Lovely Lolita's

Lolita's Homemade Tapas 

Bournemouth, Dorset, UK

She Said:

Lolita's will always hold a special place in my heart. Perhaps it's because it was the first place Brett and I ate the night i moved to my new life in Bournemouth, this strange new land of unknown possibilities.

Perhaps it was the instant connection we felt with the eccentrically fabulous host, Lucia. Or perhaps it was the fabulous food and wine, of which there is no shortage of here.

Dizzy and delusional with Jet Lag, the night Brett took me here feels almost dream-like. But i think that's just the feeling you get while here.

We went by around 6.30 on a Tuesday, but the windows were dark and the door was locked. I was gutted. Brett had visited Bournemouth several times prior to our moving here for work, and always came to Lolita's. He couldn't wait for me to try it, just knowing much I would instantly fall in love with this restaurant - it was right up my alley.

So, as you can imagine, I was devastated that it was closed. We walked through town and were turned down at a few restaurants for not having reservations.

Defeated and starving, we decided to head back home and order pizza. On our way home, we passed Lolita's again, and it was OPEN! We were thrilled. Turns out they don't open until 7. We were still stuck in our American Early Bird Special dinner time. Oops.

American and Australian "regulars"

We walked in, and were immediately greeted with open arms and unfaltering energy by the restaurants' host/namesake/vixen, Lucia (but we call her Lolita, per her request!). The best thing about Lolita's is you feel as though you belong there, thanks to the attention that Lucia/Lolita gives you. It's not something you can explain - you just have to go and see for yourself! The energy this woman has is unbeatable. Infectious. Fabulous.

Since then, every time i've been back, it's no different. We are made to feel as though we are the most special people in the world. The walls are painted bright passionate red. Photographs and art (mostly Dali) adorn the walls and there isn't a space in this place that isn't covered in something bright, sexy, and Spanish.

The Food - Amazing!

Since that first fateful night, we've been back countless times. It's the perfect Date Night spot, the perfect venue for a birthday or celebration, or just to sit with friends and sip on the sangria. The ambiance and energy of the place is unforgettable.

Second only to the atmosphere and ambiance that Lucia/Lolita creates for us, is the food. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE.

Their menu consists of an assortment of tapas - from large to small - all reasonably priced between £3 and £10. I suggest 3-4 tapas per person makes a good, well-rounded meal. If you're hungry.

But we always start with about 2 each and just keep ordering, as we see amazing dishes leave the kitchen, grabbing one of the fabulously Spanish waitresses and yelling, "WHAT IS THAT?! WE WANT THAT!!!"

Chocolate Fondue for Dessert!

The first few times we came here, too, Lucia/Lolita convinced us to order a completely different combination than we asked for - but it's always nice to get suggestions from her on what is fresh and special that night, so we sit back and enjoy her suggestions with an open mind (if you are the type who likes order and control, this is not the place for you!).

To me, this restaurant is just perfect. Ambiance, service, price, FOOD, drinks, fun.

While it won't be the most romantic place you can take your lady in Bournemouth, it certainly has the most character - and for me, that's a winner every time.

xo,
B&M

Lolita's Homemade Tapas
95 Commercial Road (in the Triangle)
Bournemouth, United Kingdom BH25RT
phone: 07588065360
lolitasrestaurant@gmail.com

Hours: (call for updated hours, but closed Sunday unless party of 15 or more)
Street Parking, or in garage behind Library
Accepts Credit Cards (but prefer cash)

Good for: Romance, Birthdays, Leaving do's, Stag/Hen's nights, ANYTIME!

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Livin' on the Edge... Restaurant.

The Edge Restaurant
Bournemouth, Dorset, UK

She Said:

When we first moved to Bournemouth 10 months ago, Brett and I heard from our friends that we HAD to try the Edge Restaurant for a Date Night. 

While it took us a good couple of months to get here, we finally made an appearance last Friday evening. And it did not disappoint.

Located on the Alum Chine bluff overlooking the water, the Edge oozes elegance. Situated on the top floor of an apartment complex, it's not quite what you'd expect a fine dining establishment to be. But once inside, that's exactly what we found.

Brett had called the night before to make reservations for 8pm on a Friday night. 

Luckily, they had an opening. We were shown to our table, and I think the last-minute booking was the reason for our location - we were the only table in the restaurant (apart from the seating in the bar) without a water-view. Our table was clearly the 'reserve' table, situated behind the coat-closet (where someone's cell phone kept ringing ALL NIGHT, ugh) the silverware station, tucked in the corner behind the bar. 

It was certainly not the best seat in the house, but it allowed us to really be in the middle of all the action (we could see straight into the kitchen every time the door opened). Lesson learned - call a few days before making a reservation here to ensure you get a good seat! 

