Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Pub Of The Month - January 2026 with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Branksome Craft House, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
BH2 5LU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Brewhouse & Kitchen
Split level pub which is/was part of the Brewhouse & Kitchen chain, which appears to be closing branches all over. Now it is called the Branksome Craft House and still stocks some Brewhouse & Kitchen (under the name Brewhouse) beers from their Poole branch.
Despite its noticeable external appearance, the pub is quite modern inside and is split level with seating overlooking Commercial Road at the front and a higher level to the rear, which contains the bar against the left-hand wall. I seem to recall TVs showing snooker.
Beers are all keg these days. With a few beers off, the selection was Brewhouse Nitro Stout, Double-Barrelled Kitchen Disco, Azvex Generic Hardcore Shirts & Lowrise Hazy Pale. With craft beers on taps at the front of the bar, lagers and ciders appeared to be mainly from some further taps on the rear wall. A board to the side of the bar appeared to list some but not all of the available beers.
There's a few other decent pubs to visit in this area but I wouldn't go out of my way for a re-visit to this one.
On 4th December 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3368 recommendations about 3366 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Brewhouse & Kitchen
This part of town, previously a bit of an afterthought for anyone planning a night out in Bournemouth, has seen some significant improvements in recent years, as evidenced by the popular Brewhouse & Kitchen chain revamping this failed old pub. Formerly the Branksome Hotel, it’s great to see this place open again, as it has arguably the most impressive facade in the whole town, which is now gleaming and looking proud again. This includes a quite fantastic glazed tile Eldridge Pope sign near the entrance which doesn’t deserve to be next to boarded up windows. Inside, there is a real jumble of a room, set across a mix of different levels with lots of partitioning throughout, which creates a lot of cosy little nooks, breaks the sightlines effectively and requires a fair bit of exploring to take it all in. One downside is that seating through almost all of the room is in the form of high padded stools, so it’s not the comfiest place to settle down for a few pints. The servery is well hidden away in the rear left corner and has a modern counter and bar back, plus a big board listing all the beers available. Lots of displays relating to the brewing process can be found around the room, including various info boards and of course, the brew plant itself, which is over to the right of the room. Interestingly, the brewing schedule is displayed clearly on a board, so you can learn which beers are going to be made next and for £85 you can join the brewer for the day and make some yourself. Stairs lead up to a smartly appointed first floor dining room with some much comfier seating options, whilst a ramp to the rear right leads out to a sun trap beer garden.
There were four of the homebrew beers on when we visited – Churchill Square Fall, Supermac, Lightning Bolt and Saviour Ed – and I was pleased to see that two of these referenced the mighty AFC Bournemouth. I obviously opted for a pint of the Saviour Ed which was in good nick and served to us by a chatty barman.
I’m really pleased that a chain like Brewhouse & Kitchen have brought this place back to life and I think they’ve done something a bit different in creating a maze of an interior rather than the usual open-plan modern beer bar you might expect. With good beer and some other top pubs not too far away, it’s worth heading up to the Triangle to check this place out.
On 4th December 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Brewhouse & Kitchen
One of the growing chain of new-style brewpubs, this one opened relatively recently in the former Branksome. Completely remodelled and refurbished inside, with the brew-plant on your right as you enter and the along the left-hand wall after the three-step change in level. Mix of furniture, but mostly of the annoying high type, and a beer garden at the back. Six of eight handpumps in operation, showcasing a decent range of their own beers (e.g. the Lucky Man Red Rye, a good pint but hardly cheap at £4.30). Very busy on a Saturday afternoon, and despite the Camra AGM being held nearby it was good to see many younger (presumably local) groups in too.
On 16th April 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 9022 recommendations about 9022 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Branksome
Closed. Building is for sale.
On 20th November 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3697 recommendations about 3658 pubs]