The Bear Cross, Bear Cross, Bournemouth (From Bournemouth Echo)

The Bear Cross, Bear Cross, Bournemouth

12:00pm Wednesday 3rd March 2010 in

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THE Bear Cross has gone through lots of different looks over the past few years as owners try and hit on a successful formula.

Originally just a neighbourhood pub, it then had a spell as a chargrill restaurant, where diners were invited to cook their own steaks.

Now virtually all the space is given over to people eating. There are a couple of comfy couches and bar stools but otherwise it’s very much a brasserie-style restaurant.

And the decision to concentrate mainly on food seems to be paying off as we arrived to a packed restaurant, with a good, friendly buzz.

The menu offers fairly typical pub fare, including steaks, pasta and salads and a varied specials board.

We shared a baked Camembert cheese to start, and a portion of rustic bread. The Camembert was slightly small for the £5.25 price tag but came with a delicious onion relish, which really livened it up.

The rustic bread came with olive oil and a top-quality balsamic vinegar, which was fantastically thick, sweet and smooth.

For mains, my husband and I were both tempted by the specials board. Lots of the main meals were available in slightly smaller sizes, which is perfect if you’re worried about saving room for pudding.

I chose a small portion of chicken satay skewers (£6.95) while my husband went for cod topped with pesto and Parmesan and served with a tomato sauce (£10.95).

I was impressed with the chicken skewers, which were completely different to those you might get from a Chinese takeaway. These were more like kebabs and came with plenty of savoury peanut sauce.

The accompanying sautéed potatoes and seasonal vegetable were a bit of an odd choice but were nicely cooked.

The cod was really tasty, thanks to the thick herby crust, although I was disappointed to get the one and only bone in the forkful that I tried.

When it came to desserts, we ordered a chocolate torte and treacle sponge. The torte was a little dry in texture but was made with good quality cocoa which made it quite bitter, perfect for those who don’t like their desserts too sweet. The treacle sponge pud was fab – hot, sticky and comforting.

Our bill, including a glass of wine and half pint, came to £39.35 and our summary of the Bear Cross is that it provides good food in a great way. The service was impeccable and everything that came out of the kitchen was presented absolutely beautifully, as if we were eating in an expensive restaurant. Let’s hope this incarnation lasts.