Crab at Bournemouth

The atmosphere is very warm and cosy.
Staff is also very nice.
Bread and appetizer very special.
Lobster is very tasty with crab meat/​salmon embedded. Even half lobster is large enough for one. Really enjoyed it.

Visited with my family while on vacation. The halibut and fish and chips were great. My wife had the crab. You would think a place with crab in the name would serve excellent crab. The shells were impossible to open even with the cracker. They did not provide a mallet to crack the shells. Either take 30 seconds in the kitchen to whack the shells or give me a mallet

Excellent sea food, we had the soft shell crab, salmon and sea bass. Selection of Spanish, Australian and New Zealand wines.
The dessert was not good. We had the lemon orange tart with mango sorbet and a another which I didn’t care for at all. Both were rather dry and lacking texture. The crème brûlée top did little to help.
At peak dinner time we had 5 people serving us, wine, appetiser, water, entrée and dessert all brought out to us by different people. We would’ve liked to see the same person waiting on us throughout dinner.
Parking is at the Bournemouth City Centre opposite the street. Bring coins, sometime the machines in this vintage parking garage doesn’t accept a credit card.

Great food and worth a visit! However, Wine waiter was a bit rude!

This is the best dining experience I have had in the Bournemouth area. How nice it is to be surprised by a creative and well executed menu with interesting new twists on familiar dishes. All the seafood we had was outstanding and we will be back. The only thing that holds it back from 5 stars was the very casual café style décor and some slightly inconsistent service. Minor points really, in what was a very good night.

The Crab at Bournemouth was a delightful discovery offering quality food amongst the many mediocre establishments I’ve experienced in this area.
The restaurant has a very nice menu, well presented and delicious dishes, a relaxing piano player and a good selection of liquors and wines.
The only minus, which keeps this restaurant from attaining a solid 5 stars is that the staff is very attentive. What? Why lower the rating you ask? As another reviewer stated, the service at times feels a bit overbearing. I had at least 6 – 7 different people bringing and taking drinks, plates and food dishes to /​from my table. It sometimes feels as if the wait staff is hovering to bring or take something which can get a bit annoying.
Tempura shrimp and mussel appetizer was tasty & well presented. The sea bass main course was really good and looked impressive. Tasty bread and spread selections.
For a quality meal and relaxing piano tunes, ‘The Crab’ is your go to venue. Beware of the hovering and at times, overly attentive wait staff.

Best dining experience I have had in years. Food is absolutely superb and the atmosphere is fabulous! highly recommend the seafood platter for one.

My husband and I planned to wander the quaint downtown beach town of Bournemouth until we found a place for dinner that sounded good. Except that it was freezing and windy this January night, so when I spotted the Crab from across the street (less than a minute walk to the beach front and main pier) I ran to the window to view the menu on display.
It was pricier than I wanted to spend for dinner, but we were too cold to argue. Plus we were early enough to get the set menu deal (2 courses for £16 or 3 courses for £20 before 7p). A quick breakdown:
Staff/​service: On top of their game and well-​meaning. We were never without bread or poured water or full glasses of wine. They checked on us often and were polite. Except … they hovered and practically stepped on each other in their earnestness. We had no less than 6 different people deliver and refill and take away, and it seemed hectic to the point of spoiling the candlelit, fine dining atmosphere. When they weren’t waiting on tables, they paced, hands clasped, around the restaurant.
Food: Pretty damn good. Bread sample was a fantastic and fresh mix of white, rosemary and whole grain. Husband’s pork belly and crisp apple starter was a small portion (per usual with set menu entrees) but he loved it. My crab tortellini in cauliflower and thyme velouté was rich and tasty — the parmesan oil tipping it into the «too rich» area and keeping me from finishing it. Our entrees were the hake and herb crusted salmon, both good but not excellent.
Atmosphere: Modern/​classic menu; classic, borderline boring fine dining décor, i.e., linen napkins, wooden furniture, a piano. Big floor-​to-​ceiling windows offer a view of a busy street (close to the sea but no view of it from the dining room). I prefer more contemporary stylings myself, but I’m sure this is right up the alley of the older visitors that frequent this area. The piano player was very good, playing everything from Radiohead to the Police to Adele (no singing, thankfully).
Would I come back with my husband? I don’t think so. It wasn’t bad but I didn’t love it … Would I take my parents here? More likely. Like I said it’s more of an older generation type of establishment, the kind that prefer their wait staff to wear ties and suits, and pace with clasped hands when not serving.
Misc Notes: Walking distance to the Odeon if you fancy a film after dinner, and around the corner is the Sea Gardens for a nice stroll

Excellant food and good value for money. Service very good, piano player is a good touch as well. Worth a visit of you are seeing something at the BIC