The Nelson Tavern in Christchurch

We visited as a family of 4 midweek, staying in the local area, a bit more of a drinkers pub but the lad behind the bar was very pleasant and happy that we wanted to eat. Good food and drinks at reasonable prices. We would have stayed longer but the free wifi didn’t work or our data, we have one teen thats addicted to her phone!!

Booked a family meal for the Wife's birthday - table of 5 with 2 teenagers. On booking the table for 7pm, we we're advised that there would be a quiz nght on but we should be ok as it started a little later. We had a lovely meal Pork belly, steaks, and the catsu chicken burger was brilliant!! As we tucked in the quiz host was setting up and everything was going well...... As you can imagine it's not often we have the teens sat round the dinner table and we were having a few laughs reminicising about funny events and generally having an enjoyable time.... until the evil quiz master stomped over to our table as we were finishing our deserts and very sternly said " can you guys try and keep it down as I'm battling against you over here "..... now baring in mind this is a tuesday evening and the quiz was in the Restauraunt side of the Inn.... I feel a little put out that he found it uppon himself to address a paying customer in tis way.... I felt it importnat to point this out to you as I think you need t move te quiz into the bar area.... makes more sense.... The waitress ( sorry didnt catch your name ) was fantastic and apologised.... I don't think we will return which is a shame but I'm very much a once bitten twice shy kind of guy.... I also didn't appreciate the glares of the quiz punters on the way out but I think this was becasue iI asked the evil quiz master what his problem was whilst he walked back to resume his very important quiz which I'm sure generated more profit for the business than my £156.00 table bill.... I wish the business every success and hope this feedback is helpful. all the best JJ

We always go to the Nelson when we are on holiday at Hoburne Park as it is dog friendly and has a good selection of gluten free food. This time was as good as before. The staff were helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. We came with my parents (we are in our 50's) and the staff were patient and very accommodating re our different needs. The food was great. We were all really happy with our food and we found it great value for money. We will be back next time we are on holiday here. The only thing that could improve it would be to have a gluten-free desert that is not just ice cream - but that would be an added bonus, as the starter and mains were fab.

Great food but was a bit more expensive than the online menu pictures, they must be old and out of date. Good service too though.

Amazing Sunday roast. Really delicious selection of meats with a wide variety of delicious vegetables. Amazing Yorkshire puds and roast potatoes. Option to have 3 meats which is a good alternative for those who like carvery. Friendly and efficient service. Would definitely recommend. Only thing we wouldn't recommend is the cauliflower cheese, which, considering its charged as extra was not cooked well with a very runny sauce.

Nice place. Enjoyed a good meal. Forgot to put avocado on my starter. Did bring it separately.

Amazing staff n food n atmosphere so friendlyandfun!! Highly recommended!!

Good food and reasonable price s

An amazing place for a meal food is always superb staff are always friendly and helpful

Stopped here for lunch as the wife and I keep saying we should try it . Have been in here a few times for a drink and the food always looked good. I had the calamari for starters good portion and really tasty. I had the burger and fries for main , 2 burgers in a bun with cheese and side salad . The wife had the tacos and side order of fries . 2 drinks each the bill was just under £50 . Will definitely go back again.

The pub was warm and welcoming but very quiet.The dinners we had were absolutely delicious.nice hot plates as well.I had seabass in avacado and honey sauce an d onion rings.Our friends had scampi and chilli con carne and all in all it was a superb meal.

Very friendly pub nice food and service

The best roast pork and good quality regular meals.Lovely sat outside for a decent pint on a hot day

Nice location of the pub. Go here if you want to get spoken to like a kid really sarcastic and bad vibe from the guy working behind the bar.

Staying at Christchurch Harbour Hotel and found The Nelson just up the road. Lucy served us happily and we enjoyed the food at a very reasonable price. Good quality and great value. Music too loud at the start but was soon turned down

Went for a birthday dinner, love it, food was great

Came in for drink and possible dinner but loud music landlord shouting and then was ignored whilst staff chat. This place has potential but not under the present management. Avoid.

Lovely lunch, fresh wild Sea bass, Localy caught. On bed of oriental noodles. First class. Excellent value for money Highly recommended

Good food and staff. Great specials. Live music

Good food, helpful friendly staff

Award winning food for a good reason! Lovely place that walks the line between upmarket and family pub. Surprisingly good value menu, but not cheap.

