Top Restaurants in Christchurch, Dorset

Rating: 5 / 5

Had a wonderful lunch at Roots. We have been before, but many years ago. The food, drinks and service are all still top quality. Culinary delights that will entice the senses and tantalise the tastebuds. A very inventive chef who works hard to create wonderful menus. Thank you to all the team for an amazing lunch. We will be back.

Rating: 5 / 5

Absolutely incredible food, the waiter was outstanding and made the evening, great wine choices with the dishes we had a great night and will come again

Rating: 5 / 5

We had been here once before many years ago and enjoyed it, and more recently we have been to the sister establishment almost next door, The Cork and Lobster - which is always good. For no real reason we thought why not try Roots again. It is small but we managed to get a table and decided on the smaller of the set menus, which really was enough for us. Delightful and well thought out tastes, with presentation that is not too over-the-top. They carefully changed items to cater for the fact I don't eat pork or drink alcohol. There is a wine flight available alongside the meal but they were just as happy to give recommendations as needed. All the waiters were delightful, informative, and experienced which made the meal that much better and they are a credit to the place. The place remains a highpoint of local food-focused places, and next time, I won't leave it as long!

Rating: 5 / 5

The new private dining room at Roots was truly special. The space features a beautiful, large dining table that comfortably seats 12 people, creating the perfect atmosphere for an intimate gathering. Our dedicated server, Jasmin, was an exceptional hostess, attentively catering to our every need with warmth and professionalism. Owners Jan and Stacey went above and beyond to make our night unforgettable, accommodating us at short notice and ensuring every detail was perfect. The food was absolutely spectacular—each dish was perfectly prepared and utterly delicious. Having our own private facilities added to the exclusivity and convenience of the experience. We were so impressed that we’ll undoubtedly be booking this space again and again. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a flawless private dining experience!

Rating: 5 / 5

Meram Kitchen is simply the best Turkish restaurant on the South Coast. The owners and staff can’t do enough for you. The cuisine is of the highest quality. You won’t be disappointed!

Rating: 5 / 5

Amazing restaurant, definitely worth a visit if you are in Dorchester. The decor is really nice and the staff are really polite and friendly. The quality of the food is really good and the portions are massive. You get complementary salad, dips and bread with your order. This really helps with the overall experience as the dips are things you won't necessarily have tried before. The beetroot dip was amazing. The prices are also really reasonable, please give this place a try and you won't be disappointed. We ended up having to get a takeaway box.

Rating: 5 / 5

Blew as away very authentic Turkish food definitely coming back. Very accommodating.

Rating: 5 / 5

Pretty awesome! This is absolutely no.1 Turkish grill I've tried in the past ten years, generous portion, platter for two can easily feed a couple with good appetite like us, staff are all friendly and helpful, Would recommend to every meat lover😍

Rating: 5 / 5

A very welcoming Restaurant Bar with a rang of flexible dining locations suitable for couples, families or lager groups outside under cover. Or even in pods. We don't tend to post food as there are enough out there already. We can recommend the Beef and Tribune ale pie and mash with green beans. Simple meal but served v hot and v tasty. It even comes with a 1/3rd pt taster of Tribune Ale as a bonus. We also had the Half Chicken which once again was excellent with a proper home cooked roast flavour. We turned up without a booking on a Sunday, but we would recommend booking as it was still quite busy after the Sunday Roast Rush! Toilets well kept, upstairs with Accessable toilet on ground floor. Can't wait to pass that way again.

Rating: 5 / 5

For our first and only time experience, with the Oaks, last Sunday, 11th August 2024, this place is definitely a real find and worth going back for more...and not just for seconds!! Our party of 11 (9 adults and two children) was accommodated at short notice with a phone call the same morning. The place is massive and very spacious inside and out. Great layout. For our size party they gave us bench seats in the garden under a huge canopy (good cover in any weather). The food options were great and varied, and tasty. Most of us opted for the roast. Huge yorky puds, along with tastefully presented meals. They also accommodated our requests for more roasties, puds and gravy. The desserts were sublime and I tried a mint choc souffle with choc ice cream. All gratefully appreciated. No disappointments and the service was first rate too. Attentive and personal. Noted for next time when staying/visiting the New Forest area. Great entertainment for family and kids too with the beer garden games and furniture.

