please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Duke of Wellington oozes character. A visit feels like stepping back in time. It was fairly busy on my Sunday evening visit. In fact it was the busiest of 4 pubs I sampled in this area. An impromptu folk music session was underway in one corner. It's a Wadworth's house. I had the Swordfish. But there was also Horizon, Dray Bells & Nectar. A guest was Nipper from the Island Brewery. Recommended.
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Corner location pub in the ancient part of Southampton. Exposed beams, yet high ceiling. Dark and characterful, yet with the atmosphere of a hotel lobby. Clean and tidy. Seven Wadworth casks on offer. An OK pub I'd be happy to visit again and again.
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It's such a shame that it's not possible to enjoy the evening sunshine outside this, and many other great pubs, without being overrun by smokers. Beer and pub otherwise excellent.
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Oh dear lightening does strike twice, exactly the same thing happened to me only yesterday, shame because pub is lovely and ale choice plentiful. My pint (Horizon) was cloudy and tasted towards end of barrel.
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Fantastic building, wide range of Wadworth beers but unbelievably expensive. It is particularly galling when, after paying nigh on £4 for a pint of very average beer, the Landlord doesn't even have the courtesy to reply when you look him in the eye to say goodbye, just looks at you and continues his conversation with 'the locals'.
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I've been visiting this pub for 9months now and the beer, Wadworth, has always been good. However, since the start of November, the welcome has also improved dramatically. So has the service offering in that there is a regular and reliable food offering too now. The atmosphere has improved beyond recognition. There is a warm and friendly crowd in on every evening that I have visited which is about twice as often as before. The reason for this most welcome change in fortune....the new landlord and landlady, Vic and Lynn. They bring a wealth of experience of running good pubs as well as being local people. This combination is certainly working for the Duke. I would most heartily recommend a visit to anyone who enjoys a good traditional pub with a warm and freindly welcome, which is just about everyone.
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Wow, upon reading these reviews I was almost put off going to visit this lovely historical building BUT I did risk it.
on arrival I was greeting by the landlord ( nice to see landlords working in pubs) I didn�t have any real ale ( due to my own preference only) We sat and had a chat with the landlord who said that he and his family had recently taken over.
We were looking for something to eat and not sure where to go, however, we spotted a couple of meals come in to the bar and they looked great! We decided to stay and I am so glad we did the food was delicious and the service was attentive. The gentleman mentioned that it's the landlady who cooks the meals and I can say that it is REAL food.
I mentioned to the landlord about the reviews he said that he was aware of them and would be informing people that it�s under new management. My recommendation to anyone visiting Southampton would be to visit the Duke of Wellington. Food and Service = Brilliant and the traditional landlord adds to the feeling of a traditional pub.
BIG thumbs up!
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I'm afraid my review is no more positive than many of the others.
We had a party upstairs with 22 guests. The food was very, very slow to come out (literally one plate at a time, only the landlady serving the food, meaning that some people had finished their food before others had even got theirs).
We were advised by Landlady not to bother with a DJ becuase they already had a really good sound system, it was so quiet we could hardly hear some of the songs.
When we spoke to the landlady about our concerns she just laughed in our face.
On our day we had slow service, very quiet music and the landlady was rude to us - I WILL NOT USE THIS PUB EVER AGAIN
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Great looking pub from the outside in an area of Southampton where some interesting historic buildings remain.
But a disappointment on the inside: they could make a lot more of the interior which was pretty plain. Two rathe uninteresting ales on (local, but pretty standard bitters)...felt like one was getting to the end of the barrel. Service was a bit brusque and unwelcoming.
I can't see where the "this place has turned around" comments below come from...this place needs a turn around in my opinion.
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Nice historic pub with good ales
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This pub is under new management and well worth a look. The new landlady has re-defined the menu and everything is freshly prepared and cooked on the premises. The quality of food isexceptional for the price, and the standard of service is impeccable. This felt like a home from home. I'll definately be going back.
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Visited this pub on Monday 16th August 2010.It had just changed ownership.The food was nice the staff were very friendly and the place had a good atmosphere.Well worth a visit.
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Visited a couple of weeks ago (early Oct 09). Bitter was heading for sour and the food was very disappointing. I've eaten Steak and Ale pie and its variants all over the country and this is one of the worst. Creamy mash potato was just lumpy and pastry was bendy because it had been microwaved. Kitchen clearly didn't possess a peeler for carrots. Clientele strange! Shame because it looks good and Southampton doesn't seem to have a great deal else to offer.
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Popped in here on Saturday and was impressed by a good range of beer (including some local brews) and what looked like an interesting menu (we didn't have time to eat). Traditional looking pub with bare floorboards and wooden beams. Friendly staff and locals.
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Great pub, excellent interior, friendly staff and management. The food looks good as well!! For a rebuilt pub it still has the atmosphere of 'age'. Recommended.
