I've heard lots from friends about the gym facilities and classes on offer at The Village, Bournemouth, but I have to admit – it wasn't somewhere I would think to go for a mid-week bite to eat.

But a quick glance at the menu online made me wonder why?

It's easily accessible, just off Castle Lane, with plenty of free parking and a large, recently refurbished Pub & Grill restaurant, offering a huge selection of dishes, as well as a different themed offer every day of the week.

On the Wednesday evening we visited, there was a football game being screened, which meant the eating area was probably busier than usual. But despite this, service was quick and friendly, and it didn't affect our enjoyment of the evening at all.

We were seated in a quieter corner, where my husband could still sneak a peek at the game, which meant we were both kept happy!

The decor here is bright and modern, with a bit of a mix and match theme going on. Wooden tables and brown leather armchairs sit alongside comfy sofas and even a row of cinema-style seats in front of the large screens at either end of the room.

Light grey laminate flooring is juxtaposed with exposed brick and eclectic shelving arrangements and neon lighting, making for a relaxed, at-home feel.

Wednesday night is Curry Club, with an unlimited selection of traditional Indian curries with vegetables and poppadoms for just £12.50. My husband opted for this, while I decided to order off the main menu.

I chose the chicken tacos (£9) to start, followed by the Buffalo Chicken Wrap (£8).

My husband got stuck straight into the curry bar, with some poppadoms and dips to start, but I didn't have to wait long at all for my starter to arrive.

I was a little taken aback at the size of the portion – this could easily worked as a main course with some fries. The four corn tortillas were layered with melted cheese, tomato salsa and jalapeños, as well as chopped chicken breast. Extremely tasty, if a little messy – I could probably have done with a proper plate, as well as the zig-zag serving dish. I resorted to scooping out the filling from the final taco, in a bid to not fill up completely before my man course.

My husband had moved onto the curries by this time – returning with a plate piled with Basmati rice, naan bread and servings of beef Madras and chicken Tikka. He pronounced both dishes as full of flavour.

My wrap arrived not long after, and was just as generous in size as my starter. A wholemeal flour tortilla, stuffed full with breaded chicken breast, tossed in a spicy Buffalo sauce, served with rocked and a blue cheese sauce. Each wrap is served with house salad and fries, which I upgraded to sweet potato for an additional £1.

There was plenty of tender, chunky chicken, spiced up by the tangy Buffalo dressing which certainly gave the dish a pleasing kick. The sweet potato fries were crisp and salty – just how I like them.

Determined to sample dessert, I left a little of the wrap, to ensure I had some room for something sweet.

I chose the lemon sorbet, while my husband went for the sticky toffee pudding.

The sorbet is served with a hot chocolate sauce, which sounded unusual, but worked beautifully, with the light, freshness of the sorbet complemented by the rich, warmness of the chocolate. The pudding was soft and sweet, topped with a sticky caramel sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream.

Good service and good food, with an extensive menu – certainly something for everyone.

 

Village Hotel Bournemouth, Deansleigh Road, Bournemouth

01202 055205

village-hotels.co.uk