Papillon in Southampton

Attended for a music event. Staff were friendly, bar had a good variety. Sound quality was very good. Was worried the high ceiling would echo too much, but I'd say it's the best sound quality I've heard at a Southampton venue

Amazing Jayser really made my day, really helpful :)

There's a lovely ambience in the restaurant which is upstairs in this interesting building. The service was excellent when I went and the burgers, delicious. I'm not normally a burger eater but I saw a waiter walk past with one and it looked good! A good place to have a pre theatre meal.

It was our first visit. The staff are all lovely! Very friendly. The food was tasty but quite limited for what we could eat, as a pescetarian with food intolerances, and a vegetarian.

Couldn't ask for a better place to dine. My friend has the top 14 allergies plus some and they have done everything they can to cater for her. We have now found a safe place we can all eat and enjoy

Have been for food in the past and have had some lovely meals . Went to see a band on Thursday 11th April (Theatre of Hate) great atmosphere and not to crowded had a great night

Was disappointed with the cleanliness of the place. Table was shaking, cutlery on the table (not on a napkin or something), we’ve been positioned next to the stage and it was at the same level as the table (I could the hair and the dirty just as I was looking at my left, not very appealing). Food was good and staff were friendly. Even management were friendly with their email reply.

It was very cold inside the restaurant and the floors were incredibly sticky. The place had an unclean smell. The food wasn't great either, taste was okay but the pulled jackfruit burger was cold. Seemed like the filling had been microwaved, badly. Waiters were nice and smiley though!

Great food, amazing place. But by far the most impressive aspect of our visit was the service. It was outstanding. From the person who showed us to our table to the fabulous woman who brought our food and everyone else. What a great team! Special thanks to Maria for making sure we had a fantastic meal and got to the theatre in plenty of time. Congratulations on such an amazing team of people.

Visited for Sunday roast. We had heard that the place was dog friendly so took the pooch. We weren’t allowed upstairs with the dog and so we were placed downstairs which was dark and a bit cold near the door with no other customers or atmosphere. Looked like things were still getting tidied up from a large meal from the night before. Floor was sticky. Staff were really lovely but things were forgotten. Roasts came out pretty quick and the food was nice but a bit overpriced. We couldn’t appreciate the look of the restaurant which is why I had booked.

Wait for service far to long .we went late for lunch , only two tables beside us .should have been a lot quicker

Having been recommended this restaurant, my daughter and I were really looking forward to a nice evening, following a very stressful few months. Sadly we were very disappointed. My daughter is dairy free due to health reasons. Upon asking, only one starter and 2 mains were on offer to her. Okay, we chose and ordered starters and mains, plus 2 glasses of wine. After waiting some considerable time our main courses arrived...... Unfortunately we hadn't had our starters, or our drinks. Eventually my daughters starter was bought out.... but not mine, still no drinks. We waited. Eventually my starter arrived. Great... but no drinks.... My starter of scallops looked lovely, unfortunately it was cold, and the centre uncooked. It was taken away. Drinks, after asking again, arrived. My starter came back. All was good, but my daughter who had long finished had to wait. Mains then appeared. Looked lovely. Unfortunately my Ragu was cold and again had to be returned. Sadly staff seemed very lacking, although the young man that dealt with us was pleasant, although forgetful. No dairy free choice for dessert, so coffee was ordered. Yet again we had to chase it up as we were forgotten. Sadly we wouldn't recommend or return. We did begrudgingly pay the bill as we were in a rush now to get out and see our show at the mayflower, and there was no one to discuss the booking with as the young staff were rushed off their feet.

Went for lunch and I chose a Philly steak sandwich, very tasty , my colleague chose the beetroot and goat’s cheese starter and hasn’t stopped talking about how great it was… we both have small appetites and I did find that my sandwich had a bit too much bread for me… wanting room for a dessert after… I chose the berry Mille fieulle .. unbelievable dessert my colleague had lemon posset , again she was very impressed… I want to thank all of the staff for their attentive superb service, nothing was too much trouble and they ensured that we were served in time for us to attend a show at the Mayflower… when attending a show it is advisable to book a table to ensure being seated at this lovely unique restaurant…

Ryan kept us entertained & filled with drinks all night - legend of a Barman! Will deffo be back!

