• The Art House Performance Venue & Social Centre

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  • White Vegan
Vegan
Western
British

Performance venue, social centre and meeting place serving vegan food and drinks during its events which include live music, performance poetry, storytelling and comedy. Also hosts workshops and classes, a vegan community cafe drop-in, a pay-as-you-feel community pantry and vegan pop-ups by local chefs. Open for performance events most Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (ticketed, mostly). Will be located here until March 16th. Open Wed 11:00-15:00, Sat 11:00-15:00.


Venue map for The Art House Performance Venue & Social Centre
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28 Reviews

First Review by teafour2

kkerlley

Points +26

Vegan
11 Feb 2023

Lovely quirky café

Lovely quirky café with affordable tasty vegan options. They used to have loads of events but now only seem to open o couple of days a week.

Updated from previous review on 2023-02-11

Pros: Good pricey, Cosy

Cons: Opening hours

The Art House

06 May 2023

Hi - thanks so much for taking the time to review us. Since the pandemic, we have repurposed the space to be open three days a week as a community cafe, plus performance events - we also have space for hire. Check out our 'What's on' on the website, we still have loads of events😄

rodriscoll

Points +28

Vegan
22 Sep 2022

Great service and good vegan cake

Very relaxing for coffee and cake to take a break … staff are v friend and service good and good value for money

The Art House

06 May 2023

Thanks so much! We're glad you enjoyed the cake - we love making it😄

TrevorWeeks

Points +582

Vegan
20 Aug 2021

Quirky Place

If you want somewhere a little different go here! Lovely friendly staff. Didnt have main food available when we visited. Cake was best lemon drizzle I've ever had!

Updated from previous review on 2021-08-20

The Art House

06 May 2023

So glad you enjoyed the cake!

We no longer serve full lunches but do now have sos rolls, pasites and soups (all vegan) when we're open.

Kajoca

Points +23

Vegan
10 Feb 2021

What's not to like!

Amazing environment, lovely staff, delicious food, it's very welcoming! LGBTQ allies

The Art House

06 May 2023

Thank you so much! You may like to know that our management team and the majority of our crew aren't just allies, but LGBTQ+ ourselves😄we're glad you found it welcoming.

JamesRJ

Points +101

Vegan
09 Dec 2019

Good vegan sausage roll

Had an amazing vegan sausage roll here which was massive so definitely worth the price! came with a really nice salad too

Had some amazing looking vegan desserts but didn't try them this time

A nice and relaxing vibe inside aswell

Updated from previous review on 2019-12-09

Pros: Good value for money, Nice vibe inside

Jtydlaska

Points +582

Vegan
01 Sep 2019

Go for Sunday lunch!

The Sunday lunch roast (always vegan) was the best meal I had during my 3 weeks in the UK. Reservations are suggested but it wasn’t so crowded when I went and so don’t let a lack of planning keep you from going. Really wonderful.

Pros: Amazing Sunday roast, Tons of vegan options on normal menu, Vegan cakes!

hheatherrose

Points +94

Vegetarian
09 May 2019

Best place for feel good organic local food

Everything is local and organic and non profit, good food options and plenty of groups and events that go on there, heart of the community

Pros: Vegan and veggie only

Cons: Little expensive

UseSignalMessenger

Points +47

Vegan
04 Dec 2018

Doesn't feel clean, but good food though

Great food, but it smells of shared student accommodation mixed with old clothes charity shop.

They try to concentrate too much under one roof. They have a swap shop, they sell used books, their display front windows give a mixed message - as they display old stuff on sale as well as have a table where people can be watched sipping their coffee - similar to some places in Amsterdam.

They also have artistic perfomances, which are very good, but again, in a cramped space.

The stairs are very steep and people with less mobility have less options of where to sit.

Sometimes the staff put some really loud quick tempo music when people are having an afternoon coffee - they are mainly volunteers, so everyone feels bad to complaint - but a bit of common sense wouldn't go amiss.

I wish they would improve so I could take my friends there. I know they have limited money, but now that there is an animal sanctuary charity shop in Southampton - at Marlands Shopping Mall, then they could concentrate on the restaurante and comedy and music performances - until they save enough money to reform the building - which really needs doing.

