Crane Feasts x Mail Room review - Southampton's next big food spot

I got a DM from Greg Olejarka telling me that Crane Feasts now had a residency at Mail Room and wanted to invite us down to try out the food. Now, if Crane Feasts sounds familiar, it's likely because you've heard of the story or seen Food Review Club's video on them. If you haven't, I'll give you a quick intro to Crane Feasts Southampton: Dexter is a 14-year-old who loves cooking alongside his father (Greg) after school as a hobby; it's so clear that it's his passion, having started cooking when he was just 9 and completing qualifications like the Level 2 in Food Hygiene. You may have seen them in the news recently when the council claimed Dexter was working illegally in the kitchen due to his age. Speaking with Greg on the night made it clear that this is very much Dexter's project, Crane Feasts being named in honour of their late grandmother.

I'm not about to wade into the debate, but what I can tell you is the passion in the food really comes through. Their residency at Mail Room sees a menu filled with flatbreads, sliders, wings and ribs, as well as award-winning milkshakes! Entering the Mail Room, you're greeted with an airy space, big windows that allow light in. We were lucky to have visited early in the evening, when sunlight poured through the windows. Mail Room to me seems like the kind of place you'd go on a night out, a nice bar with bites available. Greg even mentioned wanting to make them known as a food spot rather than just drinks.

A selection of dishes from Crane Feasts

For the food, we ordered a variety of different dishes as recommended. To start with, we got the Chicken Caesar flatbread and Cod Gravalax flatbread. These were gorgeous. Pillowy flatbread, perfectly cooked in their pizza oven (not burnt or too crispy like some flatbreads I've had in the past). The chicken was plentiful, a really healthy amount on the flatbread, with a creamy Caesar dressing, salad, crispy bacon and a VERY generous sprinkling of parmesan. The Cod Gravalax was similarly tasty, topped with cod, garden peas, pickled shallots and ajo blanco-inspired sauce.

Chicken Caesar flatbread

The Beef Brisket sliders also came recommended, a 72-hour slow-cooked beef brisket in a gorgeous, smoky BBQ sauce. These were a perfect little slider, a portion of 2 with pickles and bacon mayo. Saucy and delicious, I can see why they came recommended. The slow cooking process really breaks down the meat and makes it a delectable bite. We also ordered the crispy prawns, which were battered in a nicely spiced coating and served with a kimchi mayo. The mayo was a little runnier than I was expecting, but by no means was this bad. You could tell it was homemade, with chopped coriander and chilli throughout, which really shows the care taken.

Beef Brisket Sliders

I asked Dexter which of the 'Cheeky Bites' he'd recommend, and he said either the "Bonci" Carbonara bites or the Mac and Cheese ones. I went for the carbonara (I like a bit of Guanciale!) and these were amazing. A filled arancini ball filled with spiral pasta, cheese and guanciale, these had a great taste to them and again, served with a healthy amount of parmesan on top. They were also presented incredibly well, with nice, cheesy, crispy bites.

"Bonci" Carbonara bites

Finally, for desserts I had to go for the award-winning Tropical Delight milkshake, served with a red butterfly tuille on top, gold leaf and crystallised ginger. The milkshake was also topped with toasted marshmallow (from a Michelin-starred chef, or so Dexter told me!) The milkshake itself was creamy, but not too sweet as milkshakes often are. Award-winning for a reason!

Tropical Delight milkshake

Speaking to Greg and Dexter after really showed the passion they have for cooking and for Crane Feasts, I was impressed to hear just how busy their schedule is for the year, between running this residency, the various awards they're entered into and the festivals and events they have planned, not to mention their plans for Mail Room too!

If you've read this and you're interested, they're offering 50% off food until 3rd May 2026, and they're starting a Sunday lunch offering, a £25 platter for 2 (kids eat free!), which, although I didn't get to try, looked very impressive! They're also looking at having the BBQ out over the sunnier months, so if you smell something good whilst walking down Oxford Street, you know where it's coming from!

Honestly, this is one to keep an eye on. Dexter is passionate and clearly cares for his craft. He will go on to do big things, and this is one to watch! It's firmly entered into some of my top places in the city; it perfectly fills that casual dining vibe. I can see this being a popular place to go with friends and try different plates of food. Nothing on the menu is above £9, so they're perfect for small plates. Definitely worth a trip, especially on sunny days!

This post covers a PR/invite event, but in line with our ethos, all reviews are honest. If a visit doesn’t meet our standards, we either provide constructive feedback to the venue or don’t post at all.