Arbor Restaurant in Bournemouth

The food was amazing. We were a table of four and everyone really enjoyed their meal. The serving staff were attentive without being intrusive.

The food was excellent with generous portions. The chef is first class and the waiting staff were also very good. The only thing holding it back was the lack of any lighting in the car park on a dark evening and the lack of suitable glasses for a G&T. These are trivial points compared to the food and the food was worthy of a 5 star rating.

Just ate here for lunch. Service 100%, food quality and design 100%, friendliness of restaurant and reception 100%. Suggest mid week a set menu, but we'll be back ASAP. Rick Stein has serious competition! Well-done All. 6 October 2024 Thanks all. We joined you Sunday for another great lunch service. Party of 4.

The food was absolutely delicious, in fact I would say the tastiest meal that I have experienced. It was presented really nicely and the service was excellent. I would definitely go back there if I am ever in Bournemouth.

Take a bow Andy Hilton - Wonderful lunch yesterday, isle of white tomato starter was simply genius, the pork schnitzel the best i have ever had. Hake well cooked with crispy skin and moist fish, the pasta with a slight bite, faultless. We will be back. You need more accolades and more people knowing the quality of food and presentation that you are pushing out.

We've been there twice for an afternoon tea and it was great. Staff were really helpful and food was amazing. Very recommended!

I started with the watercress and potato soup with onion, which was the best I've ever had! Interesting menu and excellent food.

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon with Sunday lunch and then coffee in the bar area. The food was beautifully presented and tasted just as good. Staff in the bar were great, staff in the restaurant ok - nothing particularly wrong but not as friendly as the bar staff. Would definitely recommend.

Disappointed. Another proof that English shouldn’t cook

We had a lovely meal. The food was great and tasted fresh. However, I mentioned it was our first wedding anniversary, and any special touch would have gone a long way, but it wasn’t even acknowledged

This time last year myself and my wife got married at this venue.( If your are planning to get married in this area I would highly recommend this place). So on our 1st year anniversary we decided to return for an evening meal. Which we were very glad we did as the service and food was excellent. With both our meal being cook to perfection. I would recommend the lamb wellington or the pork schnitzel. They even apologised for the food being a bit slow in coming out, but with such great atmosphere both myself and my wife didn't notice. Plus it wasn't really that slow in coming out. So overall it worth going. Would recommend you book ahead as seating is limited.

Have been a few times but on this visit took a friend who wanted to return to somewhere that she has memories that she holds dear. We both had fish and it was delicious , cooked to order and beautifully served, Complimentary still & sparking water which is a lovely touch. There was only one other table having lunch, a few were having afternoon tea.

This is a restaurant of two halves. Firstly the food is excellent, tasty, interesting perfectly cooked and presented. Prices are reasonable for this quality and the service is good. The downside is the ambiance. The room is awkward and although there are many windows on one side it is gloomy especially if you sit at the back of the room which is essentially a corridor from the front to the kitchen. Sitting with your back to the windows is uninspiring. The decor is dark too which doesn’t help and we were there on a bright day. We were enjoying a leisurely three course lunch at 1 pm and almost everyone else was having afternoon tea. So because dining is not all about the food but about the overall experience I’m afraid only three stars.

Had a beautiful afternoon tea at The Arbor this afternoon. Well worth the price. Even gave us a box to take the goodies we couldn't manage to eat.

Amazing food, highly recommended

Well spaced excellent food and staff

High quality meal, good service from staff.

We went for dinner and had an excellent meal. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Add to that a very friendly and helpful service to give a first class restaurant. You should definitely go!

A great experience all round! Our 3 course meal (Sunday Roast) was absolutely delicious, staff were attentive and polite. We will definitely be back. No complaints from us!

An excellent choice for afternoon tea.

Loved whatever and however they served it.

