Cork and lobster in Bournemouth

Our picky grumpy journalist friend was down for the weekend for some R&R. He's used to being schmoozed and schmoozing dubious London bigwigs in overpriced and under performing eateries in The City - so where to take him? Round to the Cork of course. 3 delicious surf and turf specials later we waited nervously for his reaction - and perhaps to pay the bill. Then he announced it was our turn to pay but that he'd loved the experience of eating here and he wished he could uproot this establishment including the fantastic staff and relocate them to his postcode in West London. So thank you Jan and Chrissie and Mauro and Liam for cheering him up and making our weekend a lot more cheerier

The lobster and prawns and mac and cheese were all vastly overcooked and had a texture of Mush. The beef was perfectly cooked but Stone Cold. The vegetables were perfectly blanched beans and cold tomatoes cutting in half. Unbelievably bad.

Really tasty food, excellent value, top quality and good service. Went tonight (Thursday) and had the half lobster special set menu. There was plenty, and all faultless, thanks Chef.

OMG WHAT A PLACE 👏👏👏 Absolutely fantastic service thanks. Amazing food thanks . Such different choices and flavours. Could nit fault it. Whoopee my favourite place even though its an hours drive 🌟🌟🌟

Fabulous Sunday lunch where the food was the star but the chef and wait staff came a very close second. Definitely recommend this relaxed restaurant with exceptional quality food. A must for anyone in the area. Can’t wait to try the restaurant again!

Shamazing place! Chrissie was a fab host and really friendly. Katy was great too. Great service and wonderful food. No better place to go in Southbourne!

We were a group of four and were extremely impressed from the moment we walked in. The staff were fabulous as was the food. We started with amazing cocktails, then a selection of starters, followed by the beef wellington sharer and the seafood sharer and a couple of desserts. We could not fault anything, it was all superb. Will definitely be back and recommend wholeheartedly. Keep up the good work!

Sunday lunch at an exceptional restaurant, best in Dorset bar none, with the exception of its sister restaurant, Roots.

My favourite restaurant from day one til now and forever 😋 always succulent food could have stayed all day and night. See you soon.xx

The best roast EVER! I could drink the gravy, all very high level…the beef melted. The Mille Feuille was also delicious. Great service and decor. We will 100% be back.

Exceptionally cooked food with top quality ingredients set in an informal and friendly restaurant. We have visited Roots a few times in the past and wanted to try this new restaurant this time and we were not disappointed. The attention to detail and the highly skilled cooking and preparation of the food way above anything in the local area. The prices are very reasonable and it is an ideal location for popping in after a long walk on the beach. You can have small plate dishes and we had the bouillabaisse which was the best we have ever had. There are also dog friendly tables which is also welcomed when you have been out walking with them along the beachfront . Jan and the team are by far the most talented chefs we have experienced in this area.

What a find! We went yesterday as a group of 4 for lunch. Incredible food, superb presentation and great service. Couldn’t fault a thing. We will definitely be back

Popped in on the off chance what a lovely find service impeccable staff very professional in every aspect , chef what a great guy friendly had a few cocktails lovely and 4 oysters ten out of ten in every aspect I shall return very soon for the offerings on the main menu which looked fabulous

Superb experience. Went along to an ‘open day’. Felt thoroughly spoilt. Beautiful canapés and great drinks, coupled with a lovely environment and perfect service . This place deserves to do extremely well. We will be back!

Lovely Saturday night. We've visited before & loved it. The second visit was no different. Great food & friendly service, even though they were clearly busy. We will be back for a third visit.

Flavours fantastic - but came away thinking ‘this wasn’t dinner’. At £12+ the small plates for 2 sharing were very small - for example 2 leaves of lettuce sprinkled with beef, or 3 very thin slices of tuna (maybe 1/3 weight of equivalent sushi grade in a restaurant for the same price). So a lovely evening with friends and great attention to detail but overall we won’t be rushing back.

Went out for a relaxed dinner hoping the seafood and ambience would be good. We weren't disappointed, food was excellent - nothing like juicy lobster and chips to die for washed down with some lovely Pinot. Triple C starter is to die for. Will definitely go back next time we are down for the weekend.

We love this addition to the beautiful Southbourne. The combination of an expertly executed creative menu with friendly and relaxed service makes this an absolute favourite. The care taken to ensure that allergies / intolerances (gluten and nuts this visit) are catered for is HUGELY important and appreciated! Oh and the cocktails are rather wonderful too!

Absolutely gorgeous food and cocktails. Service was brilliant and really friendly. The new take on a Black Forest gateau was heavenly. Will definitely be coming back and would recommend. Good food, good company, good service!

Excellent food, lovely setting, great service. Will definitely visit again, there are so many other dishes I want to try! Would highly recommend.

This was my second visit to the Cork & Lobster this year. A tucked away quiet surprise next door to the excellent Roots, and run by the same people. On both occasions we elected to have an early Afternoon Tea on a Sunday - and...

Such high quality, lovely food that feels special and a nice treat without the hefty price tag! A lovely restaurant to have locally that offers breakfast small plates (and different menus at different times but we did breakfast). We had a small plate each (around...

We went to this restaurant after hearing some recommendations, the service was good, however we felt the food was average at best. The restaurant in itself was rather sterile and not much ambience. We are more than happy to pay extra for fine dining but...

Superb dining, great care taken with everything. We had a lovely date night dinner here tonight and the food and service were amazing. Really interesting dishes and lots to sample. Brilliant service and the chef came to chat to us at the end. Would thoroughly...

Very accomodating restaurant we was a large table of people to which we was successfully provided accommodation for us magnificent 7 of us accordingly which clearly took some effort, the food was truly amazing I wish I could of eaten more I would recommend and...

Comfy seating in the large windows we loved! had some issues with music stopping and starting which I implore you to rectify, I must say it's completely refreshing to dine in an establishment where the younger staff are not only nicer but more professional and...

Harrods Food Hall hits little Southbourne. Those Flavour Alchemists spinning the taste plates here at this venture have really hit their stride. The lobsters from the Isle of Wight must be scuttling over and throwing themselves on our beach to be included on this menu....

The Cork & Lobster is a stunning breath of fresh air. A small plates/tapas restaurant & a new addition to the already vibrant Southbourne food scene. We were met with excellent food, friendly service & great cocktails. There was a lovely vibe & we loved...

Amazing place for dinner in Southbourn. Nice cocktails and food. Amazing service,nice quiet place . Highly recommend.

Definitely my favourite place to visit for amazing food to share with all your family. The restaurant itself looks lovely, with nice and comfortable boots. The atmosphere it’s very relaxed. The food is outstanding, every dish is different and flavours are too die for! Price...

We went there for the Mother's Day Afternoon Tea. We had a selection of delicious small sandwiches, canapees, and tarts, delicatessen and afterwards a selection of different kinds of desserts. All of them were very good, tasty, and of excellent quality. I recommend this Cork...

This is a must visit! The champs and lobster evening was absolutely fabulous!! From the moment we stepped through the door we were thoroughly looked after! Found out they do a beef Wellington night on a thursday too!! Can't wait to take the girls for...