The White Star Tavern, Southampton

Situated on trendy Oxford Street, which passes for upmarket bohemian in this rather soulless city, the White Star Tavern is a pleasant bar/restaurant which also doubles as a Hotel with some 'boutique' style rooms upstairs. Inside its all polished leather and tasteful wood furnishing, and busy with suits (such as myself, in this instance) after work. This place is unlikely to become a site favourite, with only 2 ales on - Ringwood Best and Palmers Dorset Gold, a tasty golden ale which I quaffed two pints of (though at £3.10 a pop I'd expect quality). Standard lagers e.g. San Miguel are available but the emphasis of this place, as evidence by the carefully arranged bar area, is on cocktails and exotic spirits. It was highly enjoyable to sit outside as Oxford Street has very little traffic and my only gripe would be with the staff, who seemed more interested in flirting with female clientele than serving me, but otherwise this is quite a nice bar and I'd happily go again.