The Bear Cross - Bournemouth

Fantastic. My family and I dined at this restaurant in December, a party of 15. Two of us have dairy intolerances, so we were pleased to find that they offer a separate dairy-free menu. They also have a gluten-free menu available. We made a reservation ahead of time due to our large group size and the holiday season. Upon our arrival, each subgroup was assigned a number for ordering purposes, making it convenient for each party to pay their own bill at the end of the meal. As for the food, my husband and I ordered from the dairy-free menu and were impressed with the clearly labeled dishes. I had the slow-cooked beef, which was delicious, and my husband enjoyed the minted lamb chops. What stood out was the variety of dairy-free desserts on offer, a rarity in most restaurants. The syrup sponge was a highlight, although the ginger sponge, while tasty, had a slightly gritty texture due to being gluten-free as well. The entire family had a great dining experience, and if this place were closer to home, we would be regular visitors. Kudos to the restaurant for their commitment to inclusive menus. I felt welcomed and safe with the food options provided. Thank you.

This used to be our go-to spot for lunch. The food is still top-notch, but the service was lacking during our visit yesterday (on a busy Sunday). We arrived for lunch at 3pm, as prebooked, but no one gave us a menu. After 15 minutes of waiting and struggling to get the attention of the staff, I had to go to the bar myself to request one. Nobody checked in on us or offered water. We experienced another long wait after finishing our first course. Eventually, a lady in a nice dress asked if we would like the dessert menu, but then disappeared without returning. After another 15 minutes, I had to go back to the bar to request the dessert menu. Despite the service issues, the restaurant does offer good vegan options.

Went here though heavy traffic due to road closures but well worth it lovely welcome as soon as in door by a young lady so sorry we didn’t get your name my husband had the pork on the special menu I had Cajun chicken both very tasty and reasonably priced will return when this way again.

Absolutely brilliant, nice decor, food wonderful,place was absolutely rammed with bookings at 12 o’clock.Roast pork with all the trimmings and a nice pint of cider what could be better

I enjoyed my food , roast potatoes were crispy. A few others potatoes were under cooked . Think the swede needed cooking more . Pudding was lovely and another person , enjoyed their pudding too.