The Crab at Bournemouth

4.4

1626 Reviews

£26 to £40

Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 27, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 3 times today

Good for special occasions
Charming
Fancy

The Crab at Bournemouth is one of Dorset's finest, AA rated 2 rosette seafood restaurant.
Situated directly opposite the Bournemouth International Center and just moments from Bournemouth Pier.
Our passionate chefs create an array of delicious dishes sourced from fresh, local produce. Our contemporary surroundings have friendly and personable staff that will make you feel most welcome.
A lovely, relaxing atmosphere with an open balcony when weather permits.

A £5 per person deposit fee is required to make a restaurant booking to confirm and secure the reservation.

Dress Code of Smart Casual (No sportswear, fleeces, sliders, flip flops or beachwear) enforced from 5:30pm. You will be refused entry if not dressed in smart casual attire.

Children aged 8 and under may dine in the restaurant on tables booked with adults between 5:30pm-7:30pm, children's menu is also available. If you are more than 15 minutes late to a booking, there is a possibility your table my no longer be available.

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Seafood, Modern European, Contemporary British
Hours of Operation
Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–3:45 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
01202 203601
Website
http://www.crabatbournemouth.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Private party facilities
We can cater for birthday parties, anniversaries and Christmas parties

Location
Exeter Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5AJ
Neighbourhood
Bournemouth
Parking details
Public Lot
Entertainment
Live music from our resident pianist some Friday and Saturday evenings.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Gift card

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Popular dishes

Duck Breast
With fondant potato, caramelised chicory, baby carrots, finished with orange and red wine sauce
Pan Fried Sea Bass
Mediterranean-style with tomato tagliatelle
Mushroom and Spinach Linguine
With asparagus and poached egg, finished with black truffle oil
8oz Fillet of Beef
Artichoke puree, pea mash, caramelised carrots and bourbon sauce (£10.50 supplement)

Dessert

Valentines Mousse with Strawberries
Rose Raspberry and Lychee Macaron
Pistachio Eclaire

What 1,626 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.4Service
4.3Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

Dorset
Good for business meals
Dorset
Great for creative cocktails
Dorset
Hot spot
Dorset
Great for fine wines
Dorset
Romantic
Dorset
Great for scenic views
Dorset
Good for special occasions
Dorset
Lively
Dorset
Most Booked
Bournemouth
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Crab at Bournemouth serves "superb" seafood, earning praise for its "fantastic service" and "lovely ambience" with live piano music. Guests appreciate the "outstanding" food quality, especially the hake, halibut, and seafood platters. While some experienced inconsistencies, the overall dining experience is described as "very enjoyable" and "definitely worth it."

1,627 Reviews

W
Wendy
Devon
22 reviews
5.0
22 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very friendly and efficient service. Nice food and for a reasonable price
Is this helpful?
E
Emma
London
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food, great service. Nice ambience. Had a great evening
Is this helpful?
R
Ross
Hawaii
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service, nice to have something a bit different, especially if you like seafood
Is this helpful?
M
Maureen
Dorset
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
We booked the Valentines Special and as it was my husband’s birthday I requested for them to make it extra special. We were extremely disappointed because when we asked for the Valentines menu that was advertised, the waiter said that it was not available, and to choose from the other menu. We were staying at the Hilton for the Valentine/birthday weekend, and particularly chose the Crab for the Valentine menu. Our weekend was totally ruined.
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C
Cheryl
Tampa
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 12, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We have been coming here for many years and never disappointed. Food is superb. Great service.
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M
Marijus
Dorset
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely Bday lunch. Will have to come back in spring for Lobster as it is out of menu during winter.
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P
Patrick
Dorset
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Me and my Beautiful Girlfriend had such a lovely meal and evening, the pianist was excellent and the staff were excellent.
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M
Michael
East Sussex
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic service, nothing too much for the staff who were very courteous. Excellent quality of food.
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P
Peter
London
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 1, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Very good overall. Live piano accompaniment on the Saturday night and very good food all served very pleasantly, if a little slow. Would definitely recommend.
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M
Martin
Hampshire
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely fantastic, food. Ambiance and serving staff cannot be surpassed. Will definitely come back.
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FAQs

The Crab at Bournemouth is rated 4.4 stars by 1626 OpenTable diners.

The Crab at Bournemouth does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 27, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 3 times today

Exeter Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5AJ

Additional information

Neighbourhood
Bournemouth
Hours of Operation
Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–3:45 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Seafood, Modern European, Contemporary British
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Entertainment
Live music from our resident pianist some Friday and Saturday evenings.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.crabatbournemouth.com/
Phone number
01202 203601
Private party facilities
We can cater for birthday parties, anniversaries and Christmas parties

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

The Crab at Bournemouth

Make a reservation

Additional information

Gift card

Popular dishes

Grilled Oysters

Fish Pie

Cornish Mussels

Menu

Arrival

Prosecco and Chocolate dipped strawberries

Amuse

Chef’s Surprise

Starters

Scallops

Seared Tuna

Mozzarella Arancini

Main

Duck Breast

Pan Fried Sea Bass

Mushroom and Spinach Linguine

8oz Fillet of Beef

Dessert

Valentines Mousse with Strawberries

Rose Raspberry and Lychee Macaron

Pistachio Eclaire

What 1,626 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Crab at Bournemouth restaurant rated?

Does The Crab at Bournemouth offer gift cards?

Is The Crab at Bournemouth currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Gift card