Absolutely sensational! Oscar was fantastic, extremely good lad with a proper knack for making cocktails and giving us recommendations.

Brilliant venue. Excellent rent out for private party. Jamie was a great bar man

Got served amazing cocktails by Jamie amazing service

After a few years away from Southampton I came back to meet up with some old uni friends. Was served by a proper gentleman, Oscar who made some cracking cocktails! Service with a smile goes a long way! Would highly recommend this place, very friendly staff and quality drinks!

Very nice experience. I did my booking online and it was very seamless - no funny over-the-phone profiling as I’m used to, happy to provide highchair for our little one. Got there and same as thought, Norbert who handled our orders was particularly good and everyone else involved in the running of operations very much lovely people. Atmosphere was beautiful and food was great, mostly. Parking is quite unattainable at the venue, but a number of available parking spots in the area and cheap. If you’re running out of parking options, the one at Southampton central won’t fail you, operated by ringo.

Had a fantastic roast for Mother’s Day! So nice to have vegan & vegetarian roast options so the whole family could share the same dinner. Food was all cooked perfectly and served nice and hot. Portion sizes on the vegetarian and vegan roast could do with being increased due to the lack of some elements but this is something we fed back to staff so may be actioned. Staff were all lovely, friendly and incredibly attentive. Always made sure we had drinks and all the sauces we needed to enjoy our meal. Staff were more than happy to ask the kitchen questions for us. We really did feel like the staff wanted us to have the best experience. One negative note a member of the family had was about the toilets, specially the female ones. They were note the cleanest and had a fairly strong bad smell as well as a lack of toilet paper. Something I’m sure can be improved and may have just be a one off issues on the day we went. The building is lovely and warm, as well as the atmosphere. There is background music but it is kept at a perfect level, not spoiling conversation. We will definitely be returning! Thank you all staff, FoH and the kitchen <3

Visited to watch some live music and thought it was a great venue. Being a church originally it has fantastic acoustics so we thoroughly enjoyed the night. Staff were friendly, didn't eat but the menu looks great so will be back to try the food!

Nice place to eat and drink. Also has live music

Didn't dine there went to see a local band.. staff very attention and polite at the busy bar. Good place to see local bands and good atmosphere. So nice to see people supporting local bands here as they need our support and to keep these live events going as afraid we will lose them if we don't.

Be careful if you book here as it will likely be cancelled via email 90 mins before your booking. Absolute joke of a booking system. Had my table booked in 90 minutes time cancelled without even the grace of a phone call. Called the restaurant and a extremely patronising General Manager tried to say it was my fault; he took no reasonsibilty and wouldn't apologise for the fact I now have to scramble around to book somewhere else.

We recently had our gender reveal celebration at Papillon with our closest friends and family, and it was an unforgettable experience. The food was delicious (we strongly recommend the steak) and the ambiance of the restaurant was perfect for our gathering, offering a cozy and intimate setting for our special occasion. We were delighted to have a private area reserved for us, and for that we want to thank Teegan, who provided an impeccable service.She anticipated our every need and went above and beyond to ensure that our celebration was perfect. Her attention to detail and warm hospitality truly made us feel special. We highly recommend Papillon to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience filled with delicious food and outstanding service.

The service was amazing and the food absolutely delicious, Tomas the waiter was brilliant and extraordinary polite and professional, all together, we had a absolutely fantastic time

Very nice place with a relaxing and cozy atmosphere, very clean as well. Food was amazing and Thomas our server was very welcoming and professional. We asked him some of the history of the building and he had good knowledge of it. Definitely recommend the place. We will come back.

Came here with My Wife and Friend on Tuesday night the food was amazing and perfectly cooked and our server Thomas was friendly, welcoming and gave us a brief history on the building. Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Southampton, we are looking forward yo return.

Lovely staff very welcoming! Great drink selection.

Beautiful place with the friendliest staff! 5***+

Lovely tastefully renovated church , delicious food and great staff. Would recommend a visit, you will not be disappointed.

We popped in here prior to the theatre. Friendly staff, quick service and a good chicken burger. No kids menu, but, we made a good meal for a5 year old from the side orders menu. Will visit again

Attended a private party here. Had a thoroughly good night, prices aren't bad for a private hire venue in the middle of the city either.

Excellent food and beautiful plating. Attentive service from Jayser.

