Southampton, your survival tips

[mango5]

I'll be spending the occasional night in Southampton over the next few months, generally in cheapo chain hotels or suburban B&Bs.
Tell me what I need to know to satisfy my spicy food cravings in the evenings (bonus points for Ramen), and perhaps a decent watering hole or two. Help me overcome my prejudice

 

[DRINK?]

Shit hole, though there is a fucking good indian....can't remember the name...the restaurant is in what was once a bank, expensive though really good

 

[Miss-Shelf]

the lack of replies on this thread seems to indicate that people don't survive a trip to southampton

 

[magneze]

... or, it's paradise, and you'll never want to leave.

 

[Manter]

((Mango5))

 

[keybored]

Don't worry, it might be wiped off the map tomorrow night.

 

[twentythreedom]

Take earplugs to silence the Hampshire Hum, audible in S'ton

http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...p-all-night-could-be-mating-fish-8900747.html

 

[mango5]

... or, it's paradise, and you'll never want to leave.

This is certainly not true. I feel a strong sense of relief and comfort as I exit the barriers at Waterloo on my return to London.

 

[_pH_]

Down the docks again eh?

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

The Coriander Lounge for food... Corax may have further advice

 

[Sweet FA]

I'll be spending the occasional night in Southampton over the next few months, generally in cheapo chain hotels or suburban B&Bs.
Tell me what I need to know to satisfy my spicy food cravings in the evenings (bonus points for Ramen), and perhaps a decent watering hole or two. Help me overcome my prejudice

Southampton's quite near some places of interest. The Soul Cellar's quite good sometimes. Harbour Lights Picturehouse is quite good sometimes. White Star Tavern is quite good for (quite expensive) food but only during the day/early evening. Shopping? You could shop at West Quay Shopping Centre. There's a Wagamama's there so you could get quite a good ramen. The Hobbit, The Brook, The Joiners have bands. Sometimes they're not tribute bands. There's a swimming pool with a slide next door to West Quay Shopping Centre. You can have a drink by the dock now but the bars there are shit.

The train back to London is quite quick.

 

[Corax]

The Coriander Lounge for food... Corax may have further advice

I'd also recommend Kali Mirchi in Shirley. Next door to Iceland on a strip full of charity shops and bookies, doesn't look like much at all - but the food's brilliant, and a bit different from the standard curry-house fare.

 

[Corax]

Southampton's quite near some places of interest. The Soul Cellar's quite good sometimes. Harbour Lights Picturehouse is quite good sometimes. White Star Tavern is quite good for (quite expensive) food but only during the day/early evening. Shopping? You could shop at West Quay Shopping Centre. There's a Wagamama's there so you could get quite a good ramen. The Hobbit, The Brook, The Joiners have bands. Sometimes they're not tribute bands. There's a swimming pool with a slide next door to West Quay Shopping Centre. You can have a drink by the dock now but the bars there are shit.

The train back to London is quite quick.

The Hobbit is often packed full of 6th formers IME. Don't know how old you are, but I spent an evening down there when I was about 26 and felt like a Granddad.

 

[Sweet FA]

Don't know how old you are

Old. So very, very old.

(Mid-forties).


Yeah, it's one of those pubs that you hope every town still has - where you have your 1st pint, cheeky spliff in the garden, whitey etc.

 

[Corax]

Old. So very, very old.

(Mid-forties).


Yeah, it's one of those pubs that you hope every town still has - where you have your 1st pint, cheeky spliff in the garden, whitey etc.

I thought you were about a decade younger tbh.

 

[Sweet FA]

You sweet talking bastard

 

[Corax]

You sweet talking bastard

Lol. IIRC you're a Shirleyite, or used to be. Makes me wonder how many times I've walked past you in the street, or been in the same queue as you in Sainsburys or something!

 

[slightlytouched]

Don't go there tonight, THE STORM has started!!!

 

[Pgd]

Had an awesome time there as a student and in my first post-student job. Spent far too much time in the Hobbit. No direct experience of what it's like as a discerning adult, but several friends from student days (with no prior attachment to the place) have never left, so it can't be too bad.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Southampton's quite near some places of interest.

