Chaplin's Cellar Bar

Situated in the bustling Bournemouth suburb of Boscombe is the quirky, larger than life, Chaplin’s Cellar Bar. In terms of entertainment, there’s something for everyone, including poetry, comedy and film events, as well as original live music every night of the week.

When it comes to food and drink, you’re sure to be satisfied too. After sampling a couple of the innovative cocktails, we tucked into our first courses, made and prepared under head chef Dean Strutt’s expert eye. My partner’s free-range chicken liver parfait with homemade onion marmalade was beautifully smooth and very tasty. I opted for award-winning Dorset snails in oxtail jus and garlic parsley butter. This was my first time trying snails and I wasn’t disappointed; they were delicious. For the second course my partner had the Chaplin’s house burger, an 8oz Aberdeen Angus beef burger with streaky smoked bacon, smoked Cheddar and hand-cut chips. The burger was juicy, succulent and bursting with flavour. I succumbed to a mouth-watering sirloin steak with plum tomatoes, Stilton-stuffed Portobello mushroom, peppercorn sauce and chips – a veritable feast. To finish, we shared dark chocolate terrine with homemade honeycomb and vanilla bean ice cream with popping candy – a grand finale to a great evening.

All of the food is freshly made, seasonal and locally sourced where possible, the service is friendly and the whimsical artwork is delightful. On a fine day, find a nook or cranny in the award-winning garden and dine al fresco surrounded by climbing plants and colourful murals.