Good Food Guide: Five restaurants from BCP and Studland

Restaurants across Dorset have been named in the prestigious guide, which highlights the finest eateries across the county.

Here are the restaurants near us that have been selected, with what the guide says about each.

Art Sushi

The guide says about the Westbourne restaurant: “Art Sushi lies behind the Art Deco façade of Westbourne’s 1920s-built Grand Cinema – movies are no longer screened here, but this neighbourhood Japanese restaurant brings its own kind of showmanship to the outskirts of Bournemouth.

“Inside the little dining room, slender sake bottles populate the shelves and bamboo lampshades cast patterned light over blonde wood tables – although all eyes are drawn to the long bar, where a dozen or so diners can perch and watch chef Kamil Skalczynski deftly wield a blade.”

Shell Bay

On the Studland seafood restaurant, the guide says: “Just across the water from big-money Sandbanks, this is quite a location – with unbeatable panoramic views of Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island to boot.

“By contrast, Shell Bay itself looks a bit like a seafood shack that has seen better days – but don’t let the picket-style fences, canvas awnings, technicolour pub tables and bright metal garden chairs put you off.

“A troupe of smiley, buzzy, dressed-down staff keep things moving along at a pace, and the food passes muster – even if the bill is several notches up from your average high-speed seaside café (mind you, those fabulous vistas are almost worth the price of admission).”

Roots

Southbourne’s Roots receives high praise, with the guide saying: “The warmth created by the owners serving their own food in a tiny dining room is exceptional,’ enthuses one reader.

“Jan and Stacey Bretschneider’s personally run restaurant in Bournemouth’s Southbourne district affects people like that.

“With just 16 seats, it feels intimate and the decoration is 'lovely', although the cooking is on another level – this is high-end cuisine shot through with passion, honesty and inclusivity. Meals revolve around various tasting menus, and the kitchen lays down a marker with some remarkable canapés – everything is bang-on delicious, and that includes the asparagus juice encapsulated in green-dyed coco butter.

“Jan Bretschneider cooks in the modern European idiom, creating highly intricate dishes from expertly sourced produce – a single morel mushroom, say, stuffed with chicken mousse, wrapped in wild garlic and buried in a buttery, chicken-based foam flavoured with pepper dulse (seaweed).”

The Jetty

Two Christchurch restaurants are featured, the first being The Jetty. The guide says: “Positioned on the water's edge to max out the views across Christchurch Harbour, The Jetty is a modern construction with acres of glass to ensure that those panoramic vistas are served up to one and all (there's a terrace, too, if you want to feel even closer to nature).

“Alex Aitken is a chef with a passion for seasonal cooking (and a bit of a legend in these parts), and it's satisfying to report that fresh seafood from local waters is the backbone of his menu – no surprise given the glorious coastal location.”

The Noisy Lobster

Finally, The Noisy Lobster, also in Christchurch, is featured. The guide says: “'The location right on the beach looking over the Solent is unbeatable and, after a makeover, it is now bright and elegant as well as friendly and casual. The food seems to get more and more classy, making an effort to do something different – say, seared tuna crudo with mango piccalilli, whipped avocado, chilli and popped quinoa.”

For more information on each restaurant, and to see the full list for 2024, visit the Good Food Guide website.