The Bridge House in East Dorset

Had Xmas meal with friends,very friendly,good very tasty,carvery excellent, beef very tender crabcabd lovely perhaps a bit over spiced, excellent value for money

Went for a 2 course Christmas dinner on a Wednesday lunch time. The starters were delicious. The mushrooms on toast were a very generous portion for a starter. We opted for the carvery which had a large choice of vegetables to accompany. The meat was nice and juicy, the vegetables were all done except for the cauliflower cheese which was very overcooked. Otherwise, the meal was fine, the staff were accommodating and would recommend it for a nice carvery lunch.

Great place great rooms and fabulous food 👌

Had a lovely breakfast which is buffet style with very nice local produce A nice location near the river and bridge. Service was good did not stay so don't know about rooms but I take it they are upto a good standard being a best western hotel.

Stayed overnight prior to setting sail from Poole harbour. Friendly staff, great food and really nice rooms.

Delicious food. The carvery was amazing, the food wasn't dry (like most other carverys) and was absolutely delicious 😋 Staff were friendly and the venue was clean.

Changing bedsheets every 5 days for a two week stay is absurd! And being denied a request to have it resolved was just unacceptable.

Good food, good value,. Nice surroundings by the river.

Went for a meal here superb will definitely visit again soon

Never disappointed with the Carvery, which was as usual simply delicious... but perhaps it's time to rethink the dessert menu which is now looking a little tired. Great staff/service & spotlessly clean. The new tub chairs weren't terribly generous or comfortable, so if you're having a leisurely lunch - choose your seating wisely. Whilst the refurbishment has been done well, I do feel the loss of the huge picture windows combined with the dark grey walls etc, made for a somewhat gloomy dining experience. But... I would certainly recommend a visit to The Bridge House.

Overnight stay prior to flight with friends. Checkin staff excellent, arranged taxi transfer to the airport for us for the following morning. Once checked in and settled with a drink on the patio area with our friends enjoyed the views until time for evening meal. Choice of menu very good with attentive friendly staff around. Room comfortable for our 1 night stay. Would we stay again YES. Only issue, road facing rooms are fairly noisy but that’s no one’s fault.

What can I say other than we were received by a friendly and professional lady, checking us in and showing us to our preferred location to sit. She explained about the carvery and asked us about our choice of drinks. The restaurant was quite busy for a Thursday lunch time, which was a pleasant surprise. We approached the counter where a chef asked which meat we wanted, adding we could have all three. There were a choice of beef, turkey and gammon. We made our choices and were guided to help ourselves to an array of beautifully prepared vegetables, stuffing balls, gravy and various sauces. The food was excellent, plentiful and beautifully presented. This was our first visit in many years, we hope to go back soon. It’s such a wonderful change from other competitions in the area, regarding the pleasant service, quality of food, not to mention excellent value for money. If only more eateries would follow this example.

We stayed at the bridge house prior to flying out the next day. The staff were fantastic and friendly. The rooms were spacious and clean. The views and walks around the river were beautiful and the terrace area was lovely to sit out on during the evening. We had dinner at the hotel and breakfast. The food was good and everything reasonably priced. We will be staying again if we fly from Bournemouth, highly recommended.

We only went for a meal. We chose the carvery off the menu which we enjoyed. The service was good and considering it was fathers day and very busy everyone seemed to get efficient service. I would visit again.

Beautiful location overlooking the river. Great food and friendly service.

1st time visitor.. very impressed with the interior bar area, the decking outside is a lovely area next to the river. Would recommend the carvery.

Lovely place . However service is a bit lacking .. staff not very attentive as had to wait a while to be asked for what we would like to drink. When we finally went up to the carvery had to wait whilst a member of staff chatted to the chef and got her own meal first. I may be old fashion but surely guests come first. Veg was tasteless and over cooked.

I can’t think of a single redeeming feature about the breakfast at this place. It is truly awful. The food is poor quality, overcooked and tastes of cardboard. The service is dire. Absolutely no warmth or hospitality in a single bone of the servers bodies. They just seemed to lack complete foresight to recognise items were running low/out and being proactive in making sure it was replenished. Due to this most of the breakfast items weren’t regularly restocked so you had people waiting for pastries (we never tried any because they were always empty!) Coffee wasn’t refilled regularly and again, had to wait for this despite seeing fresh pots available on the staff side of the counter. It wasn’t busy so there really wasn’t any excuse for the lack of service. Glasses were also dirty which is pretty grim. Plus sides though, there is parking. Although I’d rather go to Haskins or the pub down the road for food next time.

