Vegan
Indian
Organic
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Fusion
Gluten-free
Késarum [kay-sir-rum(Saffron in Sanskrit)]: A team of three showcasing modern and creative plant-based Indian cuisine with wine pairings and an open plan kitchen. Uses seasonal produce. Open Thu-Fri 18:00-22:00, Sat 12:00-15:30, 17:30-22:00. Closed Sun- Wed.(Opens on Bank Holiday Mondays only.)
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25 High St, Southampton, England, SO14 2DF
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- Reservations required
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 07 Dec 2023 by Kesarum
Update business info -
Added by Kesarum on 15 May 2022
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70 Reviews
First Review by Npr
HappyVeganBloke
Points +145
Best vegan meal ever, no doubt! - Edit
Awesome restaurant for vegans looking for that comfort of knowing everything is. Outstanding table service, friendly and time affording for you. The main (Bhopal Nawal Tandoor 'chicken') was honestly the best vegan experience I've had...the sauce was unreal. Starter delicious too, no complaints. Expensive but worth it for that treat we all need 😉
Read morePros: Taste, Service , Choice
Cons: It's not local to me
Guest
Pzzachu
Points +144
KésaYUM - Edit
My husband surprised me with a trip to Késarum for my birthday and we were both absolutely blown away by how it was. They mention on entry that it is very personal dining experience and that they are just 3(!) people running the entire place. Well, personal and intimate is exactly how I would describe our night - the person running front of house was also the one making our cocktails, delivering our food, and patiently explaining the menu to us. The service was very professional and just the right level of attentiveness without crowding us.
Read moreThe food was just divine. The cocktails were complex and unique; each dish was full of flavour and perfectly presented; the portions were the exact size to satisfy but not overwhelm... I just wish I'd had room for dessert! I genuinely wanted to eat everything on the menu, it was tough to narrow it down to just a few dishes.
Pros: The food, The cocktails, The personal service
Guest
VictoriaBridger
Points +678
Exquisite indian fusion cuisine - Edit
Our first visit blew us away! What an amazing restaurant. The quality and flavours of both the food and drinks were incredible. The dishes were also stunningly presented and the hospitality was second to none. We particularly loved our host explaining the origins of the dishes and flavours and ingredients used. The cocktails and mocktails were also stunning. The atmosphere had a great vibe. We're planning our next visit soon.
Read morePros: Out of this world dishes, Lovely hospitality, Great atmosphere
Guest
MichelleHar
Points +92
Unbelievable food - Edit
Gourmet Indian vegan dishes with unbelievable flavors in an atmospheric setting
Read morePros: The dishes were beautifully presented, Flavors were amazing and very creative, Lovely atmosphere with calm music
Cons: None
Guest
rainbowchai
Points +57
Lovely Food & Great Customer service - Edit
Recently dined with friends here (two vegan & two meat eaters) and everything tastes amazing. Plating was very pretty & there was a notice that said only two people were working the kitchen that night which was very impressive considering service was quick and still great. It looks like some of the previous comments about having a paper menu have been taken on too. I did feel the portion sizes were fairly small, so would recommend getting rice/sides with or in addition to the dishes. The food is quite expensive but they have a discount for veganuary which is fantastic. I tend to lean towards more plant dishes rather than faux meats, so maybe that's why the price seems high for the ingredient cost but it's clear so much work goes into the food. There was specialist "bones" and the "meats" were unique. I would love for them to do maybe a taster menu so people could try a few different dishes, but will definerly return and try more! Gorgeous venue inside but a little let down by the bathroom which was a bit run down #Veganuary
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-01-05
Pros: Food , Service , Veganuary Discount
Cons: Bathroom
Guest
RubyMay
Points +883
Excellent food. 10 stars for food. - Edit
This place has authentic, fine dining style Indian food. Could not fault the food and they are good at catering for allergies. Staff were friendly. Masala tea was delicious.
