It's been a great year for new pubs in the city.

Despite the difficulties faced in the hospitality industry, there's been a smattering of venues launched in Southampton.

Here's our guide to the newest spots to try out in 2025, if you haven't already given them a go since their respective launches in 2024

Raven & Bine

(Image: Newsquest / Lorelei Reddin) 
A delightfully quirky second venue off Bedford Place from the city's celebrated Dancing Man Brewery team opened in June. 

Raven & Bine, in Carlton Place, features the whole range of Dancing Man brews, decor straight out of a London pub in Victorian times and a wonderful city centre beer garden with blooms, vines and twinkling lights. 

Directors Aidan Lavin, Mandy Lacey and Malcolm Kersley and manager Josh Kentigern-Fox worked hard at transforming the venue, formerly Smugglers. 

Raven & Bine, a nod to the ravens used in taxidermy which features around the pub and the bines so important in the process of brewing beer, stocks Big Casino, a 5.7% IPA, lager Necessary Evil and the rest of the Dancing Man range, alongside Isle of Wight mermaid gin, an  impressive wine list and much more. 

The Dell 

(Image: SDE) The Dell pub at St Mary's opened its doors ahead of Southampton's Premier League fixture against Tottenham earlier this month. 

The Daily Echo were among those invited to the pub, located in the old ticket office, for its grand opening.

Lighting fixtures are suspended from the ceiling, with exposed brick walls and several items of Saints memorabilia hanging around the watering hole.

Saints hope to make The Dell pub a location that supporters and Southampton residents will frequent regularly, even on non matchdays. 

Peroni, Asahi, Grolsch, Guinness, Neck Oil, Meantime Cutty Haze IPA and Cornish Orchards are all available on tap with dart boards and shuffleboard providing entertainment.

Smokin' Barrels

(Image: Smokin' Barrels) Opened in November, Smokin' Barrels on Oxford Street is already making a name for itself as the go-to place for beers and cocktails, kebabs and burgers - and even battered chocolate bars! 

Choose from Mars, Snickers, Ferrero Rocher, Kit Kat, Bounty or Oreo treats lightly battered and served with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. 

That's if you can manage a dessert after feasting on one of the delicious Turkish kebab sharing boards, breakfast, fish and chips or smashed burgers, including the Belly Buster, described as 'absolutely banging' on one of the TripAdvisor five star reviews the pub has already amassed.

On the drinks front, the small but mighty venue serves draught Madri, Coors, Level Head and Staropramen, as well as Thatchers Gold Cider, Prior Life, Guinness and Abbot. Rocking Rudolph ale, available for a limited time this Christmas, is currently going down a storm. 

The Engineers Arms

(Image: Matt Davey) A father and daughter  have reopened the Engineers Arms as a pub after it ceased trading in 1982.

Markus and Esmay Dov reopened the pub on Northam Road, that dates back to the 1850s, in July.

Having previously been the landlord of the Windsor Castle in Shirley for two-and-a-half years, Markus has moved across the city to open his “dream community pub,” which took four and a half months to get ready before opening.

After closing as pub more than 40 years ago, the Engineers Arms had most recently been operated by a firm of dental technicians.

Based in Northam and a stone’s throw away from St Mary’s Stadium, the new owners welcome Saints fans on matchdays.