The Dancing Man in Southampton

Good pub, great location - but maybe staff need a bit of training... I enjoy a beer, good or bad ! But when there are no obvious price lists on show, I suggest it maybe worth the staff advising the consumer that a pint is £13 (1 pint ) prior to pouring it. Kinda put a downer on the visit right from the off.

What an amazing experience. Fantastic food. Brilliant service, nothing was too much trouble. We’re super fussy about food and service and this exceeded expectations. Highly recommend.

It is a small locally owned and operated brewery making around a half dozen different beers, ales and stouts. They proudly displayed many awards. The building is an ancient one down by the wharf. I am a stout drinker and was not disappointed. Daughter got an IPA and was happy as well. The building itself was worth going I. For a drink. The staff delightful. Note that I don’t k is if it serves food but there was no ale house choice.

Booked a week ago for my son’s 30th birthday, despite several emails throughout the week reminding me of my booking they failed to mention the fact they had slashed the menu down to only 5 choices. I’ve been to this venue several times before including a couple of wedding receptions and it’s always been great. We were looking forward to their famous pies and I had encouraged my family to view the menu online. Their website still shows the full menu that they used to have, it also mentions their new super star chef who apparently is the one responsible for devastating their menu. We decided to persevere and nearly everyone decided on a burger, we were then told they had only 3 burger buns left and we would be served bagels instead. If you are going to serve such a limited choice at least get enough ingredients to be able to cover the demand (couldn’t somebody pop to the nearby Lidl to get some baps). I’m afraid they’ve lost a longtime customer but by the attitude of the staff I don’t think that they’d care.

This pub and micro brewery has a great location opposite the port area in Southampton. The brewery is on show behind the bar. Really good range of beers from the brewery including stout and lager as well as the pale ales. Loads of space for groups inside and out.

A lovely open plan bar with beer brewing equipment visible. The beers we sampled were lovely. A very attractive pub on the waterfront.

amazing meal and Experience 10 of us had dinner two were children the staff were very friendly and easy going most of us had the roast and the men were very happy with their pints of beer I shared a bottle of rose which wasn't expensive will definitely be going again

We when to The Dancing Man Brewery for afternoon lunch menu was OK. We had the Jack fruit burger. However whilst eating the burger, to our surprise we found paper actual in the burger that should of been there. Which of course isn't acceptable, so the food was left. Upon complaining, they took the price of 1 of our glasses of wine of the bill. When in all honesty there should of took the price of the meal off. At £19 for a burger it's over priced and to find paper in your food is unacceptable. Will we be returning I think not

We live on the Isle of Wight and came across for Hubbys birthday. I read the menus before we booked and it looked great so I booked for 2pm. We arrived on time and there were a few tables taken in the restaurant. The guy who greeted us did not seem happy to see us. He was so miserable the whole time we were there and it didn’t make us feel very welcome. When we looked at the menu it was only expensive burgers £19 and sandwiches. We were really disappointed that the place did not live up to its website. I think there should be a full listing of what is in the food as my husband and I have allergies and went for what looked like a straight forward steak in ale sandwich but there was obviously something in the ingredients that was not mentioned, that made us both ill. The surroundings were nice. Definitely won’t be going back or recommending to family and friends. Our well earned money will go to a company that welcomes us next time.

Pretty much as it says - good unique beer and a good quirky restaurant upstairs. Went there first Saturday in March for my friend's birthday. The staff was nice, Roman was great, friendly and suggested great wine, he saved the night with birthday dessert with sparkle (we forgot to bring our birthday cake, whoops). Nice atmosphere, drinks relatively good price. Food looked amazing. Lamb was delicious. Very generous portions. Great quirky atmosphere. I will definitely return in the summer.

Extremely talented chefs creating delicious flavoursome dishes. Everything was perfect with our meal and being a coeliac can be challenging for some restaurants. But not the Chefs in the Dancing Man Brewery. The food and service was incredible, flavoursome an Ample portions. All cooked from basic ingredients and from fresh. While you’re waiting enjoy the various alcoholic drinks brewed by the microbrewery. . A very special place.

