please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Great fun. Hobbit themed pub with oodles of atmosphere. Enter on street level, and then descend three floors to a massive beer garden where live bands play and burgers are on sale. Hugely popular with students and the young at heart.
Attracted publicity when Stephen Fry and Ian McKellen offered to pay the costs when the pub was faced with a copyright infringement claim from the owner of marketing rights to Tolkien's works.
No proper food offered, and real ale selection not exciting (pub focuses on Hobbit themed cocktails), the pub's main charm is the great atmosphere. This is a rare gem, and well worth a visit.
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Different sort of place than normal for me. Good vibe, but at 40 I felt too old. Nice beer, kitsch cocktails and great choice of music.
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Good cheap pub. Quiet in the day.
Ian72 - 23 Aug 2011 22:33 |
by far my favorite pub in Southampton, great live acts, good beer, so much going on and Caribbean food in the beer garden what more could you ask for, staff are a good laugh, many weird drink concoctions the fellowship anybody? , like previous people have said not the cleanest and best looking place in the world but has plenty of character and will be back soon!
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Yes the toilets are still a disgrace, but what a fantastc pub. Great memories.
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I used to go here when I was a post-grad student in the mid 1990's. Not been there since 1995 therefore but judging by the comments here, nothing has changed. And thank goodness.
The place was legendary - sure, us students packed the place out during term time, but the music was fabulous, the beer affordable, the garden massive and the toilets downright dangerous. In fact, it was the only time of the week I would wear my cowboy boots as they had heels high enough so I did not have to wade throught the piss on the floor and get wet!
Sometimes we even had a pee in the trees in the garden to avoid going in there! Great times.
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Gross toilets. Pub could use a good clean... but what an EXCELLENT PUB!!!! Always a wicked atmosphere, great band line-ups, fantasticly HUGE garden, really friendly bar staff. Best pub in Southampton by miles!
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Wicked pub dirty as hell but it has s@#t loads of character the live music is cool and the size of the garden is ridiculous, its massive!
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The Hobbit is fantastic. Plain and simple. The atmosphere is great, the open mike nights are legendary, the staff are hillarious and if you are'nt being served you aren't using the bar downstrairs.
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One of my favourite pubs ever. Yes, its pretty dirty, and yes the toilets are very unpleasant but its got so much character, and a great atmosphere.
Can be a little intimidating on first arrival, seeing the motley crew gathered round the end of the bar, but then when one gets up to serve you and is friendly and smiling, you know you're gonna be ok!
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This is by far and away the best pub in southampton. Live music ranges from guitarry rock at weekends to acoustic singalong midweek, open mic on Thursdays and and sax/guitar music upstairs on Sunday. It has a HUGE beer garden, so very easy to sidestep the smoking ban. Honestly if you haven't been there, you really won't believe how big it is! It has a little forest in the corner...
The pub absolutely fills up with students during term time, so if you think students are annoying tax dodgers you should probably go there in July/August, when the students all take their washing home to their mums.
It also now has a licence til 3am, with last entry at 1am, so plenty of time to get drunk on cheap cocktails.
But the toliets really are MINGING.
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Went to their ale and blues festival on Saturday. Really good - but my God could the place do with a good clean!
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Yeah i got something to say about this pub. The best night to be had when the fish brothers play!!!!!!!!!!!
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great cheap ale, good music, management is good, and so is the totty.
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love it! looks deceptively small from the outside but loads of room within! great atmos and summer gigs in the garden are second to none.
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Oooo - it says open till 2am on the photo.
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Hobbit! I remember many-a drunk'n night there circa '95. Had a late license (1am) in 1995-1998 and then lost it at some point. Think it now opens late again. Does anyone know till what time?
I remember that in freshers' week the back garden was a mess every night of the week - took ten minutes to get to the bar through the marauding hordes. Is there still the pyramid stage in the garden? Does Eddie still serve burgers/work in Jesters?
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Avoid like the plague!
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An excellent pub, lively atmosphere, lots to see and do, plenty of lovely beer. Lots of different floors and rooms and expansive beer garden thing. Seem to have a busy schedule of things going on. Recommended.
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I will gladly argue that is one of the bast pubs ever concieved. A WIDE selection of real ales; an enormouse beer garden, in wich chips etc are served, permanent late opening etc etc. Simply fantastic!
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A legendary pub/festival. terraced garden used to be tricky if very pissed.
