Seaview Hotel, Parkstone, Poole

A Co-op food store and flats will now replace the Victorian building.

This large Victorian hotel may well once have had a sea view before the houses opposite were built, but now it's a town local in a building which is too big for what it is. A former hotel, it sits on a busy junction in a residential area and has some parking at the front. There is a large restaurant-type room with an incongruous pool table on one side, which was once the lounge bar, and a public bar with a games room annex the other side. The games room has another pool table, a dartboard and gaming machines, and it is carpeted. The main bar area has flagstones and various seating styles including a few comfy sofas. The pub is family friendly, it has tv screens showing sports events and the jukebox appears to be stuck in disco times. Two ales on: I had Ringwood Best which was poorly kept, served with a generous helping of gas and tasted like tinned beer. Interestingly, tinned beer also seemed to be on sale. Fine as a local, I suspect, but not worth seeking out for its ale.