Showing posts with label southampton restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southampton restaurant. Show all posts
The Exchange Romsey Review
The Exchange Romsey Review
The Exchange Romsey Review
The Exchange Romsey Review


The Exchange Romsey Review


So I think I've found the most Instagrammable cafe/restaurant/bar in Hampshire... The Exchange in Romsey. Elliot and I went for a wander around Romsey and stumbled across this little gem in the square. We'd already had a big breakfast so didn't fancy a massive lunch, instead we had a cup of tea and some cake, and weren't disappointed!

THE MENU

For a café/cocktail bar, The Exchange in Romsey has quite an extensive menu. They have quite a few brunch options, lunch dishes as well as various different tapas in the evenings. They also serve afternoon tea, pastries, cakes, and all sorts of other sweet treats. Their cocktail menu was huge, with all of the classics, and a happy hour every Thursday. 

THE DECOR

10/10. That's all I have to say, The Exchange is an Instagram dream and I will absolutely be returning. With pretty pink velvet chairs, a gorgeous bar, terrazzo tables and flooring, and pretty crockery, it's certainly ticking all of the decor boxes for me. 

THE FOOD

Now, we did only have a piece of cake each but they were delicious. I had the Victoria Sponge and Elliot had the lemon cake. They were both rich, moist but lovely, and light. We didn't see anyone else eating  whilst we were sat outside, but there were plenty of people having hot drinks.

EVERYTHING ELSE 

As for service, it was a little slow but we didn't mind and enjoyed just sitting in the square in the sun. For a hot drink on a sunny winter's day, there aren't many other places in Romsey that I'd rather sit. Price-wise, it was all fairly reasonable and not particularly extortionate considering the decor and the captive market. 


Overall, I would highly recommend The Exchange in Romsey. It's a truly aesthetic venue and the cake is pretty delicious. With the Causeway not too far away, it's a nice spot to visit after a wander... 

A new cocktail bar on the scene? Becca's there. I was recently invited down to Mbuntu in Southampton for a complimentary meal at their newly opened cocktail bar and bistro. Founded by Prince Ogbuji, who owns two other restaurants, Mbuntu is a very welcoming place. Mbuntu is an African word meaning “I am who I am because of who we are”. Their whole ethos is about bringing people together and having a real community feel...

Mbuntu Southampton Review

Mbuntu Southampton Review

Mbuntu Southampton Review

Let's get into the review, shall we?


Mbuntu Southampton Review

THE MENU

Having only just opened, there was only a limited menu available when we visited, but their full menu is far more vast. On the full menu is a bit of everything. From burritos to pasta, and katsu curries to burgers, there really is something for everyone on the menu. When we spoke to the owner, Prince, he also mentioned plans for a salad bar in the future, full of healthy and nutritious options...


Mbuntu Southampton Review









THE DECOR

When designing Mbuntu, it's very clear that they had aesthetics in mind. With cosy velvet chairs in pink and green, plants and neon signs, it's very much an instagrammable dream. Cocktails and velvet chairs? It's girls night galore. 



THE FOOD

As for the food, I had the Chicken Katsu Curry and it was really tasty! The portion was large (the bigger the better in my opinion), delicious and absolutely full of flavour. Dare I say it, I think it was far better than the cult Wagamama offering! My Mum had the Chicken wrap which again was very tasty and very much full of flavour. It's clear that the food at Mbuntu has been well thought out and perfected! 

Mbuntu Southampton Review

Mbuntu Southampton Review

EVERYTHING ELSE 

The staff were really friendly and attentive, and the cocktail menu was full of different offerings. I had a mango martini and it was delicious. One thing that was really refreshing to see was that cocktails were less than £10 each. The mango martini is £6.50! We love cocktails that don't break the bank!! 


Overall, I really enjoyed my evening at Mbuntu in Southampton and will definitely be eating there again next time I'm in the area. The food was great, the staff were so friendly and the decor is just fab...
Well, well, well, look who's been out for another fab meal. This week I was fortunate enough to be invited down to Bill's in Southampton to try out their menu for Foodie Fortnight and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Now, the meal was complimentary, but, as always, all of my views are 100% honest and my own.

But, anyway, what is Foodie Fortnight? It's, as the name suggests, two weeks of food deals in Southampton across a vast number of participating restaurants. FYI, all of the deals are online and you just need to book them in on their website.
Also, I have a confession to make, I don't think I've ever been to a Bill's before?! Yes, I know I'm a bad person and no, I haven't been living under a rock but somehow I just haven't been. Before attending I didn't even look at the menu as I wanted the entire experience to be a surprise. 