The restaurant is quite small - but there are two levels. It has a very intimate feel. The lighting is perfect - not too dark but just romantic enough. The tables had their own salt and pepper grinders, which always impresses Brett. And the staff - they were remarkable. 

Brett and I had sneaked a peek at the menu prior to the evening, so we both knew exactly what we wanted when the waiter arrived. No wasting any time with the Robertsons when it comes to food!

Parsnip crisps

We ordered a bottle of red wine, and a few appetisers to start - Parsnip crisps, marinated olives, sun blushed tomatoes & feta (£5.50) which were UNREAL - you must get this. 

Tuna Sashimi

And also the Tuna sashimi (£10) which included pickled moulis & English radish, ginger & beansprout salad, wasabi mayonnaise. 

The tuna was perfectly rare and the wasabi mayonnaise just spicy enough to clear the sinuses before our mains arrived. Brilliant vinegar dressing on the garnish as well. All the flavours melted perfectly together.

Lamb Wellington

For our mains, Brett ordered cannon of lamb Wellington (£21) with fondant potato, baby vegetables, and red wine jus.  

I enjoyed the baked cod & parma ham (£20) which included crushed potatoes, tapenade & confit tomato. 

The Edge offers an assortment of sides to enjoy along with your meal, and we ordered a side of french fries (£4) to share. 

Baked Cod

Everything was melt-in-your-mouth exquisite. My fish was cooked perfectly - light and flakey without all the oil and butter you often find burdening a lean piece of fish like this. Brett was thoroughly impressed with his lamb - and he is a lamb snob, so this is no easy feat.

Homemade Chocolates

When it came time for dessert, I was good with my wine, and Brett ordered an espresso. 

At the end of the meal, our waiter brought out four pieces of homemade chocolates - two fudge, and two milk chocolate with almonds. I've never tasted anything more amazing than that fudge… And i'm not even a chocolate fan! Was the perfect end to the evening.

The Edge is perfectly romantic with an elegant ambiance. The staff is exceptional - we felt like they truly cared that we had an amazing time. But the food was the star - from the crispy parsnips to the home-made fudge, we found bliss in every bite. 

And for a fine dining establishment, the prices were reasonable. Our tab was under £80. Would highly recommend a visit here - whether treating your sweetie to a romantic evening, or a nice lunch meeting with co-workers. The Edge is a wonderful place to spend a few hours enjoying all that is great about life in Bournemouth.

xo,

B&M

Edge Restaurant
www.edgerestaurant.co.uk/
4th Floor, 2 Studland Road | Alum Chine, Bournemouth BH4 8JA, England

01202 757007
enquiries@edgerestaurant.co.uk

Mon-Sun 8-12am
Street Parking
Accepts Credit Cards

Good for: Romance, Special Occasion, Corporate

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Taverne Guildhall à Poole Quay

For today's blog post, you will need Google Translate!

That is, of course, unless vous parlez francais! In which case, lisez la suite!

She Said:

"Les... Pois...son, Les Poisson, how I love Les Poisson!"
- The Little Mermaid, 1989

Quand je pense à la cuisine française, fruits de mer est rarement la première chose qui me vient à l'esprit ... qui est, bien sûr, en dehors de cette scène brillante à partir de mon film d'enfance préférés, The Little Mermaid.

Eh bien, tavern Guildhall à Poole Quay aimerait me donner tort.

Ce restaurant de fruits de mer français, situé à quelques minutes du quai au coeur de Old Towne Poole offre un vaste menu qui comprend localement atterri délicieux poissons, le crabe et le homard, préparé dans une eau à la bouche et le style typiquement français.

Ils doivent être bien faire les choses, parce qu'ils sont classés n° 1 sur les restaurants Poole 122. C'est formidable!

Lorsque Brett m'a amené ici pour Date Night, je ne m'attendais pas à la magnificence au premier regard.

L'extérieur discret crée une façade pub-like, pas un de cuisine française fine.

En entrant, vous remarquez subtile décoration française, mais sans le arrogance du "kitsch" que vous pourriez trouver dans un restaurant italien ou mexicain ... les Français sont un peu moins évidente.

Nous avons été accueillis et installés immédiatement, et a assisté à des détails du reste de la soirée. Le personnel était attentionné, sympathique, charismatique, et utile - et authentiquement français!

Le menu est vaste, avec l'option de produits laitiers ou sans gluten sur plusieurs des articles - comment très anti-français pour encourager la commande spéciale! Si j'ai essayé à Paris, je serais expulsé!

La taille des portions aussi défient la norme française - ils sont massifs. Nous avons commencé avec une sélection de canapés pour £ 2.90 par personne, incluant soupe à l'oignon française, saumon en croûte, grillades gambas et pâté. Tous étaient délicieux.

