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Light Up Your Social Life In Old Town

Light up your SOcial life in… Old Town

Post date: 7th October 2021
Written by: Emma Kirkup

Light up your social life in Southampton banner

In this series of blogs, we’ll take a look at some of the ways you can light up your SOcial life here in Southampton…

There’s never been a better time to explore our city by night so rather than head straight home after work or shopping, make the most of what our city's nightlife has to offer. Check out our Light Up Your SOcial Life page for more inspiration.

We’ve shared our blogs on the Bedford Place, Cultural Quarter and Westquay areas of our city, for this blog, we are looking at some of the fantastic late-night businesses you can find around Old Town. Take some inspiration from the details below and plan your next big night out.

Places to dine the night away

If food is your thing then you’ll find a wealth of foods from around the world to try in Old Town. No matter what your favourite cuisine, you are likely to find something to your tastebuds here, the big question is which one to pick first!

Fancy ‘travelling’ to Spain for the night? Then book a table at Spanish restaurant, La Regata. This authentic Spanish restaurant specialises in tapas and Spanish classic, paella. Combine this with a great range of Spanish wines and you’ll have a great night to remember.

Spread of traditional Lebanese dishes from Beity Restaurant

Ever tried Lebanese cuisine? Now’s your chance at Beity, a family run business. Look out for special events such as Lebanese nights with belly dancing. Or, continuing with the middle eastern theme, pop along to Ottoman Kitchen. This Turkish restaurant was named Best Middle Eastern restaurant in the UK in 2019. For some tasty Indian food, book to visit Coriander Lounge, Kuti's Brasserie, or Bayleaf Kitchen or head to George’s Restaurant for authentic Greek food.

Freshly grilled steak on wooden chopping board with side salad at Argento

For Chinese food, there’s Szechuan Kitchen and Shanghai 1814. Shanghai 1814 also offers private dining experiences and a karaoke function room. You can also enjoy a Pan Asian immersive dining experience at Edo Asia, their sister venue.

For some K-style chicken, you'll want to visit J316. If you opt for their BBQ table, you can grill your own meats from beef bulgogi to samgyupsal.

Check out the range of steaks at Argento, a meat lovers’ paradise. Or for something totally different, head out for dessert at either Sprinkles Gelato or Heavenly Desserts.

Photo by Argento.

You will also find restaurants within The Star Hotel (look out for their extensive cocktail menu too) and foodie favourite, The Pig in the Wall. And of course, you can also book to stay in these hotels too.

Pubs, bars and breweries

If the night is heading more for drinks than food then there’s plenty of choice in Old Town.

Brewpub, Dancing Man Brewery offers regular brews and special occasion brews as well as food. The bar is open Sunday-Thursday: 12noon-11pm and Friday-Saturday: 12noon-midnight.

The Platform Tavern serves up a range of drinks, pub grub and also has regular live music slots.

Photo by The Platform Tavern.

Family run and independently owned Oasis Bar serves up a large selection of beers, wines and spirits whilst Wetherspoon’s favourite, The Standing Order, is a popular choice for pub food and drinks.

You can also head to For Your Eyes Only, open 6 days a week until 4am!

Fancying something a little different? Then take a trip to German-inspired bar, Stein Garten. Happy hour takes place from 4-7pm every night (except Saturdays) so sample the various beers, wines and cocktails. Fancy some food as well? Then there’s plenty to choose from. If you are feeling brave enough, or are just super hungry, there’s also the Stein Dog Challenge where you try and eat a yard-long sausage!

Looking for something different to do with friends, family or colleagues?

The Dark Arts Potions and Puzzles Bar has three different games to play. Try to solve the clues necessary to crack the codes on each game and make your way out of the room. It takes teamwork and determination to work together to complete all the tasks. Each game takes 60 minutes so book onto a couple or combine a trip here with some of our pubs or restaurants.

There is also Rocket Ronnie's Pool Hall on High Street, open 7 days a week. Book a pool/snooker table or just turn up with friends or family for a few games and a drink.

Plan your next big night out

As you can see, there are SO many places for you to light up your social life around Old Town, get exploring now and plan your next big night out. And don't forget, check out our SO Card offers to make the most of savings off food and drink, activities and much more.