Késarum

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#1 of 671 Restaurants in Southampton$$ - $$$, Indian, Asian, Vegetarian friendly

+44 23 8063 8998+ Add website

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Hours

Thu

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Fri

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Sat

12:00 pm - 2:30 pm5:30 pm - 11:59 pm

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

5.0

418 reviews

#1 of 671 Restaurants in Southampton

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Indian, Contemporary, Asian, Healthy, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

“A precious gem of Indian cuisine well worth nurturing and supporting!”

“Best Indian curry I have had so far”

“If you want a vindaloo or a korma, go to a curry house, if you want some outs...”

Location and contact

25 High Street QE2 Mile, Below Bar, Southampton SO14 2DF England

+44 23 8063 8998

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Does this restaurant offer free wifi?

Yes

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Details

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About

Késarum [kay-sir-rum(Saffron in Sanskrit)]: multi-award-nominated creative Plant-Based Indian cuisine with wine pairings and open plan kitchen. Innovative. Independent. Seasonal. 30% off food all of January. Come and see what we're about!

PRICE RANGE

$33.00 – $83.00

CUISINES

Indian, Asian, Contemporary, Healthy

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly, Non-smoking restaurants

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5.0

418 reviews

Excellent

408

Very good

Average

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Terrible

Moh A

2 contributions

10/10 dining experience - strongly recommend

Jun 2022 • friends

I’m a meat eater and was nervous to visit Késarum, but I was hugely shocked and impressed after my experience there. Firstly, I really respect the fact that the interior is mainly upcycled antiques. I found the bar in particular to be beautiful. Moving on, I was blown away by the food and cocktails, which were presented beautifully. The innovations in both the food and cocktails and combinations of flavour were truly divine, and like nothing else I have tasted in Southampton. I strongly recommend the beetroot aloo tikki, soya cheap, and bharwa shimla mirch in particular. It was clear a lot of dedication and care has been put into the food and drinks menu. The quality of food and cocktails I had here are genuinely up there with restaurants I’ve visited in central london, but for a fraction of the price. I cannot recommend this place enough to both meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans. I recognise the interior and ambience is a work in progress, but this bold and exciting venture is a far cry from bog standard indian restaurants. The owner was very hospitable and polite, and I can see why this place has such good reviews. Kesarum is a diamond in the rough, please support this local business. It really deserves to keep growing and to be a success.

Written 21 June 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tony E

Beaulieu34 contributions

Hidden Gem on Southampton High Street

Jul 2022 • couples

Plant Based food on a different level. Kesarum’s menu is small yet perfectly formed. They offer mains in typical main dish portion size, or two smaller dishes (sides) instead. We opted for four sides instead of two mains, and added rice and breads. And we also had starters to share What a result this was. We enjoyed what became a fantastic Taster Menu of our very own. Their guidance of tastes and flavours through their media showed a complete understanding of Chef’s work and creations. The food was up their with Michelin star venues. And even with several large glasses of wine offered greater value for money than any other Indian restaurant we’ve dined at in the area, and for a quality of food on a different level. For plant based cuisine, it is superb. For vegan cuisine, it is superb, And if you’re not vegan nor plant based, then you’re seriously missing out. Wifey and I are new to plant based dining and the flavours of their food surpasses every other Indian restaurant we’ve ever dined in. Great work you guys, you were faultless and I sincerely hope you are successful because you’re leading the way with great food and healthy eating. Kesarum is now on our return to list.

Written 14 July 2022

Ailu G

London12 contributions

Best vegan restaurant I've ever been to!

Jul 2022 • none

I always find it really hard to find a quality restaurant in Southampton, but having tried Kesarum, don't think I need to look any further. The food is creative, full of flavour - you can tell it was made by someone who is passionate about cooking. I've been to a fair share of vegan and vegetarian restaurants but this one is by far my absolute favorite! I will recommend to anyone visiting Southampton - meat eaters or not! And the prices were incredible really for the food and service we got - we ate 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 cocktails and 2 beers for £30 per person!!! I couldn't believe it.

Written 2 July 2022

Richard A

1 contribution

Terrific food with great balance of flavours, presentation, and care to detail.

Mar 2023 • none

We enjoyed a birthday meal at Kesarum booking at 7pm on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was busy and the ambiance friendly and calm. We chose Kesarum for the novelty of something different and will certainly be back. We both enjoyed the best Indian meal we had ever had with a richness of flavours and techniques which points to a restaurant deserving of a Michelin star or two. Portions were good and we only had room for one dessert between us. We would have eaten anything on the menu and the mains at around £20 and starters at around £14 represented good value for the amount of work in them. Well done.