Read moreRated 4 star because had to wait quite a while for tap water despite being the only customers, and the bathroom wasn’t nice (mould around sink and no soap). I know they say they are still developing the space but I really think a bathroom should be a priority.
Would definitely be back, the food was so excellent ! And would recommend. Just try not to use the bathroom.
Guest
SteveHolloway
Points +28
Michelin quality food - Edit
I was running late for my booking but greeting couldn’t have been friendlier. Nibbles were offered along with the option of a paired wine rather than ‘a drink’. The food itself really is a cut above. Think Michelin restaurant and you will know what to expect in terms of quality and presentation. I have been to Vereswamy in London and this was very much as good. Dessert offering equally as good … complex and perfect. This is not ‘just’ a vegan Indian restaurant it is a fine dining one which happens to be Indian … and Vegan. Happy Days!!
Read morePros: Amazing food, Faultless service, Great wine pairing
Cons: It is pricy, Southampton high street is what it is
Guest
nikkiwj
Points +24
Incredible - Edit
Amazing food and service. My non vegan husband enjoyed his meal as much as I did. Recommended
Read moreGuest
treelee
Points +30
Top notch - Edit
Fantastic vegan food showcasing different regions of India, stunning presentation with amazing individual and balanced flavours to match.
Read morePros: Amazing balanced flavours of india, Beautiful presentation , Relaxed atmosphere
Cons: None, worth the extra £'s
Guest
Loreena
Points +310
Best vegan Indian ever! - Edit
Great atmosphere, knowledgeable staff and the food, oh the food! Stunning presentation, amazing flavours, textures and details. One of the best meals I've had for ages.
Read moreGuest
AminaS
Points +16
Sooo amazing!! - Edit
The best food I've ever eaten!!
Read moreBlew my mind - a real food experience - my new favourite restaurant
Pros: Creative dishes, Amazing flavours, Superb service
Guest
LettuceJackfruit
Points +198
Really interesting food but very pricey - Edit
I visited here for my birthday, went on a Saturday afternoon and sadly were the only patrons. I think they had only recently started opening at this time though so hopefully not always like that. I really like the deconstructed nature of the food as you get to enjoy all the flavours separately. I didn't particularly like the desserts though. This place is way out of my price range so not going to be able to visit often. Considering I didn't even enjoy one of the courses, that is a little galling. There are only a couple of choices so you have to be sure you will like one. My mum was put off by how wordy the menu is and isn't keen to return for that reason.
Read morePros: All the flavours are separated out
Cons: Expensive
Guest
TonyE
Points +20
A Superb Dining Experience - Edit
Yet another superb dining experience at Kesarum.
Read moreNew menu which is incredible.
So, we had one of everything on the menu and had our very own sharing menu.
We’re all so pleased we had a sharing menu because everything is so good I’d have been so disappointed to miss out on any one of the dishes.
A benchmark in fusion of ingredients and cooking style to create a journey of flavours.
An absolute must go to.
Well done guys.
Updated from previous review on 2022-07-14
Pros: Style of cooking , Fusion if ingredients , Ambience of the venue
TonyE
Our second visit in as many months.
Read moreReturned with some friends after telling them how great the food is. No pressure then!
And, thinking it couldn’t get much better than our initial visit; it did.
Kesarum clearly have an evolutionary approach to cuisine and their menu.
Even in such a short space of time between visits, they’ve added new dishes and improved existing ones with small but very effective tweaks.
Kesarum is no typical Indian restaurant. It’s more like a Gastro laboratory experimenting with ingredients, and the outcome is fantastic food.
We again opted for smaller plates. And with our group of four we were able to order one of everything on the menu.
Why wouldn’t we?
And what a result.
We literally couldn’t fault this place, nor their staff, nor their attention to detail.
We’ll be back again soon to see what they’ve done next.
Well done guys and a huge applause to Chef.
Guest
Marc1987
Points +461
Fantastic experience - Edit
We had pretty much one of everything and it was all delicious. The service was amazing, they talk you through the food and explain what everything is and why it's on the plate. A proper culinary experience.
