New night lounge Brave opens in heart of Southampton

Brave Night Lounge opened its doors at the start of December.

Describing it as a premium venue with a ‘relaxed vibe’, owner Vincent Onuoha was keen to bring something different to Bedford Place.

And he stands firm by the fact it is not a night club.

Vincent Onuoha outside Brave Night Lounge in Southampton (Image: Vincent Onuoha)

The 35-year-old said: “Brave is chilled and relaxed; it goes from the day into the night.

“We are looking to invite a mature audience as people over the age of 25 tend to go to Oxford Street, so a lot of people miss out Bedford Place.

“Brave can be the venue that makes people feel included. It’s not a club, more of a lounge.”

For Vincent, Brave is ‘100 per cent needed’ in the area.

He added: “Everything here is very similar to each other.

“I wanted to do something different to avoid always having the same crowd.

“On the opening weekend, we had people aged from 18 to in their 50s.”

READ MORE: Furious sports bar owners fear they may have to close over £237,000 energy bill

Brave also offers an outdoor space for guests which Vincent hopes will be popular in the summer months.

He said: “I was really, really keen to include a garden in the offering as it gives people the opportunity to enjoy a different setting.

“Compared to London, people don’t come to Southampton specifically for an activity, people choose to come here for a random night out.

“Small venues like ours should engage in offering events because the city will grow even bigger.”

Inside Brave Night Lounge (Image: Vincent Onuoha)

Plans for bottomless brunch and student nights are in the pipeline.

Vincent said: “We will be offering bottomless brunch as it’s more engaging – it’s not only about going out and drinking.

“It is activity-based and we will be doing different types, and we hope to offer it once a month.

“We are trying to create something new for Southampton.”

Brave is open on Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 1am.