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Argh... the hobbit.... too good.. too many hazy drunken nights. I try not to come back again and again and again.... it just can't keep away. To good to turn ones back on this place.
Additional things to do -
A: Shoot Deer (don't worry veggies, they're not real)
B: Drink a Napalm shot
C: Get the manager to do a song and dance routine
D: Drink a car bomb (ask the pink haired one)
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The Hobbit is so much more than just a pub! It's a community!
To visit it just the once is ok, your enjoy yourself and have a laugh... but it's on returning again and again that when the place really comes to life.
It�s all the idiosyncrasies of the place which you come to love. The hobbit may appear a little shabby around the edges but that's part of it's appeal you can turn up there on a Saturday night in you sofa clothes with no make up on and still look better then the bar staff?
If you took a shit in the toilets it wouldn't matter cause they can�t smell any worse:) you all know what I mean.
The hobbit is just the pub.. The atmosphere is about the people staff included. If you ever venture to the pub during the day I would recommend the hobbit, take the opportunity to sit and talk to the staff there a nice bunch very accommodating. And some of the characters actually look like they�re from the book. You have to catch a guy called Kim at the open mike night too it really is superb I cant find words to explain his act but it's an eye opener!!
I understand all the people who have had a "bad" experience but I�d have to say sounds like you�ve missed the point all together! Head back to Yates there no room for you here. It's a pub where you are free to be who you are and not be judged for the way you dress/Look. Enjoy the variety of people that you can converse with and savour intelligent conversation before the alcohol gets the better of you?
Oho yeah and you have to make it to an all-dayer there especially the real ale and blues fest.
anonymous - 5 Mar 2006 15:17 |
Things to do at The Hobbit.
1. Spend an evening working out which cocktail is your favourite.
2. Go to Open Mike night on a Thursday and show 'em how it's done.
3. Make a note of the Bank Holiday events, commandeer a stretch of tables and spend hours debating whose turn it is to go to the bar next.
4. Find out who the local bands are and show your support. Live music is the way forward.
5. Drag yourself out on Sunday afternoon, order that bottle of wine and set the world to rights.
If you're into barman baiting follow these simple guidelines. Come to bar. Get bar staff's attention. Click fingers, wave money, cough loudly. Order round of drinks. Dump excess ice into ashtrays. Wait til the last one is poured then ask for a Guinness, with shamrock. Then ask for a glass of water. Drop a handful of shrapnel in puddle on the bar. If you're feeling really brave, mention that Hawkwind are crap.
*Update* The juggling guy has now moved on to another bar, with rubber flooring ;)
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The Hobbit is somewhere that I have always found to be full of decent staff, who make you feel welcome.
My last visit was in Nov 05, before returning to duty, but No one will keep me away, and I am longing for that next pint.
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Open mic night on thursdays should be visited. There is a vast range of different styles and talents.
anonymous - 19 Nov 2005 17:16 |
This is a pretty good pub, different levels/floors, similar with the garden. A pub to have a laugh in. I've not had any bother with the staff.
blamm - 15 Nov 2005 17:37 |
I have enjoyed going to the hobbit for years. - The atmosphere just grows & grows. (Maybe it's the alcohol?)
anonymous - 11 Nov 2005 11:21 |
The new game next the the pool table upstairs has to be tried! - I think it's called buck hunter or something & involves a pump action shotgun!! (light gun) =)
anonymous - 11 Nov 2005 11:19 |
Some of the comments about the bar staff at The Hobbit are wholly unfair.
Admittedly the glass spinning was excessive with one of the bar staff, but it seems to have cut back.
I prefer honesty when being served by anyone in a position of service. - It is far better than feeling like you are being served with a 'false smile'.
It wouldn't be The Hobbit otherwise!
anonymous - 25 Oct 2005 11:57 |
Generally I think the staff in the hobbit are good fun, although the girl with the pink hair who flaunts around the place like she's gods gift has been rude to a few of my friends before. The only thing that has put us off a bit is one of the bouncers who is very leery and can make you feel unconfortable at times. Tall,dark haired geezer a bit skinier than the rest. Its a shame really cos all the others seem really nice.
anonymous - 18 Oct 2005 10:47 |
The Hobbitt is a weird one. Sometimes I enjoy it, and then other times I wish it would close.
The bar staff are quite rude. Especially one lad who thinks he is gods gift!! His name begins with an N and ends in one too. Idiot child he is.
