REVIEW:
Now, I wouldn’t suggest that you upsticks on a Saturday night and pop down to Southampton for a top night on the tiles, but I will go as far as to say that Southampton has a couple of bars that could rival some of the more swanky nightspots in London’s Hoxton and Shoreditch, and The Orange Rooms is certainly one of them.

Nestled in between London Road and the funky Bedford Place, The Orange Rooms is, as you might imagine, decorated in warm orange and brown tones, with leather sofas and muted lighting. There are two bars, the downstairs one tends to be a bit more lively, and the upstairs one for those who want a bit more comfort and a squashy leather sofa to cosy up to someone on.

There’s an extensive range of spirits on the back bar, and a hefty Cocktail Menu, taking in the popular classics like Martinis and Daiquiris, but made with quality ingredients such as Stolichnaya Russian Vodka and Bombay Sapphire Gin as opposed to other less premium spirits. Be prepared to stump up around £4 for the average cocktail, and around £2.80 for a shooter, which is about what you would expect to pay outside of London. The clientele tends to be young, trendy Southamptonites and a few richer students, shaking their hips to the DJ’s funky beats into the early hours. It’s also got a late licence from Thursday until Saturday, so when the night is just getting started, you won’t have your drink ripped from your hands and thrust into the darkness by a big burly bouncer, at least not for another couple of hours anyway.

Visit the Orange Rooms website at www.orangerooms.co.uk for more information.