A good local pub with a lively front bar. The inside dining room is a tad featureless with limited atmosphere. Food fine, service good.

You either had to sit watching football or a quiz night

Lovely pub. Poor food especially for the price. Main point would be the rude and loud bar manager with black hair. Shocking behaviour and language especially with my young nephews with me. He insulted me and my family multiple times. I’m all up for a joke but a time and a place should be in context. Such a shame and we won’t be going back if he’s there. Your pub will lose out because of people like this.

Had a wonderful Sunday lunch at The Nelson. Very reasonably priced and quality was excellent. Generous portion with plenty of beef which was beautifully cooked. Gorgeous roast potatoes, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The Yorkshire pudding was huge and didn't disappoint. Service was also outstanding, friendly and helpful, particularly as it became very busy. The desserts were not over priced for the quality and were delicious. Will most definitely re-visit this fantastic Pub. Big thank you to the Nelson for making my friend's birthday meal very memorable.

Have eaten at this venue many times mainly on Sundays. The roasts were loverly. We thought we would visit mid week and try their new menu. We first noticed there were no chicken dishes. There were no vegetables on the menu or option for veg as a side. Queried this and the lady went to ask the kitchen, she told us the menu was new and still in its infancy, however they could serve is some cabbage. The Pork belly was flavoursome but fatty. The slow cooked beef brisket although flavoursome was difficult to eat, the meat was stringy and matted and difficult to separate. On the whole disappointing.

Had a wonderful Sunday lunch at The Nelson. Very reasonably priced and quality was excellent. Generous portion with plenty of beef which was beautifully cooked. Gorgeous roast potatoes, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The Yorkshire pudding was huge and didn't disappoint. Service was also outstanding, friendly and helpful, particularly as it became very busy. The desserts were not over priced for the quality and were delicious. Will most definitely re-visit this fantastic Pub. Big thank you to the Nelson for making my friend's birthday meal very memorable.

Absolutely superb Sunday roast, good selection, lovely atmosphere, service a touch slow but they were very busy. Highly recommended 👌

Fantastic roast on Sunday - we will definitely be coming back!

Excellent food and service👌 Had the Fish Finger Baguette, which was spectacular, which was washed down with a lovely glass of Old???? Cider (can't remember the full name?) Would definitely recommend and visit again.

Amazing food and staff , fresh cooked food . Sunday lunch is amazing !!! I won’t go anywhere else for a roast ! Great bands and events

Good food, we ate from the £9 lunch menu with £1 going to charity, and couldn't fault it. All food was hot and came together and fairly quickly too. The ham, egg & chips was amazing and so were the puddings! Lovely people too, we were the only people eating on a quiet rainy day but were made to feel very welcome 😀👍

Took my partner here for Sunday lunch after reading a local article on the pub and it didn't disappoint. It's a friendly large pub with a dining area at the back. Lots of young staff and efficient service, the food was fresh and excellent, we both really enjoyed it. Thanks

Amazing sunday lunch at the Nelson Tavern. All the staff were friendly and food was amazing. Would highly recommend and will be back soon.

Went for lunch yesterday and had the pork belly roast. Pork belly was delicious and so juicy with extra crispy crackling on top, potatoes were fluffy but crispy, Yorkshire pud was good and bot greasy. Only thing I would have like more of was the veggies, but I did remove the red cabbage. Dessert was delicious too! Great atmosphere inside, lots of dogs allowed! Would recommend!

We visited with our family for a big event this Sunday. We loved the experience. Staff were informative and helpful. We wanted to order our drinks at the bar due to separate tabs, staff were very understanding. When it came to paying the bill, staff split it effectively and quickly. Food was incredible, we loved it. Incredible pate to start and a delicious pudding to end. But the highlight was the roast. I had gammon and my partner had pork. Both were cooked to perfection, roasties were crisp on the outside and fluffy inside. The red cabbage was the highlight, it made an already amazing meal that much better. Overall such a good experience. Thank you Nelson team!

Lovely relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, food cooked by Frazer and the team was absolutely delicious. Great place to celebrate a special birthday with family

The roast was £16.50 the roast potatoes were not crispy hardly any veg paid extra £3 for cauliflower which I didn’t realise was an extra cost when we ordered other but it did say extra on the menu.The meal was lukewarm and the yorkshire pudding was cold. One plus was the beef was very nice and plenty of it.The restaurant was untidy dog bowl and tissues on the floor and not very pleasant surroundings a bit like sitting in a hall.Won’t be returning very disappointed wouldn’t recommend very average

Very good pub grub, good value for money and traditional pub surroundings. Had to wait for 30 mins for our table, but was worth the wait. Six of us had roasts, burgers and Ham,egg & chips. All agreed that food was tasty, fresh and well cooked. Overall recommended.

