Butchers Hook, Southamptonback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
WIth Bar Marina closed, our first port of call in Bitterne yesterday lunchtime ended up being this micropub. Apparently this was Southampton's first. There was a warm welcome and a decent beer list to welcome us too. Cask beers were Red Cat Prowler, Vibrant Forest Kick Start, Dark Revolution Sonic & Salopian Hop Twister. Craft beers were Magic Rock Bravado, Ska Modus Manderina, Brew By Numbers 05/33 Chinook & Mosaic, Unity Automne & Dark Revolution Velveteen. The cider was from Sandford Orchards. I believe it was Devon Red. Has a nice drinking environment with a number of tables set out in rows. There is no bar as such and the toilet is quite well hidden next to the bar. Has a good mix of customers too.
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Really love this place. Beer is always in good form and well chosen from excellent breweries such as Vibrant Forest & Wild Brewing. Still my favourite of Southampton's three (soon to be four) micropubs. Just wish they would extend their opening hours so I can visit more often
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We loved this place. We had walked from Central station so needed a pint or 3. All four ales were on and a broad selection from light and hoppy to a porter. Also were 3 ciders including a delicious scrumpy style from Hampshire. It was a great atmosphere and not too busy at 5pm on a Saturday. It wouldn't take much for it to get crowded but hey it's a micro-pub. Just shows what a lot of these big pubs owned by national and pub owning companies are missing.....the knowledge of what customers want not what the accountants want us to have. Great place, highly recommended but try to go at less obvious times of day. Check for varied opening times
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Now that I have been able to find an empty seat in the BH, and not wriggle my way through the throng, or queue outside in the rain, it seems that the Emperor may have some new clothes. The beers are, clearly, pretty good (in the main - not having had a chance to sample many) but even the one tasted by my erstwhile brother (a very fine brew) was not worth nearly £10 a pint!
It is plain to see that this is a popular bar, but it seems to be a triumph of style over substance. That said, if the "sardines" want to squeeze in there, and bellow to each other (not the spot, for a quiet pint or three) then fair play to them. There are splendid pints of beauteous, foaming, cask-conditioned English ales to be had - for less money and with room to stretch the legs, and if the beloved wants to whisper sweet somethings in your shell-like, then you'll be able to hear - within a mile or so. I wouldn't say that I won't visit again, but generally, I'll be crossing the bridge, or walking up the river.
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Visited on Sunday. Phoned before we went and were told four real ales on. When we got there the two session beers (a 3.4% and a 3.8℅) were finished. Two mid-strength left - one an odd IPA. I had a red beer, I don't normally like them. Glad I just had a half. It was in good condition. The bottled stout was pleasant enough but not so nice to have another. We went off to Talking Heads.
It's an interesting interior with lovely original tiling. The seating, the layout and general vibe were all great. Certainly a positive addition to the Soton beer scene.
BUT I can't see how bringing in four casks on each Monday and running them all out is supposed to work. I agree there's not much room but surely having a second barrel of a session beer isn't too much to ask. There's shelves of empties at the moment.
Overall 7/10.
Interestingly the previous very positive reviewer has never written any others.
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This pub is a very good and much needed addition to the East side of Southampton. I don't live far away, so have visited this litle micro a lot. Being so small generates a good atmosphere as people talk to each other which is great. The quality of the beer is consistently good. I have found on my visits that the quality and temperature of the beer has been spot on.
The beer range is ever changing and also some of the craft beers are very good as is the bottled beer and Belgian beer too.
It's very friendly, the owners have worked very hard since it opened and the place is always busy. So they must be doing something right.
Opening hours have been extended including now open on Sundays from 2pm which is good news.
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A great idea, poorly expressed. The list of thirty-odd beers is impressive but all bar three are keg or bottled and virtually problem free, unfortunately when I was there, the three cask beers were in poor condition. They were too warm, despite cask coolers, cloudy and slightly off tasting. Regretfully, just opening a niche market outlet doesn't mean that the owners have sufficient ability to keep a good product.
In another issue, it seems that despite their self professed low overheads profit comes before everything. One of the bottled beers comes out at an eye-watering £9.50 a pint!
I don't know about anyone else but for that price I would expect the bottle to be opened by the Pope, served on a gold tray by the Queen and drip fed to me by Miss World. In addition a locally brewed cask beer bought at free trade prices from less than ten miles away and sold at £3.50 a pint. Sorry, Butcher's Hook, please sort out your problems or I can see your dream becoming another one of the 42 pub closures a day before long.
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Excellent addition to the Southampton beer scene. Shame about the limited opening times, but hopefully that will change.
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