by the river (or, rather, by the flood wall by the river). It is usefully split into smoking and non-smoking areas.  We always enjoy coming here, usually after swimming/paddling/splashing/canoeing by Mansbridge, or sometimes after a walk along the river. There's always plenty of room inside and out, and we've always managed to get a table, even though it can get busy on a sunny weekend. 



Date: 2017-2021    Score: 7 

Open 9am to 10pm (11am to 10pm on Wednesdays)
Food  11.30am to 9pm 

Family friendly

Mansbridge Road
Southampton
SO18 3HW

* Trip Advisor 

Tipsy Pig, Romsey





Modern craftbeer pub opened in December 2016 in the old William IV pub by a father and son team. It's clean, trendy, and cool. Aims to do food. Mix of keg and cask beers. It's OK. Doesn't offer beers by traditional local brewery Flack Manor, preferring breweries that follow the trendy American BJCP school of brewing. The bearded son is engaging and good to chat with.

It's a good alternative in Romsey.


Beers drunk here include Electric Bear Drop,



* Trip Advisor
* WhatPub
* Facebook
* Untapp'd


Sunday, 12 November 2017

Giddy Bridge, Bedford Place




Gosh, this was our main pub in Southampton for a couple of years. We came here before moving to Southampton, when we visited a friend who lived here. We came here a lot when we were house hunting. We came here on the night we moved in. During our first Christmas we had several Christmas meals here with friends and family. I can't count how many times we've drunk and eaten here. It's conveniently placed, child friendly, clean and tidy, and it's a Wetherspoon so there's always a good selection of cask beers and excellent value food.  The layout is such that there's always natural light. I really like this place. One of my favourite pubs in Southampton. 

August 2014 TripAdvisor review:

We have eaten here with our five year old daughter on three separate occasions. She likes it, and so do we. It is clean, bright, always has spaces, and allows children up to 9pm. It always feels safe here, even on a Friday night. The staff are friendly, happy, welcoming, and give time to our daughter. The food is typical Wetherspoons - good value pub grub, and there's always a range of good value and well kept cask ales.

This is not a place for a special meal, but for a normal night out or a lunch this is ideal.

Date: 2015   Score:  7 

Some of the beers on offer, Nov 2016

This was one of the pubs on the November 2016 beer crawl. We stopped here for something to eat.

A giddy Ian at the Giddy Bridge


A decent pub. 

Date: Nov 2016    Score: 7 


 


Haven't visited for a while. Popped in while waiting to meet my sister for one of our Sibs Who Lunch fortnightly meetups. Regular beers offered - Ringwood was the only local. Everything was very common. However, the Titanic Plum Porter was in cracking condition, and very tasty. Place is looking a bit tired. Could do with a refurb and some new furniture. However, it is still a useful and decent pub. 


Date: Feb 2023   Score: 6 


Beers drunk here include Mosh Pit, Titanic Plum Porter

12-16 London Road
Southampton
SO15 2AF

Monday - Sunday: 8am to 11.30pm
Food all day, including breakfast

Saturday, 11 November 2017

The Dolphin, St Denys




We've liked the Dolphin since arriving in Southampton back in 2014. Family friendly, relaxed, and offering food all day and every day. Inside has always offered a woody, cosy place to relax with little nooks and crannies - we particularly liked the wood panelled corner room where we could play games with our daughter while waiting for food to arrive. It seems we arrived just as new owners had taken over - an experienced couple with an interest in beer. Occasionally a small farm would turn up in the car park, where for a small fee children could pet sheep or pigs. It's long been one of the pubs on the traditional St Denys - Bevois pub crawl with a decent selection of beers - nothing outrageous or too modern and "crafty", but with something different now and again.


