Restaurants and Bars

Revolution is not a word readily associated with Southampton, a city more famous for its maritime tradition and the mercurial talents of its football hero, Matthew Le Tissier. But over the past decade a quiet revolution has taken place in Southampton's leisure industry, with the emergence of giant complexes such as WestQuay, Ocean Village, Leisure World, the Marlands Centre and the Bargate Shopping Centre. In their wake they have caused an explosion of new bars, pubs and restaurants, as major chains have moved in to feed and water the hundreds of thousands of visitors flocking to the new centers.

Dining in Diversity

At the heart of Southampton's leisure complexes are restaurants that offer an astonishing variety of choice. In Ocean Village alone, along with a prime waterfront view, you have the choice of Spanish tapas at Los Marinos, French cuisine at Cafe Sur la Mer and tex-mex at Mustang Sally's, not forgetting traditional English fish and chips at Henry Ramsden's.

This type of diversification can be found across the city. You can take Italian at Piccolo Mondo in Windsor Terrace, sample Mediterranean flavors at the Olive Tree in Oxford Street or grab a pizza at the nearby Pizza Express. Alternatively, you can choose Chinese at Ocean Dragon on Above Bar Street or experience Indian food at restaurants throughout the city, such as Spice of India on Commercial Street.

Pick a Theme

Themed restaurants have taken off in recent years. The Chicago Rock Cafe on Vincents Walk offers classic hits to enjoy with your steak or burger. Or there is the American themed TGI Friday's on Harbour Parade or the yachting themed Around The World at Town Quay.

If you are just after a coffee and a sandwich, try Cafe Soleil on the High Street or Del Marco on Above Bar Street. Or if it's a chip butty and a tin of mushy peas you crave, take a walk up Bedford Place, which is crammed with fast food outlets.

Pre-club Pint

The biggest development in the city's bar and pub scene in recent years has been the rise of the pre-club bar. As Southampton's club scene has grown, with clubs such as Ikon & Diva at Leisure World and The Rhino Club in Waterloo Terrace attracting top name DJs, stylish pre-club bars have emerged, offering smart, modern surroundings and a soundtrack of house, garage and funk. These include The Lizard Lounge in Bedford Place and Bar Risa (with comedy club Jongleurs upstairs) and Bar Med on the High Street. Most of these bars have strict dress codes; smart casual dress is compulsory, jeans and trainers are forbidden. The Chain Gang

Many major chains have opened up pubs in the city in the past few years. Yates's now have a Wine Lodge on Above Bar Street and the Firkin brewery have a Ferryman and Firkin on the High Street, next door to one of the Walkabout chains' Australian themed pubs. In addition, the Just So brewery has opened a Tavern in the Town on Above Bar Street and from the JD Wetherspoons chain there is the Giddy Bridge on London Road.

Southampton's gay scene has also expanded in recent years. Popular gay pubs include Smugglers on Bernard Street, The Victoria Inn in St Mary's and Voltz on Above Bar Street. Arguably the best of all is The Edge on Compton Walk.

Student Spots

Despite this explosion of new bars, as a university and college town Southampton still has plenty of long established student institutions. These include Bedfords and The Ostrich in Bedford Place, The Mitre in Portswood and The Hobbit in Bevois Valley.

If you enjoy watching a band as you drink, several pubs in the city offer live entertainment. The best of these are The Brook and Talking Heads on Portswood Road, which have named acts and acoustic/Irish music respectively, and The Joiners Arms in St Mary's Street, which features up and coming bands.

Finally, it is worth remembering that many of Southampton's best pubs can be found in the countryside villages a few miles out of the city centre. For some pleasant scenery with your beer, try the Bishopstoke River Inn just outside Eastleigh, the Old George in Fairoak or the famous Jolly Sailor on the River Hamble.