The Southampton Arms — Restaurant in London

Oddly disappointing. It used to be a requirement that pubs had to display their prices clearly. Not so at the Southampton Arms. With some of the ciders, you are charged by the ABV. You are told how much per %, but not the total. So you have to do 96p x 6.8% = £6.53 per pint. No wonder they hide the price!

Also, and this is a shame for a pub renowned for craft cider, the names of the products and makers are not clear. They are on poorly written chalk boards on each tap.

In short, you don't know what you're drinking or how much it will cost.

Edit in response to owner's reply:

Thanks for the reply. I'm happy to clarify: the prices for wine, most beer and cider are indeed on a chalkboard above the bar.

However, if you check other people's photos here on Google, you'll see something like "Stronger beer priced per pint % ... Keg £1.06 pt% Cask £0.86 pt%"

So it's only the strong draught drinks where the price is not clear, and one has to do a little maths to work it out. Not disputing your right to charge whatever you like, just pointing out to the unwary that the price of some drinks is not as clear as it could be.

Adding a star because the range of drinks was good, I enjoyed my visit - it was nice and quiet on a Friday afternoon - and because the guy serving was very pleasant.

Thanks,...

After not seeing each other for ages, we met up and wandered into The Southampton Arms—and it turned out to be the perfect spot. It’s one of those rare pubs that feels authentic without trying too hard. No flashy screens, no gimmicks—just great beer, good music, and a crowd that knows how to enjoy both.

We grabbed a couple of pints from their rotating selection of craft ales and ciders (16 pumps, no less), and settled into the mismatched furniture like we’d never been apart. The vibe was relaxed but buzzing, with vinyl spinning classic soul and blues in the background. It’s the kind of place where conversation flows as easily as the beer.

Why It Hit the Spot:

Fantastic selection of UK craft ales and traditional ciders

Vinyl-only soundtrack—no jukebox, just soul and warmth

Shabby-chic decor that feels lived-in and loved

Friendly staff and a crowd that’s all ages, all smiles

Final Thought The Southampton Arms is more than a pub—it’s a time capsule of everything that makes London’s pub culture great. We came for a pint, stayed for the vibe, and left with that rare feeling of having truly...

I've been to hundreds of pubs in London, so it's a very rare event nowadays that I walk into a pub I haven't been to before and am really impressed.

The Southampton Arms is one such pub. It is a really excellent pub. First and foremost, it is unequivocally a pub, not a novelty "craft beer" bar posing as a pub. The atmosphere is really special - on my first visit the huge window at the front was all steamed up, and inside there was a piano player, playing the wonderfully rickety looking piano - the whole scene evoked the boozy bonhomie of a public house from a century ago.

The beer selection has a strong microbrewery focus, which I'm sure will excite beer enthusiasts, both the more traditional real ale crowd, and "craft beer" types (although pleasingly the pub's own signs etc didn't make much use of that term, as I for one can't stand it).

For me though the real excitement was in the cider selection - I think I counted 6 cider pumps along the back of the bar, and 2 on the front, with the likes of Wilkins, Milwhites, Burrow Hill and other great names in cider very much...