The wood panelled room, March 2016

The last few times we went, the pub was starting to look scruffy, especially outside, and opening hours were starting to be random and uncertain. Unaware to us, the pub closed in May 2018, and new owners took over in time for the World Cup. We came for a France game during the 2018 World Cup, but when we sat at a table outside the people in the next table said that their friends were going to be using it - I asked where their friends were, and they said they were on the way. We looked around, and there were no other tables. It felt rather unfriendly (it was a large table, and their own table was also large with only two people on it). I felt like arguing it out, but that would have created a tension, and we wouldn't have enjoyed the game. It felt to us that the place had changed too much, and we wouldn't come back.

Dolphin mini farm, Spring/Summer 2016 

However, Myles and I are visiting all the Southampton pubs that do lunchtime food. And I thought it was time to revisit The Dolphin. The place is cleaner and tidier than it had been toward the end of 2017, and it has been rejigged inside. The wood panelled snug is now a pool room, and many of the tables and chairs are high stools, with a few low sofas or benches. There are only a couple of tables inside where you can sit comfortably to eat. Some of the laid back, cosy charm has gone. It's difficult to know what sort of vibe the current owners are going for, as there is a mix of bare wood and cheap glitzy lighting with musical instruments and paraphernalia on the walls and ceiling. It lacks focus. It feels unfinished and awkward. It is a bar or is it a pub? Who is the intended clientele?  Probably not middle aged families or beared beer drinkers.

Pub crawl with Ian, Nov 2016
The new owners have a dog who is allowed to roam freely. This has caused a number of complaints on TripAdvisor regarding dog poo on the artificial grass.

Eight casks, but the selection is often seen beers from major
breweries rather than unusual beers from local breweries

We had the cod rarebit from the small lunchtime menu (the table menu appears to be only for the evening - the lunchtime menu is on the specials board, and is about seven items). You can have one of the items plus a pint for £10, which seems reasonable. The food took a while coming, and was served on a cold plate (I don't do that at home - it only takes a moment to heat a plate in the microwave, and putting hot food on a cold plate means the food goes cold quickly); however it was tasty, and we both enjoyed it.

Lunch with Myles, Sept 2019 
I'm keeping an open mind about the place. It's certainly better than it was toward the end of 2017, but I prefer the old cosy, laid back family orientated Dolphin of 2015/2016 which accurately described itself as a country pub in town.

Beers drunk here include Robinsons Trooper Red n Black,
 
Langham  SaisonLongdog LamplightMarston's 61 Deep


Date:  Sept 2019    Score:  5


30 Osborne Road South
St Denys
SO17 2EZ

Enterprise Inns


Open: Noon to 11pm
Food: Noon to 9pm


WhatPub 

* TripAdvisor 
* Dolphin  
***
Enterprise Inns (Ei Group)

South Western Arms, St Denys




Decent sized and characterful pub - a traditional scoopers pub, and frequently used as part of a crawl involving the two very close by St Denys pubs. Around 10 ever changing proper cask beers on offer, plus a cheery welcome. Plenty of wood, dogs, and bohemian atmosphere. The upstairs has huge worn but comfy armchairs. No food, but there's a pizza van outside. Children tolerated rather than welcomed.

A glimpse of the sort of beers on offer

Beers drunk here include Hop Art Ruby Kiss, Everards Single Hop IPA,


My review for BITE in March 2015:

Outside it looks like a traditional railway station pub, inside it’s a bit like a Hobgoblin pub - lots of wood, painted walls, leather sofas, and a modern student feel. There’s an upstairs room with pool and football tables. Lots of focus on the beers with around 10 on offer, including a house ale, Nellie’s Nob, which is a rebadge of Bowman’s Yumi. Holds beer festivals. Friendly customers, which on our Friday afternoon visit were mostly young males. This has a lot more life, character, and interest than the Guide Dog. As it’s almost next door to the Junction Inn, the two can be visited together. I am more inclined to the Junction Inn as it does food, is more family orientated, and has more of a traditional pub look and feel, but there will be those who prefer this place. Considered together these two make one of the best beer destinations in Southampton, second only to the Platform Tavern (which has its own brewpub). 


