Best Places and Services in Christchurch, Dorset (2025)

Rating: 5 / 5

A lovely authentic Italian restaurant. Exceptional food & drinks, excellent service. My only negative comment is that we were seated outside in the garden and the chairs (ordinary metal garden variety) were very uncomfortable to have to sit in for 2 hours, whilst enjoying a meal. Some cushions would be good. It also got quite cold later in the evening, some extra heating would help.

Rating: 5 / 5

Excellent food..... brilliant price...but is always busy and food takes ages to come out....but is definitely worth the wait. But if you are in a hurry it's frustrating. But you can not fault the quality or the waitress..it's probably because it is so popular

Rating: 4 / 5

Love the convenience of coming here for a Carvery. The overall value for money is excellent and food always lovely. Our waitress Alana on the last visit couldn’t do enough and was extremely helpful with some of our party who had food allergies. Thank you Alana, who as well as being extremely helpful was always smiling, cheerful and engaging

Rating: 5 / 5

Went with my wife and two young kids for a Sunday lunch. The food was tasty with really generous portions. Service was efficient and all the staff were friendly. Special shout out to Claire, the waitress who was lovely and very interactive with the kids. Reasonably priced, too! We'll be back soon

Rating: 4 / 5

Good pub, a former coaching inn, about 15 minutes walk from Christchurch Railway Station. Three cask beers on handpump when I visited. Lots of outdoor seating at the rear some of it covered. The pub is Grade-II listed.

Rating: 5 / 5

Went for dinner and drinks last night and found a hidden little gem in Christchurch. Lovely atmosphere, nice food and great value for money. They have an offer on currently which made it even better.

Rating: 4 / 5

Quite difficult to evaluate this venue. A couple of really friendly, helpful staff, a couple less so. Some fantastic food some very average. The drinks were good, the atmosphere was fine. The chicken wings and pizza were perfectly fine. The nachos were awful. That's a dish that needs re working from scratch, and at 15 pounds just no! We would happily return for the excellent beers mostly great service and fun atmosphere

Rating: 5 / 5

This place has a great look inside. It is part of a chain as I recognise the menu from elsewhere. It is a lovely environment to be in. This one has lots of families on a sauturday, so has a real family feel. For some reason I wasn't allowed to photograph our drinks on the tray, but the coffee here is good

Rating: 5 / 5

What a gem of an eatery this is. A wonderful atmosphere. It's both big and cosy. Pictures adorn the dark wood walls making it feel like an exclusive club. The food we had was interesting: tasty, colourful but needed a bit more bread. The service was on point and the coffee very nice. Definitely recommend.

Rating: 5 / 5

We ate here and we had a lovely meal. It was very relaxed and lovely staff. We will definitely go again on our next visit.

Rating: 5 / 5

First time visit 24/02/24 and we had a great evening. The food was the best we have all had in a long time. Food was super tasty and so much of it, i did suggest maybe they could do a smaller appetite plate. Between us we had the sharing platter for 4, panang lamb shank curry, chicken katsu curry and chicken pad thai. The waitress was lovely and looked after us well, making sure everything was ok, drinks etc..... i didnt catch her name apologies !! All in all food, atmosphere and service thoroughly deserves 5 stars, would give more if it allowed, and the manageress even organised us a taxi home. Thankyou again, we will be back soon

Rating: 5 / 5

We absolutely love The Ship. The Thai food is top quality and authentic. And absolutely delicious. Decent sized portions too. The staff are lovely and always warm, friendly and efficient. We always eat here when we visit Christchurch. Oh, they are dog friendly too. Absolutely love this place and cannot say enough nice things!!

Rating: 4 / 5

Made a quick bus trip over to Christchurch for the stomp in the quomp weekend. It was killing time before the event started and I noticed the sign out front that said they had a nice garden. Popped in when they just opened so it was still pretty slow. But the bartender was fast to take my drink order and pour me a glass of wine and told me to have a seat wherever I'd like. I sat out back and while I was the only one there, two employees came out and were very sociable. I had a great view of the nearby Christian center. I only rated a 4 because I didn't get a chance to try the food. I want to leave that window open for those that have actually had that experience. It was clear this place was a hit because multiple people started coming in not too far after. Loved the ambiance, really cool inside aesthetics and a beautiful patio.

Rating: 5 / 5

The food is excellent, especially the pizza. Our family sits in a round table and sofa, which is just perfect for us. We also enjoy the live-singing there. Thank you for all the service.

Rating: 5 / 5

Great place. There was a band playing rock from the 70s (i.e., Fleetwood Mac) and was lovely. Good service, friendly staff, quality is also good. I would recommend it to everyone. It is not a late bar for drunk people at all, it is a nice pub for lunch, coffee or dinner with friends or family. 9/10.

Rating: 4 / 5

Good food in Christchurch. The baguette was really good. The place is fairly big and we could be seated without a reservation on a Saturday. Prices are ok.

Rating: 4 / 5

Chai latte with views of the sea. We weren't rushed but politely informed that our table was reserved for later (we still had over an hour before the reservation so did not feel pressured at all). Staff were very friendly and the drink was well made. Good atmosphere and they had gone to efforts with their tasteful Christmas decorations. Looking forward to returning and trying more out.

Rating: 5 / 5

Delicious cheeseboard, don't think the sandwich was freshly made, had been premade, and chilled, which spoilt it. Great chips. Friendly prompt service. Beautiful view. No accessible entrance. My partner had to negotiate four steep steps.

Rating: 5 / 5

Really well organised place separate queues for food pizza drinks lots of seating area and can sit on beach tables. Food was freshly prepared so you have to wait to be buzzed. Very tasty spicy prawn tacos in pitta boats and spicy prawn kebabs. Perfect lunch snack with a beer on a sunny day.

Rating: 5 / 5

Lovely restaurant in beautiful Christchurch. We had brunch here, and it was lovely. The staff were all accommodating and friendly. We had avocado on toast, eggs benedict, and breakfast bap and it was gorgeous. Prices were also very good and reasonable. Highly recommended and would go again.

Rating: 5 / 5

5 Stars Popped into The Boathouse on a Saturday afternoon with my mother and father for a spontaneous meal. We received a warm welcome and were seated straight away, which was a lovely start to our visit. We opted for the set menu, which included French onion soup, Christmas turkey, and dessert. Every dish was delicious, and the flavors really stood out. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was cozy and inviting. A wonderful experience overall—we’ll definitely be back. Thank you!

Rating: 4 / 5

Loved the outdoor trailer style coffee shop, lovely service and tasty cakes and coffee at a reasonable price. Inside the restaurant looks like it would be a great place for an evening meal and I shall return to try. Also a fantastic location with public toilets nearby and parking nearby.