Great night, fantastic. Music with soul 45 and Ryan serving kept us happy. Great venue.

Excellent meal before our theatre visit. Nearly chose an alternative because of previous reviews but glad I didn’t. A really tasty meal promptly delivered by friendly staff.

We had a really enjoyable meal here this evening before the theatre- we shared a delicious giant scotch egg to start, then had fish cakes and a chicken burger for mains. Decent portion sizes, food was well cooked, arrived hot and was really tasty. The staff were also really friendly and efficient. Thank you Papillon!

Ryan was the best service! I could not recommend him more come and see it

Ryan, the bestest bar tender. Great guy and an absolute legend. If you are served by him buy the dude a drink

Top service. Bar work from Ryan was top class. Would recommend to anyone!

We came in late after a show at the Mayflower and were the only ones here! We ordered 1 margarita, 2 margarita, and 2 strawberry aperol spritz, times two. Had a lovely time upstairs while the staff got ready for the next day's wedding hire! Ryan with the cocktails, and Ben, and Louis, thank you so much for your banter and accommodation! 😘 Xx

We stopped in for drinks after a show at the Mayflower. The place was hopping! I think there may have been a few large office Christmas parties underway. The atmosphere and drinks were excellent, but keep in mind the place is *noisy*!

Overall very good, place is in need of a refit in my opinion.

Very poorly run gig venue. Took over an hour to get people in. Took ages to get out after the gig. Won't go back to another gig here.

This place had air of good readings so I was excited to try it, but I was really disappointed, I think it’s overpriced for mediocre food to be honest. You’re probably paying for the venue experience only. The ambience is decent given it’s a reformed church, but primarily if you can get a seat upstairs which was reserved for Christmas parties this time of year - we were seated in a dim area near an unused stage. Food sounds quality on the menu, but is really average. The best dishes were the onion rings and the garlic bread. My friend had a vegan Wellington that was a flat parcel with only beetroot in it. It was passable but not worth the £21 price tag. I had a pumpkin risotto, which I knew was going to be an experience when it didn’t even come in a bowl - stodgy rice and the added chicken was dry and charred, didn’t even eat it all. Also it was lauded as vegetarian but seemed to have real Parmesan, which has meat products?? The Turkey roast was nothing to write home about either sadly. We did all enjoy the fried Camembert, so it seems like this place’s strengths is in the standard pub fare and they have overreached trying to offer an elevated dining menu. Go for the burgers and fries and try to book outside the festive period and you might have a good time, I would not come back though.

4th time I’ve visited in 3 months! Chose the prawn cocktail and roast turkey at my last visit and they did not disappoint. Delicious food, presented beautifully! The staff are so friendly and inviting, smiles from everyone and they were so efficient on a busy Saturday night! Highly recommend this venue for cocktails, food and great staff

A fantastic venue with a brilliant atmosphere, An old church turned into sublime acoustic experience Worth the visit

Great service, 100% would recommend

Great place to come with group of friends! Good food and amazing atmosphere.

Amazing food and service, would 100% recommend

Enjoyed our Christmas dinner here, thank you all!

Great service, would come back again! Thank you Jayser, Louie and team :-)

Cancelled a booking made 3 weeks ago for our anniversary six hours before the meal as they decided to hire out the venue to a large party instead. Exceeding poor service and won't honor their bookings if something more profitable comes along.

Good place, nice atmosphere and very friendly staff. Good place for a group meal

Jayser is amazing had such a great

Was a good place, food was tasty, booze was a descent price,

Wonderful dining and drink experience

louie norbert and ryan are the best WE LOVED YOU GREAT PEOPLE DEFFO COMING BACK

Papillon is a fantastic venue with a great atmosphere, special shout out to Ryan for brilliant service! Keep it up!

Ryan at the papillon was really helped the venue is amazing has a great atmosphere and has amazing service

I went for a meal with wife and in-laws on 25/11/23, which we booked for five thirty, before a show we had booked tickets for at the Mayflower theatre across the road. The food was really not good - dried out, chewy, flavourless beefburgers for three of us and dried out, flavourless, chewy chicken burger for my wife. None of us enjoyed our meals. My brother in law complained to the waiter at the end, who said he would feedback to the 'chef', but we had a show to go to at the Mayflower across the road, so we couldn't hang around. Hilariously when we'd first arrived, the fellow behind the bar told us we were lucky as the 'best chef' was on that night. If that was the 'best chef', I'd hate to eat food prepared by one of the average ones. The upstairs where we ate was also too dark, it was very difficult to read the menus without using our phone torches. We wouldn't go back.

