Dolphin, Springbourneback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Closed down!
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I have a great time in the dolphin , if somebody remember me from that time 1997 till 2001 leave a message if you want ,greatings dutchy.
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last manager got sacked ,new relief manager. she likes to tell everybody she is from london.when asked what part, she replied, dagenham when someone informed her that was in essex she refussed to serve him. and i havent seen her serve again, she leaves the bar staff to do that .usually very busy in the afternoon,one exelent bar maid ,rest are rubbish,never any glasses. agood mixture of punters mostly working men
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This place has a poor reputation which was further compounded on 24 February 2008 when a man was fatally injured in a fight just outside the pub - one of two murders in Holdenhurst Road on that same day.
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Since moving to Springbourne 9 years ago I have visited The Dolphin regularly and although the last landlady who ran the pub for two years fell ill and three temporary managers came and went whilst she was ill, it has undoubtedly lost its bad reputation of old.
The locals are very friendly and welcoming, and you get the feeling that there is a real community spirit. I have only seen the odd �scuffle� amongst youngsters on their way into town at the weekend, which has been dealt with very well by the landlord.
Food is served from 12-3 daily and is extremely good value for money, tasty and good portions too.
Children are welcome under supervision, there is a good selection of entertainment at the weekends and since the licensing laws now allow bands in smaller venues there have been some excellent live music bands playing at the weekends.
The toilets are clean and presentable and in good working order (including normal doors), and a disabled toilet has recently been installed.
I have found the bar staff and landlord to be very friendly and helpful.
The only down side is that the undercover smoking area outside could be bigger and food could be available in the evenings.
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Although it was made 4 years old, much of johnkn7's comment is still accurate today.
The Dolphin had a major refurb in the 1980's, and when Shotz redecorated in 2003, it must have been the first refurb in history where the place was worse afterwards, than it was before. The paint job is so bad that now half of it has flaked off, the resulting decor is a confused-looking disaster.
The problem with the Dolphin is the location. It's easy to attract the "wrong" crowd in Springbourne and the Dolphin does this admirably. The pub has got through 5 landlords in the last 4 years, with all but one failing to control the thugs and drug dealers that frequent this place. The absense of locks on the toilet doors, and the fact that the top half of them is missing "saloon style" is the result of Landlord John's overzealous crusade against the drug problem.
Most of the clientelle are relatively harmless drop-out types, but although a fight can be expected most Saturday nights, it's rare for anyone to get maimed or killed. A real turning point was the refurb in 2003, when children were barred and the remenants of the family-pub atmosphere vanished shortly afterwards.
On the plus side, the pub is roomy, and being on a corner is fairly bright with a decked area outside. The leftside is quieter with ample seating and the right side being louder, with pool tables and a significantly younger feel. The beer is quite good and the bar staff quite friendly with a good sense or humour, which no doubt they need in order to work here.
Rated 4/10
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horrible rude staff. didnt even stay for a drink
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Absolutely awful, sorry but it is! Rank infact!
anonymous - 27 Mar 2005 22:37 |
great place.
Bill - 11 Jul 2003 16:41 |
Once upon a time this was a pub. It might not have been the greatest pub in the world and it had a few unsavoury characters but it was recognisably a pub. Then, about three years ago it was decided to give this place a much needed refurbishment. I had my suspicions when a large sign that said SHOTZ appeared outside and those suspicions were confirmed when the place re-opened as a horrible open plan disco pub. Sample of the sign outside:
THURSDAY: KARAOKE
FRIDAY: LOUD & LIVELY
SATURDAY: LOUDER AND LIVELIER.
Most people took one look at the new look Dolphin and took themselves off to The Cricketers or the Queens Park Hotel so now
you have the worst of both worlds. During the day it is inhabited by ne'er do wells, scroungers and general misfits and by night it is largely deserted as those who want this type of entertainment from a pub quite rightly head for Bournemouth town centre. Hoping that one day this will be restored as a community pub but I'm not optimistic. Toilets have no locks or toilet seats. Lovely. Even Chelsea Tom doesn't drink here anymore.
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