The 30 Best Cafe & Coffee Shop & Pub in Southampton

“The food is excellent, particularly for the vegetarians in our group. With the added bonus of it being Collabfest when we were there, so there were some great new beers to try. Coupled with the friendly staff and the venue being suitable for kids, we spent a fair bit more time here than we anticipated.”

“The drinks are awesome! Honestly one of the best bars in Southampton. The music is great as well as the service :) I would go again! The 2-4-1 deal is perfect for big groups, I would recommend it!!!! Dj Matt is the best 10/10!!”

“Just had a great Sunday lunch cooked by Chef Luke. Friendly service from Sam. Roast lamb was great and my wife had a half a roast chicken which she failed to finish - just due to the volume - and to ensure she could fit in some dessert. Cracking crumble and excellent bread and butter pudding with homemade vanilla custard. Great way to end a weekend away. Hoping to book the place for a birthday party next year...”

“Slightly biased as have been coming here since the early 80s, and although we miss the old style pub, it could have ended up much worse than it is design wise. Food quality is back on an even keel and is consistently of good quality and presentation this taking away that level of apprehension you feel when you go to so many restaurants these days. Shout out to the young ladies and men of the service team who provide a very professional level of service in a pub / restaurant which I know for a fact can suffer from some challenging customers at times...”

“We booked Sunday dinner for 10 people and ordered ahead. The service was attentive, friendly and efficient. The food was hot and delicious. Two of our party were quite late due to their young baby and staff kept their dinners back until they were ready with no drama, as soon as the couple arrived the dinners appeared and were still hot and delicious. A big thumbs up for the Southampton Arms. Thank you.”

“Lovely food and atmosphere. The newly refurbished restaurant and additional seating area is a big improvement. Our server was Phoebe she was vey efficient and great service. As ever highly recommend”

“Food was really nice.. Staff were very friendly and professional. Good choice of different foods too. A little expensive on some of the steak meals, but they are speciality meats..”

“Highly recommend the food and service. special thanks for Rajveer he is really good person and very kindly and helpful at all times.”

“Looking for a place to walk our hound and have a slice of cake i stumbled upon woodland cafe on Google maps and decided to give it a try, seeing a woodland around it. It is located within Itchen valley country park and one needs to pay for parking. There is a lovely play walk for the children, go ape, cycle path, bridal path and dog walking paths. A lovely piecefull area. The cafe is inviting and the staff are very friendly.”

“Wonderful experience Brooke very likeable”

“I was travelling from Southampton to Gatwick via M27 and stopped for coffee because Costa was closed on Christmas Day. The guy behind the counter was so genuinely friendly and helpful. He explained why Wild Bean coffee is better than Costa and really encouraged me to return in the future. This guy is a real asset to the company. Mark and Kim”

“We dropped in to The Kitchen for a quick breakfast of coffee and croissants and were not disappointed by the quality of food and the friendliness and efficiency of the staff. My only complaint is the temperature in the cafe - probably around 15/16°C. Brrrrr! This is not the first time we have experienced it so cold here - it's the reason we stopped coming here regularly.”

“I Highly Recommend Edison’s!!! We tried the iced coffee and another drink at Edison’s, and both were absolutely delicious. But the real standout was the Dubai chocolate pancake, it was out of this world! Rich, indulgent, and perfectly made. The atmosphere was amazing and welcoming, the staff were incredibly friendly, and the overall vibe was amazing. This place truly feels like a hidden gem in Southampton. I highly recommend stopping by.”

“Great pub. Great staff. Great food and they have gone really out of the way to make you feel safe and protected under current COVID-19 restrictions.”

“Very much enjoyed a quiet pint here - 21/08. The happy hour prices were very reasonable e.g. £3.90 for a Madri. Polite, friendly service. Clean, spacious premises.”

“The staff today had so much to do, so many people to serve and they did it so well. They were kind and helpful despite it being so hectic. My partner forgot to order my drink and instead of making me que again at the back of a really long que, they got my drink ordered. Thanks!”

“A few days ago I was very kindly helped by the staff after an incident on the quay. The man working there was very supportive, reassuring and helpful, he offered me a safe place to wait . I wasn't even a customer on this occasion, so I felt they deserve a mention for their kindness and "community spirit" Thankyou!”

“To think I lived in the same road for years and never tried it. Busy bustling little place . Great coffee and extensive menu. Food looked good but I opted the the Greek Salad as I was in a diet. At £2.90 for a good sized bowl wax great value .will definitely be back”

“Plenty seating, indoor and out, huge views over river. Smashing food all round, cakes, bakes, filled rolls, toasties. Coffee is amazing! Car park is small and always full, recommend using the park and ride over the road, or the most picturesque stroll from the city, across water meadows and riverside.”

“This little cafe is a must, the food is great quality and the right size portions. Very filling with great flavours. The breakfast bap is a great way too start the day very filling will get you past lunchtime I've ordered from here many times never had a single issue and as a treat I've gone into the sweet little cafe and enjoyed the great experience. Very good service friendly and quick the place is very clean too. If I could change one thing it would be how the entrance door closes it's a bit loud closed to quick just need's adjustment even though I live in Eastleigh with many other cafes of choice I prefer this one and give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/10”

“Good basic university café facility. Dogs welcome but no dog biscuits available.”

“Love this place, food is always good, staff are lovely. One of my favourite places for lunch.”

“Had a great experience in there. Was feeling a bit dizzy and spilt my drink. They looked after me and cleaned it all up and got me another. Really nice place and will come again”

“So this is my favourite spot in Hampshire for a spicy chicken fillet burger. The fillet itself is huge compared to the bun so you always feel like you’ve got enough chicken to bread ratio. But my partner loves grilled chicken and she used only ever go Nando’s. But now Texas grill is her new favourite and she will only ever have grilled chicken from here”

“Best baked pork chop rice with tomato sauce I’ve ever had in UK! The Hong Kong style milk tea is very authentic which cannot be missed. Definitely recommend if you want to try delicious and real Hong Kong style / Cantonese food! The staff is friendly and super helpful as well.”

“Such a lovely setting - garden views with carp in ponds. Nice coffee today I didn't succumb to the temptation of doughnuts!”

“This is a charming cafe set right in the centre of Romsey, looking out onto the main square. I had a chicken and brie panini which was truly delicious. And all of the young staff were charming and enthusiastic. Thank you and a Happy New Year.”

“Great service by Sonia. I got a mocha (which was made perfectly) along with a bag of crisps”

“Fantastic tea room, great food, really nice friendly staff and great service”

“Brilliant team, very community focussed, and amazing venue.”