Lovely place for a pint - very interesting people - plenty of dogs

Absolutely faultless steak and chips . Really friendly and a live band, a great way to spend an evening! Just a great pub how it should be

Amazing Xmas day meal!! Delicious food and friendly service. I’ve been back since for Sunday lunch with the family which was also fantastic.

We had an amazing Xmas day meal!! Thank you. Delicious food and friendly service.

Really nice little pub used by locals. Nice atmosphere and the Sunday lunch was awesome. We come down to Christchurch every year and we like this pub. The locals are really friendly too.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch with friends at the Nelson tavern. Great atmosphere, company and lots of lovely food.

Afternoon lunch, quite but a very enjoyable lunch

Sara and I went for a Sunday lunch today and the food was proper tasty fresh mega Yorkshire roast potatoes were great I had the beef and sara had the veggie option also splendid. Soph was delightful and took our order quickly and made us feel relaxed and at home. Well done guys great lunch we thank you all.

Joe and all the team are amazing and friendly food is on point every time can never fault any of it would recommend to any one for food snacks or drinks

Good food, friendly staff, separate dining area at rear of pub. Some parking

Choice between lunch time (light bites) or regular menu. Very good food, at reasonable prices. Even the side salad is a cut above. Unlike many places, the desserts are very good value for money, and are homemade and delicious. We are not local but have visited a number of times over the last few years and it has consistently been very good.

Amazing food and hospitality! Can’t fault at all, always accommodating to whatever needs and all staff are friendly and go above and beyond! Highly recommend!

The Christmas dinner was excellent as always. Great food, drink and service. But don't wait for Xmas as the food and drinks here are always good.

Large pub with good sized restaurant at the back. And a lovely real fireplace to snuggle around. Went for a quick evening dinner fast friendly service. Quite a big menu with a fair amount of choice. Good portion sizes so you won't go hungry. All freshly cooked and good ingredients. Update Christmas 23: Went for a large group (50 people) Christmas lunch. Food was good and all freshly prepared. Classic Turkey main had plenty of Turkey and vegetables. Deserts and starters were nice and a little unusual so a good selection

Great evening staff were fantastic and very attentive thank you.

Superb food served to us by a wonderful team, especially Soph. There was a problem with putting the order through so we did wait over 10 minutes for one meal. Worth the wait I believe!

I took my family out for an evening meal, it was excellent as was the beer 🍺 and service. I finished up with a great cheese board, all at a reasonable price.

Superb meal! Really enjoyed. Great food, reasonably priced! Lovely pub, with a log burner and pool table.

Lovely family pub, always eat here food is proper homemade food, massive portions, good value for money, we always come here with family as they are child friendly and always make us feel welcome

We had a couple of nights in a rather posh hotel just down the road from The Nelson but chose to eat here one evening and were not disappointed. It was a quiet Tuesday evening but there was a good local pub atmosphere. Staff were very friendly and the food was great (we both had the pork loin). Certainly better value than the posh hotel down the road!

Delicious meal … We went a week ago for an evening meal here!! I had the Hake and my partner had liver & bacon dish!! Shared a starter & had to have a cheese board to finish!! OMG compliments to the Chef!! Heavenly food, friendly and lovely staff.. unfortunately no band that night!! 😢

Beautiful pub setting. Food is always fresh and tastes amazing. Reasonable prices. Sunday roasts are to die for...