Read moreGuest
Kittylou
Points +156
Very delicious! - Edit
Great food and lovely service. A great option for a vegan fine dining experience in the dorset area. Would have liked to sea more options on the menu however!
Read morePros: Lovely atmos, Waiter was very friendly , Food was amazing!
Cons: Expensive (but what you expect for fine dining), Would have liked the see more options on the menu
Guest
MichaelSalmon
Points +39
Great find - Edit
Will definitely be back. The food was lovely and I am very fussy so where there was a niggle the service and atmosphere definitely made up for it.
Read moreMy friend and I will definitely be back.
Pros: The owner was lovely , Atmosphere , Sage ice-cream
Cons: In a few elements the flavour was not to my liking
Guest
chestercamm
Points +16
Incredible fine dining experience - Edit
Incredible fine dining experience. The food was wonderful and very inventive. The host was very welcoming and attentive. Would thoroughly recommend, looking for an excuse to come back
Read moreGuest
Rebecca2728
Points +50
Fantastic food - Edit
Thoroughly enjoyable experience at Kesarum. Really intriguing food. Highly recommend to vegans and non-vegans
Read moreGuest
friedrice
Points +1382
One of the best - Edit
Really good food that breaks the stereotypes of Indian food in this country. Will come again, especially knowing that they change the menu according to the seasons!
Read moreGuest
claireboba
Points +68
Excellent restaurant! - Edit
This place is amazing. The decor is beautiful and elegant, the service is great despite the very small number of staff and the food is absolutely divine. Cannot recommend this enough. Took meat eater friends here who doubted they would like anything and even they loved it all.
Read morePros: Fully plant based, Fine dining with a fair price tag, Fantastic service
Guest
DrVeganuk
Points +24
Indian inspired taste experience - Edit
Wow, fabulously presented, explain and such a variety of flavours that go so well together. Fantastic dinner date treat
Read moreGuest
robpeck98
Points +534
Yum - Edit
Excellent food that sits on the right side of pretentious
Read moreGuest
jan3601
Points +204
Amazing Food, Really Unique - Edit
Lovely food, amazingly creative dishes, and friendly service. Highly recommend for an occasion, or just wanting to explore entirely vegan and unique Indian food.
Read morePros: All vegan, Amazing food and flavours, Great service
Cons: Expensive
Guest
sunanda_tulu_shetty
Points +13
Brought back childhood memories - Edit
I have been to many Indian restaurants in the UK, and I now feel if you eat in one you eat in all. Having visited this restaurant, I am so happy to see such diversity represented. Having their interpretations of sanna and Iddiappam took me back to my childhood days in my grandparents village in Karnataka where we in fact ate Sanna and oota shavige (iddiappam) from the wood fire. Made me quite emotional. Everything was spot on. The paniyaram was outstanding. These food items they are time consuming and the timing is very important for them to come out right. Kesarum knows what they are doing. Hats off to this restaurant for taking the risk and showcasing our unique south indian food food.
Read moreGuest
Clang
Points +65
Wonderful restaurant - Edit
We arranged to have a meal after a visit to the Mayflower Theatre. The food was absolutely delicious- beautifully spiced and balanced, and wonderfully presented. The server was friendly and knowledgeable, the cocktails were playful and elegant, and the puddings were exquisite. We will definitely be back when we have the chance.
Read morePros: Variety of spices, Unusual dishes, Friendly service
Guest
solitary
Points +45
Excellent. VERY impressed. - Edit
Food is delicious. Venue and decor is very pleasing. Staff are friendly and attentive. Perfect place for a Special Occasion.
Read morePros: All Vegan
Guest
FrancescaSawyer
Points +38
Beautiful place - Edit
Venue was beautiful, the person serving us was very attentive and knowledgeable, and the food was absolutely stunning-both in taste and aesthetics
Read moreGuest
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