Things to Do in Southampton in the Evening

Westquay brings several evening activities together, so you can start with an experience before deciding where to eat or have a drink.

Get Locked in a Room

An escape room gives your evening a clear starting point. At Locked in a Room, teams of up to six race against the clock to solve clues and escape from one of eight themed rooms. The format is built around teamwork, so it suits groups who would rather do something together than simply sit down for the evening.

Sessions are time-limited, which also makes it easier to plan what comes next. You could book a room first, then head to one of Westquay's restaurants afterwards. Booking ahead is sensible, particularly for popular evening slots.

Go Bowling at Hollywood Bowl

Hollywood Bowl gives you a more relaxed form of competition, with bowling lanes alongside retro arcade games, VIP areas and virtual reality experiences. There is also a diner, so you can add food and drinks to the visit rather than treating the bowling as a standalone activity.

That makes it flexible for an evening with friends or family. Start with a game, spend some time in the arcade and decide afterwards whether you want to stay for food or move on to somewhere else in Westquay.

Take on Boom Battle Bar

For a more competitive evening, Boom Battle Bar brings several games together in one venue. The line-up includes axe throwing, shuffleboard, Boom Box karaoke and darts, with street food and drinks available alongside the activities.

The variety means you can build the evening around the games themselves, particularly if your group has different ideas about what counts as fun. It also works as a starting point before dinner or drinks elsewhere.

Catch a Film at Showcase Cinema de Lux

If you'd rather settle in for the evening, Showcase Cinema de Lux has 10 screens, including an XPlus auditorium with a supersized screen and Dolby Atmos sound. The Luxury Gallery experience adds extra legroom, a welcome drink, refillable popcorn and access to a VIP bar and lounge.

With late screenings and Friday and Saturday sessions extending into the early hours, the cinema can work as the main event after dinner or as a way to finish the evening. Check the current listings when planning your visit, particularly if you're looking for a specific film or screening time.

Once you've finished an activity, Westquay has several restaurants covering very different styles of dinner. That makes the choice less about finding somewhere to eat and more about deciding what you want the meal to be like.

Enjoy Sourdough Pizza at Franco Manca

Franco Manca specialises in slow-risen, wood-fired sourdough pizza, with fresh seasonal ingredients and a menu that includes classic combinations alongside changing specials.

It is a straightforward option when pizza is the plan, whether you're eating before an evening activity or sitting down afterwards. The restaurant also takes reservations, which can be worth considering if you have a fixed cinema or entertainment booking to work around.

Try a Little of Everything at COSMO

COSMO takes a different approach with an all-you-can-eat world buffet covering cuisines including Indian, Japanese, Italian and British dishes. There are also teppanyaki and sushi options, alongside desserts.

The variety makes it particularly practical for groups where everyone wants something different. Evening opening times vary through the week, so check ahead if you're planning around a later activity.

Go Big on Italian at L'Osteria

L'Osteria is known for its giant 18-inch stone-baked pizzas, which are designed to be shared or enjoyed as a meal in their own right. The menu also includes fresh pasta, salads, antipasti and desserts.

If you're planning a longer dinner before a film, drinks or another evening activity, the Italian menu gives you more scope for a full meal rather than a quick stop.

Eat, Listen to Live Music and Watch the Match at Kwackers

Kwackers brings Western and Asian street food together, with dishes including bao, sticky wings and crispy duck fries. Food is only part of the evening, though. The venue also has live music and giant screens showing major matches.

That makes it one of the more entertainment-led dinner options in Westquay. Check what's being shown or whether live music is scheduled if those are part of the reason you're choosing it.

Share Greek Plates at The Real Greek

The Real Greek focuses on hot and cold meze, grilled meats, salads and pittas inspired by Greece and Cyprus. The menu is designed around sharing, so you can order several dishes for the table instead of everyone choosing a single main course.

It's a natural fit for a longer dinner with friends or family, particularly if you want the meal itself to be part of the evening rather than something squeezed in between activities.

You can keep the evening going at one of Westquay's bars, with different options depending on whether you're looking for cocktails, food, live sport or a more substantial late meal.

