Restaurants in Dorset
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Broad Street
A refreshingly innovative restaurant. Décor is rough meets smooth: whitewashed walls and exposed stone; crisp white linen and beige Hessian. Seating is on old chapel chairs - complete with the slots for hymn sheets on the backs. The food also has flair; confit of duck, roast tomato and beetroot puree sits alongside pot-roast pollack with spinach and leeks. Impeccably sourced ingredients, their local credentials are outlined on the menu, include wild garlic gathered from the woods.
Booking essential.
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West Beach
A firm favourite with Bournemouth's foodie crowd, this buzzy eatery delivers both top-notch dishes and the best views in town. Try monkfish medallions with Parma ham or a seafood platter crammed with crab claws, lobster, razor clams and crevettes – best enjoyed on a decked dining terrace that juts out over the sand.
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Perry's
Effortlessly stylish, but also relaxed, this Georgian town house is a study of snowy white tablecloths and flashes of pink. The local seafood is irresistible: seabass with crushed saffron potatoes, and spiced tian of Portland crab. The cognoscenti book the 1st-floor window table (complete with fabulous harbour view) for a two-course lunch – a bargain at £15.
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Custom House
Harbourside terrace, funky eatery and fine-dining venue all rolled into one.
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Guildhall Tavern
More Provence than Poole, the grub at this brasserie is Gallic gourmet charm at its best: unpretentious and top-notch. Expect double-baked cheese soufflé, chargrilled sea bass flambéed with pernod, or Charolais beef with peppercorns. Exquisite aromas fill the dining room, along with the quiet murmur of people enjoying very good food.
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Sienna
Indulge in some fine, pan-European cooking which combines complex flavours: rare roast Scottish sirloin with mushrooms sits on the same menu as fresh tagliatelle with roasted artichokes, and a goat's cheese and pepper tart with sherry vinegar. The décor is simpler - light woods and red padded seats.
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Basilica
The menu at this groovy bistro visits more Mediterranean countries than your average InterRailer - expect meze, Parma ham parcels, grilled haloumi and pasta with chorizo. The brick-lined interior is dotted with jars of olives bigger than your head and tables hacked out of single chunks of wood.
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Mallams
A romantic harbourside eatery with subdued lighting and old stone. Ethically sourced fish features heavily - sustainable cod covered in a dill and parmesan crust and New Forest barramundi with Cajun spice. Top it off with a white and dark chocolate torte with raspberry sauce.
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La Baroque
Baroque by name, baroque by nature. Munch tapas surrounded by raspberry walls and heavy gilt pictures in the wine bar. Or pop upstairs to sturdy tables, sleek chairs, Toulouse Lautrec prints and classy dining - beef with truffled lentils, mushrooms and spinach.
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Jurassic Seafood
Bright and buzzy in blue and orange, this eatery revels in its prehistoric theme: fossil maps, hunting tips and replica dinosaur remains abound. A tasty, eclectic menu includes crab sushi, mussels and chips, and local mackerel, as well as salads and steaks.
reviewed
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King Edward's
It has to be done: sit on Weymouth seafront scoffing fish 'n' chips. This classic Victorian chippy is lined with burgundy tiles and wrought iron; its menu is a feast of battered fish, chipped potatoes, mushy peas and pickled eggs.
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Storm
The superbly cooked fish on the robust, eclectic menu here depends on what the owner's caught.
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Indian Ocean
Unusual karai and Bangladeshi specials as well as tried and tested Indian favourites.
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Ciao
A cool hang-out with slabs of red paint on the walls, a huge glass-backed bar piled high with bottles and tables that spill out onto the street. The food is firmly focused on pizza, pasta and gourmet panini.
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BH13
A sleek and chic bar-restaurant with brown suede settees, chrome lights and the odd dash of purple, backlit glass. The menu travels the Med - chicken and chorizo meets slow cooked lamb in cumin, and paella.
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Lee
Ornate, carved tables and chandeliers dominate this popular eatery which specialises in Peking, Szechwan and Thai food. Try the sliced squid Cantonese style, or the sizzling tofu in black bean sauce.
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Chocol8
Heaven: a café that doubles as a chocolatier. Sip your cappuccino surrounded by shocking-pink walls, tiny tables and hundreds of multicoloured, gift-wrapped sweet temptations.
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Prezzo
A typically reliable outpost of this Italian chain; the baroque interior is filled with black leather sofas and twisted willow - top-notch pizzas and pastas are on the menu.
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Sienna
Dorchester's Michelin-starred eatery is rich in seasonal produce; look out for wild garlic and pungent white truffles; partridge might be teamed with spiced pear. The cheeseboard bears the best of the west, served with fig chutney and Bath Oliver biscuits. Booking is required.
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Print Room
This charismatic brasserie exudes Parisian chic, from the black and white tiled floors to the burnished wooden booths. Dishes are well travelled, too; try the beetroot gnocchi, grilled calves livers, or steak with black truffle potato. Or that most excellent French tradition: the plat du jour, including wine, for only £10.
reviewed
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Pear Tree
Full of mouth-watering aromas, this delectable deli is packed with gourmet picnic supplies. Spinach and feta pie, homemade soups and a wealth of local cheeses are coupled with irresistible cakes and puddings.
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Hix Oyster & Fish House
Expect grandstand views of the Cobb and dazzling food at this super-stylish open-plan cabin. Cuttlefish comes with ink stew; ray with hazelnuts; and steak with baked bone marrow. Or plump for potted Morecambe Bay shrimps on toast, or oysters – choose from Brownsea Island or Falmouth – at £2 to £3 a pop.
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Green
As mellow as the honey-coloured building it's set in, this intimate restaurant's menu is full of local ingredients; try the mushroom and thyme risotto with roasted butternut squash, or the guinea fowl with apples and redcurrants.
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Billy The Fish
Former fisherman Billy doesn't catch his own any more; he's too busy cooking up a storm at this kooky bistro. The walls are hung with fabric, lobster pots and buoys; the tables are lined by locals enjoying skilfully cooked food. Try the super-fresh turbot, brill and scallops, or the intensely flavoured fish soup.
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Basilica
The menu tours more Mediterranean countries than your average InterRailer – expect mezze, Parma ham parcels, grilled haloumi and pasta with chorizo.
reviewed
