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Olaf's Tun, Southampton

Pub added by Pub SignMan
8A Portsmouth Road
Woolston
Postal town: Southampton
SO19 9AA

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


paulof horsham left this review about Olaf's Tun

Olaf's Tun is a regular shop conversion in a shopping parade near the Itchen Bridge. Actual handpumps in this micropub (6 of them, 4 in action today) serving up quality ales from smaller breweries such as Siren and Duration, as well as a line of interesting craft keg from the 8 taps.

Going against the strictest micropub rules, hot food in the form of pizza is offered at times - check listings for details.

While the barmaid couldn't be faulted for helpfulness and friendly service, the locals were a taciturn bunch.

Southampton doesn't exactly shine when it comes to quality ale houses, but the Tun deserves a visit if you're in town.

On 1st November 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 446 recommendations about 418 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Danny O'Revey left this review about Olaf's Tun

Micro shop unit style bar, battered old wood bar, nice seating, looks like they are just about to change the signage to reflect its now an award winner. Near Woolston Station, good choice of both cask & keg, well kept real ale.

On 4th April 2022 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about Olaf's Tun

Olaf comes from the name of the Viking king who occupied a nearby Fort in 994 AD. The much later name of Woolston comes from the transportation of sheep across the river to the now Dancing Man brewery pub, which was originally a wool house. A local artist was commissioned to paint the Viking mural seen inside this micro. There is also reference and some old photos of the ferry that once crossed the nearby river along with the nearby second World War Spitfire factory.
We visited here on a Saturday afternoon, where we met Neil and his wife Christina who are part owners along with another couple. We found them to be very welcoming and chatty and gave us good advice and directions on our itinerary of pubs ahead of us. The other customers were also very friendly and soon we were involved in a good chat.
Five beers on stillage, plus four Craft Keg and a good selection of ciders. We went for the Vibrant Forest Summerlands and Flowerpots Golden Gold, both which were in great shape.

On 3rd April 2019 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3376 recommendations about 3376 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Olaf's Tun

A short distance from Woolston station and close to the eastern approach to the Itchen Bridge, this is another Southampton micropub opened in the summer of 2016. The pub supposedly takes its name from a medieval spelling of Woolston, but has far more contemporary origins inasmuch as it is situated in a former Polish grocery store. It's the usual single room layout inside, with nice modern floorboards throughout and plain painted walls. The front windows are frosted with the pub's name and logo picked out, but it still looks like a shop on approach. Pews, low stools and comfy chairs compete for floor space in the front left corner, which is hemmed in a little by the simple bar counter that appears a little further down the left hand side. High fixed benches run down the right hand wall, serving a series of tables, although I can't say this looked particularly comfortable. Further into the room, a ramp leads you up to the small rear seating are where a couple of standard tables and chairs have been set up under remarkably plain walls. Decor in the rest of the pub comprises a few nice landscape images and various beer themed bits and bobs of limited interest - the place certainly doesn't seemed to have found its identity yet and pales in terms of character when compared to Caskaway - a micropub on the other side of the river that opened the same month as this place. A corridor to the rear leads to the toilets that for once in a micropub, were well appointed and clean.
The bar has a rather ugly scaffold bar back with the cask ales racked up on it and taps for the keg beers to one side. A whiteboard to the left on entry lists the various options available, which comprised Vibrant Forest Simcoe IPA and Summertime Happy Pale, Red Willow Stateless and Dancing Cows Raspberry Wit Beer. Four keg beer, two real ciders and three bottled cider options rounded out a decent selection and my pint of the Stateless went down very well after a seemingly never-ending walk across the Itchen Bridge to get here.
This seemed like a pleasant enough little pub with a content bunch of regulars and some interesting and well kept ales on the bar. For me the place lacked a bit of character and were it not for a lively Saturday evening crowd, I can imagine it might feel a bit dull in here. It is nevertheless a good addition to Woolston's pub scene and is worth keeping an eye on as the place beds in over time.

On 6th May 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]