King's Arms, Shirley

Just off the high street near the Shirley shopping centre, this is a local's back street boozer. Locals are supporters of Southampton football team. Couple of old guys hogging the bar on my visit, and a barmaid who wanted to remain grumpy. There was no warmth, and my attempts at cheerful conversation were frostily ignored.

I can't remember if the cask beers were available or not. Place has been opened up slightly, and there's some exposed wood. There's a pool table. Some plants on the window sill. It's an OK pub, and has potential, but is content with serving beer to the locals.

Built in 1852 it's an Enterprise Inns pub, who seem to own most of the pubs in the west of Southampton.

Date: Nov 2016    Score: 4 

 

Did a straggle of the pubs around Shirley shopping precinct looking for a pub that did food and a pint of cask beer. The King's Arms is an attractive looking back street boozer that had a few customers - all male. But no food, and no cask beers on offer. There were pump clips, but not in use. Advised to go to Wetherspoons, approx 1/2 mile away. 

Date: Nov 2021   Score: 4

8 Church Street

Shirley

SO15 5LF

Opens 11.30am 

No food 

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• Pubs in Shirley

Enterprise Inns (Ei Group)

Key & Anchor, Shirley

Solid locals pub. Plenty of exposed wood, and a nice quirky feel. The pub has been opened up which gives a community feel, and a light airy feel, with views through to the useful beer garden out the back. Two casks, but no food. Some books and a few games on shelves in the opened up back room. Friendly chat at the bar. Nice pub. I liked this place. Pubs like this are the cornerstone of any neighbourhood.

Because it's off the beaten track, not in my neighbourhood, doesn't do food, and has little interesting to offer on cask (Ringwood and Otter were available on my visit, which are fairly common), it's unlikely I'll my visiting here often, and there's little to recommend to anyone, but as a local pub, it's damned good, and would be worth including on any crawl of Shirley - though not of Southampton as a whole.

Two casks of beer, one of cider

Landlady was selling off bottles of this for £1

The pub appears to have been built by Aldridge’s Bedford Brewery in around 1860, and through brewery buyouts became a Whitbread pub by 1971. Appears to be currently owned by Admiral Taverns, who were offering the tenancy last year for £12,000.

Open plan

Date: Nov 2016    Score: 5

Admiral Taverns

90 Millbrook Road East, 
SO15 1JQ

Opens at 12 every day (though WhatPub says opens at 2pm Mon to Fri) 


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• Pubs in Shirley

Royal Oak, Lower Southampton (Closed)

Large and functional pub. Plenty of seating. Horseshoe bar with plenty of staff. One cask on my visit (after a Saints v Liverpool match), and that was the dull Doombar, but at least there's something. Free Wi-Fi. TV screens. Quite basic, but does the job.

Date: Feb 2015  Score: 4

The concrete and brick 1970s pub closed suddenly in Jan 2016, then reopened briefly, before closing permanently a month later. It is currently being demolished behind hoardings. The pub, along with the nearby tower block, has been sold to Kier to be developed as student housing. The site, including the now demolished East Street shopping centre, had been built in the 1970s, and belonged to Arcadian Estates Limited, who were undergoing works to redevelop the site, including bringing in Morrisons, when they went bust. Along with student accommodation, there are to be private flats, and some retail and leisure units. 

Update: Nov 2016


1 Houndwell Place, SO14 1HU

Closed permanently


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Kingsland Tavern, Lower Southampton

A traditional old pub from the 1820s. It's for old white men born in England. Children not welcome. No cask beer (though Camra says there's a hidden pump serving DoomBar). I popped in while out jogging, mainly because I wanted to use the toilet, but also out of curiosity, and because I wanted to visit every pub. Well, I've done it now, and can move on....

Date: Aug 2016   Score: 2

The Tavern over time

76 St. Mary Street
Southampton
SO14 1NY

Hours:
Mon-Sun: 10am to 11pm

No food and no children (but dogs are allowed)

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The Standing Order, Lower Southampton

One of four (soon to be five) Wetherspoons in Southampton. This is actually the first pub I can remember visiting in Southampton. It was a few years before we came to live here. I'd given my wife a lift to a job interview, and I came here for a drink while waiting. It didn't impress me. I have been here a few times since being in Southampton. I met up with a couple of old friends who were playing a flying visit. It's central enough to be handy for that. I reviewed it for BITE in Jan 2015:

Large and busy. Unremarkable interior. Good staff. Selection rather disappointing. Giddy Bridge is better for beer range and ambiance.

Serves as a link between Oxford Street and Bedford Place, but not a very happy one.

Date: Oct 2016     Score: 4

Ambience

Came in on a rainy Monday evening after dropping off Phocea for swimming. It's loud with sweat, swearing and stale cigarettes. Not a pleasant experience. This is the worse Spoon in town.

Date: Sept 2019.  Score: 3

30 High Street
SO14 2DF

Opens at 7.00am every day, serves beer from 9.00am

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Red Lion, Lower Southampton

Historic pub in the old High Street. I've only been in once. It has immense charm and character, and a large parrot in a cage. Three cask beers on offer. Does food. (An abandoned or damaged review)

Date: Oct 2016. Score: 6

  

I like this pub, but I have rarely visited. Three cask beers and one cask cider. Proper meals served in the restaurant at the back. Children allowed. Warm, friendly, local pub atmosphere, and bags of character and history. Seating on two levels - there's a minstrel gallery overlooking the single main room. Suits of armour stand on quard above the fireplace. This is a rare and wonderful pub. Could do with a little more tlc, and the long walk to the toilets is a sad and dull experience, but all in all a must visit place if coming to Southampton, and even worth a detour. Places like this are few and far between.

Date: Dec 2021.  Score: 9

Beers drunk: Flacks Double Drop


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Belgium & Blues, Southampton Central

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.

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 

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Pubs in Bedford Place