This was my first time to this restaurant. The historical/ medieval building used previously as a jail for the French and an old wool warehouse was very interesting to learn about and look at. I went to this pub/ restaurant with family who loved the spacious old worldly environment which was nicely decorated with lovely lighting. The Sunday menu was fab; excellent quality and quantity at a reasonable price (£15.95 vegan, £17.95 port, £23.95 duo roast). Somehow my pork roast was missed but this error was quickly resolved and Mike the waiter got my an extra roast potato as compensation! The drinks were slightly pricey but we were paying for being in such a lovely restaurant so did not mind. There was an excellent selection of ales, soft drinks and one Purbeck medium dry cider (yum, yum). The staff were exceptional ; very good customer service, rapport, helpful and nice banter. The drinks waiter Roman was very good and we chatted bicycles as he was a keen cyclist and knew my friend Col. Thank you Mike and Roman for your exceptional service. This is definitely a secret gem of Southampton, a pub and restaurant not to be missed when visiting the city! It gets booked up for food so I strongly recommend you make a timely advanced reservation. If just going for drinks then no need and plenty of seating outside if busy. Bicycle parking is immediately outside which was handy!

Nothing negative to say. The food the staff and the atmosphere of this place is excellent. We could not praise the staff enough. A special Thankyou to Roman our waiter. What a great gent he is. And the ale is beautiful.

We stumbled on this amazing place as we were staying down the road we came in sat afternoon I had a gin and my husband had the skookum breakfast beer well I tried his and ditched the gin Sunday we went back and I had more my god what a great flavor

Visited for lunch midweek, situated 5 min walk from Hythe ferry, v good pub grub plus excellent beers which they serve in flights of 1/3s. A great lunch, many thanks.

We waited a long time to order. We ordered a couple of starters which were disappointing. Buffalo chicken chicken wings with blue cheese sauce tasted more Cajun than Buffalo with a bit of blue cheese smeared on top. Little Miss Piggies were cheap bangers served with a watery gravy. The main courses were more disappointing. We were amazed at the £20+ price tag for food that was less than Premier Inn standard. The gumbo was bland and consisted of mainly carrot, tinned sweetcorn and tinned tomatoes. No flavour at all. I paid £6 for ‘continental sausage’ and got three pieces of cheap pork sausage in it. With a side order of plain white rice. The ham on ‘mustard fried bread’ was shredded ham on soggy in-fried cheap white bread. They kindly offered to let us leave without paying, and we went to Five Guys as we left starving. Please don’t waste your money here.

This is my 3rd visit on a weekend The two meat Sunday roast is in my opinion the best in town Staff are extremely friendly Complimentary cauliflower cheese is a nice touch too I give this 10/10 vote

Thank you for hosting our employee Christmas party this year - really great service from the friendly staff, great food and Christmassy atmosphere. Would highly recommend for a works event.

We were in town for the weekend and stumbled across this bar. WOW! Great quirky décor, great ambience - everything just great! Actually sad we didn't find it sooner in our weekend. We had a good couple of drinks here and absolutely loved it - will be back next time we are in town.

Visited last night for dinner on recommendation of the friends we came with. Firstly, what a beautiful place. It was absolutely stunning. The lighting upstairs in the restaurant gave a truly beautiful ambience. Food was delicious and it was so lovely to see such a varied and different menu to most other pubs. Service was fantastic....each member of staff really looking after us. Would we come back? Without a doubt!!! There are so many other things I would like to try from the menu!! Thanks DMB. for making our night perfect.

Staff were brilliant, Rag n bone was gorgeous. We also ordered the baa baa black sheep, but there was no shredded lamb. The 3 chops were all inconsistent, one was perfect. One was a little dryer and was was a little too dry. It was...

Popped in here for a couple of hours and wished we could have stayed longer. A really good selection of IPAs and my wife loved the Necessary Evil lager. Bar staff were really friendly and helpful- I will be back!!

What a great venue. The building and the way it is decorated is amazing. Great beers and service downstairs. Great service in the restaurant upstairs. Unfortunately the food was shocking. The starters were ok but the mains were awful. We left 2 of the 3...

Not the first time I’ve been here. The staff are simply awesome, the food is delicious and being a micro brewery, the ale is by far the best I’ve sample. Here’s the kicker though, dogs are welcome, in the bar or in the restaurant…they even...

We read reviews on this place and we were expecting great things. Unfortunately it was dreadful. The food was substandard, tasting like it was warmed up microwaved food. We would certainly not return. We waited for ages for the bill and we brought this up...

The beer is good but the food on our visit was awful , two thin lamb chops and a plate full of peas , we will never eat in this place again , service also very poor , staff standing around chatting to each other...

With so many places in Southampton to eat this is one of the best for first class food, don’t be fooled by the fact it’s an ale house the beer selection is amazing and all in house and the chefs create some amazing food options...

