The Brunswick, Charminster, Bournemouth

A back-street red brick Edwardian hotel in a once-affluent residential area. There is a lounge bar at the front which is laid to table for diners partaking of the standard GK menu, though the meat dishes do appear to be freshly cooked rather than re-heated. The public bar at the back has a pool table, dartboard, gaming machines and TV screens showing live football. There are plenty of sports trophies dotted around along with various football memorabilia. The staff were helpful and pleasant, even bringing drinks for the dogs, who were allowed in the public bar only, without being asked. Three ales on were GK IPA, Abbott and Grubber, all overgassed but otherwise potable. A good local spirit and I'd be happy to drop in when passing.

Situated in the backstreets of Charminster, a brisk 15 minute or so walk from Bournemouth train station, this is a large community pub and former hotel with a decent two bar layout. Entering into the lounge bar on the Malmesbury Road side of the building, you initially find yourself in a sort of ante room which has been carpeted and has tub chairs, stripped wallpaper, a small fireplace and windows bearing the pub’s motif. It’s quite a good spot if you can get over the formulaic approach to interior design, although this doesn’t really improve as you move on into the main bar which is also carpeted and with its own fireplace, floral wallpaper and a mix of banquette and standard seating. A door near the front corner of the building separates this room from the public bar, which is bare boarded and boasts high tables and stools under the front windows, a dartboard in a recess and a dedicated pool area behind a row of structural pillars. Completing the circuit of the pub, a rear corridor leads to a partly covered patio with stove heaters and the Atrium Room which seems to be set aside for private functions. Throughout the pub there are various old photos of Bournemouth, including some interesting ones showing the town’s former tram system. Several TV screens were on showing the Brentford v Hartlepool match to a bunch of jubilant Bournemouth fans who had just watched their team unexpectedly wrap up promotion that afternoon. The pub was doing a roaring trade during my visit with a mixed crowd including one elderly gentleman who decided to reattach a full urine drainage bag to his leg whilst perched on a stool at the bar. This should allow me to segue neatly to a joke about the beer tasting like piss, but alongside the dubious Greene King offerings (IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Old Golden Hen) there was a guest in the shape of Milestone St George’s Legend, which turned out to be quite a decent pint of bitter. The staff were all friendly enough and seemed to be working hard to deal with the crowds. This place has a good community vibe to it and has appeared in recent editions of the Good Beer Guide, which makes it an appealing prospect compared to the majority of Bournemouth’s pubs. Worth looking out for if you’re near this part of town or fancy a break from the dross in the town centre.