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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Southampton Arms, NW5
NW5
NW5 1LE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Ian Mapp left this review about Southampton Arms
2025 Update: Ha, a much more pleasant experience, where it was very comfortable on a Monday night and I actually managed to get a seat and could get to the bar to properly see what was on offer. Although I didnt fully warm to it. With the exception of Thornbridge, I failed to recognise any other brewery. Not that that is a problem per se. Also managed to see the four hand pulled ciders, with vagueish descriptions scrawled in chalk to help you make up your mind. A solid, good pub but in my opinion, not as great as you would be led to believe from all best pub in London accolades I see and hear.
Original Comments
All a bit much for me - too busy, too small - lots of choice of beer but nothing in the English Bitter category - all seemed to be pale ales and porters.
An experience, but one I would only repeat at a quieter time.
On 9th January 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1563 recommendations about 1543 pubs]
paulof horsham left this review about Southampton Arms
Wilfully old-school and purposefully tatty and with the most minimal of internet presences, the Southampton Arms is an excellent ale house. Eight keg taps offering well-chosen craft beers have been added to the 8 handpumps on the bar (with the ciders remaining on the back counter). Food doesn't go beyond pork pies, sausage rolls and similar beer soaking comfort foods.
Has to be said that seating isn't the most comfortable, but you're here for the beer and for that you are very well served. One of the best in London.
On 25th August 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 554 recommendations about 516 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Southampton Arms
Characterful interior with a courtyard to the rear. 7 real ales plus 8 keg served.
On 5th October 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Southampton Arms
First time back post pandemic and found it functioning quite well and not too busy on this particular late Saturday lunchtime, despite our visit coinciding with the League Cup Final, or whatever they call it this week Final at Wembley ( it’s a popular pub for supporters in the know as it’s easy to get to the Wembley stadium by train from here).
All 8 ale pumps on the go and perhaps not the choice of styles I remember ( not many dark options on) but those we tried were all in good condition.
A couple of firsts on this visit. First time to utilise the courtyard garden outback and first time to try the bar food and the hot pork roll was as sumptuous as the ale. Still performing as a solid ale and cider house.
On 7th May 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Southampton Arms
My first visit for a few years, and the main item of interest is the new (or new to me) pricing scheme. Whereas they used to charge a standard price for everything, that now only applies up to 4.4% abv and is £4.42 for cask (£4.97 for keg). Above that the price is determined by a formula: abv % x 96p (or £1.13 for keg). So my half of Howling Hops 5.5% (see my photo of the pumps - yes, I was there the same day as Blue Scrumpy below, though possibly not at the same time) was 48p x 5.5 = £2.64. Added to my half of the Elusive Microball Mild 3.7% for £2.21, my total was £4.85. (One anomaly is that a 4.5% beer comes to £4.32 for a pint, so is cheaper than one at 4.4%!)
I was quite pleased at being able to work this out in my head, which shows there is some residual function left in my brain, although my eyes are such that I was unable to read the details of the new price structure until I had taken a photo of the blackboard and enlarged it, which confirmed my calculation. Neither of the beers was particularly memorable, though.
On 31st January 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 4274 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Southampton Arms
Another visit to the Southampton Arms yesterday and there's little more to say that hasn't been said before, apart from the real ale selection increased to 8 and the real cider selection being reduced to 5 since my last review. Yesterday's ale selection was Howling Hops We Buy Teeth, Thornbridge Jaipur & Astryd, Buxton Blonde & Right To Roam (the former later replaced with Wild Beer Bibble), Elusive Microball, North Full Fathom 5 & Bristol Beer Factory After Hours. Ciders were Burrow Hill Cider Bus & Medium Farmhouse, Turner's Dry & Lilley's Mango Cider and Lemon & Ginger Cider. Amongst the craft beers was a coffee sour from Howling Hops.
Another enjoyable session.
Original review 25/8/20:
After over 2½ years without a visit, I was back in the Southampton Arms yesterday afternoon for a session.
For quite a few years, this was my favourite pub in London. Although, I've since relegated it to second. Nevertheless, if you arrive here early enough and grab a table, it's a really pleasant place to while away some time. Evenings and weekends will inevitably be busy. But on our Monday afternoon visit, there were a few tables free, with just a handful of customers in.
With one single narrow room and an enclosed garden at the rear, it can certainly have a cosy feel. But the ale and cider range here is excellent. Yesterday's ales were Thornbridge Jaipur & Lord Marples, Kent Brewer's Reserve, Nene Valley Manhanttan Project, Turning Point No Post On Sundays, Five Points Railway Porter & Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout. Ciders were Burrow Hill Cider Bus & Medium Dry, Turner's Dry, Crone's User Friendly, Lilley's Apples and Pears & Worley's Beatnik Billy.
I worked my way through all of the ciders and 4 of the ales, in addition to a craft beer from Gipsy Hill.
Snacks such as Scotch Eggs, Sausage rolls and pork sandwiches used to be available from the hot cabinet at the end of the bar. But whilst I noticed that the cabinet was empty yesterday, people still seemed to be getting food from somewhere. Other key changes in the Covid era are the removal of stools from the bar, which is actually quite beneficial to those trying to decide what to drink, and the acceptance of cards, where cash was the only way of paying previously.
Still a great pub and one I hope to return to as soon as possible.
On 28th January 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Southampton Arms
Not the sister pub to the Jolly Butchers (N16), but sister pub to the very fine Cock Tavern (E8) - they copied this pub's sign design. As mentioned earlier, this was a rough old boozer until about thirteen years ago; I made my first visit just after its reopening and it's a very fine pub indeed and all the better at the time for not having been 'discovered'.
It’s well-described below, with very simple presentation and rustic mismatched furniture. There’s a vinyl-only policy here and an upright piano by the wall.
Having caught up with the times, cashless transactions are now available, with a seven-day licence until '...around 11 or 12'.
Ales: eight with another eight keg taps and around four or five cider pumps behind the bar, everything sourced from small independent brewers and very competitively priced, the condition always being excellent; there's no Guinness or lager here.
This is a great pub, with a better ale choice and certainly better ambience than Tapping the Admiral down the road.
On 18th January 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about Southampton Arms
19/11/16 Still great
04/01/16 First beer of 2016 on a lunchtime visit, New Years day. I have been to the Southampton many times in the past couple of years and it hasn't changed one bit. great selection of ales on the bar, backed up with cider and the usual selection of spirits. If you are peckish, there are always pork pies and scotch eggs in the glass case.
will call again and again, one of the best pubs in London.
On 15th January 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Southampton Arms
Shabby chic, one roomed pub, wood floor, miss-fitting church pews, benches & a large glass window to street. The background jazz music fits nicely/ A lot obeers and cider from chubby copper pulls.
Nice place
On 8th November 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1542 recommendations about 1519 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Southampton Arms
Update : been many times since my last review and it's still a top rate pub this time I had Howling Hops Riding Ale and Kent Prohibition,both were top notch.
9/10/13
My third visit to this pub and each time it gets better,a later in the day visit this time than previously and as a result a fair bit busier, this though only heightened the ambiance. A fantastic range of beers available and this time I tried Crate IPA and Howling Hops Chocolate Stout, both new to me and both did not disappoint. A real destination Pub.
On 3rd September 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]