THE MENU

So, as part of Foodie Fortnight, there are two deals to be had: either, two courses for £15 or three courses for £18. Included on the menu is a real mix; from a veggie wellington to sea bass to a steak, as well as a few options for starters and desserts. Also, for anyone that's vegan, there's a couple of vegan starters, a main and a dessert on there too. For reference, the dinner special on the evening we were visiting was a salmon dish which apparently was really good.

 THE DECOR

Okay, wow. I'd heard on social media that Bill's had had a gorgeous new refurbishment but I wasn't expecting it to be thaaaat good. It's by far the prettiest restaurant I've ever been to and has real 'The Ivy' vibes. There are lots of plants everywhere, quirky prints, pretty wallpapers, trinkets, vases the lot. We were sat right by the window overlooking Arundel Tower and it was so so pretty as the sun set.  I can imagine that of a summer evening, sitting outside and sipping a cocktail here would be lovely!




THE FOOD 

To start, I had the chicken and sesame dumplings, which, isn't something I'd usually go for. They were really light and fresh-tasting, and the dip that came with them was delicious, it had a really nice kick to it but wasn't toooo spicy. I definitely recommend. 

For my main, I had the burger of the week. This week, and for the whole of Foodie Fortnight (*I think, please don't quote me on that) the burger of the week is a garlic and turmeric chicken burger. I'm going to be honest, I wasn't a massive fan of the fries, but the burger itself was fab. I loved all of the flavours and the chicken was cooked to perfection.

EVERYTHING ELSE

To drink I had a peach, elderflower and rosemary cooler (mocktail) and it was delicious. Again, if you're driving and fancy an Instagrammable drink, this is your guy. It was delicious. 

Price-wise, Bill's is definitely at the higher end of the restaurant chain spectrum but for good reason. The decor and ambiance is fab and definitely a good spot for a celebratory meal.



Have you ever been to Bill's?
Can going out for dinner be considered a hobby? Because, if so, sign me up and let me add it to the interests section of my CV. I looove going out for food. So, when Revolucion de Cuba invited me and a group of my friends down for dinner obviously I said yes, please! Over the weekend they celebrated their first birthday and I am so pleased I was able to be a part of it, we really had a blast. 

Our meals were all complimentary, but, as always, my opinions are all my own and 100% honest!

A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.
I'd never actually been to a Revolucion de Cuba before and for those who are also new to the chain, they're a cocktail bar and restaurant with, as the name suggests, a Cuban theme. There are currently 19 locations spread about the UK including restaurants in Southampton, Cardiff, Birmingham, and Aberdeen. Having had a little browse of the website I've also just spotted that they host cocktail masterclasses, how cool?

A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.
A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.

THE MENU

The first thing I'd like to mention is that there was an entire vegan menu - yay! I'm not vegan myself, but it's so fab to see more and more restaurants being accommodating and including more than just one we-ought-to-include-this tofu option on their menu! 

They also have a lunch menu, a brunch menu, a main meal menu aaand a tapas menu, so yeah, there's plenty of food to choose from. The main meals range from £9.50 to £13.50, and the tapas range from £4.50 to £6.50, so the prices are fairly standard for a high street chain. 

A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.

A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.

A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.

THE DECOR

I wasn't sure what I was expecting decor-wise, but I definitely wasn't disappointed. We were sat in the window on grey plush sofas - how very aesthetic, hey? There was also a very dreamy banana leaf wallpaper on the way up to the loos and lots of plants and trinkets scattered around the restaurant, you can just tell the decor had been very well thought out and planned!


A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.

A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.

THE FOOD 

Boring bits aside, let's discuss the food. The boys both opted for the chicken burger and wolfed it down in seconds, singing its praises. Karen and I both had tapas - and a portion of fries - because there was no way I could choose only one thing to have, this girl likes to have options.

I had the cheeseburger tacos and the chicken quesadillas, and they were both really tasty. Karen had the jerk fried chicken and the charred halloumi and said hers were really good too. The only downside is the portions aren't very big at all, so I'm very glad I ordered an extra side of fries!

For dessert, we ended up sharing a big plate of churros, and, let me tell you, the caramel rum sauce that comes with them is DELICIOUS. As in, on par with Biscoff kinda delicious.


A review of Revolucion de Cuba, a restaurant in Southampton.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Unfortunately, I was the designated driver but the cocktails all looked and sounded fab. I had a couple of virgin zombie slayer mocktails and they were genuinely really nice - if you're driving but fancy a 'nicer' drink I'd defo recommend that one, it was almost like a pornstar martini.

Now, I had no idea that there was an enitre dancefloor upstairs - who knew, eh? If I hadn't have been the one driving I most definitely would've been up there swigging a cocktail and having a boogie. 


Overall, I had a really good evening at Revolucion de Cuba. The food was tasty, I loved the vibe of the restaurant, and my friends and I had a really good time. I'd defo recommend checking them out!