Had a brilliant night, last Saturday, all age groups, did matter, if you were…read more80,punk,hippie,alternative etc... Really friendly and funny bar staff.. Incredible tribute to Charlie Chaplin, the work and art that's been put into this fantastic pub, Cellar Bar is magical, with the outside garden areas.. I'm going back with the family, such an experience... Well done guys, plus no trouble with punters.. Just me spilling my pint.. So sorry, made to feel at ease about it. Xx

Excellent venue for gigs. Warm friendly environment. Great garden area, live entertainment most…read morenights

The Lighthouse is Poole's theatres, concert venue, and has a cinema…read more There are two theatres in The Lighthouse, which hosts a wide variety of entertainment, from ballet to tribute bands, and annually a pantomine. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is based here, (yes, I noticed the geographical misalignment too) and perform regularly. This week they have played concerts for some of the local schools. A month ago, I saw a touring company from the LSC performing jazz dance one evening and another company from the LSC performing modern ballet a couple of evenings later. The quality is astounding and I'm amazed that we can attract such talent to the provinces! There is also a small cinema which shows art films and a 'big' movie some months after it left the popular box offices. There is an eatery downstairs in the foyer, and bars on the first floor. All the staff are very helpful indeed, and advise you of discounts available. Booking is always easy, and they don't mind at all if you take a while to make up your mind about seating. The loos are clean! Seats are nice and comfy. Parking outside is for Blue Vadge holders only, or dropping off. Car parking is in the Dolphin multi storey (don't use the Park - you'll get locked in!).

I agree with Bluesofty on almost everything. They show a lot of different types of music, theatre,…read moredance and performance - some really astounding, some less so, but lots of choice. (We attract it because of subsidy by the way - the level went way up when the government changed last.) The cinema has a monthly Now Showing meeting where you can go to discuss what's been on, what's coming and what you'd like to be on. They give you free tickets for it too! It's the pity the eating is rather ordinary and the wine usually paint stripper in my experience. Park in the Park by all means. It is locked up very early in the morning - about 6 I think - and reopens at 10 for cars, so most performances at the Lighthouse will have finished by then!

An institution in Bournemouth. Student central, and as such this club is cheap and very cheerful…read more So what if your Bacardi is sold in a plastic glass?? You don't mind so much when it's only a few quid! Theme nights run throughout the week, and dressing up is part of the fun. Not to mention more than decent comedy nights mid week. Tickets are available to non students, you do have to have a student friend to enter, though. It's not all studenty. Of late, TOFS, as it's affectionately known, has begun to get some well known artists and djs coming to its doors, that are openly promoted to the general public. 80s Matchbox Beeline Disaster, The Pigeon Detectives, and Zane Lowe, are just a few people you can see there. Always fun.

I love it here! It's a student union run club, energetic atmosphere at all time. When inside it's…read morefun because there are lots of different rooms all playing different music. A warning though, the £5 entry fee has to be in cash, and once your inside the minimum card amount is £5 - but there is a cash bar too which is always pretty empty, so it's definitely worth bringing some cash with you. I've never had a bad experience here, and every night out I've had here has been great fun!

The Opera House is without doubt the best club in the bournemouth area. Over the years it's played…read morehost to the worlds biggest DJ's and quite a few mammoth live bands too. During my first year at uni it had Slinky on every Friday and they were always nights that had to be seen to be believed, unfortunately they stopped Slinky after the re-design but I hear it's made a triumphant return finally. The venue itself is reminiscent of Brixton Academy or Koko with it's high ceiling and just general old-age. If you're a student, resident or just in the area for a short trip, you must check it out!

One of the best nightclubs in the South-West of Englandread more

Having dined here recently with friends for their wedding anniversary I can highly recommend as the…read morebest place to eat in Bournemouth. The chef's tasting menu is just as good as any michelin starred restaurant I have dined at. They also have a jazz band playing for Sunday lunch which were excellent, we saw them the following day when we were leaving the hotel.

This place is a classic In Bournemouth. It's a mix of a pub and restaurante where they have a good…read morespecific menu. Loved to stay hours having pints and conversation. Clean bathrooms and good music.

Awesome outside dining experience second time here in 2 days clean and very friendly staffread more

We went to see a play about Eva Cassidy last year as a late christmas present. Not really being a…read moretheatre goer before, not out of choice, more because of money, we weren't sure what to expect. It was really hard to park, and in the end we ended up finding a spot in a car-park down the road. Once in, it was quick trip to our seats (full house) and very enjoyable evening was had. The place is very nice to look, kept in good condition, big stage, sound quality was good and everything ran smoothly. We will be going again to see something else, although maybe getting there very early and nabbing a parking spot. Overall 4/5

An excellent live music venue. Kind of like Wembley arena, only a fair bit smaller, and more…read moreimportantly, much warmer and with a wooden floor. The concrete floor and metal roof at Wembley has quite a negative effect on the sound, whereas Bournemouth has the feeling of a large theatre or even a school assembly hall. I saw Counting Crows here on the This Desert Life tour, and the stage set up with multiple walkways and instrument set ups was more lavish then you would expect for a small venue. The sound has a warmth that is partly down to the lack of harsh reflecting surfaces.

Bournemouth Folk Club is held here on a Thursday and Sunday evenings. The venue is a bit like a…read morecabaret club with tables and chairs and a small stage. There is a bar and also food available if required. There are many great folk singers and musicians perform here and there is a great friendly atmosphere. The guy who runs it is called Paul Burke and he has been involved with the folk scene for many many years. There is a small admission charge.

This is bright, airy bistro with a good wine selection and great food. There are several sofa…read moreseating areas available as well as regular and high tables. A covered outside area has bench seating and tables. And on Sundays you can chill to the sounds of local jazz musicians doing their thing. My friend Jon Lloyd will be performing there this Sunday if you'd like to come for a glass, a plate and some cool sounds.

Great local pub, lots of history and atmosphere. The owner is a real character, a dyeing breed of…read moreindependent pub landlords....

A really lovely pub with great atmosphere - lovely bar staff and well looked after ales. The new…read morecovered seating outside is really good and the live bands are usually good (although they can be a little too loud).