Rating: 5 / 5

What a beautiful gastro pub, I cannot thank the staff enough so attentive, the food is cooked to perfection and the atmosphere is a 10 out of 10. It was our first meal out as husband and wife and you guys smashed it out of the park! Visited 04.09.24 Cheese souffle is a must!

Rating: 4 / 5

Sunday evening Raymond Blanc dining experience. Super food but a quiet evening so hard to judge the atmosphere. Extremely friendly and helpful waiter with great descriotion and advice on the menu offerings. Fully recommend visiting for the superb quality tasty food.

Rating: 4 / 5

Second NYE in a row that we’ve spent here at The Noisy Lobster. The six of us had a warm festive front of house welcome, super lovely table with crackers, very busy all tables were taken & we sat down to a very good well served & (ordered in advance) NYE Dinner. Every dish we ordered we enjoyed including the pre dinner nibbles of trout crostini & beef croquettes. This was followed by various dishes including duck, steak, lobster thermidor, crab, seabass & creative desserts. Timely service, all spot on then afterwards it’s ’the disco’!! Oh my word who knew you could have so much fun here with complete strangers dancing, jumping, smiling, singing together. Super well done NL, cracking night, pictures below. Recommend.

Rating: 5 / 5

It was so good I’m back home now wondering if a 3hr drive for lobster rolls is reasonable. I’ve always wanted to eat here when we’ve visited the area, the menu is a bit pricey for a day at the beach and it’s absolutely packed during the day. So we get Lobster Shack fish and chips, which are really good too. I went back as a walk-in on a Sunday evening with my 3yo at 8pm. The staff were so nice and welcoming. The restaurant and car park were quiet and the view of the sea, Isle of Wight and the three needles was a stunning as the sun set. It was indeed pricey £90 for three starters, 2 desserts, 2 soft drinks and a coffee inc service charge, though well worth it, generous portions. I enjoyed it a lot. We had lobster rolls, tempura prawns and bread and dips. Wasn’t a fan of the chocolate mousse dessert, the granola wafers weren’t light, like florentine biscuits.

Rating: 5 / 5

What a lovely meal! We popped down for my birthday treat and had a really nice time all the staff wished me happy birthday which was lovely and even brought me out a little cupcake with a candle at the end of our meal which was very thoughtful! Highly recommend we'll be back 100%

Rating: 5 / 5

Oh my goodness I have been multiple times but recently went for an evening meal to celebrate my birthday. Ordered the surf and turf for two. Best meal I have had in while, everything was cooked to perfection. Beautiful views too. You will not be disappointed.

Rating: 5 / 5

Beautiful, welcoming place with a great staff team to look after you. Easy access straight off of the road to the traditional though modern looking restaurant. Good ample choice of food and drink that came swiftly but also at our preferred speed. Duck green curry, superb. Veg and vegan options. A tad expensive for day to day dining but worth every penny. Clean tables and facilities and worth mentioning the staff team again, really nice time.

Rating: 4 / 5

The restaurant was busy and had a nice ambiance when we arrived. The manager was very welcoming and gave us a window table because I was on crutches. We ordered prawn crackers twice but never got them. When the starters arrived, they weren’t what we ordered. We weren’t in a rush so this wasn’t a big problem and was rectified. When the food arrived, it was excellent and probably one of the best Thai food we’ve had for a while but the pad Thai was a bit too sweet for our liking. We cannot fault the food, it was gorgeous but the service was patchy and not in line with the food quality. We gave constructive feedback to the manager who apologised and offered a gesture of goodwill. Overall it was quite a nice experience. We hope they polish the service as it will make it perfect. We were in Christchurch only for the weekend and won’t hesitate to eat at Nusara again if we return to area.