Lovely evening family meal upstairs in the seating area. Great to have a selection of in-house craft beers to compliment food. Had the Rag'n'bone beef which was excellent, well cooked and very tasty. Others had burgers which were good as well. Finished with an Affogato...

Been going for years drinks only. Decided on Sunday lunch last week. Online booking very fiddly so we called to book. Staff were lovely. Food amazing very good portions and FRESH so fresh. Good drinks and lovely decor

Frist time at the dancing man brewery with my family staff very nice service was amazing food was lovely would go back again

So we came to have some drinks on the hill after work and we were greeted by the best staff I’ve experienced in Southampton. Abbie, was so lovely and helped us with all the different drinks.

My wife and I had a drink here while spending the day in Southampton after a cruise. Great variety of craft beers on offer. Lovely looking pub with great wooden staircase. I would have liked to have spent more time and drunk more beer. Polite...

What a beautiful pub. Came Saturday evening for a wedding reception and didn't want to leave. Great staff, great food and great Beer. Pubs like this are becoming harder and harder to find. Definitely one of my new favourites and you've got to try the...

Beautiful venue, friendly staff, delicious food and great drinks! There was a live band playing which was lovely.

We met some friends in Southampton and decided to try this brewery/pub for dinner. Turned out to be an excellent choice. We each had one of the evening specials…broccoli and chicken pie. Absolutely delicious and served with vegetables and mashed potatoes. The guys enjoyed the...

If you have all night to wait for dinner, you don’t mind putting up with a grumpy waitress, do not turn up early and then get a meal that is not what you ordered and uncooked then this is the place for you. Such a...

The location is in the shell of an ancient wool warehouse having been there, more or less, since the 1300s; there’s tables outside and nice spaces inside. When we visited, there was private party sucking up all the kitchen time, so we did not get...

A restaurant with a difference a unique building and decoration with a menu also with a difference. Different dishes not the usual pub fare. And for the beer aficionado a delight but plenty for the non beer freak

Visited late afternoon for a solo drink...or 5. Absolutely nothing to fault about this place. Top marks to all the staff, especially the guy who offered to carry my pint to a table, because I had a walking aid. (Extra points because he asked me...

Amazing as ever! After four years of being away, still the nicest, friendliest pub with the best beer ❤️❤️

An incredibly popular pub serving it's own brewed excellent beer - thoroughly enjoyed the Jack O' Diamonds ale and the Old Fashioned bitter. I suspect you would have to book a table well in advance here as when visiting on a Saturday late afternoon all...

This was the first place I came for a beer between lockdowns, and while that gave it a special sort of atmosphere that only anticipation from a safe distance can give to someone who enjoys socialising with a craft beer in hand - I was...

My dad had his wedding meal here last summer. The theming and decoration was absolutely beautiful. Food was fab.

We went for an evening meal and each with different dietary requirements including allergies. Although they only have a small menu it is absolutely delicious, everyone had a choice and enjoyed it. Even vegan options in the puddings. All ingredients seem very fresh and all...

Great place to have a drink if you’re in Southampton, great atmosphere, good choice of beers, would go again

What a great Microbrewery, driven past many times but this was my first visit. So many different types of ale to try in a very trendy and beautiful old building. We sat outside on the grass enjoying the bank holiday sunshine and it was bliss....

What's not to like - great beer, working brewery, helpful and friendly staff and a great vibe. Just get yourselves there and enjoy it! Food looks good to although we didn't have time for that.....

We were only in Southampton for one night, prior to going on a cruise. We wanted somewhere close to our hotel, and were lucky enough to get a table here. There was a live band playing downstairs, which added to the friendly atmosphere. The restaurant...

Went here for the first time and was pleasantly surprised, had a pint of big casino and loved it !! Served by lad named Tom, friendly chap and was really helpful throughout the evening. Will be heading back soon !

The bar downstairs is great, but the restaurant is one to avoid. Staff and chefs were unable or unwilling to deal with our dietary requirements, and we were both ill after eating here. Prices weren't cheap, and the food wasn't anything to sing home about....

First time and great experience, venue is stunning with great history. Service from Theo especially amazing, with great knowledge of the drinks on offer (all brewed in house!) and fantastic customer service…. An asset to the business and industry! Will certainly be making another visit!...

We visited the brewery tap bar for drinks only on the evening of 28 Feb 2023. These are the things we found disappointing: Very limited range of real cask hand-drawn ales (unexpected in a microbrewery specialising in real ale) Contrasted badly with the impression given...