In March 2018 it suddenly closed! The pizza van will now be across the railway track at The Dolphin. And then it reopened.....


38-40 Adelaide Road St Denys 
SO17 2HW



* WhatPub
* BITE
* Trip Advisor


Portswood



Junction Inn, St Denys




I really like this pub, been here loads of times. A Greene King pub, but they also offer a changing range of beers from other breweries. They welcome kids. They do decent, good value food. They have a bar billiards table. And a decent beer garden beside the railway track. Staff and customers are always friendly and chatty and helpful. A good locals pub. A good pub as part of the famous St Denys pub crawl. A good family pub. A good pub for beer drinkers and Camra members. A proper traditional pub. But not really a pub for trendy craft beer drinkers.

RateBeer review from May 2015:

Cracking pub. Good community pub full of life and character, and welcoming to all. 4 Greene King ales plus 4 changing local ales are on offer. Plus a large range of bottled beers, both Greene King and local. Great value for money meal deals. Great atmosphere and ambiance. The pub has a traditional feel, with original etched windows indicating the original rooms: Public, Bootle & Jug, Private, and Saloon. These have now been merged into one long horseshoe shaped space, which is like two large spaces joined by a curving, narrow banana shaped space. A recent fire has allowed the landlord to refurbish in a sympathetic but imaginative manner, keeping partitions and little nooks, but using a lighter wood, to give a cleaner, lighter look. There is a rare bar billiards table, and an excellent beer garden with children’s play area overlooking the railway line. There is much to like here. And almost next door is the South Western Arms with 10 casks on offer. Considered together these two make one of the best beer destinations in Southampton, second only to the Platform Tavern.


With Ian at the Junction in 2016


I recall it suffered a significant fire, but was totally rebuilt and refurbished after.

It was declared a Community Asset in 2016.

It's currently (as of 2019) owned by Greene King and they are looking for a new landlord. After speaking with the barmaid today (June 2019), the new landlord will be moving in next month.

A rare picture of me without a beer in my hand! 

A good mix of beers


Date: June 2019   Score: 7 


As of April 2021, the pub garden is open for drinks only. 

Date: April 2021


Junction, 
St Denys
SO17 2JZ

Thursday, 9 November 2017

The Phoenix, Romsey




Searching for the Thirsty Pig, the new craft beer pub in Romsey, and I walk past The Pheonix bar and eatery. It looks rather plain, and the name is not inviting, but I like to try out pub so I go in. Three beers on offer. Initially it all looks fairly standard. I order a half of a Castle Rock beer, Elsie Mo. The woman behind the bar struggles to find "the right glass", and asks for assistance, and is told to use the glass under the pump. So eventually she ends up giving me a pint of Castle Rock in a Deuchars IPA glass. I don't mind the glass being a different brand to the beer (this happens all the time), but I do mind being given a pint when I asked for a half. Normally I point it out and get the beer poured into a half pint glass, but clearly the woman is stressed enough already with the difficulty of having served me at all, so I let it go. I sit down and survey the place, and it looks OK. Then I go to the loo, and get my first real impression of just how big the place is, and at how well decorated it is, and that there's a beer garden out the back. There's a good vibe about the place - it has a little more character than the name suggests. I enjoyed it, and was pleasantly surprised at how much it has to offer.

The pub was refurbished in 2015 at the cost of  nearly 1/4 million pounds.

Date: Nov 2017   Score: 6


Chrissie outside The Pheonix
Visited during lockdown in June 2020 because they were doing takeaway cask beers.  There was a one way system of in and out. We liked visiting Romsey so much, with the Phoenix doing fresh cask beer, Luc doing great sandwiches, and Reeve doing excellent cakes, that we came back a few days later to meet up with our friend Marie, and during the day I made a new friend. Even during lockdown pubs have the potential to bring people together and make new friends.

