The Boathouse in Christchurch

Lovely, well thought out place. Female servers appear chosen for their em . . . Appearance (excellent), very good food, cheerful, professional atmosphere. Love the place!

Lovely breakfast, my steak, eggs and Chimichurri was excellent. Need to swap Chimi recipes.

The Boathouse is another great place to have a drink inside or out. Enjoy the Quay while having lunch or dinner. It is an extremely busy place in school holidays and can take a while to get in. So I would recommend booking if possible. The food and drinks are pricey but you are paying for location, view and the ambience this place has. Highly, recommend.

Family brunch. Had the NYC pancakes with bacon, scrambled egg and maple syrup. Pancakes were fresh, scambled egg tasty and bacon well cooked. A really lovely meal as always! Staff friendly and efficient. Thank you

They don't even call you back to make a booking 👎 They direct you to a WhatsApp no. To make you're booking and don't even reply to that 👎 Overpriced for serving "student food". Better places to eat locally that have the common decency to return your call or messages.

We have been visiting the Boathouse for years for breakfast and the service and food has always been exceptional.Our visit today for a Boxing Day family meal was excellent.We were a party of eleven ,six adults.four children under ten and a baby.The service was perfect and very relaxed.The food was beautifully prepared,piping hot and all came out together.Nothing was too much trouble.A big thank you to all the staff,we will be back soon.This review might seem over the top,but you do not have to believe me,just try it yourself.

A perfect venue for a boxing day lunch. Great service, good cooking and a lovely setting. Reasonably priced. My second time here and will not hesitate to come back each time I head down to Bournemouth. So many different parts to the restaurant each with their own atmosphere.

Beware of age prejudice placing. We have visited the boathouse many times as a family without issue, our daughter now 21 decided to revisit with her boyfriend on a special occasion. Booking several weeks in advance, they were seated outside the toilet, near the kitchen. Do not send your younger family members here expecting fair play!

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!

Typical Caucasian food, expensive and tasteless

The food was not the greatest for the price. We had Xmas roast turkey (meat wasn't that tasty), and 2 had the cod which was very good. Vegetables were sprouts, carrots and parsnips. Sprouts weren't good but plenty of them. The others vegetables were tasty (roasted). The afters: pear Melba looked poor (one meringue nest - bought in rather than made?) with a couple of pear slices and caramel ice-cream which enhanced it. Still, we ate everything (the dog enjoyed part of the meat) so can't complain too much. The view over the quay would have been better if the sun had been out but it's winter so what do you expect?!

Trendy restaurant great views food just ok. Fantastic in summer. Helpful friendly staff.

It was very welcoming. The atmosphere was great. The food was excellent as were the staff. We don't live in the area but will go again when next there.

Wonderful setting by the riverside with great food and friendly staff and good food selection

Food was a huge disappointment. Bland and flavourless. Gochujang lamb tasted of very little, the chicken skewers were massively overcooked and the flatbreads they came with were cold, dry and tasteless. At least a little salt in the cooking would have helped, but overall some kind of flavour was needed. Not sure what all the crowds there are drawn to. We mentioned it to the waiter who seemed to want to know the details to take back to the kitchen, but then just came with the full bill with no apology or feedback. We decided to skip pudding in case it was just as bad and overpriced.

Lovely lunch, sharing platters were great

I have visited Boathouse 4 times in last month, but was disappointed yesterday when eating my Beijing pizza I found a bone and pointed out to waitress and expected the Manager or Chef to have come to table to apologise. The bone had caught in my teeth luckily and not swallowed. Also a large dog , Poodle was allowed to clamber over the bench seat and table, the owner too busy on her phone,. I was surprised this large dog was allowed in restaurant. This has not deter me from further visits as the Boathouse is far to superior to other Chrischurch restaurants.

Love the vibe, great staff and service🙌❤️

Food was great, live music great and atmosphere and service amazing. My Red Thai curry ws great and the homemade signature dessert, white chocolate and orange bread and butter pudding amazing. Well done chef.