Had a table booked in advance luckily and recommend!! Had the carvery and it was all done to perfection, only one thing wrong with the window seat we had was that we were looking out to flooded grassland, definitely going back though

Stayed for 6 days during my recent visit to Bourneemouth, England. Situated close by to the Bourneemouth Airport. Serene atmosphere, helpful staff and good restaurant.

Very good. Staff friendly and helpful.

Only went for a meal and to meet old friends. I have been coming here for about 22yrs, it has changed a lot over the years, new staff, new management, but the staff have always been very helpful and jovial. Plenty of parking spaces. I had a rack of ribs, this time, more than enough to eat. I think I will have that again next year. Our group meets, once a month. All those years ago, we had groups of about 40 - 60,we are now down to between 20 - 30. Many have passed on, but we still enjoy coming back to this hotel.

Did not stay at this Hotel but we went there for a hot carvery meal It was very nice with a choice of 3 meats and lots of vegetables. Xx

Excellent Cavery. Choice of Regular or Large

Such a lovely roast dinner and the staff are always so great.

I had a lovely 3 night stay at the Bridge House Hotel. There is a good-sized car park, with a barrier at night. I was welcomed at reception. My room was cozy, and comfortable. The only downside was the noise of the main road traffic. ( maybe triple glazing?). I ate in the restaurant for 2 nights. Lovely meals. The carvery on Sunday was beautifully cooked. The puddings were amazing. The breakfasts were good. There are some lovely walks along the River Stour.

Great place. Nice views of the river. The food is good quality. Even if just popping in for tea/coffee/hot chocolate it's a great location.

Very helpful staff. Attended a celebration of life.

Happy Friendly staff, great rooms, delicious food, nice Ambience next to river

Fancy a pint and catch up with a mate? perfect place for this. Staff are friendly and there is a nice chilled atmosphere.

Staff were great and helpful. Did not like going thru the restaurant to my room while people were eat. Room , toilet seat loose. Paint peeling off in the bathroom. Shower glass could do with a new bottom seal on it. Carpet from the bathroom to the hallway not good. Someone is going to trip over that one day. The traffic in the morning about 04.30am not good. Room was clean. Could do with a fan. Just my opinion.

The early check out time of 11am is ridiculous. Never would have booked the hotel if I knew this. Every other hotel (even Travelodge and Premier Inn) have check out times of 12pm, so no idea why check out time here is so early. They did of course allow a later check out for an additional £20!

I brought a friend for a birthday carvery lunch. It's a few years since I visited and it has changed inside considerably. The carvery was very good, food well cooked and nice and hot. We both however found the tables were too close together, which does make good conversation !!

Very reasonably priced Sunday roast.

Have never stayed in their accommodation but have been to the restaurant many times for a meal. Always have the carvery, so enjoyable, and such a nice location by the river.

We had a large riverside room that was very comfortable

Lovely stay rooms clean staff helpful and friendly. Will be staying again thank you 😊

This place is amazing . From the minute you walked in the door the reception staff where so chatty and helpful and the vibe was so friendly . the room were so nice and clean and went down for dinner and the meal and dessert was absolutely amazing . The staff here went above and beyond to make our stay welcoming . Will be back again very soon . Well done bridge house team

Lovely food, nice atmosphere, reasonable prices.

My husband booked a room here as it was the cheapest option for one night. Even tho the room was being heated by a electric heater the room was very comfortable.

We all enjoyed our lunch immensely, it was excellent - not much more to add!! Lovely location as well

I dined while a hotel resident and enjoyed the meals in the restaurant. Unfortunately it was too windy to sit out on the terrace overlooking the river, which would be an attractive option. I found the standard of the food to be good, the 'surf and turf' special was reasonably priced at £23; the steak was tender and the three large shrimp were served shell on. Soup was served piping hot and pate was reasonably generous. All in all, the food was a notch above standard 'pub grub' fare. The restaurant area is quite large, but is partitioned so there are quieter areas. The cask ale is Sharp's Doom Bar which was very nice. The serving staff were all pleasant and efficient. My only observation is that they served starters and mains on wooden boards, which have long since lost novelty and isn't ideal when you have a steak with sauce.

We driven past many times but didn't like the exterior bland look. Don't be fooled! It is a warm welcoming place. Staff, facilities and decor. Food was value for money, and high quality. The room was well above standard. Would happily stay again

3 of us went for Sunday lunch. It has changed massively since my last visit, more of a restaurant than a pub now. We ordered the carvery for each of us. Choice of pork, turkey & beef so had a bit of all of them. Good choice of veg, cauli cheese, peas, beans, carrots, swede, parsnips, roasties & york puds. All very nice & filling. Place is run very well by Megan the manageress. Very good Sunday roast.

