The Crown, Northbourne, Bournemouth

A large 1930s estate pub away from the main road and surrounded by houses. It is currently operated by Marstons. There is a reasonable garden at the back, and parking at the front and one side. There is a tiny smoking shelter by the car park plus a couple of bench seats from which to survey the adjacent bungalows. Inside there are three main areas, a dining room, large bar and a small games room with a pool table. The dining room is decorated in a slightly cap style with framed pictures on the ceiling and a colourful mural. The carpeted bar has a mix of seating styles including a few dining tables, but there are no bar stools. It also has an eclectic mix of decorative styles, some more bizarre than others, including exposed brickwork and two repro fireplaces; the overall effect is of a 1930s sitting room. There is also a gaming machine and TV screens showing BBC News in the bar. The landlord was a cross between Alf Garnett and John Cleese but was pleasant enough once he got over his xenophobia. There were three ales on draft, Razorback and Fortyniner from Ringwood plus Hobgoblin Gold. The beer was in good condition. The pub runs regular theme nights, including quizzes, curry night, steak night and so on. The food was OK but not brilliant. It's a fine local pub but not somewhere you'd travel to deliberately.

A really splendid pub which has recently had a severe refit. Sticking out like a sore thumb in bungalowville, this large pub is a hidden gem. A large main bar area with a separate but linked dining area, and completely separate games room with darts and pool. Its refit has brought striking internal decoration, including a huge mural in the dining room based on Bournemouth landmarks and history, and a blown-up historical Ordnance Survey map on the ceiling of the main bar. The garden has also been tarted up with a large decked area. It does good food from an extensive menu which always arrives quickly. Open till midnight at weekends. A lovely relaxed atmosphere, never too noisy that you can't converse and never so busy that you can't move.