The owner is a knob. The main bouncer is incredibly safe. Always friendly to the guys aswell as the girls which is hard to find in So'ton lately, what with all the dirty fat gits we have as bouncers who think they stand a chance with a girl if they let her in and not her mate because he's a guy!! Assholes!
Anyway, I reccomend the Hobbitt purely for the cheap drinks and friendly bouncer! The rest is crap!
5/5
anonymous - 10 Sep 2005 20:40 |
Top pub, loving the late license, ummmmmmm!!
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Alright but the staff need to get their priorities right. I've been stood 3 people deep at the bar, and you've got staff spinning bottles around trying to make basic cocktails look impressive. JUST SERVE THE PEOPLE MATE, THATS HOW YOU MAKE MONEY! So, if you manage to get served instead of having to watch a would-be-Tom Cruise throwing cordial around the place, the beers quite good, and its got a nice drinking den feel to i.
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This pub Is Excellent, I've been going there for years and It's not full of thieving pikeys, the staff are hilarious you are all too sensitive and need to chill out. The music is great and they've all put a huge amount of effort into sorting the place out and improving it.
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I dont go anymore as the place has changed in atmosphere.
anonymous - 29 Dec 2004 12:02 |
It is a great venue for bands, and the beer garden area is enormous. The bar is far too small for the needs of the pub and staff aren't great as others have said before me.
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The Hobbit is open from midday until 2am everyday with a �2 entry fee after 22.00
anonymous - 22 Nov 2004 10:24 |
Used to be superb - in the days when it had a late licence (1am).
I remember in freshers' week when you couldn't move for people - even in the huge courtyard. Not as popular as it used to be.
Tim - 20 Sep 2004 10:48 |
I agree with Claire's comment. Much has been done to up the Hobbit's popularity over the last few years, including later opening times and more live bands. The bar staff, however, seem oddly resentful of their pub's success, and the swelling number of punters is matched only by the increasing rudeness of the staff. Being yelled at, shoved out of the way, blatantly ignored at the bar and unceremoniously pushed out the door the instant it hits closing time does not encourage you to return. The great atmosphere is salvaged only by the regulars; a mighty feat considering the staff's campaign of rudeness.
Sarah - 26 Aug 2004 14:41 |
The staff in the Hobbit are the rudest people I have ever met. They shout and snarl at customers and are generally sarcastic to anyone they don't recognise. I was so disappointed when I went to see a band there that I will never go again. The whole night was marred by the fact that the staff were rude; they were even snapping at people in the gaps when the band were introducing the next song! Unacceptable.
Claire - 25 Aug 2004 16:41 |
It is incredible. I like it. And I feel like I am at home.
maite - 25 Mar 2004 18:39 |
I dont think its fair to call some of the inhabitants "pikeys" as such. Some people dress rougher than the normal citizen but thats their choice, it doesnt make them bad people.
The way I see it the "pikeys" are the rougher verison of townies that inhabit the highstreet bars and pubs that bottle people in the neck and generally murder people.
This place always has a good atmosphere and lots of live music. Drinks are averagely priced and ive never seen a fight in here in my life. Recently got a new pool table too which is good.
Massive outdoor backyard with loads of seating that gets packed out in the summer as there isnt really anywhere cooler to be.
Paul - 31 Dec 2003 02:21 |
We went in for a drink expecting a good time but instead a group of pikies started a fight over a bowl of peanuts on the bar can you believe it!?
Good taste in music there, plenty of nice girls floating about! Kick out the gypsies and you have a 2 star pub!
Francis Stenchley - 5 Nov 2003 06:21 |
i like the beer, watch out for cheap drinks cos pikeys could lift ur wallet but overall a great place to relax and chat
Jason Strathom - 3 Sep 2003 02:29 |
Great place at anytime of the day. One of the few pikey-free places in the city. Some great original cocktails, aptly named, such as the "Gandalf" and "Frodo". A really friendly pub - pay it a visit!
Tezoir - 22 Jun 2003 20:40 |
I used to work here so I may be biased but it has something for every one. Two floors and a massive beer garden. Bank Holiday events are a must!
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cool pub :) great in the summer with the huge garden
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Legendary pub. If you spend more than a day in Southampton, you must visit.
Steve - 22 Nov 2002 17:18 |
Great pub, huge terraced beer garden, venue of legendary all-dayers on bank holidays (graced by bands such as Bad Manners!), very friendly staff, good mix of people, top marks!
Radish - 8 Jul 2002 11:46 |
