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.)
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
25 High St, Southampton, England, SO14 2DF
-
Loading...
-
- Reservations required
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
-
-
Last update on 07 Dec 2023 by Kesarum
Update business info -
Added by Kesarum on 15 May 2022
-
-
74 Reviews
First Review by Npr
Nashmeister
Points +72
Modern Vegan Indian Food on the High Street - Edit
Plenty of tasty vegan modern Indian dishes to choice from and a good choice of drinks and cocktails.
Read moreThe host and owner Mahesh was inviting and helped us choose a sensible selection of different dishes to try on our first visit.
Everything was tasty and we can't wait to go back and try more!
There's not many solely vegan restaurants in Southampton and this one is on the High Street (below Bargate) not far from some great bars and ale houses.
Pros: Totally vegan modern menu, Amazing host and chef, Great decor, crockery and music
Purplescorpio
What he said!
Read moreGuest
Purplescorpio
Points +89
Incredible, fresh, tasty food and fantastic service! - Edit
My boyfriend and I treated ourselves to celebrate our anniversary. We were greeted by the owner, Mahesh who was exceptionally welcoming and friendly. He blew us away with his charm, service and hospitality.
Read moreThe food was all freshly prepared and was beautifully presented and delicious!
We ordered the Beet Aloo Tikki starter to share which was creamy and delicious. So much so I didn't want to share it! Then we had the 'sides' portion of the Makhni, Butter Chick'n, Saag and the Baingan Bharta. Plus we ordered Lachha Parathas and Jeera Rice sides (which are ordered separately for the 'side' portion options. Your choice of either are included if ordered as a main).
My boyfriend then had the Payasum for dessert and shared a few mouthfuls with me. It was absolutely yummy and creamy!
Plus, Mahesh prepared me a gorgeous Saffronella cocktail and mentioned the cocktail menu would soon be expanding.
We cannot wait to go back and sample more from both the food and the drinks menus!
Pros: Tasty and fresh food and cocktails, Wonderful service , Lovely atmosphere
Nashmeister
What she said 😘
Read moreGuest
gitabhatia72
Points +13
Where food and drink become art - Edit
My family had come here as we were celebrating my daughter's university graduation. We were greeted warmly by the host, who then guided us through our experience. Though they have a small team, they told us to think as though we are having a tasting menu experience and I think this worked perfectly. We had Beet Aloo Tikki, the Chaap and Gobi Manchurian to start, and for mains the butter chick'n, bell pepper makhni, bharwa shimla mirch and a masala dosa.
Read moreEverything was presented like it was art so we knew we were in for a treat! Having lived in Dehli, I will say the chaap was perfect and innovative in itself. I loved the contrasts given by the beet tikkis and how subtly flavoured they were and the gobi even surprised my husband who normally doesnt like cauliflower! The mains were absolutely full of flavour and were perfectly balanced. I will say my favourite is tied between the bell pepper makhni and the bharwa shimla mirch becuase each mouthful was an explosion of rich flavour.
My children had a few cocktails too and loved every one of them. I tried sips of each and I must agree, Késarum's cocktails are very good.
We all agreed that our meal was incredible value for money for the sincerity and perfectionism displayed by the staff and I am not surprised by other reviews saying that the food and drink is up there with michelin starred venue. I would not be surprised if Késarum did start to win awards in the future as they grow. These people will really push indian cuisne to the future.
Pros: food presentation, innovative combination and flavours, sincere staff
Guest
v3gan3ats
Points +116
Fantastic and original vegan Indian food - Edit
My partner and I were impressed firstly by the aesthetics of each dish, they are all crafted with deliberate precision (as one can see in the photos). Kesarum have chosen quality over quantity. Every dish we had accentuated the best qualities: the chick'n was juicy and melted in your mouth, the soya chaap similarly. The guy running it recommended a great starter (Beet Aloo Tikko) which had an interesting variety of textures and flavours. Not sure which of the dishes our favourite were, everything was new and innovative which after years of going to new vegan restaurants is a feat in itself. Highly recommend for anyone, vegan or not and will be coming back for sure. Look forward to seeing what other innovations they come up with!
Read morePros: New innovative dishes, Huge variety in the selection, Lovely service, staff, and reasonably priced
Guest
paddyingramtheg
Points +2
THIS RESTAURANT HAS TURNED MY WORLD UPSIDE DOWN DIFFERENTLY. SERIOUSLY TRY THIS PLACE - Edit
My girl dragged me here for date night and cocktails to celebrate graduating. She vegan, I LOVE meat. But it was her turn to decide where to go and she always tries to educate me about it so we came here. I have to say the whole experience hit me differently and I was gobsmacked by the food, service and cocktails. We had the beetroot and cauliflower starters, Red bell pepper and Stuffed bell pepper mains.
Read moreThe food looked leng and the tastes and smells was fab on another level and I REPEAT, I LOVE MEAT. And we could see the host put lots of effort into his cocktail menu and how he prepares them.
We could see that they only have a few people in the kitchen and one person at front so expect to wait longer for food and cocktails but it is so worth the wait. The whole experience has now seriously got me thinking about cutting down meat eating.
Updated from previous review on 2022-07-13
Pros: great host, food and cocktails out of this world
Guest
pankajpatelthegujju
Points +13
Outstanding innovative flavours! A precious gem of Indian cuisine well worth nurturing and supporting! - Edit
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.
Read moreWe 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 new restaurant operating with a very small team at present and could see the host always running up and down serving food drink and seeing to all customers. 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.
Pros: Innovative indian cuisine, food presentation, wonderful presentations
Cons: I live too far
Guest
giovannniii
Points +13
Highly Recommend, Delicious Food and Very Friendly Staff - Edit
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!