Pros: Food quality and variety, Friendly staff, Location

Cons: Bad smell, Toilet , They should focus on restaurant and performances

Coconut2

Points +118

Vegan
25 Apr 2018

Middle Eastern Mezze

Delicious!! Really recommend!
Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Good place to go for food or an event.
Overall menu looks really tasty so I will be back for more ;)

Cons: 10.95

Raw Morka

Points +351

Vegan
02 Feb 2018

Lovely place

The food is tasty but nothing sophisticated, with few vegan options. The place is very cute, cosy with the lovely artistic decor. Friendly service. The best from all veggie places I visited in Southampton.

Sabine11

Points +47

Mostly Veg
11 Jan 2018

Most ethical venue around

Great organic food and drink, and great music and other events.
A lot of the staff are volunteers and everyone is very friendly and helpful.

TheVeganBuddhist

Points +2716

Vegan
25 Nov 2017

Fantastic Atmosphere

The Art House has a great atmosphere. They have loads of events here. It is fantastic that it is run on a volunteer system.

The food is okay here. Not the best vegan food in the City. Unfortunately they are not also a fully vegan establishment as they serve dairy.

But this is still a great place to hang out in a warm welcoming atmosphere surrounded by like minded individuals.

Pros: Great atmosphere , Super friendly staff , Relaxing

Cons: Not the best food, Not fully vegan

AnaBanannaPancake

Points +303

Vegan
11 Nov 2017

cute cafe

Cute cafe I used to volunteer for when I first move to Southampton. Delicious freshly made food and also delicious cakes. They have lot of events going on as well. Went there recently on Sunday for a roast and it was delicious

Pros: delicious food, reasonably priced, cute and quirky

MollyCrawford

Points +39

Vegan
08 Nov 2017

Lovely enchilada

Such a cute cafe, volunteers working. Enchiladas which involved chili, tomato sauce, salad, vegan cheese, tortilla and vegan cream. Lovely vegan meal.

Pros: Friendly atmosphere

Cons: Such nice food and so near the train station

HazelJordan

Points +20

Vegan
09 Aug 2017

favourite café in Southampton!

Really lovely vibe, very friendly staff, good food with many vegan options available (including most importantly vegan cake!). Loads of really great events too, highly recommend the open mic night at the end of each month.
I met my love here so I biasedly love the place even more, very special!

Pros: vegan cake!, lovely staff

hayleymarie852

Points +64

Vegan
08 Aug 2017

Yummy

Really cosy little cafe with super friendly staff and a grest range of vegan amd gluten free cakes. Didn't sample the "proper" food as we just popped in for a shopping break, but heard people nearby commenting on the generous portions. My only issue is that some of the drinks were quite pricey compared to other cafes - pot of tea for 1 was £2.95, a glass of orange juice was £2.50 - but overall was a lovely visit. The Art House also host a range of events and sell local art, jewellery and vintage clothes.

Pros: Lots of vegan options, Cosy, calm atmosphere , Really friendly and helpful staff

Cons: Slightly expensive drinks

falafffel

Points +3103

Vegan
31 Jul 2016

Lovely place, great food

The Art House is one of the nicest places to go for vegans in Southampton. The place is really beautiful and full of little details and the food they make is always freshly prepared and delicious. I had on of their pastries with a choice of salads as well as some local organic pear juice. The salads all had different spices to them and tasted exotic and great.

Pros: Lovely atmosphere, delicious and fresh food

veganaurora

Points +257

Vegan
16 Jul 2016

Meh!

Nice decor and clearly a good community hub but wouldn't come here for food again.
The food worked out to be expensive for what it was, either that or we were wrongly billed. A bowl of bland pureed soup (of unidentified vegetable matter) with bread had to be left half eaten as it wasn't interesting enough.
My 'cheesy' leek tart tasted savoury but not of leek or vegan cheesiness, it was also unappetising in appearance and had little texture. Some salad with it was also pretty dull.
I hate to give a review like this but for over £20 (including 2 drinks of bottled juice) didn't feel very satisfied.

Pros: Good community hub

Cons: Not good value for what it was, Uninspiring bland food.

sling

Points +29

Vegan
29 May 2016

Vegan Ice Cream!! Oh and delicious food too...

The food is all tasty and lovingly prepared (and of course cruelty free!).

Staff are warm and friendly.

DELICIOUS VEGAN ICE CREAM!

Pros: Tasty food, Friendly staff, Vegan Ice Cream!!