I had a lovely meal here, the steak was cooked perfectly 👌. I then followed up with some drinks at the bar where I was served by a gentleman named Tharsana for the evening and he provided exceptional service and was a pleasure to talk to you and so overall I loved my experience and will definitely be coming back again.

Second time coming here and as usual , perfect service , perfect drinks and food and a warm welcome on arrival would definitely recommend!! I was served by a gentleman named jay and he made sure i was happy and content with the service , very happy!!

Beautiful place, only ever been in for drinks but decided to lunch there. The building inside is stunning and adds to the great atmosphere. Sam our waiter was very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Meals were burger and chips, fish and chips and duck with potatoes, all very enjoyable and presented well. Good selection of drinks, although one small criticism the Moretti was warm rather than chilled as you woukd expect. Good wine choice.

Went there for Sunday roast and was not disappointed. The food was lovely and very filling. The service was lovely and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I really liked the atmosphere in there as well.

Beautiful building, Waitor service slow though polite and friendly. Food OK. Bar staff lovely. Great evening as we were there for a band.

Me and my fiancé went there last night for our anniversary meal. It was superb! The food was really tasty. We will definitely be back!

Loved this place! Great service, vibe, atmosphere and architecture

A very nice restaurant in an old church. The waiters were very nice and the food was really well prepared. The interior looks very nice, the restaurant can only be recommended. Kind regards to Ifte and Immy, they both served us very friendly

Ifte was great!! Manager was great too!!

Popped in here before we went for a show and again after. 2 completely different experiences. Lunchtime, the servers were lovely. Unfortunately, the food was just average. Sorry to say it looks like it comes in pre made. Very disappointing. Atmosphere was a bit lacking and it was cold. No non alcoholic beer, not one bottle.! When we came in after the show for a drink, it was awful. Very few chairs and tables downstairs, not because it was busy but they just weren't there! Waited at the bar for 5 mins and we weren't even acknowledged. 3 bar staff , obviously busy with food customers upstairs. We won't be going again. Stage door has a much better, warmer and friendlier atmosphere. C'est la vie.

- Beautiful Restaurant - Friendly Staff - good location - Clean Toilets

Lovely Staff Sam Louie Molly and Jay

Atmosphere was great and big thanks to Norbert who was waiting on us. Felt really taken care of

Gorgeous setting for a leisurely theatre dinner. Very nicely fed and watered by an attentive but discreet Norbert!

Lovely converted church. Decent cocktails. Great food - I had the chicken - piping hot & tasted great. Our waiter, Norbert, was friendly & polite, allowing us to take our time ordering & eating.

Lovely afternoon of food, cocktails and wine all served by the fabulous Norbert!

Lovely setting in an old church, menu not extensive but a good enough choice, great service all round including our server Norbert. Right opposite the theatre to perfect for a pre-show meal.

Lovely food. Love attending before the theatre Ifte is a star and was very attentive.

Really interesting venue. Would recommend the crab cakes. Perfect spot for pre theatre dinner. Would recommend. Nobert, our waiter, was super friendly and helpful.

Food wasn't good... Waited 30 minutes just for a glass of prosseco.

Very nice place, quirky. Went there for a Sunday roast, and it was delicious. However, the service is incredibly slow (it was just our table and another one to be served...). A while after we finished our meal they gave us the desert menu and there was no one to be seen for 20 minutes, so we decided to pay and go without eating desert. We went to enquire about celebrating our wedding and they had no idea, they said to check the website for prices, but there's nothing on the website. Filled in an online enquiry and they never got back. Not much interest for business there! - Considering the service, we won't be choosing it I'm afraid!

Unusual location in a disused church. Chance place to eat before taking in a show at the Mayflower theatre opposite. Happy to supply a snack lunch. We had delicious wild mushroom soup with sourdough toast. Good service, obliging, efficient staff. An all-round pleasant experience. Be very happy to eat there again.

