Southampton Arms image

Southampton Arms

Bar Pub

Casually decorated independent pub with a long bar and a guaranteed minimum of 18 beers and ciders. People often mention beer, great, London, pork, ciders, friendly, cider, cask, selection, visit,


Address

139 Highgate Rd, London NW5 1LE, United Kingdom

Website

www.thesouthamptonarms.co.uk

Contact

+44 7375 755539

Price rating

$ $$$

Rating on Google Maps

4.70 (1.3K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 12 to 11:30 PM
  • Thursday: 12 to 11:30 PM
  • Friday: (Good Friday), 12 PM to 12:30 AM, Hours might differ
  • Saturday: 12 PM to 12:30 AM
  • Sunday: 12 to 11:30 PM
  • Monday: 12 to 11:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 12 to 11:30 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: beer (23) great (13) London (13) pork (11) ciders (9) friendly (9) cider (9) cask (9) selection (9) visit (8)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Dai T. 6 months ago on Google • 1016 reviews
    A quiet midweek afternoon but a super place concentrating on ales and ciders from independent breweries. A bit ramshackled in a great way. A small courtyard garden at the back. Great friendly service and a pint of lager, way outnumbered by the cider and ale offerings! Funky music from the past in the background. A fun place to visit.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris L. 2 years ago on Google
    This is a terrific pub for cask beer, craft beer and real cider enthusiasts alike. While it's perhaps on the decrepit side of shabby, the place is comfortable enough and a magnet for drinkers. Big front window! There is some simple snack food (pork pie type things - it's definitely not a gastropub!) There also appears to be a garden out the back which I didn't visit being January but this could well be the icing on the cake. Commendably they don't shy away from strong cask ales - at least four handpumps carried a beer over 5% on my visit.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Fuad T. 7 months ago on Google • 227 reviews
    Ale, great selection of beer and cask ale. Cider, a wide variety of English ciders. Meat, pies, scotch eggs, and baps. Sometimes the pies are served a bit cold, but they're delicious. This place is practically my local even though I don't live that close.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Michael W. 2 years ago on Google
    Incredible boozer Great selection of craft beers/ciders Live piano couple eves a week The grub is next level. The sheer effort put into it. My pic doesn’t do the pork bap justice, it was phenomenal Left a helmet here and the barman ran out in the lashing rain to return it to me. They’d bring a tear to a glass eye
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andy H. 1 year ago on Google • 585 reviews
    A proper old school north London public house, no nonsense. Great choice of well-kept cask and kegged beers and ciders. A super pub that has not changed since my first visit some years ago.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alistair M. 1 year ago on Google
    Outstanding pub for a real ale drinker, 14 hand pumps serving beer from across the country. Friendly & knowledgeable staff, happy punters. Nice little secluded patio garden at the back. Would definitely visit again!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Peter B. 1 year ago on Google
    What else can I say. Came to Southampton Arms all the way from Atlanta, GA because I heard their cask ale can bend space and time in the universe as we know it…and it did not disappoint. Major props go out to Mr. Jonny Garrett (who runs a very popular YouTube beer channel with a guy named Brad who wears flipflops) for inspiring me to explore beyond the “London lagers” and make your way to the huge gem of the craft beer society that we all know and love. Get some balls, buy an Oyster ticket and get off at Tufnell Park for a brisk 9 min walk into an establishment that will change the way you look at a real cask local. God save the cask.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tania and Paul D. 1 month ago on Google • 44 reviews New
    One of the best pubs in London. Mainly down to the beer- from small, local suppliers- perfectly kept. Great atmosphere, next time will get in earlier for a seat by the fire. staff were so friendly, knew their beer. Wonderful, dimly lit atmosphere- could have stayed all day and maybe WILL next time- and try the pork baps that sounded fantastic. A proper, old fashioned gem.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Geo W. 1 month ago on Google • 6 reviews New
    Used to be a fantastic pub but since the ownership change the beer has gone downhill. Please get some better beer in, for example Kernel, because that is what made it great. Down with pretentious chocolate/ caramel stouts! Up with real ale!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rob C. 1 year ago on Google
    Not many better pubs in London than Southampton Arms - great range of beers and ciders, good bar food and interesting architecturally plus a wonderful little fire if it's on. Staff are fine - young and cool and busy (it's a popular place) so not the time or inclination to be super friendly - it is London afterall so this is normal.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Songyi K. 2 years ago on Google
    I heard it’s a famous and nice pub, and it was excellent without a doubt! Very cozy and comfortable atmosphere with of course great beer!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jonathan D. 1 year ago on Google
    Fabulous old London pub with a huge range of both keg & cask ales and real ciders. Probably the best cider choices in North London
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Charlie P. 1 year ago on Google
    My favourite pub in north London. Lovely atmos and always an interesting selection of beers / ciders on rotation. Pork on Sunday is 🤤🤤🤤
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alex C. 1 year ago on Google
    Simply one of the great pubs! If you love cask ales - this is a pilgrimage you need to make! Great beer, good service, good company and a feel of timelessness that is surprisingly comforting.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Adam B. 11 months ago on Google • 252 reviews
    Delightful pub with an excellent beer and cider selection. Ciders are along the back of the bar (took me a moment to notice). We were here on Easter Monday afternoon and the staff were absolutely lovely. Atmosphere was friendly and the pork baps were delicious (amazing bread and filling). The pub is dog friendly and kindly offered a couple of pork scraps to the pup with us. Would definitely return here another time.