First class food and service. Access first class. Disabled toilets very clean. Everything has been thought off and nothing is to much trouble.

Only had a light snack here, and breakfast in the morning whilst staying at the hotel. Pleasant surroundings, particularly the outdoor seating area is wonderful, sadly too cold in April to sit outside. Food was very good and bar area was good too.

We had a Saturday cook breakfast with friends at the bridge house recently, and were somewhat disappointed with both the selection of breakfast foods and in particular their quality. The visit was marred by one particularly surly or rude member of staff with few people skills. The place was recommended by other friends, but we certainly won’t be going there again.

Booked here for Mother’s Day meal with family, on the Saturday evening. We have been here before and enjoyed our meals, however this time the food and service were both poor, bacon in the carbonara was so salty it was inedible and the steak and ale pies had hard inedible pastry and cubed uniform meat that resembled dog food!! We were even charged for an incorrect drink order! I don’t think we will be returning in a hurry!

Our previous visit here was in September 2020 (where does the time go!) when we went for a mid-week carvery that we thought was somewhat disappointing. Our visit this time was on a Sunday, and as guests of our 95 year old neighbour (in company with 20 or so others) to celebrate her birthday. The Bridge House was very busy, with constant queues for the carvery, but that did mean that there was a constant refreshing of all the vegetables, of which we thought there was a better selection than during our previous mid week visit. The meats on offer were Pork, Turkey and Beef. My wife had Turkey, which she said was lovely. I had Beef, with one slice of Pork and I, once again, thought the Beef a little overcooked for my taste. However, over all, the meal was very nice indeed. We followed up with Eton Mess (which rather unnecessarily came with a chocolate flake), which we probably would not have had if we had known that there was also a rather large birthday cake! The staff were friendly and efficient and managed the party well.

The roast meal was very nice, and very generous with the meat. However, the desserts were very disappointed as only quite small and they charged 50p extra for vegan ice cream.

Best carvery in Bournemouth in my opinion, everything looks well presented & food is generally hot & very tasty. I only have one negative & it's nothing to do with the food, why oh why has the restaurant area been painted such a horrible & gloomy dark colour? It looks awful now!

I have got to say the very worst Christmas Dinner I have ever had cold feed when we got it over cooked just atrocious will never go back

The welcome was great. Beautifully clean inside. Was shown by a lovely waitress how breakfast buffet works. Breakfast itself wiped the floor with most other establishments. The veggie sausages cooked for us were of a high quality and were delicious. The eggs were cooked perfectly. Nice hash browns, fresh herby tomatoes, beans & button mushrooms. Different breads for toasting, croissants, pain au chocolate, fresh fruit, yogurts and cereals. Lots of choice with fresh juices, teas and coffee. Probably one of the nicest breakfasts we've had, and I love my brekkies. Thanks for a great experience 👍

good vaue and choice ,with easy self serve.- no parking problems and, very pleasant location by the river

Stayed as we were attending a function. Lovely clean room as was the whole of the hotel. Food served at function was very efficient and tasty. Breakfast was amazing loads of choices. I’m our experience of buffet breakfast it usually ends up being cold. Not so at Bridge House everything was hot. No complaints whatsoever.

We had burgers, good quality meat, great fries and salad, large portions,too full for pudding unfortunately as the knickerbooker eton mess looked brilliant! Waiting staff friendly and attentive.

Delicious food and good portion size on the Sunday carvery. We had a meal for 14 and everything went smoothly, thank you

We visited today for Sunday lunch. We started off having a coffee outside in the sun on the terrace which was lovely. We then went inside and chose Sunday carvery which was very nice, then dessert. In todays climate we all read on the Internet...

My husband and I had lovely Sunday lunch. The meat was the best quality, and cooked to perfection. All the vegetables were nice. The roast potatoes were just how you would do at home. The chef certainly knows how to cook a roast. Best roast...

The staff at the Bridge House are what make it a lovely place to stay, all of them are really friendly, helpful & welcoming. Clarissa on reception was lovely & gave us helpful tips on places to visit. The room was clean, and although we...

Food here was Lovely, My only major complaint is the lack of vararity. I'd reccomend the Pasta cabarbona!

Just a one night stay an route to the Isle Of Wight,fast & friendly check in,we were in room 104,a compact room but clean & comfy. Situated on the banks of a river with pleasant walks,the hotel has a nice terrace area,& a good sized...

I phoned the day, before to book a table and the person on the other end of the phone was very helpful and repeated the booking back to me. We were delayed on the day, by traffic and it went passed time, so i called...

