Food you have to eat in Southampton before you die
Even better after a few Jesticles
From curry to churros, our city is jam-packed with seriously good food, all from a healthy range of independent restaurants and national favourites. We’ve rounded up a selection of the standout places where you’ll want to spend all of your loan this year.
The cherry on top? All of these restaurants are available on Deliveroo – result.
Lakaz Maman, 22 Bedford Place
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Most popular dish: The Magic Bowl (starting from £8.50) – a Chinese-Mauritian dish which is a special stir fry finished with a fried egg on top! It’s popular because it can be adapted to suit every dietary need.
Try before you die: The Salad Orite (£5.95) for the delicious octopus, or the Mutton Cari Lakaz Maman (£9.95) – the meat is so tender it melts in the mouth.
Student discount: Why yes – ten per cent off. On top of that, they run a BYOB policy: £5 per bottle of wine, £1.50 per bottle/can of beer and £10 per bottle of 70cl spirit.
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“I wanted the restaurant to be intimate enough to feel like home – relaxing with great food, just like the name suggests. Lakaz Maman means Mum’s house in Creole, the language spoken in Mauritius.”
You may recognise the name Shelina Permalloo – that’s because the owner of Lakaz Maman was crowned the 2012 winner of BBC’s Masterchef, after astounding John and Gregg with her gourmet cuisine heavily influenced by her Mauritian heritage.
Shelina said: “After winning Masterchef I think people naturally assumed I would open a restaurant in London, which I did consider. However, after a lot of research and a desire to return back home to Southampton I decided on this spot in Bedford Place.”
Thank goodness that she decided to set up shop at home. Lakaz Maman offers a wide selection of absolutely delicious Mauritian street food with a modern twist. From curries to burgers, there is definitely something here to suit every palette and dietary requirement (we’re looking at you, vegans).
Shelina said: “Our roti wraps (starting from £8.95) are really filling so students tend to opt for those. We have also introduced ‘freakshakes,’ which are unsurprisingly flying out of the door!”
Shrimp & Burger, 29 Bedford Place
Courtesy of Shrimp & Burger
Most popular dish: The Rodeo Burger (£7.95) – beef patty, crisp shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced beef tomato, sweet red onions, griddled smoked streaky bacon, bbq sauce and San Miguel Tempura onion rings on top of a brioche bun. Oof.
Try before you die: The Louisiana Burger (£8.95) because it not only has bacon and cheese, but also peanut butter. This is not a drill.
Student discount: A rather generous 25 per cent off with a valid student card.
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When Bedford Place was desperately crying out for a laid back, American-style diner, Shrimp & Burger stepped up to the plate. Opening in November 2014, Shrimp & Burger serve exactly what it says on the tin – a range of shrimp and burger dishes. Throw in some hot dogs, wings and nachos and you’ve got yourself a party.
General Manager Wayne Clark added: “Our milkshakes are definitely a favourite too, especially amongst students.”
Thinking you’re out of options if you’re a vegetarian? Guess again. Shrimp & Burger have two great veggie options: the Shroom (£6.50) and the Arancini (£7.50).
Shrimp & Burger also run a fun social media challenge. Wayne said: “If a customer uploads a photo to Facebook of them dining at Shrimp & Burger and gets 30 likes in 30 minutes, they receive their main dish for free!” Get snapping.
Tapas Barcelona, 3 Arts Quarter Guildhall Square
Courtesy of Tapas Barcelona
Most popular dish: The Patatas Bravas (£3) is extremely popular, as is the House Paella (£12.50), especially as the nights draw colder.
Try before you die: Try their house special, Homemade Pork Meatballs (£4) or the traditional Prawn Pil Pil (£6) – prawns in chilli, olive oil and garlic.
Student discount: Are you ready for this? Firstly they run an ‘After Work Club’ (which includes students) Monday to Saturday 3.30pm to 7pm, offering 2-4-1 on cocktails and 30 per cent off all house drinks,. During the ‘After Work Club’ their ‘Tapas Trees’ are also on offer, which means you can enjoy four dishes for a mere £12.
Courtesy of Tapas Barcelona
Found in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, Tapas Barcelona has been serving authentic tapas since December 2015.
Marketing Director Annaliese Hughes said: “We have always had a passion for new concepts and as a family have spent much time enjoying the culture and cuisine of Spain. Tapas Barcelona was the perfect opportunity to combine an exciting new project with years of ideas and inspiration taken from our time in Spain.
“We have always enjoyed the social focus of Spanish dining and the concept of sharing small plates as and when they arrive. The whole experience is very relaxed and the diversity of tapas dishes enables diners to try a range of tastes and flavours.”
If you thought the food and drinks weren’t enough, Tapas Barcelona also holds regular Flamenco nights, so you’re just going to have to get involved after a few glasses of Rioja.
Order from all of these amazing restaurants, as well as the favourites you love like Wagamamas, Pizza Express and GBK, on Deliveroo now