This being our local pub we have eaten here many times and have had fantastic meals. However on this occasion I was very disappointed. The restaurant was not very busy for a Friday night. 4 tables of people, but the waitress service was very poor. Took time to come over to us, and when she did come over, she was chewing gum and talking to us at the same time. We had to get up twice and order our drinks from the bar and carry back ourselves. The real problem we had, though, was our food. My friend and I ordered from the special board the minted lamb kebabs, barbecue chicken wings, and sweet potato fries. It looked delicious when it came, so we all tucked in. We commented on the chicken wings as some were huge and others were small started on the smaller ones, which were fine, but when we went on to the bigger ones, they were raw and uncooked in the middle. We immediately found the waitress and asked to speak to the chef or management, who eventually came over, and we explained the problem. It was the chef, and all he said was well they are pronged with a gauge before they came out and were fine. You could see blood coming out of the middle of the chicken. We refused to pay for the two main meals which they took of our bill and they did offer us 2 free desserts as well which was a nice jester but I am sorry a professional kitchen sending out raw chicken is not good. The waitress was very arrogant, rude, and chewing gum and we did notice another table while we were there having problems as well of ordering desserts and coffee then the waitress came back to them 20 minutes later and said to them sorry I forgot. The thing which really annoyed me was they allow well behaved dogs in their pub and restaurant which I have not got a problem with but when you see the waitress sat on the floor with the dog all over them licking her face and hands jumping all over her then she gets up goes into the kitchen comes out straight away with plates of food for other people that is not right

This being our local pub we have eaten here many times and have had fantastic meals. However on this occasion I was very disappointed. The restaurant was not very busy for a Friday night. 4 tables of people, but the waitress service was very poor. Took time to come over to us, and when she did come over, she was chewing gum and talking to us at the same time. We had to get up twice and order our drinks from the bar and carry back ourselves. The real problem we had, though, was our food. My friend and I ordered from the special board the minted lamb kebabs, barbecue chicken wings, and sweet potato fries. It looked delicious when it came, so we all tucked in. We commented on the chicken wings as some were huge and others were small started on the smaller ones, which were fine, but when we went on to the bigger ones, they were raw and uncooked in the middle. We immediately found the waitress and asked to speak to the chef or management, who eventually came over, and we explained the problem. It was the chef, and all he said was well they are pronged with a gauge before they came out and were fine. You could see blood coming out of the middle of the chicken. We refused to pay for the two main meals which they took of our bill and they did offer us 2 free desserts as well which was a nice jester but I am sorry a professional kitchen sending out raw chicken is not good. The waitress was very arrogant, rude, and chewing gum and we did notice another table while we were there having problems as well of ordering desserts and coffee then the waitress came back to them 20 minutes later and said to them sorry I forgot. The thing which really annoyed me was they allow well behaved dogs in their pub and restaurant which I have not got a problem with but when you see the waitress sat on the floor with the dog all over them licking her face and hands jumping all over her then she gets up goes into the kitchen comes out straight away with plates of food for other people that is not right

Had Sunday late lunch a few weeks ago, service was very friendly the food was really good I had roast beef with the trimmings very generous portions and well priced also has fun cabins when you eat outside.

Great value Sunday lunch. Superb choice. Food was extremely tasty, well cooked. Great atmosphere. They had a young singer. She was very good and complemented the afternoon. We were a three generation family with a dog and the young staff made us very welcome

Food was delicious, steak cooked perfectly. Food came out super quick and fresh. Didn't find the pub very welcoming but the staff were pleasant (if not a bit casual!)

We booked here for my dads wake, we was given a great selection of food to choose from at a very reasonable price, the bar staff were fantastic and worked extremely hard as it was a busy event. The food was excellent and everyone who attended said how lovely everything was, the landlord joe, made this day so easy for us to plan and anything we wanted extra on the day wasn’t to much for any of the staff. Would highly recommend if you are thinking about hiring this for any occasion. Tony Karen and myself (Sasha) would like to thank you for all your hard work and fantastic hospitality that day and other days we come to visit.

Called yesterday for Sunday dinner after booking ahead at this dog friendly establishment. Great outdoor and indoor spaces with it's own private carpark. The San Miguel was served a little on the warm side for me. We had the large three meat roast and a belly pork roast dinner. The beef and the lamb were ok, the belly pork was very good indeed as were the veg and Yorkshire pudding. Good sized wholesome portions. All the staff were fantastic.

Great place. Great service. Great roast!

Really tasty meal. Good friendly service. Nice garden 👌

Excellent beer, food and staff. And good value. The hake was fantastic. Will definitely use again if we are nearby.

Nice local boozer. Very friendly staff. Small car park.

We ordered the fish board and chips. I think the portion was generous and the cod was the most fresh and delicious that I ever had in the UK😊

Very welcoming good food excellent service ale was quite warm would try something different next time overall pretty good

Fantastic food, great value. Restaurant was busy but we could still hear each other speak. Good sized portions. We were all very pleased with our roasts. Terrific selection of vegetables too. Would certainly come again when next in the area.

