Daniel Rogan to reopen acclaimed AO restaurant on Oxford Street in Southampton this November
This November, Daniel Rogan will reopen his acclaimed Southampton-based restaurant, AO, at a brand-new site on Oxford Street in the city centre. The move follows the dining destination’s 2022 debut, which earned awards such as Best Newcomer and Best Restaurant in Hampshire. The relaunch represents a continuation of Rogan’s focus on seasonal, ingredient-led cuisine, now housed in a more intimate setting within a Victorian-era building.
The new location will offer both seven-course (£95) and ten-course (£125) tasting menus, as well as a three-course lunch menu (£55). Dishes include Dry-aged Loin of Beef with Coal Oil, Black Garlic and Tarragon, Cornish Cod with Burnt Leek, Mussel Butter and Vanilla, and Roast English Duck with Cauliflower, Beetroot and Cabbage. There are less meaty omni-friendly options like Salt-baked Celeriac with Smoked Eel, Pancetta and Apple Jam, and vegetarian dishes such as Charred Jerusalem Artichoke with Herb Verde Cream. The lunch menu includes, among others, Cured Chalk Stream Trout with Cucumber Dashi and Dill. Wine pairings will also be available.
AO sources its ingredients from a number of local suppliers, including the above-mentioned trout from the Chalk Streams near Romsey, cod from Flying Fish on the Cornish coast and English sparkling wines from Exton Park. Their new 26-cover dining room is located in a Victorian building dating back to 1846, with interiors designed by Rogan himself, featuring anthracite greys, oak tables and tanned leather seating. “AO has always been a very personal project for me. It carries the names of my children, and represents a deep connection to where I’m from,” he says. “This move allows us to grow into a space that reflects who we are today, still small and focused, with even more intent behind the details.”
The chef trained in several of the UK’s top kitchens, including L’Enclume, Rogan & Co, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. AO originally opened in December 2022 and quickly achieved critical acclaim, including a listing in the Michelin Guide within four months. Rogan has since been recognised nationally, including being shortlisted among the top three chefs in the UK at the 2024 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards.
Food Desk
AO opens on 21st November 2025 at 20-21 Oxford Street, Southampton, SO14 3DJ. For further information or to book a table, visit the restaurant’s website here.
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