We went in for a coffee today and sat out the front of the boathouse ,there is a beautiful view , the music was very loud for a Sunday morning but we could just about shout above it ,an older gentleman maybe owner manager ? came behind us and turned the volume up and we immediately asked him to please turn it back down, he shouted back at us very rudely” I was thinking about all the other customers that might like it” and went back to the volume and I kid you not turned it louder It would have been impossible bar shouting at each other to talk and hear at 11am on a beautiful Sunday morning We asked another member of staff to turn it down she apologized and sorted it What is it today with the fascination of businesses to crank up the volume to near nightclub level to make the business feel busier or trendier? Believe me we want to be able to talk to each other and enjoy the peace of a Sunday morning by the river

Excellent venue, superb view of the harbour. Good food and very good service.

A really nice and welcoming atmosphere. Heaters on, rain outside - a very cosy vibe. They offer good portion sizes, and were accommodating with swapping a few items out for others, good quality food in general . I would definitely recommend a breakfast here.

What a great restaurant, accommodating staff, we arrived very early and as it was a Monday night not too busy we were seated without a fuss. The server was pleasant, and nothing was any bother. We were informed of the specials given time time to read the menu with no pressure. The food was presented lovely, and the steak was cooked exactly how we wanted. Yes, it was a touch o the expensive side but good well presented food comes at a cost.

Atmosphere & service was good But unfortunately we had raw chicken served, we told our Waitress and didn’t seem too bothered by it, she to the chef but nothing was said or done after that. When the bill came we expected the raw chicken to be taken off the bill, but they didn’t offer any kind of discount or anything. Would go again for drinks but food definitely not!!

Very good service and pleasant and warm atmosphere ,the coffee and carrot cup cake was delicious , will be visiting again soon

Need to book as very busy/popular.... lovely food!

Chandelier bar upstairs has a great atmosphere. The jazz night was great!

Absolutely fabulous private event which we hosted in the Chandelier Bar - the room was fantastic, the food was amazing and the bar service was wonderful! Definitely recommend this venue for any occasion. Thanks to Abi, Meg and Jake for making the evening so special :-)

1st time in Christchurch so thought I'd try it for lunch and was pleasantly surprised, staff were really friendly, good choices of drinks and wine, had a really tasty ciabatta with chicken, chorizo and mozzarella with really good chips. Will definitely come back again.

To echo previous comment, waiting staff full of self importance, unfriendly and curt. Starter scallops and pee purée was lovely however 4 small scallops £14.00 rather over priced. Pizza’s average with very dry edges/crusts. Hamish was lovely and polite.

Over priced awful food , pre made fried platters. You paying the space the food is poor quality.

The food was delicious and the service very good and friendly.

Very fishy menu (it is called the Boathouse!!). The food was delicious, the service was excellent and the vibes were very welcoming. A lovely experience.

Came for a couple of drinks with my partner because the outside decking area looked inviting in the lovely hot weather. The staff were miserable. When we sat down and asked for menus, we were practically grunted at by the male waiter. When we eventually had our order taken, the same server acted like we had taken a dump on his shoe. We only ordered 2 cocktails, which in fairness were lovely albeit over-priced. But the whole ordeal was ruined by the rude staff who made us feel like a burden.

Went for lunch time snack. The staff were very welcoming and the food was good.

Absolutely awful experience. Rude unprofessional staff. Such a shame as the restaurant located in very nice area. Need more staff training!

We had a beautiful sunny day, but the outdoor seating was uncomfortable due to the lack of cushions. After waiting 20 minutes for some to be added, we gave up. The staff only put cushions on half of the seats and seemed indifferent to our request. Despite the lovely weather, the seating was neglected and we felt uncomfortable and ignored. They hadn't even taken our order by the time we left.

Lovely people service is brilliant good.. not waiting long while food is served. Food is very delicious with it's beautiful view to the Quay.

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.

Visited for lunch , great and diverse choice . Sat in a covered terrace over looking the green and water . Appetisers and main courses were great . Our server Hannah was friendly and attentive . We will be back for sure .

Attended a function upstairs in the Boathouse. This is a superb venue. All the staff were beyond brilliant. The buffet was the best I've ever had. Overall ,perfect.

The pleasure of eating while watching the boats. A really nice place and atmosphere. The food is also very delicious. The service is fast. The staff is polite.

