We were recently invited as part of the Bournemouth Bloggers to sample the new summer menu at
Inn in The Park, hidden away in Branksome Park. Abi, one of the new owners gave us a warm welcome and showed us to our table, it wasn't long before we were sipping on a glass of Rosé and studying the and menu and the daily specials board.
Wadworth is an independent family brewer based in Wiltshire, which obviously means they serve a fantastic range of real ales including Wadsworth's 6X. The Inn in The Park is just one of the 200 pubs it operates in the UK, the pub itself, set in Poole was completely refurbished in 2017 and includes five beautiful en-suite bedrooms. The pub is dog friendly and has a sweet little canine corner with toys, blankets and treats on the bar, and overnight stays with your furry friends are also an option.
First impressions, a very clean, welcoming atmosphere in what appeared to be a popular venue, considering we were there on a Tuesday night it was well attended with a couple of large groups in the restaurant and plenty of people in the garden area enjoying the last of the days sun.
I was particularly impressed with the decor, nicely coordinated paint/furnishings etc, creating something that works well as a pub and restaurant. I will be recommending the venue as somewhere for my brother and his fiancé to stay, they just love to visit Bournemouth, the added bonus is its only a ten minute walk from one of our glorious beaches.
Now to the food, the menu has the usual pub staples such Gammon, Egg and Chips/Fish and Chips etc, but also offers some variety with some really interesting sounding vegetarian dishes together with some locally sourced items. Well done Lyburn cheese I noticed you on the menu! Conker Spirit, you too.
Our starters were somewhat fishy with me going for the Whitebait and Simon going for the fishcake from the specials menu, both were well cooked and generous in portion size.
Crispy whitebait served with garlic and chive mayonnaise and lemon
Salmon fishcake served with a sweet chilli dip
When it came to the main courses I chose from the specials board and had the homemade pie of the day and Simon went for the Crispy Belly Pork. Service was quick and the food arrived piping hot, both plates were soon empty.
Homemade pie of the day
Crispy Belly Pork
My favourite part of the meal was the dessert, although I am always a bit limited when trying to avoid cream, ice-cream, etc, Abi was keen to offer changes that could be made to suit me. I opted for the somewhat traditional summer pudding, left off the clotted cream but thoroughly enjoyed the mix of flavours especially the Basil Granita.
Summer pudding with Basil Granita
Creme brulee
If Crème Brûlée is on the menu then you can be sure it's going to be ordered by Simon, it's one of his all time favourites, although the topping wasn't quite as crunchy as he would of liked it didn't take him long to demolish it.
If you decide to pop in for a pub lunch the set menu represents excellent value - 2 courses for £13.50
3 courses for £15.95.
A separate children's menu is available and also a gluten free menu you just need to ask.
The new owners have scheduled monthly live music with Chad Gould coming up on Wednesday 31st July and then Sophie Chandler and Jimmy Bradshaw on Sunday 25th August.
Thank you for the invite Abi we had a really lovely evening and plan to head back to listen to some music later in the month.
The Inn In The Park
26 Pinewood Road,
Branksome Park,
Poole,
Dorset,
BH13 6JS
Tel 01202 761318
Our meal was complimentary, but all photography and opinions are my own.