Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to Alum Chine, 1 1 2 miles of it sandwiched between the twin piers at Bournemouth
and  Boscombe. However, you should choose your spot carefully. Sands are quieter
away from the piers, and families will enjoy the stretches around Westbourne or South-
bourne, beyond Boscombe. Surfers, on the other hand, should make right for the artifi-
cial Urban Reef, 200m (656 ft.) offshore and just east of Boscombe Pier. Arrange
lessons or hire equipment through Sorted Surf Shop, 42 Sea Road, Boscombe
( &   01202/399099; www.sortedsurfshop.co.uk). Beach access everywhere is free, and
swimming is lifeguard-patroled in season. If you want to do Boscombe in style, rent a
designer beach pod, complete with kitchenette, at the contemporary Overstrand devel-
opment ( &   0845/055-0968; www.bournemouthbeachhuts.co.uk). A pod costs
between £85 and £250 per week, depending on season.
Museum fans will find an intriguing, slightly bizarre collection of Victoriana in the
time-capsule that is the Russel-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, East Cliff Prom-
enade ( &   01202/451858; www.russel-cotes.bournemouth.gov.uk). The former
owners were avid traveler-collectors of international objets d'art, with an evident
penchant for the Pre-Raphaelite. Admission is free, and hours are 10am to 5pm
Tuesday through Sunday.
Where to Eat
The Green Room, inside the Green House (see “Where to Stay,” below) is another
place to consider for fans of contemporary creative British cooking.
The Crab at Bournemouth SEAFOOD This glass-fronted restaurant
almost opposite Bournemouth Pier is the best place in town to enjoy seafood in a
contemporary, refined setting. (Not surprisingly, it's packed most weekends.) Dishes
take their culinary influences from near and far, so expect to see the likes of Dorset
coast crab bisque alongside tagine of local monkfish with couscous, or tandoori whole
sea bream. There are good choices for meat lovers and vegetarians, too, but the sea-
food is the reason to come.
Exeter Rd. &   01202/203601. www.crabatbournemouth.com. Reservations recommended. Main
courses £13-£25; fixed-price lunch 2 courses £15, 3 courses £20. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon-2:30pm and
5:30-9:30pm.
Highcliff Grill SEAFOOD/GRILL The chargrill is the star at this smart brasserie-
style restaurant, a long-time recommendation in West Cliff. A short, focused menu
includes American-style beef steaks, salmon, chicken, and pork filet on the grill. There's
also a limited but tempting seafood selection, likely to include mussels in Gewürztra-
miner wine or an open ravioli of crab and prawn served with a shellfish foam. Dress is
“smart-casual,” and the ambience is businesslike.
Inside Marriott Highcliff (see below), St. Michael's Rd. &   01202/200800. Reservations recom-
mended. Main courses £14-£29; 3-course set lunch (Sun) £22. AE, MC, V. Mon-Sat 6-9:30pm; Sun
1-3pm and 6-9pm.
Urban Beach Café INTERNATIONAL This laid-back two-floor boardwalk
bar-eatery brings a slice of Pacific style to beachfront Boscombe. The menu is appro-
priately informal, mixing local classics, like a sustainable fish pie, with the likes of
rope-grown mussels in a Thai broth. At night, the dining moves upstairs, and adds
more formal dishes like braised English lamb shank with colcannon, and local sea-
bream filet with chorizo and mussel chowder. You can also come here for breakfast
(until 11:30am) or just stop by for a coffee or a glass of their homemade cola.
7
 
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