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The Crab at Bournemouth, Bournemouth, Dorset

The Crab at Bournemouth

4.4
4.4
1610 Reviews
£26 to £40
Seafood

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
  • 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 12:00–15:45 Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 17:30–21:30 Fri, Sat 17:30–22:00
  • Phone number
    01202 203601
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    We can cater for birthday parties, anniversaries and Christmas parties
  • Area
    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

Gift card

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Experiences

  • New Years Eve Set Menu

    £90.00 per person

    31 Dec 2024 only
    Come and join us to celebrate the New Year. 4 Course Menu £90 per person 50% non refundable depsoit required. Please contact the restaurant to make the payement to secure your booking.
    New Years Eve Set Menu photo
  • Christmas Day Lunch Menu

    £85.00 per person

    25 Dec 2024 only
    Come and join us for your Christmas Lunch. We are offering a 4 Course Set Menu for £85 per person. Please contact the restaurant with a 50% deposit to secure your booking.
    Christmas Day Lunch Menu photo

What 1,610 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
  • 4Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Dorset

    Good for business meals

  • Dorset

    Innovative

  • Dorset

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Dorset

    Hot spot

  • Dorset

    Great for fine wines

  • Dorset

    Romantic

  • Dorset

    Good for special occasions

  • Bournemouth

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Crab at Bournemouth delights seafood lovers with "fabulous food" and "outstanding service." Diners rave about the "fresh fish," with dishes like hake and halibut often praised. The ambiance is enhanced by live piano music, creating a "great atmosphere." Despite some service hiccups, it's a "lovely place" for a memorable dining experience.

1,610 Reviews
  1. Becki

    Surrey

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Stunning food, stunning service, well worth every penny!!
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded 2 days ago
    Dear Becki, We’re absolutely delighted to receive your 5-star review and thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant! We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to our dedicated team to inspire their ongoing commitment to excellence. We look forward to seeing you again! Kind regards, The Crab team

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  2. Nicola

    Kent

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We revisited The Crab to celebrate my husbands special birthday with our two adult children . I had pre booked over a week before and added to the booking what we were celebrating. On arrival we had a choice of two tables when we arrived which was good as my husband struggles with loud background music so we were seated away from the pianist (who is amazingly talented) this meant we could enjoy the ambiance and the music more. We had to ask for the wine menu and then waited over 20 minutes for someone to come and take our drink/food order. Food was great - we had calamari, mussels, hake, halibut and crab between us. Great atmosphere in the restaurant. Slightly disappointed as no one mentioned my husbands birthday so at the end of the evening I had to go up to ask the waitress at the bar if the restaurant did anything special for a celebration. She said yes and would arrange something. A plate was brought out with a happy birthday message, some fruit and the tiniest brownie....such a shame as I had to ask for it!
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded 2 days ago
    Dear Nicola, Thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant and for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention. We always aim to deliver a great experience, and we are gutted when we don’t meet expectations. I’m very sorry we failed to meet your expectations on this occasion. We will use the feedback to make us better and to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Kind regards, The Crab team

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  3. Julia

    Berkshire

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 11 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The scallop starter was very disappointing- hardly any scallops for £15 each - it should have either been £7 or bigger. The main course on the other hand - we had hake- was beautifully presented, delicious and hot and a good portion size. Wine was properly chilled and a good selection for a reasonable price. Staff were friendly and attentive and they gave us a nice complimentary dessert for our anniversary. The restaurant was quiet which is why I gave a slightly lower score on ambience but would definitely visit again.
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded 2 days ago
    Dear Julia, Thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant and for taking the time to leave us a 4-star review. Our team is committed to delivering high-quality service, and your feedback is a great encouragement to us. We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the scallops portion. Unfortunately the scallops are more expensive so the portion is smaller than some of our starters. We are happy that you enjoyed everything else and we look forward to seeing you again! Kind regards, The Crab team

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  4. Georges

    Bath

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous experience with my partner. Shared a few starters, which were the highlight, scallops were melt in the mouth, tuna was fresh and flavoursome, and oysters were gorgeous. Shared the crab for a main, again delicious. Service and staff were on point, always available and surveying without being overbearing. Pianist always makes it special. Overall great value for money for such a wonderful experience.
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded on 14 December 2024
    Dear Georges, We’re absolutely delighted to receive your 5-star review and thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant! We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to our dedicated team to inspire their ongoing commitment to excellence. We look forward to see you again! Kind regards, The Crab team

    Is this helpful?

  5. Lorraine

    Dorset

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Ordered the Crab meal & a 1/2 Lobster meal for 2 of us Food was timely and delicious Impressed as we were only booking for lunch that they kept the restaurant open for us That did not take away from how we were received by the waitress who was very attentive
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded on 6 December 2024
    Dear Lorraine, We’re absolutely delighted to receive your 5-star review and thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant! We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us and we are very happy you enjoyed our little birthday surprise. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to our dedicated team to inspire their ongoing commitment to excellence. We look forward to see you again! Kind regards, The Crab team

    Is this helpful?

  6. Mike

    Dorset

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 3 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every thing was good except they had no record of my booking?
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded on 7 December 2024
    Dear Mike, Thank you for your 5* review. We are delighted you enjoyed your time at The Crab Restaurant. We are sorry we could not retrieve your booking on our system, due to technical issues. We hope to see you soon! Crab Team

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  7. Zak

    East Sussex

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was pricey and quality was not good, had the fruit de mare platter for 2 and cost £120 and the only really good parts was the mussels and the scallops overall not worth it, won’t be going again

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  8. Kim

    Cornwall

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    as usual a lovely evening with great food , excellent service and a lovely musical accompaniment , we will be back.
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded on 1 December 2024
    Dear Kim, We’re absolutely delighted to receive your 5-star review and thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant! We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to our dedicated team to inspire their ongoing commitment to excellence. We look forward to seeing you again! Kind regards, The Crab team

    Is this helpful?

  9. Ian

    Dorset

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very accommodating venue. Friendly staff. Happy to let us natter and take our time. Excellent!
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded on 26 November 2024
    Dear Ian, We’re absolutely delighted to receive your 5-star review and thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant! We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to our dedicated team to inspire their ongoing commitment to excellence. We look forward to see you again! Kind regards, The Crab team

    Is this helpful?

  10. Richard

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful food in a very stylish setting. Pianist on Friday night was great background
    The Crab at BournemouthResponded on 19 November 2024
    Dear Richard, We’re absolutely delighted to receive your 5-star review and thank you for choosing The Crab Restaurant! We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to our dedicated team to inspire their ongoing commitment to excellence. We look forward to see you again! Kind regards, The Crab team

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Crab at Bournemouth is rated 4.4 stars by 1610 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 booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Crab at Bournemouth

Exeter Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5AJ

Additional information

  • Area
    Bournemouth
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 12:00–15:45 Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 17:30–21:30 Fri, Sat 17:30–22:00
  • 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
Gift card

Gift card

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

Send a gift card
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