Christchurch Restaurant Guide

A good position in the town centre and on the River Avon only adds to the appeal of this substantial Georgian property – nowadays a luxurious four-star hotel. The restaurant is overseen by Alex Aitken of the nearby Jetty and provides some surprisingly affordable options, including “a daily changing £17.50 two-course market menu with ingredients sourced within 15 miles”. (Some change may be afoot, though, as in June 2023 the owners since 2005 put the property on the market.)

Unrecognisable from its days as a Pontin’s in the early 90s, this slick, nautically themed spa hotel has a striking setting overlooking the harbour and River Stour, making it a “lovely place to dine” (perhaps after enjoying a pre-dinner drink on the terrace). The dining area is split between a convivial lounge bar and more formal dining room, both serving the same classic, fish-centric menu that “never disappoints”. Top Tip – if you’re feeling adventurous, it’s possible to arrange a trip to the Isle of Wight, just a 45-minute journey by boat.

“Jan and Stacey are still amazing as their empire expands!” – the Bretschneiders’ small venue is celebrating its 10th year of operation, continuing to deliver a ‘Discovery’ tasting menu for £130 per person, with a less expensive option available earlier in the week. Feedback was more limited this year, but for those who comment it remains a highly rated all-round favourite.

“Such a fun place that coped so well with a mixed-age group of ten people” – the ‘dressed down’ option at this famous country-house hotel occupies a contemporary, pitched-roof space overlooking the kitchen gardens and complete with outside terrace and cookery school. The brasserie menu includes burgers, pizza, steak and other grills, plus a good selection of other options; and reports say “it’s just really good food backed up by friendly, informal but efficient service in a convivial environment”. Not cheap perhaps, but “well worth the price”.

2022 Review: “Top-notch fish, chips and alternatives” plus a “lovely location” not far from the centre of town make this modern seaside café a good choice for breakfast or lunch, with stunning views from the terrace.

“Fresh local fish” is the star turn at this beachside restaurant – in “an excellent location with wonderful coastal views on a good day”. Chef Andy Waters worked under the great French chef Paul Bocuse early in his career. Top Tip – “they also serve an exceptional breakfast”.

2022 Review: A “beautifully situated restaurant” in an Art Deco solarium overlooking Poole Harbour, and where “drinks on the upper deck are an extra delight”. One or two off reports on the food front this year, but also plenty of plaudits for its “really good breakfasts and lunches”, and “service has improved” of late too.

“The view overlooking Poole Harbour makes this a romantic location” for an Italian meal – although it’s “very much a good-weather venue”. The hotel is at the heart of a long-running planning dispute, with vocal locals opposing a plan to convert it into an ‘aparthotel’ under a £300m redevelopment of Sandbanks.

An “absolutely amazing” view over Poole Bay and Brownsea Island elevates a visit to this Rick Stein group outpost. This is a much commented-on destination, and we’ve rated it positively on the good volume of praise for its fish and seafood, which hails “food so consistently good, without frills from excellent ingredients in delicious combinations”. Given the “aspirations and expectations linked to the name” not everyone is convinced, though, and it’s more recommended as a good all-rounder for a fish supper with fab view attached than it is for next-level cooking.

With its “excellent range of fish in an idyllic setting”, this “cavernous shack on the Studland side of the chain ferry” solves the perennial problem of “somewhere to eat in Poole” – the “honest and simple local fish dishes” are “very nicely done”, and are accompanied by “great views” over Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island.

“I might have walked past if I hadn‘t been looking for it” – David Wykes opened his small contemporary fish bistro supplied from a “small, one-man open kitchen” in 2010. Despite its modest size, it’s nowadays one of the top-100 most commented-on venues in our annual diners’ poll thanks to its “exceptional fish dishes, presented with flair and imagination”. “You choose the number of courses you want, and say if there is anything you don’t like and then the most amazing fish just keeps coming” to create a “unique and outstanding food experience”. “Chef is keen to emphasise at any opportunity, everything is made in house with lots of interesting spices and flavourings, many made from his own foraging expeditions”. “It’s quite simple in décor and unpretentiously welcoming” (but while “the space is comfortable, when a large group arrives it can become near deafening”). Many reports suggest that “all fish lovers need to experience Verveine at least once”… “I live a couple of hours away, but I’ll certainly be back again soon!”

2023 Review: This gorgeous old tavern on a corner site near the harbour – newly spiffed-up last autumn and with the recent addition of a conservatory – specialises in “excellent-quality” local seafood, served in a warm atmosphere that is “like being in France”.

This two-year-old restaurant in a “boutique hotel on the main street of Lymington” specialises in “simply prepared and beautifully presented fish, straight from the local boats”. Experienced chef Matthew Tomkinson, previously of The Hambrough on the Isle of Wight, took over the kitchen in early 2024.