Rice Crispies are quite nutritious, especially when sprinkled on food.

Lol. IIRC you're a Shirleyite, or used to be. Makes me wonder how many times I've walked past you in the street, or been in the same queue as you in Sainsburys or something!

What is a Shirleyite when it's at home?

 

[Corax]

What is a Shirleyite when it's at home?

Someone who lives in Shirley!

Reading that back imagining I'd never heard of the place, I'm slightly dreading what you were thinking...

 

[goldenecitrone]

Someone who lives in Shirley!

Reading that back imagining I'd never heard of the place, I'm slightly dreading what you were thinking...

Thought it might be a Lib Dem reference. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[silverfish]

Can't recommend the place, spent a lot of my youth there drinking in the hobbit and joiners chasing student nurses and recently started going out there with mates a few times a month...every night out ends halfway to last orders with us giving up and getting taxis to pompey

 

[porp]

I'd also recommend Kali Mirchi in Shirley. Next door to Iceland on a strip full of charity shops and bookies, doesn't look like much at all - but the food's brilliant, and a bit different from the standard curry-house fare.

Shirley Road / Shirley High Street [about 10 years ago when I knew it] was a pretty decent place to shop. Lots of independent shops without being self-conscious about it IYKWIM. Sainsburys for when I was feeling flush. Loved the Oxfam [?] bookshop and the library. Quite a few not very good bakeries and fish and chip shops. One appalling Thai place. A good choice of tattoists and bike repair shops.

I survived Southampton by walking lots- you get to appreciate the 30s suburbia north of the Shirley Road after a while, ditto the bit closer to the sea [or really, the dual carriageway] in Freemantle. Best thing in the city centre are the series of lovely well maintained parks behind the High Street [this was ten years ago], but probably not the thing for a winter evening.

 

[seeformiles]

I've had the misfortune of having to visit Southampton regularly over the last 20 years as we have friends who live there. I've always found the place pretty depressing - the only redeeming feature being its proximity to the New Forest which is beautiful. In the last month, our friends have sold up and moved to London so guess I'll never have to go there again - phew..

 

[seeformiles]

Just remembered something nice about Southampton - a really good Mauritian Restaurant in the middle of town - can't remember the name but it's an upstairs establishment.

 

[Stigmata]

Is Kuti's still any good?

 

[seeformiles]

Is Kuti's still any good?

That's where we used to go - they had some dodgy combination of curry and Karaoke ("Curryoke" anyone?) going on last time I was there but food was still good.

 

[Sweet FA]

I'd also recommend Kali Mirchi in Shirley.

That's where I get my curry I was there last Friday & I think it's under new management though my curry was still pretty good.

Shirley Road / Shirley High Street [about 10 years ago when I knew it] was a pretty decent place to shop. Lots of independent shops without being self-conscious about it IYKWIM. Sainsburys for when I was feeling flush. Loved the Oxfam [?] bookshop and the library. Quite a few not very good bakeries and fish and chip shops. One appalling Thai place. A good choice of tattoists and bike repair shops.

I survived Southampton by walking lots- you get to appreciate the 30s suburbia north of the Shirley Road after a while, ditto the bit closer to the sea [or really, the dual carriageway] in Freemantle. Best thing in the city centre are the series of lovely well maintained parks behind the High Street [this was ten years ago], but probably not the thing for a winter evening.

Shirley High St's not that dissimilar now tbh. The main change is the amount of Polish food shops/supermarkets - at least half a dozen on a half mile strip. A couple of the pubs have closed down & the couple that are left up by Sainsbury's look pretty moribund but manage to limp on somehow. (There's a better choice down the Freemantle end). Tattooists are definitely not something Soton is short of; Shirley High St's got at least 5 and there are a load more in town. There are now 2 ice cream shops (sorry, gelateria), a coffee chain place (Coffee#1) and a pretty decent bar/cafe type place called Santo Lounge. Apart from that, it's charity shops, cash converters and cheap clothes/shoe shops.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

I got my tats all done at Tattoo Magic on Shirley High St by a bloke with Maori tattoos over half his face whose name I've forgotten

(I grew up in Shirley and Milbrook)