As you'd expect in a city of this size, there are many restaurants covering an eclectic mix of cuisines.
The restaurants below have been grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over £40)
Moderate (£30 to £40)
Cheap (up to £30)
These prices are for a three-course meal for one, including half a bottle of house wine or equivalent, tax and service. A service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill in most restaurants. If it’s not included, a 10% tip is customary.
Expensive
Ennio’s
Cuisine: ItalianRecently voted one of the UK's top ten Italian restaurants, Ennio's is a classy little bistro in a beautifully converted Victorian warehouse that faces directly onto the old waterfront. It serves traditional Italian specialities, including antipasti, pasta, insalata, dolce and secondi piatti.
Address: , Town Quay Road, Southampton, SO14 2ARTelephone: +44 23 8022 1159.
Website: http://www.ennios.co.uk
Olivetree
Cuisine: MediterraneanThis is one of the best restaurants in Southampton, elegant and stylish in look and presentation. There's a focus on fresh ingredients and seasonal produce, and dishes combine British and Mediterranean influences. Bread is freshly baked on the premises.
Address: , 29 Oxford Street, Southampton, SO14 3DJTelephone: +44 23 8034 3333.
Website: http://www.olivetree.co.uk
The Terrace Restaurant
Cuisine: Modern EuropeanSet in pretty countryside just across the estuary from central Southampton, this is the most alluring fine dining option within easy reach of the city centre. The Terrace is set within the Montagu Arms Hotel, and more than earns its Michelin star with a selection of intricate and exciting dishes.
Address: Beaulieu, 1 Palace Lane, Brockenhurst, SO42 7YGTelephone: +44 1590 612 324.
Website: http://www.montaguarmshotel.co.uk
Moderate
La Regata
Cuisine: SpanishLa Regata is a Spanish restaurant overlooking the city's waterfront. It specialises in fish and shellfish and has a great range of tremendously tasty tapas in addition to the à la carte menu. The interior is colourful and vibrant, and the ambience is intimate and relaxed.
Address: , Town Quay, Southampton, SO14 2ARTelephone: +44 23 8022 3456.
Website: http://www.laregata.co.uk
Oxfords Bar Restaurant
Cuisine: MediterraneanSituated amidst many competitors on Oxford Street, Southampton's main restaurant thoroughfare, Oxfords Bar Restaurant holds its own with a classic interior combining white walls, polished wood and robust, creative British cuisine with Continental and Mediterranean flourishes.
Address: , 35-36 Oxford Street, Southampton, SO14 3DSTelephone: +44 23 8022 4444.
Website: http://www.simonsatoxfords.com
White Star Tavern
Cuisine: BritishA creative menu that changes with the seasons has helped win this central restaurant a Michelin recommendation and two AA stars. It opens for breakfast and brunch as well as lunch and dinner, and there's a well-priced 'Pub Classics' menu for diners after a more relaxed experience.
Address: , 28 Oxford Street, Southampton, SO14 3DJTelephone: +44 23 8082 1990.
Website: http://www.idealcollection.co.uk/whitestartavern
Cheap
Fat Fig
Cuisine: GreekA traditional Greek restaurant that uses high-quality local ingredients and yet still manages to keep prices astoundingly low. The Fat Fig Meze Banquet, which encompasses a giant selection of dips as well as starters, a seafood course and a meat platter, is the restaurant's best offering.
Address: , 5 Bedford Place, Southampton, SO15 2DBTelephone: +44 23 8021 2111.
La Cantina
Cuisine: MexicanReasonably priced La Cantina serves fresh, tasty Mexican dishes, such as fajitas, tacos and fiery chillies, in a South American-style setting that combines hot Mexican colours and natural woods.
Address: , 2A-3A Bedford Place, Southampton, SO15 2BYTelephone: +44 23 8022 0500.
Website: http://www.idealcollection.co.uk/cantinamexican
Mango
Cuisine: ThaiThis lively Thai restaurant offers a menu of 'Thai Tapas' so diners can indulge in a great mix of fragrant snacks. It also has a list of mains that include traditional staples such as red and green curries. The woodcarvings and bamboo blinds infuse the place with some Eastern ambience.
Address: , 27 Portswood Road, Southampton, SO17 2ESTelephone: +44 23 8067 8877.
Website: http://www.mangothai.co.uk
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