Our third visit whilst on different holidays. Beautiful outside space and plenty of seating. Food was delicious. The wine was well chilled and very good. Efficient and friendly staff.

Really nice place to spend some time

Busy quite noisy but good food & good selection of drinks excellent location as lovely views over Christchurch Quay parking cancelled be difficult if car park is full so choose your times well.would recommend.

Great venue and friendly staff and super food and great Menu.....brilliant venue and well chilled VISTA 💯🎉💯

Had an unexpected lunch @theBoathouse today. Great service, a nice vibe and the burger I had was cooked to perfection. Would highly recommend and would go again.

A right rip off. Paid £24 for a poke bowl in a takeaway tub and a juice..£6 something...not fresh, just a bottle. Sat outside.

Nice food, tad overpriced for the overall quality. We sat in the covered eating area, which was quite drafty on a poor weather day. Staff polite and punctual

Been here before lovley place great food and brilliant service 👌

The perfect place to take your partner and they accept dogs😉

Fantastic location. A limited but good menu. Thoroughly enjoyed our meal / evening. Only two negative points were; The glasses weren’t clean, they need to sort out their dishwasher. The wine is a bit pricey (for what it is).

Absolutely gorgeous place. Beautiful location if you sit out on their patio type bit you get a lovely view of the quay. Was a sunny and hot day when we visited! Had the chicken Caesar salad with fries which was tasty and had a generous amount of dressing. Partner had the ribs and said they were amazing.

Love this place. Our 'go to' for coffee in the morning as there's nice background music, relaxed atmosphere, lovely staff who are always friendly and great food. And all with the Quay on its doorstep. They welcome dogs in some areas and as a Coeliac they serve delicious Gluten free food & also vegetarian / vegan if needed. .

One of the nicest restaurants in christchurch.

Lovely vibrant place for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just drink.

Lovely pizzas. The largartia drink was unusual and delicious.

The food was drastically over priced and not very good value for money. Very very expensive. The qualify of the food did not qualify for the price. I have been to restaurants that are half the price and much better quality. Would not come again. Very cramped inside the restaurant too. Came with 4 of us and only had a main meal and the bill was over £120 for fish and chips, 2 curry’s and a burger. The price did not reflect on the quality of food. Sorry but not happy customers here.

Great food good friendly staff all in all great day out will be back soon

Lovely place, great service and lovely food. Recommend 💯

Love this place , has a real buzz

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.

This was a group visit, 7 of us, the service was good, the staff were attentive and where minor mistakes were made they were rectified without fuss. It was my first visit but not for everyone else and they all agree it's always good.

Lovely place, good seating outside.

Ordered a tuna melt ciabatta and some sweet potato fries for a little bite to eat but after an hour of being incapable to make a sandwich and fries, I went up and asked where is the food. The server didn’t even put our order through despite there only being 3 other people in the restaurant… What a joke of a place. Hire better servers.

Love this place! Food was great and the service fantastic. The atmosphere was good too.

We only had a drink, very nice place, a bit pricey but it's in a great location and the staff were very, very good.

Usually eat in the main restaurant, but unfortunately as we had the dog with us, so we had to eat in the take away area. And you could not order from main restaurant menu, only take away from the silver van My friend had a pizza , it was awful Very dried up, it must of been sat for a while We had sweet potato fries , well they were like charcoal. And the price was very expensive, for what we had . The burger was good , it was brought out from the main restaurant that's probably why 😏

Lovely place and food staff very friendly and nice atmosphere

Had few drinks here only nice looking place comfy lounge areas to relax would visit again

First time here and I have to be honest, the place didn’t seem to live up the hype when it came to the range or even the quality of the food - which was a real shame. The atmosphere was good, but the amount of people that come stumbling past you half drunk because it seems there’s one way from the front of the pub to the back, and that’s to cut through everyone eating. And let’s say it gets tedious after a while. The limited menu and even moreso limited specials board left much to be desired. The food looked really nice as the photos show, but the food was tasteless which was a real shame. They have no decent real ales either, so those that like beer are out of luck. All in all the price for the food and drink didn’t remove the fact that the food is below par. Would I recommend it? Not at the moment, but maybe the burgers or fish and chips might be nice?