This is a nice pub not far from mudeford quay. It has a good atmosphere and the food and service were ok

Jo and his team really looked after us, we had dinner for 3, sea bass with a beautiful beurre blanc sauce, homemade chicken Kiev & Caesar salad, and my daughter had a delicious looking cheeseburger with all the trimmings. The pub was very busy with the rugby on but they still went out of their way to look after us, thank you, we will be back soon!

It's easy to see how we're losing so many pubs. They have to try to be everything to everyone. I love this place, but look closely and the improvements to the building are only skin deep. The garden area is excellent, with ultra wide sliding doors out from the pub for those balmy evenings. And the inside has a real pub feel. Nice. Parking limited (not their fault), and quite slow service - but all in all excellent

Great food and good knowledge of Allergen s

We returned to the Nelson Tavern and had another pleasant and enjoyable meal. We were served by Tracey who is always friendly and works hard to make sure you have everything you need. Overall a great experience and we’ll be back again.

Lovely lunch outside in one of their beech huts.Indoors looked fab too. Food great.Friendly staff.Only small complaint ...no check back on food and it wasn't really busy.But will still go back.

Nice Place to have a meal we loved it the food was really tasty and lovely cooked. Great service and great staff. I couldn't recommend it more.

A extremely nice and friendly atmosphere

Went here purely on the reviews, I must have been reading somewhere else. Very loud. Re kids plus dogs barking at each other at the tables. Ordered 2 x steaks which were very poor quality, got the wine we wanted eventually, The restaurant was tatty at best and very over priced for what it is being a local pub with an extension on the back of it. God knows how this is highly rated, go there and enjoy it! but for us our vote is with our feet as much better options in the area.

Superb belly pork! Great service, but marked down to 4* for Tribute beer served at room temperature and a dog barking indoors all throughout the dinner. Lovely place though.

Great value and nice dining area

We had a meal in the restaurant which we reserved and took our children and a dog. Had a nice outside seating area. Food was generous portions.

Great food and theywent out of their way to cook an omelette for one of our party who can not each much.

Have you ever thought that the drunken howl, at 12 o'clock at night, emitted by the guests of your establishment, disturbs the neighboring houses???? maybe you have a place inside the restaurant for noisy visitors???

Lovely little pub , we always visit when we are in the area .

The venison burger was exceptional. Absolutely delicious.

Great food, consistent quality, a cut above the rest! We particularly love Lucy - so helpful and kind! No doubt my family and I'll keep returning.

Loved the food and a pleasant outside pub experience

I hosted a party here for my husbands 40th, the staff were very accommodating and the food was delicious it was BBQ and was an excellent price 😃🥳 Thankyou guys

Excellent friendly service beautifully cooked meal, lovely quiet enviroment

We took our little girl for an unplanned birthday lunch today at the Nelson. As it was her special day she fancied something that wasn't on the menu so we asked the management and he promptly sent one of his attentive staff to the shop to buy the ingredients. Now if that isn't service i don't know what is! Friendly, helpful staff, massive portions of yummy food and a fabulous atmosphere!

Fantastic food in a smart and comfortable restaurant with a relaxing sunny garden. Owners and staff very friendly. Will definitely be returning in the future

We've visited here in the past and had a wonderful experience. However, this visit was a bit disappointing. We had booked a table for 5 people for 6 pm. On arrival, it took us 10 minutes to find someone to show us to a table. We had been seated for at least 15 minutes before our drinks order was taken. Then, another 15 minutes until the drinks arrived. Our food was ordered and delivered in a timely manner. I ordered the beef burger, and I requested mine with no chilli jam. When it arrived, it had the chilli jam on it. I immediately summoned the waitress who took it away and bought a fresh one. Also, the slaw that came with the meal had an odd taste. Several other diners agreed and could not eat theirs. In addition to this, they had a female singer performing there, who had a really good voice, but she was so loud that we couldn't hold a conversation. Her song choices were very good, and we would have enjoyed it if it hadn't been so loud. I think that we would visit again, but I would choose a different meal and ensure that there will not be any singers performing.

Fantastic food in a smart and comfortable restaurant with a sunny relaxing garden. Very friendly owners and staff. Will definitely be returning in the future

Just popped in for couple of drinks and a few snaks from menu yummy as usual.