Written 4 March 2023

Késarum Southampton

Hi Richard, Thanks for taking the time to leave your kind words! It's wonderful to hear that you had a great meal with us; we love to involve all our guests and take them with us on our journey. Our small team have indeed put a lot of thought and research in it, and it's profoundly rewarding to learn it shows :) We're incredibly grateful you enjoyed your experience and we hope to welcome you back soon!

Written 2 August 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

GLDP

Southampton19 contributions

Outstanding & a must for fans of Offbeet!

Feb 2023 • friends

First visit last night and oh my EVERYONE must go, whether you're vegan or not! Absolutely mind-blowing innovative creations fusing the traditional with the wow 😲 Think Offbeet but Indian style, amazing food, service, ambience and the explanation of everything we ordered because we didn't understand any of it 😜 Plenty of gluten free for me (the majority of the menu is) and the kitchen has zero peanuts so perfectly safe for allergy sufferers. We were amazed what a brilliant job the staff did given there are only THREE of them, you can certainly tell how much they value and care about their customer experience. Thank you team, we cannot wait to return!

Written 26 February 2023

Késarum

Thanks for taking the time to leave your kind words! It's wonderful to hear that you had a great meal with us; we love to involve all our guests and take them with us on our journey. Our small team have indeed put a lot of thought and research in it, and it's profoundly rewarding to learn it shows. One day we hope to do justice to the incredible standard that Offbeet have set for plant based food :) We're incredibly grateful you enjoyed your experience and we hope to welcome you back soon!

Written 28 February 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sasutty

Oldham557 contributions

Only open 7 months amazing food generous hospitality

Nov 2022 • solo

I was in Southampton on business and wanted somewhere to eat for the evening. Having searched trip advisor and wanting something warming I choose Kaserum. I noticed the advice on the website that they wanted a booking due to staff capacity, which I felt was a proactive approach, and rang and booked ahead. I had to wait till 7:45 but that was ok. I was quickly taken to my seat and asked for a drink. The menu is perfectly focused on a few offerings, so I had already chosen butter chicken. I was ‘up sold’ a starter, with the reason the restaurant was looking to move to fine dining. Not sure this is a strong reason to take a starter, but I was sold!. I’m glad I did it was delicious I had the Amritsari Soya Chaap. Soya-seitan grilled in Punjabi mango marinade, bell peppers, onions, coriander 'yoghurt', molecular chilli mango air. The main I had with paratha. I have travelled to India 🇮🇳 a number of times. In the UK I have always been disappointed with Indian breads, this was the best UK paratha I had ever had ❤️ I found out the restaurant had only been open 7 months. I would certainly recommend it. I would suggest they look at the decorations and the seating to improve ambience and also bring some Indian wines to the menu If i lived in Southampton I would be a regular

Written 2 November 2022

Johannes O

8 contributions

Incredibly Delicious

Mar 2022 • none

My family and I had dinner here a couple of months ago and we were blown away by the quality and standard of the food. The presentation was very visually appealing and was only surpassed by the subsequent tasting of the food. We had a couple of cocktails also all of which were very tasty and inventive. This vegan/ vegetarian restaurant is beautifully marrying traditional Indian flavor with a modern twist and inventive preparation. The manager was very courteous, often asked us how we were liking our food and if we were happy with everything. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very welcoming, cozy and a very enjoyable place to have a meal or a couple of cocktails. Great place for couples, families, friends or going solo if one desires. Highly recommend!

Written 3 July 2022

Sam_Holiday_Queen

London27 contributions

Great plant based food that meat eaters will also be guaranteed to enjoy!

Aug 2022 • couples

We ate here this evening and had a really enjoyable meal for my boyfriends birthday. The meat replacements were really good...actually similar in taste and texture to meat. I've not eaten meat for 10 years and my bf for about 2 years, but we obviously know that meat eaters would be happy with the substitutes. The curries we had were really flavourful and tasty. The presentation was great. The owner was really proud of his restaurant (and rightly so) but they only have 3 staff; so if they keep getting good reviews and become more popular they will probably need to hire more people and put some more tables out so the restaurant has (and will be able to cope) with a busier atmosphere. It would have been nice to have been served meals at the same time. We were accommodating to this, but it may have annoyed some people.