Wow this is amazing. We were looked after by a lovely young lady called Megan. The roast was so nice, parsnips were yummy, all the veg is fresh. The meat was so nice, cooked how I would cook it. The chef was such a nice...

My husband rang and booked ahead stating i am vegan and gluten free and that we were coming for a Sunday lunch. Told no problem they can cater, they couldn't, there was nothing on the Sunday menu for me. After a delay they offered me...

Just visited the Bridge House with my mum and aunt for a Christmas lunch. We'll what a pleasant surprise awaited us. The food was delicious and plentiful, the service was amazing, really friendly staff, genuinely pleasant and helpful, very polite. It felt like you were...

What a treat! Carvery was brilliant, delicious meat and all so yummy! Service was very good, happy and friendly staff. Highly recommend!

This is the nicest, friendliest hotel in the area…… run by Phil the General Manager, this hotel would not be the same without him, and he has been here years! Such a loyal company man!

Having passed this place many times, we decided to stop off here for dinner on our way to Poole and booked in advance. The restaurant is well laid out, and the lighting gives a nice ambiance. The music from the bar is not intrusive My...

Had an enjoyable meal,waited on by the lovely Hollie, thank you Hollie.will eat there again definitely.

We visited as a party of 11 on a Sunday lunchtime in August. It was a family get together after lockdown. We had a really lovely time & it was the perfect venue for us. Everyone enjoyed their food & the service was very attentive...

Booked a “Cosy Double”…it’s certainly cosy. I think it’s probably pushing it a little bit really, I can just about squeeze by the foot of the bed to get past into the room…the small gap results in the TV being offset and too high up...

First visit after lockdown and like others we were very disappointed No evening carvery??? And £26 for 6oz for a fillet steak and all you get with it was chips and a few cherry tomatoes and you had to pay extra if you wanted a...

Before lockdown used to visit once a month as central for family meet up, what a shock to return! Re-decorated and like a dungeon so dark and enclosed. Arrived and shown seats in the far corner and we became invisible, ordered drinks, arrived then after...

We use this hotel often as we love the outside space and inside bright and airy with large opening doors we were shocked to find it’s like a dark dismal cave now The food in our option has gone downhill and very expensive ham egg...

Place absolutely empty Sunday afternoon Temperature outside about 85° was told we can’t sit outside even though all the tables are empty unless we are eating which was lucky if we went down there for food inside has totally changed for the worst where are...

On Thursday 27th May 2021, we visited The Bridge House for a family get together, since Lock down, as it was the first time we had all got together again, because the very last time i came with the whole family was February 2020, for...

We had such a nice time here. Friendly staff and a lovely room in a pictureque setting. There is an antique emporium next door worth browsing through and a garden centre down the road.

An early autumn day, and a lovely enjoyable outdoors lunch, overlooking the river. Easy parking, warm/covid-compliant welcome, and excellent friendly service throughout. The carvery buffet is now collected by the staff, rather than self-service. We explained what we wanted, and everything arrived spot-on. As did...

Rang at ten to be told breakfast finished at 11, got there at 10.30 not expecting much. What a pleasant surprise we were met by the member of staff I spoke to on the phone, she was friendly and welcoming, the food from the buffet...

After having a very nice Lamb Shank lunch here some weeks back and noticing the number of people who were having the carvery, we decided that we really should book again, so that we could try it. This we did a couple of weeks later....

A tad disappointed. We had two carveries that were OK, I felt short changed with the mixed grill thinking at £16+ there would be a real assortment of things. It consisted of two distinctly average pieces of cheap steak, sausages, mushrooms, peas and two very...

Cannot fault this hotel. Felt reticent to book a hotel due to current situation but so pleased to have booked this one. Extremely clean on all levels, sanitizers available, social distancing measures in place, tables nicely placed. Views from the restaurant and rooms over the...

Stopped here while passing en route from the seaside back to London, and it was a good choice. The food was all very good. Fish and chips tasted great and my son enjoyed his carvery

Booked for lunch today, easy and friendly telephone manner. On arrival today hand sanitiser available, notices to inform wait and then shown to table. Tables reasonably spaced (perhaps some clear screening could improve social distancing). The decor and surroundings excellent, lovely riverside and meadow view....

