This is definitely a favorite local, the selection of beers is great especially when they hold beer/ale/cider festivals. Service does struggle at times in consistency with newer/PT staff. With the food/drink/ambiance it’s a place I could comfortably spend most of my wages at on a sunday (and I have done).

This place seems to be trying too hard to be a perfect pub - it’s almost like being on a film set - still , people seem to like it that way, as it was crowded on a Wednesday evening. The real ale selection was reasonable, and mainly local, and well kept. The staff were struggling to cope with the crowd so service wasn’t good. WOrth a look in, as it’s just around the corner from the Guide Dog, but not worth a special trip.

Four well-kept cask ales in a good nick and a decent selection of bottles and spirits. Reasonably priced and tasty food menu, very friendly staff and smart decor. Much better than its previous incarnation as the Bevois Caslte.

Previously known as the Beviois Castle, this place has now been refurbished, has a new name and is under new management. The new management seem to be more interested in selling high quality products, whether it be food or drink. I went to a small beer festival here and they had lots of beers from Sadler’s as well as Slater’s, so perhaps they have some connection to those breweries as it’s unusual to see those beers in Southampton.

Once a dodgy boozer full of ne’erdowells and undesirables, the pub has reopened, aiming for a country pub feel in the heart of town. This could have been pretentious, but the pub is really rather good. It lacks a big choice in beer, but what there is, is well kept and different. The beer is not always local, so makes for a nice change to other nearby real ale haunts. There are other drinks to interest, like rum and Scotch, but why bother when the beer is good? Where this place really wins though is in the food department. We had burgers, and they were excellent, as was the sticky toffee pud! No out of the microwave stuff here, and this sets it apart in the locality. A careful door and drinks policy in an "interesting" part of town (no stupid drink promos, no student nights etc.) make for a pleasant atmosphere, enhanced by a real fire. Possibly a bit of a gamble by the new owners, but one I am hoping pays off!