Pour notre secteur, Brett a ordonné au Carré d'Agneau Dorset (£19.95), alors que j'ai choisi deux entrées, l'une Moules Marinier la (£7.75) et une Gambas Mauritienne la (crevettes tigrées, £7.95). Brett principaux inclus frites françaises et le choix de salade ou de légumes frais. Une fois que tous nos aliments sont arrivés, notre table était couverte. Nous avons essayé de notre mieux, mais ne pouvait obtenir par environ la moitié de celui-ci. Et il était ridiculement délicieux.

Tout cela la nourriture incroyable, plus deux verres de vin et deux bières est venu à un peu moins £70! Quelle belle surprise!

Outre une expérience fantastique globale, taverne Guildhall offre également plusieurs événements spéciaux manger chaque mois - dégustation de vins, ainsi que d'une Soirée dédiée français, où vous pourrez déguster de délicieuses spécialités françaises avec un menu unique, musique live, et un quiz en français, vous émergents dans la culture française. [Réservations nécessaires.]

Nous recommandons vivement cet endroit pour la nourriture incroyable, super service, et un peu chaud française au milieu de cet hiver froid anglais.

Datante Heureux!

xo,
B et M

Restaurant information:

Guildhall Tavern

15 Market Street

Poole, Dorset

SatNav: BH 15 1NB

T: -1202 671717

Opening hours: Tu - Sat 11.30a to 3p, 5.30p to 10p.

(closed Sundays and Mondays for private functions.)

Menu: click here.

At-Home Christmas Date Night!

She Said:

Well, no doubt you've noticed that it's that time of year again -- Christmas!!! This is bar-none, hands-down, no doubt my absolute favourite time of year. There are no words to describe the excitement I have for the Christmas season. It starts around June October-ish, and builds and builds into the climactic moment of Christmas morning bliss.

Actually, I think i prefer the build up to Christmas more than the actual day: decorating the house, trimming the tree, shopping in over-heated and over-crowded shops, the smell of mulled wine on the hob, baking bad-for-you foods, and of course - terrible Christmas Movies on television.

It wouldn't be Christmas at the Robertson household without a Christmas-themed Date Night -- we've actually had about three, but who's counting???

Itineraries for an at-home Christmas themed Date Nights can be as random as you want! That's the best part.

Whether it's decorating Christmas cookies together, wrapping presents together in front of the fire, putting lights up on the house, decorating the tree, or simply watching Christmas movies - celebrating in your own way is what makes this Date Night great.

It's a great time of year to simply celebrate each other, and to embrace coziness - so take advantage!

For Brett and me, it's easy. Food, spiced wine, and nostalgic movies. Done.

Brett's been glued to the food channel recently (lucky me and the extra 10 lbs I've gained this month!) and was inspired to make a Christmas ham, so our first to-do this Date Night was a trip to the market to pick up the meat, as well as fixin's for mamma's mulled wine! For the recipe we follow every year - a FOOL PROOF mix for the world's best Mulled wine - is courtesy of Jamie Oliver and can be found here.

The ham recipe we went for was courtesy our new favourite, Nigella. This recipe can be found here.
We got home and Brett started in on the ham. (We very quickly realised our apartment didn't have a pan to fit the ham, so off toASDA we went to snag a bigger one - just a quick 30minute Date Night Detour!). Back in the kitchen, ham boiling away like a happy little piggy, I started in on the Mulled Wine and some homemade mushroom and spinach tarts.

The smells coming from the kitchen were extraordinary.

While we waited for our feast to finish, we curled up on the couch in front of the fire with an array of classic Christmas movies at our disposal - which included Home Alone, Elf, and of course, A Christmas Story.

The ham was finally done and cooked to perfection, so we dug in.

Happy Birthday Jesus, this ham was amazing.

For more great Christmas-inspired recipes, check out this link! Food Network UK is doing their countdown to Christmas, and we're obsessed. Join us, won't you?

Happy Christmas, all!

Looking for some local fun to be had this Christmas?

Here is some inspiration!

• Date Night in with an all-time favourite Christmas Movie Marathon! (Die Hard will win you extra points with your gentleman)
• Christmas Cookie Decorating (perhaps show up in this little number to score even MORE points!)
• Visit a local Christmas Market for some spiced wine, shaved meat, and beers! Here is a list of local markets happening near you now! [List of local Christmas Markets]
• Drive and look at the Christmas Lights! Some neighborhoods are better than others...
• Take your sweetie to see the Nutcracker in Bournemouth
• Hit up a local Christmas Tree Festival!
• Go see A Christmas Carol at Poole's Lighthouse Theatre
• Or, head over to London where there are limitless ways to celebrate Christmas with your sweetie, including Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. I've heard it's AMAZING, and we're heading out this weekend to check it out for ourselves!

Have other GREAT Christmas Date Night ideas? Let us know! We'd love to add your event to the list.

Healthy Date Night: Pizza and Laser Tag!