We only moved into the area just before lockdown, so are now taking advantage of the government discount to try out some of our local hostelries!My wife started with the goat's cheese tart and I had the mushrooms, both of which were very nice. We both followed with the lamb shanks, which were very good, with nice veg and plenty of tasty gravy. My wife was driving, so only had a soft drink, but I had a large glass of very passable Cotes du Rhone. We both had our eye on a honeycomb sundae for dessert but, in the event, we were just too full, so settled for a coffee.We noticed that a lot of people, clearly some of whom are regulars, went for the carvery and I think that it won't be long before we are back to try that too!The tables were appropriately spaced and well cleaned between customers and there was hand sanitiser. The staff were all lovely, but I have to say that I do wish that all restaurant staff wore masks or visors as, clearly, they need to be closer than two metres to serve. That aside, we felt reasonably comfortable and will certainly be returning in the not too distant future.

Not sure why it is showing on Trip Adviser that this place is closed.Visited as a family of nine ....the service was fine and the food ok but it was so unbearably hot as no fans and no air con and so many flies it just wasn't enjoyable. No one wanted to take their time and chat ....they couldn't wait to leave. This was my first meal with my family as I have been shielding since March so very disappointed .

First time out for a meal since lockdown and we were not disappointed. Menu is not as varied as before but there is still a good choice. Calvary is now served from the kitchen but we choose other items from menu and we all enjoyed. We had coffee out on the decking overlooking the river and it was lovely. Really recommend for a meal. Shame not very busy at moment even for a Friday lunch hopefully it will pick up. Service was very good and we felt safe to be there and will visit again soon

We popped in after a visit at the local antiques shop, and thought we would stop for lunch. It was lovely, for was good and plentiful staff were friendly and helpful place was very clean a d comfortable will definitely visit again, especially as they allow dogs in outside area. Beautiful situation.

Lunch yesterday for two - our first visit here post-lockdown.Their carvery is now plated up in the kitchen, rather than self-serve as before. We both specified meat, veg and extras choices to the waitress, and everything arrived just perfect. Tasty and hot too. Spot-on.We'd opted for an outside decking table, with shade provided by a large canopy. So, plenty of fresh air, delightful views over the river, without being in direct sun. So relaxing.We enjoyed our apple pie with custard, and lemon meringue pie with cream too. Good portions and good value.Because of the huge dining spaces inside and out, we felt no unease of distancing, and the staff had sensible measures in place too. So pleased to return, and so happy to have this lovely restaurant and staff back open.We'd booked in advance, although we could have just turned up and easily got a good table.Car parking is on the level: some in front of the main building, (with some blue badge spaces), with a larger car park to the rear, all tarmaced.

Lovely hotel and well worth the upgrade to a river view room .Staff are friendly and the hotel is very clean and comfortable. We tried the cooked buffet breakfast which was lovely and catered for celiacs and vegetarians. Didn’t eat here here in the evenings but the menu looked very reasonable . We will return .

Great food, menu has excellent choice. Location good. Clean and tidy. Would highly recommend. Will be back!

The staff are very helpful and the menu is varied and has a good selection to cover most tastes. Very nice food and a comfortable atmosphere with a bar which caters for most tastes including beer and wines and a varied choice of spirits.

The Bridgehouse has become my parents second home . They have now been visiting regularly for over 10 years! I cannot thank the staff enough for everything they do to make my parents ( who are now in their 80's) comfortable and welcome . We have had several family get togethers in the lovely riverside function room . Always been waited on with a smile . Nothing is too much trouble. Personally I think the food has improved hugely within the last two years . Breakfasts are delicious too. Location next to the river is perfect. Heron swans cormorants even sightings of an otter!!My only gripe is that they have not yet got a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.!!

Stayed here to visit family at the weekend good clean hotel with bar and restaurant free parking on site helpful staff and mid range prices at the bar carvery looked good but we didn’t eat there ourselves however restaurant was very busy in the evening breakfast buffet was good with plenty of options rooms clean and contained all we required including ironing board and iron 24 hour manned reception bar closes at 1200

Found the hotel very warm, had to have windows open, maybe a bit too hot. Beds really comfy, service good. Although fire alarms went off at 5.15am this morning, would recommend. Manager extremely helpful.

Although some of the staff can be a little unhelpful the fact that this hotel offers a carvery all day on Sundays makes it very useful after a busy day. The carvery itself offers a choice of three meats as well as a vegetables only option.There is also a 'specials' menu for those not wishing to use the carvery.

The bridge house was my dad's favourite place to eat. We had his wake there yesterday and it was fantastic the staff were so lovely and considerate, nothing was too much trouble. Cannot recommend highly enough.

Visited here for lunch last week. We chose to eat from the carvery, which was really great value for money and good food too! The meal cost around £30 for four people, including drinks and desserts which cost around £4 each!

We stayed at the hotel that same night (see separate review) and this was an excellent start. You have to book, which says it all, or most of it. Carvery allows you to pile your plate high and the beef was done just right. We would certainly go again.