Over the summer, our Student Communications Team worked with student intern and final year Olivia to find out her top places to visit in Southampton. Have a read of Olivia’s top rated places to visit in her guest blog post below.
So, you’re a fresher at Southampton? Get ready to be thrown into a city full of fun things to do, see (and eat!). I’m Olivia, a third-year Politics student and – to help you out a bit – I’ve made this list of some of my favourite places in Southampton.
Portswood high street is essentially London’s Oxford Street for Soton students. It’s where it’s all happening. Some highlights include Baffi, one of the best places for a proper authentic Italian pizza, and only a ten-minute walk from Highfield campus!
Trago Lounge is another place to catch up with friends over coffee or brunch, plus they do great cocktails and it’s a good place to go in the evening too. 7Bone in Portswood is also popular because of their amazing burgers, dirty fries, and milkshakes. If you’re feeling like eating your body weight in cheesy chilli topped fries, get yourself down to 7Bone.
On a slightly healthier note, Café Thrive in the city centre is a super Instagrammable vegan cafe – think açai bowls, smoothies, and quinoa. It’s super cute inside and worth a visit even if you’re not vegan.
If films are your thing then you should definitely check out Union Films on campus. It’s so much cheaper than regular cinemas, with tickets from just £3.00! If you’re happy to wait a few weeks or months to watch that new blockbuster, Union Films is perfect. Their selection of drinks and snacks are cheap too, only a couple of pounds for a drink or some popcorn.
Another highlight of Highfield campus is Karaoke in the Stags on Thursday nights. It’s a great night and the perfect midweek break from lectures. It is really popular though, so get there early if you want seats! Also, try out the 2 for 1 pizza in the Stags for just £5.00, you honestly can’t go wrong.
A trip to St. Mary’s to watch the football is a rite of passage, and if you keep your eye out on the SUSU Facebook page, they sometimes sell cheap student tickets. I’m not even a football fan, but did I brave the November cold to watch Saints vs Newcastle? Of course I did, and I couldn’t call myself a Southampton student if I hadn’t.
If you like gaming, take a trip to Board in the City. A board game cafe in the City Centre, open six days a week and they offer a huge variety of board games to play over a coffee or a milkshake. Or, if retail therapy is more your style, Westquay and the city centre is the obvious choice. There is a huge range of shops, from Tommy Hilfiger and Urban Outfitters to Zara and Primark , you can always find what you’re looking for. If you get hungry, there’s also all the recognisable chain restaurants; Nandos, Wagamama, Pizza Express and more!
So there we have it, a snapshot of all the best places to go on campus and beyond! I hope this list gave you a nice little insight into the things we all love about Southampton and what makes it a great place to live and study!
Where’s your favourite place to go? Tell us in the comments.
