Southampton Arms, Kentish Town

pub details:

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location:

Kentish Town

address:

139 Highgate Road, NW5 1LE

phone:

N/A

nearest stations:

Gospel Oak railway station
(360m)

Tufnell Park London Underground station
(600m) - zone 2

Kentish Town London Underground station
(730m) - zone 2

Kentish Town West London Overground station
(1Km)

Archway London Underground station
(1.2Km) - zones 2/3

how to find it:

From Gospel Oak station: turn left and walk to the end of the road. Then turn right down Highgate Road. From Kentish Town station: Turn right on leaving the station, cross over and keep walking as you pass the Forum. The pub is another few minutes on your left.

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nearby attraction(s):

The Forum (510m)

Street View - click to see the area around the Southampton Arms

It's all change here. The old Southampton Arms was definitely one for its regulars: a depressing affair which we tried to warm to, but frankly couldn't. The new relaunched pub couldn't be more different: friendly staff, a wide cross-section of locals and one of the best beer selections you'll find in London (and that's with strong competition). There are at least seven ales on tap, almost as many ciders, all of them stemming from independent brewers around the UK. You'll find no big breweries or mass produced lager here. The decor's been altered too: out has gone the dartboard, photos of sporting heroes and the TV. In has come a dark interior - lit by bare light bulbs - a scrubbed-back tiled wall behind the bar and a real fire for the winter nights. It's a pub scaled back to the core elements: good beer, minimal interior and simple pub food (massive Scotch eggs, pork pies etc). A small affair, but a fine one all the same - and it's hard not to warm to a pub where the music comes courtesy of a record player behind the bar. Even after a refit, it is unheard of for a pub on Fancyapint? to race this far up the ratings, but after a number of visits, we have no hesitation in doing so for this one.

reviewed:
08/03/2010

Eating at the Southampton Arms ... we last ate here on 09/02/2010

No meals here, just high quality pub snacks; there's no cutting corners here. The cheese platter is £4.90, scotch eggs £2.50, hot pork baps are £4.50 and the enormous pork pies are £6. Perfect with a pint.

- quality