Gupalsmurthpadacal

Points +86

Vegan
01 May 2016

awesome little find

lovely cafe found in the 'cultural quarters' of Southampton which is rather ironic given all the corporate bands found in said area. There was an extensive menu with lots of vegan options. Staff were very freindly and looking at the activity calender it was clear that the art house is a hive of activity in the local community.

Pros: lots of vegan options. Reasonably priced. Communit

jeo

Points +48

Vegan
29 Dec 2015

A haven in Southampton

A really nice place for me to discover at the end of a long day in Southampton. I had vegan pea and mint soup, tasty bread and a vegan hot chocolate. Lovely!

Pros: Quiet but friendly

EY

Points +16

Vegan
16 Aug 2015

Nice relaxed place - vegetarian with vegan options

This is a nice relaxed place with a vegetarian menu. The menu states that some of the dishes can be converted to vegan. The day I went (Saturday lunchtime) there was free live music. I ordered coffee which was a little pricey but delicious and also came in a cafetiere so could top-up. The downside for me was some confusion from the staff regarding what was vegetarian and what was vegan and this put me off trying the food.

Baldwin471

Points +98

Vegan
04 Jul 2015

Delicious

Really nice little cafe. I only visited Southampton for the day, so only tried a couple of things. I had the burrito made vegan and it was amazing. Really thick filling, cooked very well and the nachos on the side were great. I had a craft beer which was also pretty good. Not the cheapest place in the world, but well worth it. Would love to go back and try more things!

Pros: Tasty as hell, Good selection, Great central location

Cons: Little bit pricey, Weekday only items :(

imogenmichel

Points +2633

Vegan
05 Jun 2014

Great vegan Sunday roast!

I came here with a friend on a sunny Sunday afternoon to try their vegan roast lunch. It was very tasty (vegan toad in the hole!) and pretty good value for money. The Art House also seems like a really vibrant alternative cultural centre for Southampton with a very nice atmosphere and friendly vibe. My one criticism would be that they don't bother to mark vegan options on the menu, which was a bit of a surprise for a vegetarian cafe. I'll definitely be coming back here though next time I'm in Southampton!

Pros: Delicious vegan Sunday lunch, Friendly, artsy atmosphere, Lovely building

Cons: Does not label vegan

VeganFoodEnthusiast

Points +106

Vegan
14 May 2014

Atmospheric, Ethical, Not-For-Profit

My mother and I originally wanted to come here for the spoken word poetry night (the Archimedes Screw Showcase- all of which was amazing)and were beyond glee when we found out the place was almost entirely vegan. We had the Greek Mezze sharer for 2 (Organic stuffed vine leaves, olives, fresh organic salad, homemade hummus, and toasted pita) with two tropical smoothies to start, followed by chocolate fudge cake and coffee walnut cake with chai tea and coffee. The coffee walnut cake was my favourite thing there, hands down, though the chocolate one was also great. As a vegan, it was strange being so spoilt for choice in the baking department, and I found out later that they actually sell the recipes for £1 each.

Added to all the foodie charm was the fact that it's a not-for-profit, run mostly by volunteers... This is a café, bar, venue and gallery for local artists. The sets were great, the food is yummy, and the vibe is most definitely progressive. I'll be coming back whenever I next get the chance.

Pros: Homemade, organic food, Great atmosphere, Not-for-profit venue

Cons: Not completely vegan

SallyC1

Points +53

Vegan
06 Feb 2014

Tea, cake and more

I'm a big fan of the Art House for tea and cake - all of which is vegan. It's great to be able to not only have vegan cake but to be able to choose which one you fancy!
I've also had some nice light meals there.
It's not a fancy place - it's a community interest company. Almost all the staff are volunteers and service can be a bit slow but never so much that it's a problem. I always find it really friendly and such a breath of fresh air compared to the high street chains.

Pros: vegan cake, friendly, good value

Cons: service can be slow, noisy if there's live music

Amy1274

Points +4979

Vegan
22 Aug 2012

Somewhere to spend a whole evening

Dropped in for a quick bite and stayed all night! This is a vegetarian cafe/community centre/boutique, with vegan options availiable (ask staff about the specials). The decor and overall atmosphere are great, with books and board games to do, and live music and open-mike comedy on some evenings (donations for entertainment appreciated). Well worth a try!

Pros: location, atmosphere, price




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