The Sun, Bournemouth

Visited 12/08/26. No cask. Keg offering of Guinness, Pravha, Thatchers Haze, Jubel Peach lager, Madri, Camden Hells and Pale Ale, Neck Oil, Peroni, Asahi, Budvar, Gamma Ray, Aspall, Light Bulb from Verdant, Sxollie cider, Lucky Saint and Damm Lemon. Large L shaped venue with seating out the front, regular tables and chairs and a good amount of cover. Inside the venue is bare boarded with the bar counter following the shape of the venue with a tile skirt and a small amount of tall stool seating at the bar counter. Seating via regular and tall tables and chairs and tall stools with some leather banquettes around some parts of the perimeter serving the regular tables. Plenty of painted pillar and bare brick walls and fancy ceiling lanterns will appeal to many but the absence of an interesting beer range marks it down for me. The screens were switched off, and a very poppy soundtrack was playing in the background. Popular outside on my visit because of the glorious weather.

Official site of The Sun - www.thesunbournemouth.co.uk

Official site of The Sun - www.thesunbournemouth.co.uk

Large, modern bar with quite a few postcards high on the ceiling. There is plenty of seating around the bar and a few recently graduated university students were present along with their families. Most appeared to be there for lunch. Burgers are the speciality. Toilets are downstairs, along with a photo booth. A small garden area with huts can be found at the front. The real ale was Proper Job. Real ciders were Weston's Rosie's Pig Rhubarb & Family Reserve. Craft beer options included Goose Island Today's Haze, Camden Pale & Beavertown Neck Oil.

As described by others below, this bar is above average in its genre. There is an outside seating area ruled over by friendly, helpful staff, while the interior is comfortable and pleasant. The eponymous postcards are indeed plentiful, and stapled to the walls, but they don’t number more than a few hundred. The cask ale pumps were empty, the best beer offering being Meantime from keg, but the day was saved with some decent cider and an interesting menu. I’d be happy to come back, preferably when there is some proper ale on.

An industrial-type premise done up as a drinking joint for the young - lots of garish colours and funky artwork. A long row of booths runs down one side, with a mixture of low and high tables elsewhere and a DJ desk at the back. Out the front is a patio area including some amusing 'beach hut' tables. A row of 5 handpumps offered Razorback and Dorset Frosted Jack, with Rosie's Pig cider, and on keg were a few Camden-type offerings. Not really my cup of tea, but a bonus mark for serving some decent beer (and Cask Marque too).

Trendy student/hipster bar, much like the Oakford Social in Reading and others of the ‘unbranded’ but-clearly-branded M&B stock. Housed in a single storey shed, it's dark, loud music, a plethora of pinned junk behind the bar and the inevitable postcards. Exposed brickwork and some eye-catching wood barred partition seating booths. Three pumps, just bloody Ringwood on (so-so condition) with some upscale keg lager and bottles also. Slow service and the when it eventually arrived the dopey barman tried to charge for pints rather than halves. Best left to those who are young and prefer style over substance - which is shame as a bit of care would make this worthwhile.