Read moreGuest
RhianneDesmond
Points +18
Must try!!! - Edit
Absolutely delicious food and wonderful service. Highly highly recommend the gobi Manchurian - I haven’t seen that since I was in India and it was equally delicious.
Read moreGuest
Jojo1981
Points +15
My first experience of a vegan Indian restaurant 🤩 - Edit
I’m vegan my partner isn’t. He drags his heals at times when I drag him to vegan restaurants. But I can honestly say he was shocked, we both loved it all. The staff were great at explaining their ethos and further plans. Really helpful helping us select our food as it all looked so good.
Read moreIt’s a lovely setting in an old bank in the old part part of town. We don’t live local but it was well worth the visit. The atmosphere is really relaxed and chilled so you can sit back and enjoy your food.
The food when it arrived was just wow, we didn’t want to touch it. I had to take pictures as it looked to good to eat. Contemporary style plating with vibrate colours.
Didn’t just look amazing, it tasted amazing too, the beetroot dish was to my fav. We didn’t leave any food behind.
Washed down with some amazing cocktails, we may have tried a few of those as well 🤪. Once I started I couldn’t stop.
I’ll be back with my vegan and meat eater friends. I might even drag my work colleagues down there.
Pros: All vegan menu, Stunning food, Great staff and location
Cons: There really isn’t any, we’ll be back
Guest
faine90
Points +11
Delicious food. Amazing service. - Edit
Incredible food!! If you go with a big group I’d recommend ordering a side portion of everything to share like tapas. Worked really well! Everything was fantastic. Service was great as well. Our waiter talked us through all the dishes and explained the concept of the restaurant as well. Highly recommend going and giving them a try and supporting a wonderful new plant based restaurant in Southampton.
Read morePros: Food Presentation , Food flavour, Informative and friendly service
Cons: Atmosphere could be better. Music was too quiet., Interior design needs work.
Guest
JGillespie
Points +13
Modern Indian plant-base cuisine. - Edit
Going into a restaurant that is entirely vegan is fantastic because there are not many places in Southampton that have good vegan alternatives on the menu. Even more, the food has an amazing flavour and gorgeous presentation. I could not recommend it enough. Also, it appears that most of the furniture in the interior has been recycled, which provides for an intriguing dining environment.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-06-21
Pros: The food and presentation., Front of house staff., The interior.
Guest
Simone14
Points +16
Incredible food and incredible service - Edit
It’s been hard finding a decent restaurant that offers vegan options on the menu so going into a full vegan restaurant is amazing. To make it even better the food tastes insane, absolutely amazing. I could no recommend enough. We shall be coming back asap.
Read morePros: Customer service , Food is delish , Beautiful display and pure ingredients
Cons: None , None , None
Guest
Robobobob
Points +36
Amazing food - Edit
The food was amazing, very tasty and beautiful presentation. Very much advise coming here
Read moreGuest
Asif196
Points +6
Mouth watering dining experience - Edit
I’m a meat eater and was nervous to visit Késarum, but I was hugely shocked and impressed after my experience there.
Read moreI really respect that the interior is mainly upcycled antiques and 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.
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 meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans.
I recognise the interior and ambience is a work in progress, but this bold and exciting venture that 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 be a success.
Pros: Mouth watering food, Delectable cocktails, Owner was extremely welcoming and hospitable
Guest
CheekySquirrel
Points +16
Great food! - Edit
Delicious & different take to an Indian food menu. Highly recommend the cauliflower starter that alone seemed to convert a non-vegan at the table to go part-veggie/vegan!
Read morePros: 100% vegan menu, Delicious food
Guest
EllisBezant
Points +18
Favourite place in Southampton! - Edit
Food is phenomenal. Especially the starters - wow!
Read moreGuest
YaelEsther
Points +18
Delicious and Creative - Edit
Very yummy vegan fare. We would particularly recommend the soya chaap, which we ended up ordering twice. Surprising and beautiful dishes, easy on the eyes and tasty for the tummy. Perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Read moreGuest
EatsLeaves
Points +55
Great place for vegan food in Southampton - Edit
All-vegan restaurant where the former vegetarian Indian Melody used to be, thankfully seems to be under different ownership.
Read moreQuality of food was fantastic, couldn't find anything to fault with any of it and will definitely be coming back because of it.
Service was good, though as things got busier towards the end of our meal it did take a fair while to get our bill and pay - it was just one person doing all front-of-house (including the cocktails), which to their credit they did very well, but could have certainly used backup to ease some of that strain.
I also found being asked multiple times to take photos and to tag them on instagram/google etc was a little uncomfortable, but I am a bit of a curmudgeon with that stuff.
The good far outweighed the bad though, and this place is a really welcome addition to the growing number of vegan offerings in the city.
Pros: Great food, Reasonable prices, All-vegan menu
Cons: Only one person handling all front-of-house
Guest
RuthRees
Points +24
Excellent service along with the best food I’ve tasted in a long time. - Edit
Make it your mission to go , you will not be disappointed.
Read morePros: All vegan, Bursts of flavour , Excellent customer service
Cons: No cons!, All good, Please go
Guest
Veggiebarn
Points +169
Stylish and original - Edit
This relatively new restaurant is a very welcome addition to the options of eating plant based food in Southampton. It’s so nice to go to a 100% vegan place and when the food is as good as Késarum’s it makes it twice as good.
Read moreThe menu offers plenty of choice and everything my wife and I had was both delicious and beautifully presented. The dishes are very original.
I loved the fact that the decor is largely upcycled and they have used sustainably sourced timber to create a really great atmosphere.
I can’t wait to go back to sample other options.
Pros: High quality food, Very friendly and welcoming, Emphasis on sustainability
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business
See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 0 times.