Restaurant recommendation in Bournemouth

[wessy]

As per title, any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks
Wessy

[pugwash4x4]

what sort of thing?

unexpectedly had a very good steak the other day http://www.steakoutrestaurants.co.uk/

really wasn't expecting much, but the steak was excellent- proper melt in the mouth!

[wessy]

...smart, romantic...

[Nat_H]

Isabelles at Ashley Cross

[ccr32]

pugwash4x4 said:

what sort of thing?

unexpectedly had a very good steak the other day http://www.steakoutrestaurants.co.uk/

really wasn't expecting much, but the steak was excellent- proper melt in the mouth!

I assume the place doesn't still smell like poo then, like it did in it's previous guise..?!

Just over the road from that, the restaurant in 1812 serves up some decent food in reasonably posh surroundings, and there's normally a live jazz band playing. Cracking cocktails there too. Can get busy though, especially if you're looking at the weekend.

[wessy]

like the look of the 1812, big thanks for the suggestions so far...

[wessy]

anyone else?.....

[Arese]

If you like Chinese can can see through the crap website, Ocean Palace is fantastic.

It's not the poshest of places, but three of us went on Tuesday night and the food was superb. We had a banquet meal for three type of thing:

- Ribs, Sesame Prawn Toast, Chicken Satay Skewers, Seaweed
- Half a duck, pancakes etc
- Chicken with cashew nuts, sirloin steak, king prawns, summat else, fried rice.

£25 a head, plus lots of Tsing Tao. I was full.

[munky]

yep! I used to have a weekend pad in Bournemouth and frequented a number of places:

In Bournemouth itself, Westbeach is to my mind the clear winner
http://west-beach.co.uk/
http://west-beach.co.uk/files/2010/05/Westbeach-Ma...

Honourable mentions also go to the Print Room
http://www.theprintroom-bournemouth.co.uk/

and to the rather more formal Oscars in the Royal Bath Hotel (although the rest of the hotel stuck me as a little pikey).
http://www.devere.co.uk/our-locations/royal-bath/e...

Outside Bournemouth in a westerly direction but still nearby are the rather good La Roche, at the Haven Hotel in Sandbanks (by the chain ferry)
http://www.fjbhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/the-haven/re...

and slightly nearer to B'mouth (walkable, along the beach from B'mouth) but IMO not quite as good, is the Sandbanks Brasserie at the Sandbanks Hotel, sister hotel to the Haven.

If you wish to mix with the rich and famous of Sandbanks, there's Cafe Shore:
http://www.cafeshore.co.uk/

The other side of the chain ferry is the Shell Bay Cafe, highly rated by locals although I never managed to try it:
http://www.shellbay.net/

There used to be a really good place in Poole, called (I think) The Priory, but last I heard it had closed down as the hotel in which it was located was taken over by new owners and closed for a refurb. It may have opened again by now, but no idea if under the same name or quality.

Or east of Bournemouth:

Splinters in Christchurch
http://www.splinters.uk.com/

Pebble Beach, at Barton-on-Sea
http://www.pebblebeach-uk.com/

and the previously Michelin starred restaurant at Chewton Glen
http://www.chewtonglen.com/restaurant/

that should be enough choice hopefully!

ETA, If you're looking for something cheaper / much more informal then I do recommend Retro, a Lebanese restaurant in Charminster (a suburb, about a mile from B'mouth centre). In fact the whole street (Charminster Road, in Charminster) is populated with restaurants and bars, including a couple of italians, a couple of Thai (Tuk Tuk Thai is the better), one or two north africans (one of which you take your own booze).. and so on

Edited by munky on Friday 23 July 14:08

[Arese]

munky said:

and to the rather more formal Oscars in the Royal Bath Hotel (although the rest of the hotel stuck me as a little pikey).

http://www.devere.co.uk/our-locations/royal-bath/e...

We stayed in the Royal Bath last week. The lobby, bar, restaurant and other public areas are nice, but my room was tiny and stifling hot with no air-conditioning. £4.10 for a pint in the bar, too.

[munky]

Arese said:

munky said:

and to the rather more formal Oscars in the Royal Bath Hotel (although the rest of the hotel stuck me as a little pikey).

http://www.devere.co.uk/our-locations/royal-bath/e...

We stayed in the Royal Bath last week. The lobby, bar, restaurant and other public areas are nice, but my room was tiny and stifling hot with no air-conditioning. £4.10 for a pint in the bar, too.

I think it may have had a refurb since I was there.. didn't see the rooms to be fair, but ate at Oscars and then had a small look around and quite a few drinks in the main bar. Oscars was fine but what put me off I think was that in the bar as you say it wasn't cheap but all the ashtrays were overflowing, empty glasses were filling up the tables and a chav wedding reception seemed to have overspilled into the main bar, so it wasn't quite the romantic post-dinner drink I had imagined. That was a while ago mind (as you can tell, as there is now a smoking ban!)

[Mr E Driver]

We stayed for a weekend in 2005 at the Royal Bath Hotel and ate in Oscars. The food was pretty good and the wine was lovely but we enjoyed Chez Fred more!

[wessy]

Thanks again for all the suggestions, staying at langtry manor, is there restaurant any good?

[munky]

wessy said:

Thanks again for all the suggestions, staying at langtry manor, is there restaurant any good?

Don't think I've been there, would need to check with the missus. As far as I remember we were going to go, as we had heard good things, but on Saturday evenings the restaurant has this funny Edwardian banquet evening, where the menu is extremely limited and, we were told, if there's only two of you, you have to share tables with others. Didn't fancy that; can get roast beef and yorkshire pud anywhere. Here we are:
http://www.langtrymanor.co.uk/edwardian-banquet.ht...

I daresay if there's a group of you it could be fun though

edited to add, if you're there on a different night then the normal menu looks quite good
http://www.langtrymanor.co.uk/fine-dining-menu.htm

Edited by munky on Friday 23 July 16:52

[wessy]

We are there Weds-Fri, so just 2 nights.

[Space Invader]

Here -

http://www.tapasplus.co.uk/