We can't fault anything except the "discretionary service charge" which is 12.50% and should be illegal, ours came to £50(basically 'service charge')and that's the only reason I am giving 3* We visited after our wedding ceremony and we've had a really good time. Excellent food, excellent service. But one thing is unacceptable, it should be up the customers to decide how much to pay for service charge and would be happy to pay 10% but not hidden with microscopic letters written on the bottom of your bill and because you've had a good time, a few drinks etc and just pay but than you realise later what have happened.

Friendly polite and attentive staff. Food was beautiful, well presented and well cooked.

Wasn't to impressed. Have had better afternoon tea elsewhere. Sausage rolls were to spicy for me and cakes weren't very good selection. Didn't really like the scones either. Went because I was bought a voucher so won't be returning

Very well cooked food at a price that seemed very reasonable to me. Best steak I had in a long time. Other dishes all excellent also.

Long wait for starters, which were cold when they arrived. We ordered a cocktail that was supposed to have coke, but it came without coke. Empty glasses left on table throughout the meal. The place looks great, but service was disappointing. Food was fine, but expected better based on prices.

Fantastic afternoon tea and very friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit! 2nd visit also great quality 👌

Wonderful experience. Absolutely beautiful food, lovely service.

What a great experience we all had at this fantastic restaurant the quality of the food was amazing and enjoyed by all. The front of house staff were very attentive and was very knowledgeable about all the dishes. Compliments to the Chef too for such a lovely meal.

Ate here a couple of weeks ago. Food was good, service was good ambiance was good. Price, well, the most expensive meal I have ever had and we didn't have steak!! £166 of which £50 was alcohol, the rest was the food and tip... Food was good, but not that good. Will not be going back but only due to the price

Friendly staff, nice building, but the food is bland and uninspiring. Very small portion for the price. ‘Best restaurant in Bournemouth’ is a bit of a stretch!

Lovely afternoon tea in the Arbor - beautiful decor. Really good food with interesting alternatives to finger sandwiches (sausage roll, smoked salmon and cheese I think); superb scones and the jam and cream was plentiful. The only thing I would change, and this is often the case with afternoon tea, is I'd like more savoury and less sweet. Scones and cakes is a little too much! Great attentive staff and unrushed sitting.

Absolutely fantastic evening! Lovely welcome, delicious food and drinks, and an atmospheric place to eat. Every plate was empty after every course. Just the right amount of food, and the lid of place you leave wanting to tell other people about. We’ll be back! Thank you to everyone for making it such an enjoyable time.

The food and service was great. The seabass was well cooked.

Quiet, out of the way but in the heart of Bournemouth. Beautiful small hotel, enough parking spaces,marvellous staff and great food. It's a little gem that I was previously unaware of.

After coming from London to revisit this restaurant for our anniversary we were shocked as to how rude the welcome was from the manager Pedro who after not offering to take our coats told us that we shouldn't leave them where we put them in a rude way. He then told us very rudely to hurry and that he couldnt order out childrens food first after giving us 2 minutes to look at the menu. He was very rude, which we called him up on. He said he had a headache and a had experienced a bad day and left. Our very young children became upset and we resultantly left with our anniversary ruined and our children hungry and missing dinner. The menu was not what is once was for children and the service was the worst we have ever had anywhere in the world. He did not try to offer us anything in a way of an apology and is unfit for the positon he is in. His colleague was also making excuses for him. A far fall from grace for a once michelin restaurant. Personal issues should not be taken out on customers and toddlers. We will not be returning and would not recommend. A fast food restaurant offers better service.

Good quality food. But a bit pricy for the standard level .

The Arbor restaurant was absolutely first rate. The service was perfect and the food absolutely fantastic and without fault. The staff were professional, efficient and very friendly.

What a delightful place. Went for afternoon tea. It was so delicious and well presented. The jams were made in house. Never tasted anything so good . The photo I'm afraid was all that remained if this beautiful food when we could eat no more

Wonderful service and delicious food. A good number of vegetarian options. We will definitely return!