I visited this pub by chance having revisited Southampton for the first time in 35 years. The pub was lively with an eclectic mix of customers, plus a private function on upstairs. I didn't know anything about this place and was unaware it was a...

3 of us had a Sunday lunch today, cosy atmosphere We all had a nice dinner roast beef and roast chicken and a pie with mash Only comment is my son couldn’t have chips with his pie. Could be more flexible But really nice overall

They have their own real ales. Unfortunately the pint I had was cloudy. (not by design!) Interesting venue decor wise. Spacious bar under the stairs leading to a large minstrels gallery. Not your traditional stye of bar, but nice enough.

13 of us had our Christmas meal at the Dancing Man Brewery and it was a smash hit. We were very looked after throughout the night by Hannah and her team, with a drink on arrival and a DJ playing all night long. The food...

Excellent food, vegetarian pies were lovely. I'm not a veggie but the mushroom bourgignon pie was delicious with mash and vegetables. Great setting for our sons wedding afters. Beers were good but other drinks were available.

Tonight was our annual Christmas Staff Party. We usually party ‘til the very end and have fun. Tonight the music was SOO incredibly loud, that none of us could hear each other. And it was just house music - not very Christmassy. Literally, just house...

We love this place and usually go for drinks, great beer and great atmosphere. Today however we had a meal in the restaurant and were very disappointed. We had a roast. Veg was a bit undercooked, pork was tasty but more fat than meat on...

Restaurant was absolutely dead with only one table who had already been served but there was absolutely no way they could squeeze a table of two in, even when I said we'd plan to be quick. Disappointing as I've had good experiences here before, but...

The best roast in Southampton! Very doggo friendly even have dog roasts ! Service its excellent too !!! We will be going again we had forgotten about this place !! Such a stunning place too

Read reviews months ago plus proximity to hotel, but wouldn’t eat here again. Place has history great atmosphere and bar scene. As for food not very good plus expensive. Hamburgers walking by looked good though £19.50? Wife had special meat pie for £18.00. I had...

Everytime we get a cruise we call in here for a few craft beers. Great atmosphere and worth a look if your into craft Ales ECT...

This very unique place has excellent beers, great atmosphere. I tried lemon cheesecake beer and loved it. The building has a lot of history. The building is very old and has so much caricature.

Easy to book online, the restaurant is on the first floor and although the pub appears very busy, the stairs up to the restaurant welcome you to a nice uncrowded restaurant with well spaced tables. A good menu including speciality pies.

Brilliant place to come for ales, friendly staff and an enjoyable experience. Not tried the food - but lovely place regardless

My husband and I are over here from Australia and came here for a meal Omg the food was nothing short of amazing, Honestly the best pork crackling I have ever had, the rag and bone was so tender, 5 stars without a doubt.

We ate at this pub in the hopes to find a family friendly eatery however this was not the case. The food was average and the service deteriorated as the evening went on. Sadly the staff were not impressed with us bringing our very young...

I love the dancing man each time my family visit Southampton I must insist we stop in for a drink it's a beautiful building with a great atmosphere they also Brew there own beer (Big casino 10/10.)

Always wanted to visit this pub having heard so much about it. Big casino was amazing, and the other beers, inc Jesus hairdo were worth waiting for. My only gripe was that the toilets were really grimy and the bar staff weren’t particularly friendly and...

We have eaten a lot of Sunday roasts in our time, but this was top drawer. We were welcomed by a knowledgeable barman who really knew his beer and cider and were treated to a first class meal in a lovely ambience. Credit to all...

We found ourselves here based on a recommendation from several local residents. We were happy with their advice. The building is quite historical. The staff had some informative tidbits to share with us. we were invited to sample several beers before ordering. Our sandwiches were...

We came for a beer and light lunch and were not disappointed. The bar staff greeted us and were very helpful in choosing beers. We both ordered chicken in a bun - light bar meal version. The food arrived very promptly with a smiling happy...

We had a private party upstairs in the restaurant area, it has a separate bar with a good range of drinks and the loos was lovely. Definitely recommend this venue.

We met as a family here today for Father’s Day lunch. Everything was perfect, it was a delicious meal in a fabulous venue and the young energetic team at the Dancing Man are a true credit to the business.

Locality close to the cruise terminals, busy and friendly venue with a wide range of beers and lagers

Visited the Dancing Man on a warm evening for drinks. Very busy but service was good and quick. Staff were very friendly and despite being busy were able to advise on what drinks to try - they did infact, surprise us with a sample of...

