The Alexandra — Restaurant in Southampton

I was always a big fan of the old Alex, with it's Star Wars memorabilia and mix of students and working patrons. Knowing there was new ownership I was keen to see how the pub was getting on so popped in late afternoon one Friday in the run up to Christmas.

The film memorabilia has all gone and the area behind the bar is slightly different but the layout of the pub itself is the same, with a large open area wrapped around the central bar. The new decor is nice and the furniture is the modern hodge podge of varieties. Special mention for the wonderful huge Christmas tree in one corner! Like many pubs, the pool table has been removed for now to make more room for seating because the pub still offers a good looking menu and offers roast dinners on a Sunday.

Unfortunately there is currently no draught real ale on offer. The friendly bar person, John, explained that it wasn't selling but they hoped to offer real ales again in future. For now there are three keg beers on offer, Sharp's Atlantic (£4.70 a pint) and Beavertown's Gamma Ray (£5.80 a pint) & Neck Oil IPA. A bit pricey, kegs are, but both were in good condition and tasty.

The area out the back is still there and is spacious and looks great with some twinkly lights and a marque to protect you from the rain.

I hope the pub continues to do well in these difficult times. It started to get a bit busier as I finished my second pint. The pub deserves to do well and it looks like it's...

Really good Sunday roast. I decided to pop over on impulse after seeing a post on Facebook & I wasn't dissapointed. Received a warm friendly welcome & ordered the beef short rib. It was tender & juicy, lovely crispy roast potatoes, great cauliflower cheese, roast carrot, red cabbage & unctuous beef gravy. The yorkshire pud was good too. Really enjoyed it. The pub itself is a no frills old town pub, however don't let this put you off, the food is great & chef knows what he is doing. The only downside on my visit was it was very quiet & the place felt cold, but it was end of service & I guess had been busy earlier. Overall though, great food & friendly...

Reopened by Jen who has done an excellent job on making The Alex an authentic pub experience again. They cater to pretty much anyone with quirky memorabilia on the walls, darts, pool, video games and a massive secret back garden with intimate booths. It ticks all the right boxes and it's also family and pet friendly. Also the burgers are in my humble opinion the best I've had and I'm not really a burger guy plus they cater to all my veggie and vegan friends too. Photo's to follow next time I visit. Check out this hidden gem and I guarantee you will not...