Lovely restaurant with very friendly staff who were helpful and entertaining. The food is excellent and will definitely be going again (soon I hope).

Fabulous experience for my birthday lovely restaurant warm friendly staff lovely food

Nice sweet assortments in the afternoon tea, but a shame that the savouries weren't sandwiches. Nice staff and dining room.

Lovely food, very tasty . Feels good to go in a proper restaurant with good service and food that s tasty.

Delicious food, knowledgeable waiters with regard to wine pairings and a lovely bar and dining room.

Delicious food, knowledgeable waiters with regard to wine pairings and a lovely bar and dining room.

Wonderful food, we will definitely be coming back!!

Great food, slow service, quite expensive, but the food was b Very good & the staff were nice, would go again

Fantastic fine dining menu with outstanding food. The staff were really friendly and accommodating. 100% recommended

Had an excellent cream tea. Will definitely go again

Visited this place on a Thursday, a bit quiet with not a lot of atmosphere. The food was delicious, I cannot fault it, so tasty and well presented. The service was OK, friendly but a bit laid back rather than fine dining.

I went for an afternoon tea with my Mum and my daughter. The staff were polite, courteous and helpful. The dining room was very nice. The afternoon tea was delicious. I highly recommend the afternoon tea and look forward to visiting again soon. Thank you 😊

Lovely breakfast, and wonderful ladies to assist.

Spent a pleasant afternoon taking tea with friends in an atmosphere that was relaxed, not stuffy and with staff who made us feel very welcome. - Tables were well spaced and a pleasing contemporary sculpture of a tree took centre stage and provided an interesting discussion point. - The finger sandwiches were nice and fresh and the (small) scones were very light and fluffy with truly excellent strawberry jam and raspberry coulis alongside the cream. The cakes were ok, but the bases of the Bakewell tarts were a bit of a challenge for the teeth. - We did have a minor upset when the waiter dropped one of the raspberry coulis on the way to the table. He went off to get a replacement, returned with a cloth to clean the floor and then vanished. So we were one coulis down. To be fair it was still enough. - I feel mean saying this but afternoon tea was a pleasant but not a special experience.

A really excellent Afternoon Tea, my wife described it as her favourite ever and it’s certainly up there in my top 5 too. Super service, great venue and every item was delicious. They also catered very well for my dairy intolerance. We’ll definitely be back.

Visited for diner with group of friends. Food was good, starters were excellent in fact however the overall experience wasn’t so great. Staff seemed unsure what to do and almost a tad nervous. Maybe we had new starters but it took the shine off the evening.

Always eat here when in town, nowhere better

The chef here at least tries hard and I guess this is why Arbor is rated so highly in this fading seaside town. We had two dinners in the restaurant, and after dining at Rick Stein's for lunch had a light bite in the lounge on our third night. No complaints, but no real plaudits either. Expensive, but what isn't now?

Quite literally the best food I have ever eaten in Bournemouth. Beautifully presented dishes with so much flavour. I have been very fortunate to eat in some amazing places and this food was up there with the Michelin restaurants.

A visit to this lovely restaurant made up for the disappointing stay at a nearby hotel (not The Green House). The service here is professional - the waiters are light on their feet and observant. The food is simply delicious. Beautifully presented, contemporary and very tasty. You won't be disappointed.

Excellent food over three evenings. As my wife is celiac the only slight disappointment was the lack of some information on th menu regarding gluten. Ths did not spoil the experience however. Great food and service. Thank you staff.

What a brilliant dining experience. The food was really tasty and beautifully presented and very good value for 2 rosette restaurant. The waiter Dimitrie was very attentive and friendly. Would definitely recommend.

The staff was friendly but failed to pickup on specific issues. The gambas were raw, the magret de canard which had been requested well done was medium rare and although most of the above was left untouched the staff did not query it. We were too tired to make a fuss but we will not be going back. Also lacking in atmosphere.