Meet for Drinks and Small Plates at All Bar One

All Bar One combines cocktails, wines and craft beers with a menu of small plates, salads, burgers and mains. The sharing options make it possible to stop for a drink and a few plates or settle in for a longer evening.

Its late opening on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays also makes it an option after dinner or an evening activity.

Settle in for BBQ at Red Dog Saloon

Red Dog Saloon takes its inspiration from Austin-style barbecue, with in-house smoked brisket, ribs and pulled pork alongside burgers and other dishes. The Western-inspired setting adds a different atmosphere to the evening.

It's worth considering when dinner and drinks are effectively the same part of the plan. You can settle in for a full meal, order a drink and stay for the atmosphere instead of moving between several venues.

Watch Live Sport at Tap & Tandoor

Tap & Tandoor combines Indian-inspired cooking with craft beer, cocktails and live sport. The menu includes mixed grills, curries and sharing plates, while major matches are shown on screens around the venue.

If the fixture is the reason you're planning the evening, this gives you somewhere to eat and watch at the same time. Check the venue's current listings if you're looking for a particular match.

See a Show at Mayflower Theatre

For a more traditional night out, check what's on at Mayflower Theatre. The Grade II-listed Art Deco theatre is one of Southampton's main cultural venues, with 2,270 seats and a programme spanning touring musicals, dance, opera, drama, ballet and comedy.

The programme changes throughout the year, so the show itself should determine the rest of your evening. You could have an early dinner before the curtain rises, or plan drinks afterwards depending on the performance time.

Current listings include productions such as Moulin Rouge! The Musical, SIX, Jersey Boys and La bohème, with the programme continuing into 2027. Check the Mayflower's current What's On listings for dates, times and booking information.

Explore Southampton's History 

Not every evening activity needs to happen indoors. If you're starting earlier, Southampton's historic centre gives you a way to explore the city before heading to Westquay for dinner, drinks or entertainment.

Follow the Medieval Walls from the Bargate

The Bargate and Southampton's medieval walls work best as one walk rather than two separate stops. The Walk the Walls trail begins at the Bargate and takes you through the Old Town, following surviving sections of the city's historic defences and pointing out towers, arches and other features along the way.

The route is self-guided, so you can set your own pace and finish when you've had enough history. Starting at the Bargate also gives the walk a clear landmark rather than asking you to find an arbitrary point on the route.

This is better suited to the earlier part of an evening, particularly outside the longer summer daylight hours. You can then head towards Westquay for dinner or continue into the Old Town for food and drinks.

Follow Southampton's Titanic Trail

Southampton's connection with Titanic gives you another self-guided route through the city. The Titanic Trail links memorials and other points of interest connected with the passengers and crew who departed from Southampton on Titanic's maiden voyage.

It offers a different way to explore the city before dinner, with the trail connecting historical information to locations around the centre. As with the medieval walk, it is best treated as an earlier-evening activity, with the time of year and available daylight worth considering when planning your route.

There isn't one formula for an evening in Southampton. The easiest way to plan is to choose the part you most want to do, then add dinner, drinks or another activity around it.

For a Competitive Evening

Start with Locked in a Room or Boom Battle Bar, then head to dinner. The first gives you a timed puzzle challenge, while the second lets you choose from several competitive games. Both give the evening a clear activity before you sit down to eat.

For Dinner and a Film

Choose one of Westquay's restaurants, then head upstairs to Showcase Cinema de Lux for a later screening. Checking the film time before booking dinner gives you enough time to eat without rushing through the meal.

For Live Sport

Choose Kwackers or Tap & Tandoor when the match is the main event. Both combine food and drinks with screens, while Tap & Tandoor specifically focuses on live sport and Kwackers adds live music to the mix.

For Theatre

Check what's playing at Mayflower Theatre first, then work backwards from the performance time. An early dinner can fit before the show, while a later meal or drink gives you somewhere to continue the evening afterwards.

For History and Dinner

Start at the Bargate and follow the medieval walls while there is still enough daylight to explore comfortably. You can then head towards Westquay for dinner, or continue into the Old Town for food and drinks.

The advantage of planning your Southampton evening this way is that you don't have to choose between an activity, a meal and something to see. The city centre and Westquay put several different parts of the evening within reach of one another, while the theatre and historic routes give you other ways to shape the night.