Nights Out in Southampton

The Red Lion

High Street, below the Bargate

A Grade II*-listed late-medieval hall house on the High Street — the Red Lion just below the Bargate, not one of the others.

Why we recommend it: Step inside and it’s timber beams, a great open hall and armour by the fireplace. You’ll hear that the Southampton Plot traitors were tried here in 1415 and that it has more ghosts than regulars; historians are doubtful on both, but it’s a good story over a pint. Its interior is on CAMRA’s national list of historic pubs, which is reason enough to visit.

Good for: History lovers · Solo travellers · No car needed

55 High Street, SO14 2NS. Bar food available.

The Cowherds

The Avenue, Southampton Common

A Grade II-listed pub on the edge of Southampton Common, built in 1762 on the site of the old cowherd’s house.

Why we recommend it: Away from the busier centre, this is somewhere for a quieter evening: real fires in winter, tables outside in summer, and a couple of cask ales on. It’s part of a pub group rather than an independent, but the building and the setting give it plenty of character. Pair it with an evening stroll across the Common.

Good for: Couples · Longer stays

The Common, SO15 7NN, about a mile north of the centre. Food served daily; dog friendly.

The Titanic

Simnel Street, Old Town

A red-brick corner pub on Simnel Street in the Old Town, filled with photographs and memorabilia of the ship.

Why we recommend it: Family-run and properly local, a few minutes from Westquay but a world away in feel. In the city the Titanic sailed from, a pub named after her feels about right — and it makes a good first or last stop on an Old Town wander.

Good for: History lovers · No car needed

Simnel Street, at the corner of Bugle Street. Food served; check their social pages for what’s on.

Shenanigans

Carlton Place, off Bedford Place

An independent Irish sports bar on Carlton Place, in the Bedford Place area.

Why we recommend it: If you want noise, company and the match on, this is it. Seven screens show football, rugby, GAA and more, and there’s live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Not the place for a quiet word — very much the place for a good night with friends.

Good for: Solo travellers · No car needed

1 Carlton Place, SO15 2DZ. Opens late afternoon on weekdays. Tables can be booked for groups.

Rita’s Bar & Kitchen

Oxford Street

An Art Deco-styled cocktail bar and kitchen on Oxford Street.

Why we recommend it: All gold and glamour inside, with a short list of signature cocktails and small plates to keep you going. Weekends bring live musicians and DJs, so it suits the start of a night out rather than a quiet drink. Oxford Street’s restaurants are on the doorstep if you’re making a proper evening of it.

Good for: Couples · No car needed

48–49 Oxford Street, SO14 3DP. Open Thursday to Sunday.

HarBAR on 6th

Harbour Hotel, Ocean Village

The rooftop bar and kitchen on the sixth floor of the Harbour Hotel, looking out over Ocean Village marina.

Why we recommend it: Drinks with a view. There’s a terrace with fire pits for cooler evenings and wood-fired pizza if you get peckish, and on a clear evening you can watch the light go over the water. A good choice for a celebration, or simply for the feeling of being somewhere a little special.

Booking:

Walk-ins welcome; booking advised for terrace tables at weekends.

Good for: Couples

Harbour Hotel, Ocean Way, Ocean Village. Walk-ins welcome; tables can be booked online. Open later on Fridays and Saturdays.

Dancing Man Brewery

Wool House, Town Quay

An evening pint in a 14th-century wool warehouse, brewed a few feet from where you’re sitting.

Why we recommend it: Our roast guide covers Sundays; this is for any other evening. The Wool House was built by the monks of Beaulieu Abbey and later held French prisoners of war, whose carvings are still in the roof beams. Downstairs the brewing kit sits behind the bar, and the beers change through the year — from session pales to dark stouts. Pies, too, if you need them.

Good for: History lovers · Solo travellers · No car needed

Wool House, Town Quay, SO14 2AR. Kitchen closes in the evening, earlier on Sundays.