The Handle Bar in Southampton

Met up with friends for a few drinks before heading out into town. Ruben was amazing, recommending some great beers. Always super friendly, great beers and great atmosphere! Love this place!

Called in as waiting for a friend. A delightful surprise. Found a few regulars who seemed friendly. A very good selection of beers and ales and a friendly barman. I had a beef curry. This was a step above normal pub curries.. Well presented, with fresh coriander and pickled (pink) onions. Someone had taken care. A great ale. Excellent lunch

The staff are really friendly and well-informed about the beers/ales on offer. There is always a good selection on, very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Good food. I've been many times and its been lovely every time.

My wife and I recently had Sunday lunch here as we were stopping across the road. Quaint little bar that most would generally walk past as its rather different but that is what we love. Very polite and friendly bar tender who recommended a great porter (so good I had 2) and of course Sunday lunch. Beef and veggie tart were of a really good quality and certainly a great value. Only downside was the Yorkshire but it was a minor point. All told very happy and will visit again

A great place to grab a drink :-) Outdoor seating well laid out. Staff really friendly and welcoming.

Booked a table outside with friends for drinks and dinner. Beer was amazing, food was incredible and staff were all really great. Christian and the team are doing a great job. Will definitely return!

Absolutely love this place. Food was great, beers were great, customer service was great. Highly recommend to anyone visiting or living in Southampton..wonderful outside decking to enjoy the sun. Highly recommend

Had a really lovely evening at the Handlebar last night, service was excellent, food delicious, and the best selection of beers we've had in a long time. Great atmosphere too, will definitely be back.

Booked a table for beers and dinner. This was probably the best burger I have ever had washed down with a few pints. My wife had the mushroom risotto which was absolutely brilliant. We will be definitely be back. Christian and his team are doing a great job!

Popped in for midweek lunch. The choice of ales was encouraging. Great for locals who don't have to travel miles for a decent well priced pint. A lovely glass of OysterBay to go with sublime mussels and yummy fries. Perfectly filling. Service was attentative. Love this place! Parking not great - so great excuse to leave the car and drink some more!

The opening of a new pub is always good. And one that focuses on small, local breweries, and serves food, and is kinda cool and laid back is doubly welcome in my eyes. We've recently heard that Caskaway has not survived the government lockdown, so to hear that the Handle Bar has opened is a little blessing. We visited lunchtime and were the only ones to sit inside. There were a few sitting outside in the sunshine, but as there were smokers out there, we sat inside. The inside is quite quaint and quirky. We liked it. And there is a decent selection of beers from local breweries. It was unfortunate that the beer we chose was sour. That with both doors open it was a little cold. That most veggie items were not available, and that my salad wasn't properly dressed. I don't think these are major issues, and on another visit we could have a much more positive experience. We are keen to try again.

Fabulous Sunday lunch, great selection of beer, welcoming and professional staff. Also dog-friendly. Will definately be returning to try the regular menu!

I travel a few miles to get the the bar on a regular basis and it is well worth it. It is a vibrant place with a great mix of friendly regulars. The deck at the front is divided into booths so you have the feeling of being in a busy place whilst staying covid safe. As the Avenue is so busy it is the perfect place to sit back with a great pint and watch the world go by. Christian and his team have a constantly changing selection of cask beers, usually 5 or 6 covering all tastes. The beers are sourced from all over the UK so you can always experience a new brewery as well as enjoy old favourites. Other nice touches are very good wines and coke from a can - no nasty syrup! The food is exceptional and last night's 7-hour slow cooked brisket was "off the scale". The tapas menu is fairly short, but is nicely diverse,perfectly executed and good value. There are also daily specials where the chefs are further able to show their flair. A comment I have heard a few times is that it feels like a country pub in the city - very accurate.

Popped in for a late lunch and quick pint. The beer was amazing with 5 different ales to choose from. I opted for a pint of flowerpots, which has always been a favourite, whilst my wife opted for the stoke from steam town brewery. The kitchen was just closing but the staff were very happy to accommodate our late request. We had a few tapas dishes which were incredible. All washed down with another pint whilst chatting with a few other locals and the friendly staff. The Covid routines that had been put in place made for a very safe and welcoming environment.

The Handle Bar attempted to open in March but was immediately thwarted by the lockdown. I only managed to get there once and feared soon afterwards that would by my only ever visit. Happily, they have survived the pandemic and reopened. For a few weeks they sold craft cask beer in takeaway containers, which made a nice change from the canned and bottled beer we’d been getting delivered by a couple of excellent local breweries. But now they offer a food menu in addition to their finely kept beers and our first sit down restaurant meal since the lockdown was there. I was surprised by how good the food was, considering it was their first night of opening properly, but of course the beer was as good as usual. We booked a table as space was limited by restrictions and took the dog, who is always welcomed there. We had a variety of tapas dishes which were all excellent but for me the whitebait stood out as they were perfectly cooked and adequately spiced. The deep fried mushrooms were also really lovely. With a few pints of delicious beer this came to just over £30 for the two of us, which we agreed was excellent value. The friendliness of the staff and hip decor really creates a lovely atmosphere, and of course everyone there was in a celebratory mood. I came away feeling we weren’t just celebrating our first return to proper socialising but also Handle Bar’s very survival. We will definitely return regularly to enjoy its ambience, great value and tasty food, and, of course, fine beers. I hope they extend their drinks menu to include more craft keg beers, particularly from local breweries, but other than that it’s perfect.

The Handle Bar attempted to open just before the enforced lockdown caused by COVID19 and I’m delighted that it has survived the delay; as the fairly limited range of food now available, and the selection of mainly cask craft real ales are all excellent. Additionally,...