The resturant was amazin'. The food was delicious, and the staff was real friendly. I had the steak, and it was cooked perfectly. The atmosphere was relaxin' and cozy. I definitely will go back again.

Thoughtfully created menu with interesting dishes which were well presented. I had the Isle of Wight tomato salad followed by a fabulous piece of plaice (fish of the day). The dessert was also gorgeous. Thoroughly recommend for a nice meal out in an elegant dining room with good service.

We had a wonderful evening at Arbor. The food was delicious and the service was superb! We chose 2 Nibbles instead of starters - lovely! My partner had a beautifully cooked steak and I had v tasty duck dish. My dessert was gorgeous - pineapple and rum with coconut ice-cream. We highly recommend a meal out at Arbor!

1st time visiting here tonight, absolutely brilliant!! From the moment we walked in, all staff made us feel very welcome 🤗 credit to the manager & their team. The chef is OUTSTANDING, food is delicious.

1st time visiting this place… brilliant staff, excellent Chef, food is outstanding!! What a lovely restaurant & the manager clearly knows how to manage & look after the team 👍😎

Cozy, upscale atmosphere. Food and service impeccable.

Delicious food, impeccable service. Cozy atmosphere, very warm and welcoming. Thank you so much.

We had high expectations of our visit for Afternoon Tea. However unfortunately neither the food or the service delivered for us. The restaurant decor seemed tired and in need of refreshing. Perhaps I should add that we have had afternoon tea at a similar cost in a number of places. Here we found the savouries although imaginative were not particularly appetising. Our scones were certainly rather over baked and crisp. There was not a generous amount of jam or cream. The small cakes did not seem too fresh. Pieces of lemon pie, orange sponge and a slice of chocolate sponge. We could not eat it all and were provided with a “take home” box. Today we have found chocolate sponge certainly is not fresh. We do understand that this is just our opinion, but we would not visit again or feel able to recommended this afternoon tea. So we suggest that guests consider carefully their local options before booking here.

This is place is a hidden gem, we were bought a voucher for our birthdays which we used last night in there a la carte restaurant. Everything was just fantastic from start to finish. The staff were very attentive, professional, and friendly . The food...

Booked Arbor to celebrate my partner’s birthday; was astounded by the quality of the food and service. Photos and review does not do justice on how much we enjoyed the evening. The food and atmosphere were amazing; fine dining at its best.

TASTING MENU was a Levant themed 5 course meal bought as a gift from my kids. They change it each month. Our views are, per course, 1) Nibbles- choice of x2 dips with flat bread - aubergine dip was better than hummous 2) Starter- Haloumi...

UPDATE: After being offered to go back for free we took the opportunity and this time it was one of the best afternoon teas ive had! Service was great and it felt like they went above and beyond. Thank you. Awful afternoon tea! Bread was extremely dry and was stale on one side. Scones were very hard and cold as if they had just been removed from the fridge. Cake was also stale on one side. Very disappointing.

1 star because no one picks up the phone for dinner reservation, second time calling on different days, rang them 4 times m, straight to answer phone, clearly not a personal service!

Went here for afternoon tea with family members. They were excellent dealing with my allergy and how cross contamination is not an option, I’m highly allergic to fish. Accessibility is an issue, it was very difficult to use the lift where you have to enter...

Very overpriced ,pretentious eatery...Caponata as a main course?should be condemned .."gaspacho" served incomplete of the traditional condiments..the" chef" was aware but did not care to remedy situation..desert ,chocolate and pastry based needed a builder's trowel to ptaise it from the plste...all this for £119.00 quid ?? On a hindsight l should have given the money to the needey..😩

Tried the Afternoon Tea with Champagne which was very nice. We had a choice of sitting inside or outside, and chose the inside as it was very hot in the garden. The meal consisted of 3 savory bites first, followed by two scones and 3 small cakes, plus unlimited hit drinks, and of course a glass of champagne to start with. Very enjoyable.

