please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Visited here yesterday lunchtime. We appeared to be the first customers. The pub appears to promote itself as more of a seafood restaurant than a pub. But it did have 2 ales - Dartmoor Jail Ale & Ringwood Best Bitter. The interior looks as if it was originally 2 rooms. But it has been opened up and doubtless some of the character has been lost. Disappointing.
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The recession bit, pub was up for sale for a while but they soldiered on. I think it was a valuable lesson. Food prices have come down and quality bar snacks are available all week, not just Monday to Thursday lunchtime only. The friendliness is back (the bloke seems to have gone, maybe he was the reason for the sour moods) Its a nice real pub, if you want cheap booze and shopfitted 'character' go to a McWeatherspoons or a supermarket.
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Real ale quality being praised by CAMRA, 'probably the best beer of the day was found direct from a barrel just down the road at the Ship in Distress - Weymouth bitter from the Dorset Brewery Company.'
Not my words, worth a vist if in the area.
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I'm afraid I have to disagree with justdarkbeer. This pub always disappoints me. The beer selection is okay but I've had some pretty mediocre pints in there. I wish the owners well but I suspect they are under the burden of a pretty hefty rent.
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Always open as advertised, best selection of real ales in Christchurch, food good too, so they tell me. wel worth a visit. JSB.
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Had a great reputation for seafood and its desserts. A recent change of management has meant the food is still good, but for some strange reason they dont seem pleased to serve you. And its not a one-off, I'm a local and and go there frequently. Cheer up you miserable xxx!:-). I guess they have been suffering a loss of customers to the increasingly popular Nelson up the road.
They have recently redecorated, which is a bit of disaster in my opinion as its lost all the character (witches balls, fishing nets, lobster pots all gone and the comfy sofas replaced with a mish mash of upright chairs). Live music a regular feature now. Food still pricey in the restaurant, but the bar menu is excellent and good value.
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We have been coming here for several years as a treat and looked forward to our evening in late September with happy anticipation. We have many warm memories of the Ship in Distress, the warm welcome, good beer, fantastic fish, petit fours... ALL GONE :-(
We got brisk, inefficient service with no smile, they did not care at all. Starters were served on chipped plates, hot main course on cold plates, beer was served in dirty glass and was not, I suspect, from clean lines as it was somewhat cloudy. The restaurant area has been redecorated and has lost much of its character. Felt ripped off and usually spend twice as much. Won't be back.
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A nicely decorated pub/restaurant with a friendly welcome, but with prices that exceed both the quality of food and level of service, it certainly doesn�t live up to its �award winning� status. Recommended wines had never been stocked, waitresses were forgetful and uninformed about the menu and one dish was served incomplete.
It may well have been a one-off bad experience; however the manner in which a minor complaint was indiscreetly dealt with was highly unprofessional. Overall it seems that since the pub changed hands the left hand no longer knows what the right hand is doing.
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Under new ownership. In the past, you were either in the landlady's clique or you were not - and if you were not then your attempts to get served would often go unheeded! Much better now, and the range of ales has improved - but still with old favourites such as Adnams Broadside and Ringwood Best.
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Saw reviews on site and fancied fish for dinner,so gave it a try.
The food was very tasty,but for what you get is way overpriced!
Having spent the best part of �50 for plaice+chips,a pasta dish and two sweets,you shouldn't go home and have somthing to eat!!!!!
Good pint of Broadside mind
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Friendly, decorated thgroughout with an astonishing array of nautically themed memorabilia. Has a well earned excellent reputation for it's seafood restaurant. Even if you're not hungry it's well worth a visit for their excellent cask ales (Adnams Broadside being a personal favourite). It's consisistent as well -I have visited regularly since Aug 05
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Nice friendly pub if you just want a drink and excellant restaurant for special occasions -don't need to be a fish lover as steak is very tasty as well.
Rachel McMillan - 16 Sep 2004 12:52 |
There was a time when this place was so bad that we knew it as the Ship in Disgust. However, it was revamped many years ago and has somehow managed to re-invent itself so as well as being a pub it is also one of the premier sea food restaurants in the area.
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