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Traditional pub positioned in the historic Bugle Street. The building dates back to the 13th Century and has been a pub since the 15th Century. The pub was originally called The Bere House later becoming The Shipwright Arms. On handpump yesterday; Wadworth 6X, JCB, Henrys IPA, Everards Original and Ringwood Best. Butcombe Gold had finished and was turned round on the sixth pump. Bare boarded floor and a beamed ceiling with lead lined windows. On a blackboard it mentioned the food pub specials of the day. Quite a number of Duke of Wellington pictures are on the walls around the pub.
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Retaining an impressive Tudor feel both inside and out, the Duke of Wellington is definitely one of the best pubs in Southampton city centre. Several Wadworth ales are available as well as Ringwood Best. My pint of 6X was in good condition and the landlady was friendly. It is a little out of the way location-wise but worth seeking out, particularly if you like old interiors and Wadworth output.
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Another excellent pub worth finding in Sothampton. A superb pint of 6X, failry good food and interesting conversation with strange (in both senses of the word) people made for a good relaxing evening. I will definitely come back here and might even bring the wife.
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Popped in for lunch on a cold Saturday. Warm atmosphere and lovely open fire, friendly staff, great food (meat pie, sole, and cod all good). 4+ beers on hand pump, the ones we had were very good.
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Sadly only 3 of the 6 handpumps in action, & disappointing that no attempt was being made to offer replacements even while fairly quiet around 13:30 Sat. There was, however, the choice of Wadworth Henry�s IPA, JCB, & Red Shoot Tom�s Tipple (those debadged were 6X, Ringwood Best & Arkells Bees Organic). A public house since 15c the old building is visibly listing toward the street, inside a nice old uneven floor, beamed ceiling, cross-timbered walls, small lead-light windows, Napoleon & Wellington prints around the walls above thinly cushioned settles. A rickety leaning corridor leads to the loos & a tiny outside seating corner & also a nice wood panelled rear bar, set for dining but with a handful of punters just drinking at the bar. Nice enough, even if it may lean toward the tourist dollar.
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I visited this pub in December for a quick pint (of Theakstons I think) while waiting for a bus. I found it very wellcoming and cosy. A lovely open fire on a cold day.
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If you have to go to Southampton, then go to this pub as it is the best in town.
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Whilst spending a few days in Southampton popped in here for a couple of pints in the evening before heading down to the Spanish restaurant on the Quay side. Welcoming atmosphere and the couple of beers we tried (one being a different Ringwoods to the others I have tried on this trip) were more than drinkable. Obviously didn�t try the food, but the large pies a group of American tourists were tucking into looked pretty good.
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Went in there after the Southampton Beer Festival - so was ready for some decent ales. Not all that keen on Wadworths beers, but they had a couple of unusual Theakstons' beers on. Staff pleasant and friendly.
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Only ever drank outside, and never eaten here. There are a few benches outside the pub, and it is very quiet with hardly any traffic on Bugle Street, so a very nice place to sit in the summer months. They always have a good range of real ale (Wadworths JCB as well as 6X yesterday, the last time I went I had John Smiths Magnet) and excellent Stowford cider which my wife adores. Good atmosphere.
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Traditional sort of pub, tastefully fitted out with a nautical theme. Four or five ales on handpump, my pint of Ringwood Best was fine. Clientele mostly young well-spoken types.
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What can I say? My girlfriend and I had been to this pub before and liked the decor and general feel of the pub, nice log fire... so we made the ill fated decision of having Sunday lunch here a couple of weeks ago. It was truly AWFUL. I have never ever eaten a Sunday lunch so abysmal in my entire life. The 'meat' was a few ragged scraps of fat, the veg was salty and sparse, the roast potatoes still crunchy in the middle and it was swimming in orange grease which one can only assume was what the 'chef' considered to be gravy. Appalling.
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It's a decent pub with good decor and a wide variety of beers. My wedding reception was held there recently and they put on a good spread. I would recommend this to all pub traditionalists.
yorts - 17 Feb 2006 21:16 |
I've only been to the Wellington a few times. No problems for me, reasonable beer and the staff seemed friendly. The Wellington is a half timbered building situated near the remains of Southampton's medieval city wall, Tudor House etc.
blamm - 15 Nov 2005 17:29 |
Old pub, miserble staff, beer OK, atmosphere good. Use it weekdays lunchtimes two or three times a month. Funny short blonde woman goes in regularly and puts me off me pint.
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Nice bar staff, a local atmosphere. Never ate.
anonymous - 29 Dec 2004 11:52 |
I'm a freelance bar and pub reviewer, so I've been to a wide range of establishments and have a fairly good idea of what to expect. I'm afraid that the Duke of Wellington in Southampton serves what is, without doubt, the absolute worst pub food I have ever come across. What's more, the bar staff are really rude. Astonishing!
Melissa - 28 Aug 2004 15:29 |