This is a lovely place to eat, food was absolutely delicious and the service first class, the staff just couldn't do enough for you. I'm definitely going to go again!

I celebrated my birthday here with my husband and toddler. The menu was particularly great in terms of gluten free options and there was also a lot of choice on the children’s menu. I had the best mocktail (porn star no-tini) I’ve ever had and the food was delicious. Staff were friendly and toilets were clean.

All enjoyed their food, it was very busy but food was on time. Only issues were with coffee that was a little late due to busyness.

...super place...food...service... and location...

Not so much good food and drink but staff poor

Lovely location. Food not the best but ok. Staff friendly and pleasant

Staff good, restaurant very noisy atmosphere, couldn't make out what the music was, as it was so loud, couldn't hear conversation at our table of 4 people, there were people Vaping in the Veranda area. Food was just ok, nothing special and expensive for what it was, also a 12% service charge added to our bill.

Nice pizza in a fab location right by the water!

Wonderful food and service. Staff were amazing, so helpful and are a credit to the owners. Peter

A great find. It was very busy but managed to get a table for two. I recommend you book. The service and meal was excellent and reasonably priced. On our radar for future visits to the area.

Great food and drinks and service was spot on

A great place to go,a great place to eat.Very helpful staff..👌

Beautiful place for lunch! The food was gorgeous 😍 Me and my friend had the chicken skewer and the chicken was so succulent, not dry at all. I will be returning soon!

Great place to visit, beautiful location with really helpful and friendly staff. Food was great and lots of dietary requirements met (lots of gluten free options).

Food was lovely and it on a great location with a lovely setting

Mediocre, overpriced food. Personally, felt very uncomfortable by our server who was prancing around wearing a skirt that barely covered her assets and at the end presented us with a bill containing a hefty 12% ‘service charge’ which we felt obliged to pay. Would not return.

Just come back from a beautiful breakfast as celebrating my last session of radio therapy with my family. Staff were amazing and food top notch. Bought my own bell to ring end of treatment and we each had a complimentary glass of prosecco - so kind and thoughtful - thankyou so much for making my morning that extra bit special xxxxx

We returned to the Boathouse with friends visiting from Germany. Staff were super welcoming, friendly and helpful - a great asset to the venue. We all enjoyed our lunch and tried the prawns in garlic and chili with cheesy chips with truffle oil; Thai chicken curry; fish and chips and burger with cheese and bacon. We look forward to our next visit..

Simply a lovely bar in a wonderful location with great food and drink. It’s a must visit if in the area I would say and fairly priced.

Nice enough food, albeit limited options for breakfast. Lots of staff but seemed rather disorganised with long waits for almost everything.

Lovely place good service and food was lovely.

Ordered four coffees and two came out lukewarm cos they’d been sitting on the counter too long. Breakfast was ok, I’ve had better. Lots of staff but service was very slow.

Such a beautiful place, could do with having the speaker on outside for ambience during the day to clear the people noise. A great service by Kayla who’s managing 12 tables outside fully on her own and providing a great service to all accommodating everyone’s requirements without any delays - a passionate person that should be recognised by management! Thank you for a lovely afternoon

Had a fantastic evening with friends. Perfect service,especially Eva. Recommend a Thai Sharing Platter and Cloud 9🍹

We had the roast chicken on our visit, and although the chicken was plentiful the meal as a whole wasn’t great and we felt was not worth the cost. The moctail that I was looking forward to was a bit meh also. The staff here wear their own clothes, and as such are not recognisable as staff. We were seated close to the non service side of the bar where table staff tend to congregate for their computer screen. They look like punters and this attracts punters to this side of the bar who are then told they cannot get service on that side of the bar. The staff were not bad, some were better than others. I think some kind of uniform, or badge, or tee shirt with staff written on it, or just all wearing the same colour, would really help

The Boathouse is my go-to in Christchurch as it’s a lovely location for all types!

Fast friendly service ,good food.

Lovely location, but let down by overpriced and mediocre food. We would not return unless the Chef was changed.

Really delicious food, and a super atmosphere, ideal for days nights 🌙