Barmaids pulling generous pints
All the beers served at The Phoenix during both our visits were local breweries. Support local, drink local.

Drinking the awesome Perridge Pale in the abbey gardens.  

 Date: June 2020   Score: 8

Beers drunk:

Flowerpots Perridge Pale
Stonehenge Great Bustard
Stonehenge Mystik

30-32 The Hundred
Romsey
SO51 8BW

Open 10am to 11pm

Food. Children welcome. 


* Website 
* WhatPub 


Monday, 6 November 2017

Beer online



Not in any particular order though my recommendations are stronger for the top 5 or so: 
https://honestbrew.co.uk/shop/ 
https://shop.hopburnsblack.co.uk 
https://hoptimism.co.uk 
http://www.beerritz.co.uk 
http://www.beergonzo.co.uk 
http://radbeer.com 
http://www.beermerchants.com 
http://www.hophideout.co.uk 
http://www.alesbymail.co.uk - mostly UK stuff but does have some pretty small/new/unheard of breweries 
http://www.beerrevolution.co.uk - mostly just UK stuff 
http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk - mixture of craft and macro stuff from all over the world, also useful for some harder to get country ticks and Belgian/German beers. 
https://www.eebria.com - shipped direct from each brewery so only worth it if you're buying in bulk from each brewery you're interested in. 
http://www.beerhawk.co.uk - ABInBev owned for a couple of years now 

A few others I know of but haven't used yet so can't vouch for them 
http://www.aletavern.com 
https://brewcavern.co.uk 
http://www.leftfieldbeer.co.uk 
https://www.beerheroes.com 
http://www.beautifulbeers.co.uk/ 
https://imperialbeerclub.com - Used to be a monthly subscription service but now also sells singles - only stocks imperial strength beers 

EU sites who (I think) deliver to the UK: 
https://boxbeers.com [Denmark} 
http://www.beerofbelgium.com/en/ [Belgium] 
https://www.beergium.com/en/ [Belgium] 
https://www.belgianbeerz.com/ [Belgium] 
https://beerrepublic.eu/ [Netherlands] - mostly for US/Canadian beers 
https://bierhut.com/ [Netherlands] 
https://www.bier-deluxe.de/ [Germany] 
http://biershop.bierpost.com/de/ [Germany] 
https://ebrowarium.pl/ [Poland] 


Thursday, 2 November 2017

Fox and Hounds, Bitterne




Traditional back street old geezers pub. No food, no children. Two cask beers, London Pride and Wainwrights on my visit, so nothing exciting. Attractive unspoilt public bar, drab lounge. Bar billiards in the lower lounge, and a useful beer garden. 


Bar billiards in the lower bar


Its OK, but the nearby Wadworths is better on all counts. OK for locals, but little of interest to anyone visiting the area.

Date: Dec 2017. Score: 5


General ambiance


Tried again. I think this is my third visit. The public bar is full of old fidgets. I say hello, but there's little response. It feels like a local pub for local people. One cask on, Goodens Gold. Cards not accepted. I pay cash and get some shrapnel to fill my pockets. I check out the beer garden. Quite plain, with some fences down. More old fidgets, all smoking. Indeed, you have to walk past the smokers to get into the garden itself. I start up a conversation. It's a struggle. It doesn't go far.


Only one cask beer available


There are things to like about this place, but it does feel stuck in the past. The conversations are moans punctuated by a fair bit of "fuck" and the occasional "cunt", so it's not cheerful, charming, or uplifting. But it is what it is. And the locals form a self-supporting group happy to chat and banter among themselves. If you're part of the gang, fine, but if you're not it feels a little off-putting.

Date: Sept 2019.  Score: 3 1/2



106 Pound Street
Bitterne
SO18 6BP

Open: 11am to 11pm
No food.
No children allowed (I suspect due to the casual swearing - it's likely the regulars would feel restricted with kids around)

Enterprise Inns

***

Pubs in Bitterne

Enterprise Inns (Ei Group)