Southampton's drinking scene is in two main clusters. The Old Town pubs around Bugle Street and French Street are mostly traditional — exposed beams, well-kept ale, a bit older crowd. The Bedford Place strip north of the centre is busier, younger, and has the bulk of the cocktail and craft beer venues. Oxford Street between them runs to wine bars and brasseries.
The most distinctive single place to drink in the city is the Wool House — Dancing Man Brewery in a 13th-century stone warehouse on Town Quay. The medieval vaulted interior and the brewery's own beers make it worth a special visit. The Duke of Wellington on Bugle Street is the classic Old Town pub, in a Tudor building from 1490. The Platform on Town Quay does decent pub food with a view of the cruise terminals.
For coffee, Mettricks on Guildhall Square is the city's reliable independent. Caracoli in Westquay has good pastries. The food halls in Westquay Watermark and the older East Street Centre both have rotating coffee operators.