Rating: 5 / 5

I LOVE IT. Before coming to the restaurant I was grumpy after a long day, but then I got warmily welcomed by the staff, had the food there, and felt as if I was in paradise. The food was absolutely delicious, even the prawn crackers were on another level. The staff was really friendly too. The interior is lovely as well, really chill place with a nice interior design. I definitely recommend this place.

Rating: 5 / 5

We booked a dinner for my fathers 60th birthday. Our table of 4 was situated towards the rear of the restaurant in quite a secluded area and therefore made the experience less noisy or disruptive. Kai the water was very friendly and attentive, he answered any questions my family had and couldn’t fault his service. Both starters and mains tasted amazing, I highly recommend the Chiang Mai spicy fried rice! The restaurant is cleverly laid out with glass window like partitions almost splitting the venue in half; this softens the noise when the restaurant is particularly busy. If I was dining again I would request a window seat if possible as being sat in the far corner felt a little “distant”. Overall good food and lovely service.

Rating: 5 / 5

Absolutely splendid from start to finish. Service was brilliant - shout out to Tani, who made us feel welcome and to the waitress that arranged to have the menu items adapted to our halal sensibilities. The food itself came out like works of art and they were scrumptious - I didn't expect any less. I wanted to have desert but was stuffed after the mains and starters. The skate from the fish platter wasn't to my taste - but this was on me as it is as it is. The delightful visit was finished off with a thoughtful and lovely complimentary happy birthday dessert taster. Definitely would visit again. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 / 5

Visited The Jetty with my husband for my 60th birthday!! Weather was fab and sat in garden as we arrived early. Very attentive and friendly staff. Food excellent. I had the three course set menu which had plenty of choice and tried things I would never have tried before. My husband had steak which melted in his mouth with truffle chips and mushrooms. Table wiped down between courses and staff very nice.

Rating: 5 / 5

One of the best restaurants I’ve ever visited! The view of Christchurch harbour is fantastic and the steak which I had was the best I’ve had. The staff were also very attentive and helpful. There is a wide variety of meals available on the menu and choosing what to go for was difficult as there was so much good stuff to pick from! If you’re in the area definitely go here.

Rating: 5 / 5

Beautiful food and always the best service. Perfect portions. And you get to enjoy the view whilst dining. Their truffle mac and cheese is to die for, i get it every single time!

Rating: 5 / 5

Delicious haddock and chips, very nicely done and an excellent local cheese board. We were very happy to discover this clean spacious comfortable restaurant late on Saturday afternoon. It was busier in the evening so you would likely need to book at popular times. Friendly and efficient service. The meals were very quickly prepared to perfection. Draught Guinness and Estrella served. Low alcohol Heineken available. There is a service charge but you would definitely be happy to leave a tip.

Rating: 5 / 5

Had a lovely time, despite the quiet patch post New Year, the team made us feel welcome and we enjoyed a rave of excellent dishes- particularly the seafood. Loved the steak too!

Rating: 5 / 5

7 of us visited for the first time today, having a mixture of roast dinners, fish and chips and burgers. The food was 10/10, really tasty, beautifully seasoned and showing care & attention to detail. The lady looking after us was very warm & friendly and attentive in spite of how busy it was. Would highly recommend and definitely a new favourite spot

Rating: 5 / 5

Great environment, very well decorated. It has a very modern feel and the staff were accommodating and friendly. We went in between Christmas and New Year, where they were offering a special light lunch menu. The food was great quality and reasonably priced. I would definitely go again!

Rating: 5 / 5

We fell upon the pub in the middle of Christchurch high street looking for some lunch. The frontage, although very nice, didn't really do the inside justice. The service, from the moment we entered until we left was excellent and was only trumped by the delicious food, wine and shipyard ale. An excellent experience 👏

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: 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

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: 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: 5 / 5

Absolutely incredible food!! To quote my mum; 'best pizza I've ever had'. It was a really great atmosphere, great tunes played throughout the entire night, cocktails/mocktails available. We pre ordered food as there were 20 of us, and it all came out at the same time. Would definitely recommend, especially for birthday celebrations.

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.