  • 5/5 Ian 3 months ago on Google • 214 reviews New
    Amazing local boozer with an exceptional range of independent beers, and ciders. Food is simple and hearty. Atmosphere is the best I have experienced in London. Was busy on the Saturday I was there but people filter in and out so was able to get a seat. Weekdays would be a great time to visit and get the best of it all. A place to go as a destination or as a regular local. Tables our front and a back beer garden. Super dog friendly.

  • 5/5 Ben L. 7 months ago on Google • 187 reviews
    Great pub selling independent beers and delicious pork baps. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and music.

  • 5/5 Anya L. 3 months ago on Google • 107 reviews New
    One of the best pubs in London. Drink selection is excellent and a great price, classic bar snacks like homemade pork pies and scotch eggs (don't come here expecting a full pub meal). Excellent staff and atmosphere. It is almost always busy in here but still so easy to grab a drink. Proper boozer on the corner of Hampstead Heath and highly recommend!

  • 5/5 Cihan �. 1 month ago on Google • 83 reviews New
    A beautiful real ale pub worth the travel out of the city center.

  • 5/5 Rhiannon R. 6 months ago on Google • 67 reviews
    everything any pub should be, playing vinyls, original interior with array of cider and beer options and of-course nosh to get you buying another pint. Pork, mustard and apple crusty roll. You’ll salivate as soon as you see it and be craving for more for the next month!

  • 5/5 Dom W. 2 months ago on Google • 53 reviews New
    Excellent selection of ciders! Pork bap also worth trying. Worth noting that the pub is quite small, so might want to get down early to secure a seat if you don't want to sit in the garden. Although the garden is wonderful in the warmer months.

  • 5/5 Tom E. 1 month ago on Google • 43 reviews New
    Is it the apple brackets sauce of my eye? Yes. Does it cut the mustard? Yes. Am I telling porkies? No. It's a long and admittedly quite weak way of letting you know that the roast pork bap in here is a brand new entry onto my list of Three Best Ever Sandwiches In The World™. This little piggy went woouuooohhoooohhhhh all the way home. Beer and cider also good.

  • 5/5 Nicholas O. 4 months ago on Google • 9 reviews
    🍺 Fantastic pub with great beer selection which is in great hands now with Glenn having taken over as manager

  • 3/5 Guillermo Y. 9 months ago on Google
    Nice pub. I had heard about their casks from independent breweries, which I love. I ordered four different beers (2 of which I’ve tried several times before), and the 4 of them had very faint aromas, so something seemed to be going wrong in the cellar today? Anyhow, excellent beer selection. Couldn’t try the food as they had run out. It was a pretty busy day, so the lady behind the bar was not very friendly, but might have been fed up at that moment. I will have to go back, although I need to go all across London to get there.

  • 5/5 Carlos G. 1 year ago on Google
    I was looking for a nice Ale for a long time, finally I made to the Southampton Arms and it didn't disappoint. We had great Ales and a fantastic, FANTASTIC, pork baps! The staff were super cool and friendly even though they were super busy that Saturday afternoon.

  • 5/5 Zephyrus0127 1 month ago on Google • 3 reviews New
    Lovely pub, mostly bare wood furniture and floor, great selection of beer and cider. I've heard the food is good but not eaten there yet. Friendly service, good background music, open fire

  • 5/5 Carl J. 2 years ago on Google
    Went to do a bit of exploring today to find some decent beer and went to this gem!! Loads of craft beer options, really wish I hadn’t eaten before I got here as the snack board looked great.. Someone near me got the pork Bap and it looked unreal - will be deffo back to try that!! Very dog friendly and a fantastic outside area!!

  • 5/5 Holly M. 2 years ago on Google
    What a real London boozer should be. Love this place and always a joy to visit whe ever I'm back visiting London again now (previously lived there for a decade). Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere and a very social and comfortable beer garden, a wide range of ales and cider always available, and the food is ridiculously good (if you arrive early enough for it not to be sold our!).

  • 5/5 Simas V. 2 years ago on Google
    One of the best pubs I've been to point blank - cosy atmosphere with vinyl records spinning and a lit old fireplace. They only serve independent brewery beers (at a bargain price) and there is a bustling local scene. Oh, and the backyard is a thing of art. Can't believe I've only discovered this now.

  • 5/5 Alev Y. 2 years ago on Google
    If you’re a craft beer fan, you must visit this place. They constantly bring in new, tasty beer, ale and cider from local breweries. My husband is a huge fan of their pork bap and claims that it’s best in the UK! The only issue is they run out quite quickly.


Call +44 7375 755539 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Pets
    • ✓️ Dogs allowed
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Food
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Food at bar
    • ✓️ Hard liquor
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Seating
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Takeout
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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