We were recommended to the Dancing Man and if I said it was perfect, it would not do it justice. This building known as The Wool House dates from the 14th Century, used to store Wool for export to the continent, then used as a...

Awesome place and great beer. Particularly enjoyed the pina colada inspired beer as we’ve just got back from the Caribbean a month before we came to the brewery. Food was pretty crap thought tbh. Myself and my friends wife had the Smokey meat and new...

Absolutely lovely place and stunning decor. Shame about the service. We waited about 15minutes for a drinks order to be taken. We ended up going to the bar ourselves. Glad we did as the barman was extremely helpful, very attentive and informative when deciding on...

Our first visit was in 2018. We were so looking forward to it as last time it was amazing. On this visit, we had a very good meal. The venue is great, the bar experience was superb. The in-house ales and wine choices were excellent....

As we are not from the local area I looked on Tripadvisor for places that served Sunday roast and the Dancing Man was highly recommended and so I attempted to book a table for 9 including 2 elderly family members. Completed the online form and...

Always live Dancing Man for top notch beer and enjoyable food. Would like to see more veggie options but Head Chef Dan provided a great meal and great hospitality

What a refreshing experience. Good food. Wonderful caring staff. Oh, the beer, great! Atmosphere, vibrant, sparkly. Happy dog eating his special food. Child friendly, happy kids enjoying their evening. Loved it, oh yes, we're ancient but felt at home there.......

A wonderful pub, definitely my favourite in Southampton. Beautiful decor and ambiance. Delicious food, great wine menu and although I don’t drink beer my other half said it’s great. They welcome dogs which is the icing on the cake.

Been here whenever I’ve visited friends in Southampton and it a brilliant bar……….but can’t believe how poor the toilet facilities are in the downstairs bar always a queue when busy……..one single toilet for men & one for women ? it’s not like the place isn’t...

Looking forward to a return visit for Sunday lunch but left a little disappointed. Service was friendly prompt taking our drink order at midday but it was almost an hour before our meal arrived, no attempt by staff to explain there was a delay or...

This place has gone down hill, we were in there for 2 1/2 hours managed to get one course and gave up. Asked for desert menus which eventually arrived, we were then ignored so we eventually asked for the bill. This arrived after waiting another...

Our lunch was booked for 1.30, but it was an hour before our food order was taken. There were eight of us and when the food arrived two were almost cold and another had the wrong meat, most were covered in so much gravy that...

great atmosphere in the bar downstairs and an amazing barn style restaurant upstairs right in the centre of the city close to the ferry terminal

We arrived a little early, were told we could sit at our table but would not be able to order our food until our time slot. Thankfully we took a drink upstairs with us as we had no service till 10 minutes after our time...

We popped into the Dancing Man Brewery while on a long weekend break in Southampton at the beginning of December. All i can say is "Fantastic" !! Great Ales, Great Building and Great (and knowledgeable" staff! Loved the "Jack O'Diamonds" ruby ale :-) :-) Shame...

Arrived tonight at 22:28 to be told last orders had been called and the bar was shut as they weren’t busy. It’s a bit confusing as the advertised opening hours state they are open until 23:00. This is really sloppy business if people cannot rely...

Booked for my partners birthday weekend break. Originally tried to book for Saturday night but was full, so booked for Sunday lunch instead. Arrived and loved the pub from the minute we saw it, beautiful building. Went inside and it felt magical. Staff were all...

Can’t say much about the place. Very nice atmosphere and staff very friendly. Also not overpriced for what they serve. Only concern is don’t visit when cold out as there not much seating inside. Very much a summer pub when you can enjoy sitting outside...

The Dancing Man Brewery is, by far, the best pub in Southampton. I'll happily contend that it's the best pub in England. The owners are friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Their dedication to the establishment is immediately apparent. The atmosphere is beautiful and vibrant, with subtle...

Me and my partner have wanted to visit here for a long time as it looks so beautiful from the outside, We were taking his parents (over 60) and his son (13yrs) out for a curry across the road at Kutis, so thought what better...

Great Beers, hearty food and big portions, really good service, and nice that the main bar is separate to the eating area

First visit to the DMB and we were not disappointed, great building with lots of character. The food and beers were excellent plus the staff were very friendly. Our waiter who took the drinks order had a great knowledge of the beers and could recommend...

Roasts are no joke here. Absolutely wonderful family time! Ambiance great also, Halloween in one of the most haunted places in the south. The kids loved the music and the fancy dress