Absolute gem of a restaurant, that met my hopes for a delicious meal out with a friend. Great menu, with our food perfectly cooked and beautifully plated, in an honest way that was both delicious and beautiful. I can't understand how this restaurant isn't fully...

I can honestly say this is without doubt my favourite restaurant. We travel from Bath to go. The food is absolutely delicious. Each season brings a different menu of delicious seasonal food. The service is second to none. All the staff are welcoming, friendly and so efficient and the restaurant itself is beautiful. Very tastefully decorated and has such a nice intimate feel. This is the 3rd time we have been and we are already planning our next visit. Thank you for a wonderful evening

Absolutely loved the vibe and food at this place. After a few disappointing meals around Bournemouth, we came across this place. The chef here does truly experiment with flavours and textures. Would highly recommend them to anyone willing to see what elevated British cuisine can...

Absolutely loved the vibe and food at this place. After a few disappointing meals around Bournemouth, we came across this place. The chef here does truly experiment with flavours and textures. Would highly recommend them to anyone willing to see what elevated British cuisine can look like.

Le service est attentionné et les plats délicieux avec une très belle présentation Les goûts sont affirmés et harmonieux digne...

Délicieux, un grand plaisir, explosion de goûts et de saveurs dans un cadre très agréable et avec un service se...

What a superb dining experience this evening! Interesting, delicious food using the freshest ingredients and inventive combinations of flavours and textures. The best dessert menu I have seen, and excellent service. Not cheap, but also not break-the-bank expensive. Thoroughly recommended.

The whole dining experience was exceptional. A lovely restaurant with friendly and attentive staff team. The food is the star of the show. Beautiful dishes, well presented, perfectly cooked and tasting great. Absolutely perfect and a big well done to chef plus the whole team.

I went there for a dinner with my girlfriend and I have to say I was impressed, very good food, very welcoming staff. Special thanks to Dimitrie who was very profesional and had very good knowledge of the Mise en place and menu knowing what...

We had a lovely afternoon tea. Unlimited tea and nice trio of starters with a selection of cakes and scones. This included a chocolate chip scone! The staff were all polite and attentive making sure the experience very enjoyable. If you are after a quality...

Food was very tasty, but have had equal quality and taste for less money. Drinks were very reasonable however.

Excellent place to eat. We're regular visitors to Bournemouth and this is now on our list as a place we'll eat at every time. Great food, excellent service.

What a stunning meal. Hard to say what was best but the New Forest Mushroom Parfait... Was to die for, and it was also Vegan!! The catch of the day was delicious!

We stumbled across this restaurant and we're so glad we did. Great food and attentive service. We're regular visitors to Bournemouth and this is now on our list of regular treats.

Overall good experience, found the main portion sizes inadequate. Fine dining or not, main meals should be a decent size. I had a starter and main, and didn’t feel it was enough.

We went for afternoon tea - the service was impeccable and the food and presentation was out of the world. We cannot believe the quality of the product for the price - unbelievable value for money - if you were in London you would easily...

We went here for our 2 year anniversary, looking for a nice relaxed restaurant with great food. Everything was amazing, the food was incredible. I had the sirloin steak which was cooked perfectly along with some of the best peppercorn sauce I’d ever had. My...

50th Birthday dinner was excellent food locally sourced and varied menus service was impeccable

The ingredients used, preparation and presentation were all superb. Beautifully crafted and imaginative food at very reasonable prices for the excellent quality. We stayed overnight and had a wonderful breakfast, the selection of fruit, pastries and especially the wide range of cooked options. Can't wait to go back😊

I have now been back to Arbor on numerous occasions to this fabulous dining experience. After my previous poor review I took the opportunity to meet with the General manager Neil Carter and managed to have a "constructive criticism discussion, than the negative review I...

Fine dining restaurant - delicious food on the menu. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and would recommend for special occasions.