Written 13 August 2022

minniemumthree

Hampshire5 contributions

Exquisitely prepared delicious plant based experience

Aug 2022 • couples

Travelling from afar on recommendations we were immediately impressed by the spacious decor and style of the building and the warm informative welcome from the owner . We tried a selection as recommended which were melt in the mouth deliciousness and a cut above the rest . We are in awe of your project , the vibe and the experience and wish you every success and support in the future . Drop what you are doing and head here as soon as you can 🥰or plan a chill out for after work cocktails and a selection of tasty plant based dishes . We will return ( many times ) xx

Written 25 August 2022

Lauren S

1 contribution

Tasty plant based Indian experience

Sept 2022 • couples

Absolutely delicious plant based Indian. The food was spectacular, really different to anything I remember having before. All presented really well and the service was great, they fully explain what you're getting with the dish and the best way to eat it to experience it fully. We had a huge variety of starters and mains and they were all lovely. Especially the butter chick'n. They've clearly posted that there is minimal staff so to be patient but this just adds to a relaxed dining experience. We loved it and will definitely be visiting again.

Written 9 September 2022

Beth

United Kingdom1 contribution

Excellent food

Jul 2022 • friends

A friend and I had dinner for the first time here on a Saturday evening. They are offering a 15% discount on Saturdays at the moment. The food was delicious: beautifully flavoured, balanced and presented. Service was prompt and polite and the cocktails prepared with care and were delicious! The only recommendation to the manager I would have is to have some gentle cultural music to add to the ambience.

Written 3 July 2022

Hollie M Howard

Southampton5 contributions

London quality food - Southampton postcode

Aug 2022 • none

Had a really lovely time at Kesarum last Friday. The food cannot be faulted - every dish we ordered was delicious and inspired. If this restaurant was in London, people would be queueing down the street. The team was quite small, so I would definitley recommend booking beforehand. I was a bit disappointed that they had run out of white wine when we went - but the cocktails were lovely!

Written 2 September 2022

Yetti83

Southampton9 contributions

One of the best in Southampton

Aug 2023 • couples

Cant recommend this restaurant effort. The food is excellent and will balanced. The owner is very humble and will explain were the ingredients for the dish come from and how best to eat them so you get the full experience of the dish. He even discounted the bill because partner couldn't eat it all because she has a small stomach. They are based on the OE2 mile next to the star hotel

Written 29 September 2023

Késarum Southampton

Hi 👋🏽, Thanks for taking the time to leave your kind words! It's wonderful to learn that you had a great meal with us. :) We're incredibly grateful for your visit, and your review, and we hope to welcome you back soon! 🙏🏾

Written 2 November 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Andy K

Southampton1 contribution

Lovely plant based restaurant

Jul 2022 • couples

We came here for a quick bit to eat on Friday evening. The staff were really attentive and you could tell they are very passionate about their food. The food was lovely. They have tried very hard to invent new flavours. We would definitely come again to taste their new items inventions.

Written 8 July 2022

Pankaj Patel

1 contribution

Outstanding innovative flavours! A precious gem of Indian cuisine well worth nurturing and supporting!

Jun 2022 • none

I visited Southampton and this restaurant with my family from London. As an Indian from India, we are used to Indian restaurants in the UK always selling the same stuff. I was so surprised this is not the case at Késarum. I'll start with the name. Pure Sanskrit word for Saffron, not hindi/urdu name. Then fully vegan restaurant, not vegetarian, a very welcomme move. We basically ordered everything on their menu, as if it were a tasting menu. Everytime a dish arrived at the table we felt we were at an art exhibition that we could later eat. Wonderful presentation. After sampling each dish I then understood that while the menu is not big, each dish is prepared individually and carefully, and not from a mish mash of multiple gravies etc. I was very impressed with their innovation on the 'Butter Chicken', the 'Bell Pepper Makhni' where they cleverly infuse capsicum into the gravy. I also learned from the host that they are a very new restaurant operating with a very small team at present and could see the host always running up and down. However he was a wonderful and kind host with a lovely energy, very happy to explain and guide us. I do not tend to drink alcohol but I loved his Nimbooda cocktail which he explained is a combination of a mojito and indian citrus cooler nimbu paani. Overall a wonderful experience of both innovative and authentic flavours and I look forward to my next visit to Southampton and Késarum. I do recommend you book beforehand.

Written 11 July 2022

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