Our daughter and son-in-law chose Papillon as their Wedding venue and what a perfect choice that turned out to be… from the moment we stepped foot into the beautifully decorated venue, to the excellent service, delicious food and wonderful atmosphere until leaving the more energetic ones dancing into the early hours, Papillon gave us all the most wonderful day. Special thanks go out to Maria the Wedding coordinator whose hard work very much appreciated, Tom, Head Chef and team and all the other hard-working, cheerful members of staff that helped to create these very special memories. Thank you again for providing us with the perfect Wedding 5 star venue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very nice and excellence venue to hang out in Southampton.. The staff friendly.. The restaurant manager Jay is very welcoming... HE IS A FILIPINO.. THANK YOU JAY TAKING CARE US LAST SATURDAY IN MY FRIEND WEDDING...

We decided to give Papillon a try, as we hadn't been since the name change. As it's close to Mayflower theatre it seemed the ideal choice. However we were disappointed. The food tasted nice but was only lukewarm, not great for a roast dinner. The Eton mess pudding was served on a slate which made it difficult to eat everything. The service was slow, we waited a long time before staff took our drinks and food order. We believe it was quite expensive for what we had. Sadly, we won't be returning.

A pre theatre dinner, absolutely delighted with the menu service and surroundings

Unusually beautiful ambience, attentive and very friendly service! The food was excellent, creative and very tasty. Good value for money. We recommend!

Pre theatre meal absolutely delicious presentation and taste, served by a very attentive waiter Norbent. 🏆

Staff was welcome and made sure we had everything. Came after show at the Mayflower was very enjoyable.

Amazing place, love the vibes and the aesthetics. Jayser, our server, was kind and helpful. Definitely recommend!

Good vibe and amazing ambiance, our server Jaiser was sweet and friendly. We also got complementary shots. The music was beautiful and thankfully not to loud, I could chat with my friends while giving to the music. Highly recommended.

Good service from Jayser and good food

The food was delicious. Kayser was exceptionally good. And friendly and efficient

It's hard to find a place I'd give five stars too. Yet Papillon deserves every single one! 😁 I wholeheartedly recommend the Roast sirloin (£21) and the Lemon Meringue Pie cocktail (£10). Albeit a bit expensive, you absolutely get what you pay for which is high-quality food and drink by great chefs and bartenders. It's definitely staying on my list as a favourite restaurant/bar to go to for a night out.

food was lovely.very pleased and thankful for going above and beyond in making a by the way one of the best peppercorn sauce ive ever tasted. their steak was amazing!!! thumbs up to jayser and maria for being so attentive to our needs. definitely coming back xx

Great place for a dinner with friends! The location (old church!) is a must! The staff was fantastic, friendly and approachable! Nothing was too much for them! Jayser was very attentive with very good service!

Was asked to write a review by staff, so here you go Whoever manages the bar needs to learn how to make a Pimms, flat lemonade and no fruit - criminal The roast was absolutely delicious. However, a tiny carrot and one piece of broccoli each is embarrassing. The gravy was delicious, but we didn't get more than a shot or two each. The beef was also delicious but quite cold. The potatoes were lovely, but wearnt very crispy or hot. The red cabbage was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and the sunshine mash was stunning. The ham hock croquettes and bacon wrapped stuffing stood out from the rest and were truly delicious. You might say im being overly critical, but for £25 + service charge for a roast, I'd expect a much higher standard, The staff were warm and friendly, but one of them took my plate whilst my mother was still eating, which isn't a big deal but comes across a bit weird. Usually, the table is cleared in one go once everyone has finished. The negroni was delicious, absolutely perfect, ice water on the table at all times, and a beautiful bit of roast pork. All in all, I probably wouldn't go back, but it was worth a try, maybe just an off day for them.

I would rate 6 if I could! We went in today for a Sunday roast and it was one of the best I have ever had. Everything was on point, with the added joy of a beef brisket croquette for the roast beef and a lovely cauliflower cheese dish as a side. The pork and beef roasts were tender and cooked to perfection. We also tried the biscoff espresso martini and the bread and butter pudding. Wonderful ambience, and we particularly enjoyed the music. The service was very good, and the food arrived faster than we expected. Edit: visited again on 20/08/23 - still the best Sunday roast in Southampton! Highly recommended!

Stunning location, average vegetarian roast.