She Said:

Every once in a while, Brett and i like to venture out on a "Healthy Date Night". Nothing says healthy like Pizza and Laser Tag, RIGHT??

If it's Pizza Express, then yes! It CAN be healthy! Pizza Express is a chain of pizza restaurants (i know, this goes against Brett's "chainy policy") throughout England that offers fabulous wood-fired thin and thick crust pizzas. They are fabulous. And, with a healthy option available, we figured it a great start to our first Dorset Healthy Date Night.

Leggera, from the Italian for light, is Pizza Express' lighter pizza option. They take out the middle of the dough and fill it with salad. Each pizza has only about 500 calories, and still tastes great!

After our bellies were full of yum, Brett and i headed down the block to Laser Quest - Bournemouth's very own Laser Tag center! I was PUMPED when i found out this place existed. I love laser tag! It's just cheesy enough, and just thrilling enough to make the perfect Date Night activity. I scored major points with hunny on this one too.

We showed up (building was a bit tricky to find unless you know what to look for) and had a look around. Wasn't quite what we expected. Reminiscent of my childhood days at the roller rink or the arcade - places like this just seem a lot cooler when you are a kid. As an adult, you pick up on all the things you never really noticed as a child, adrenaline and excitement blinding you to the nastiness. Foul moldy carpets (they had just had a flood in Bournemouth and Laser Quest was hit hard), graffiti on the bathroom stall doors, old creepy candy-grabbers in the corner, the refreshments counter menu lights blinking in and out... But, let's give it a try.

Brett and i were literally the ONLY ones there. We decided to go for it anyway - we'd have the whole court to ourselves! For only £5.95, we got a 20-minute round in the arena. We had to sit through a safety video (my lord please watch this video NOW - was worth the £6 just to see this! ), and then were harnessed up in our Laser Quest Pack. We looked GOOD.

We entered the arena to find black lights illuminating the maze-like structure, fog machines filtering smelly white smoke in to make it even MORE challenging. Timer was on! LET'S DO THIS!

It was actually REALLY fun -- even though it was only Brett and me. Great exercise, great adrenaline. Would be fun to do as a double or triple date, as trying to find one person in the entire maze wasn't as fun as it probably could have been with a larger group.


Cheap, silly, clean and healthy fun. We'll certainly be back for round two - Brett wants vengeance (did i mention i CREAMED him??).

xo, Happy Dating!
B&M

Laser Quest
www.laserquestbournemouth.co.uk
The Old Superbowl
Glen Fern Road
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH1 2LZ
01202 556 888

Da Marios and

Funnybone Comedy Club!

She Said:

It's been a while, dear readers. And while busyness is no excuse to neglect the most important night of the week, we are devastatingly guilty.

HOWEVER! We've still been venturing out, just haven't had the time to post. So we have quite the reserve of blog posts for you, and we're starting with our best Dorset Date Night yet - Pizza and Comedy!

I think the real reason i was so pumped to move to the UK was because of the British humour. Brett tells me often that, where my sense of humour is concerned, i'm actually a middle-aged British gay man - yay! - so what better Date Night to plan than Comedy??

Lucky for us, we live across the street from Comedy Mecca! Funnybone Comedy Club, located just off the back of the Pig and Whistle on Queens Road in Westbourne, offers an evening of classic comedy every Friday night.

To make a Date Night of it, Brett and i decided to grab some pizza beforehand. Now, Funnybone offers good nibbles (burgers, chips, nachos), but we wanted something a bit more substantial - AND, when we have the opportunity to get to Da Marios, WE GO. It's located just two doors down from Comedy, so very convenient as well.

Great thing about Da Marios - besides the fact that it's family owned, ALWAYS packed, and the pizza is the best we've EVER eaten, is it's BYOB!

So, while Brett ordered us some pizzas (they have a wide selection, but are also super keen to let you build your own - each pizza running about £9), I ran across the street to the Offy and picked up a few adult bevvies.

We felt so naughty bringing booze into the restaurant, but it was perfectly allowed.

Took us all but 10 minutes to devour our pizzas before heading next door to get our laugh on.

Funnybone is a cool venue - certainly wasn't expecting it to be by the looks of the outside (and the fact that it's piggy-backed on a pretty rough pub) - but was really fun! We were able to enjoy THREE acts, each one funnier than the next. Our waitress was attentive, as our drinks never ran dry! (Perhaps this is why we found it so funny? nah... )

Nudged in between several bucks and hens parties, we wouldn't go so far as to say it was the most romantic of Date Nights, but certainly up there with the most fun. Check it out! Tickets run about £20 each, but you can find specific pricing info - as well as other important information about the venue, rules (they are strict!) and upcoming acts - on the Funnybone Website!

Enjoy, and Happy Dating!
xo

Funki Sushi. And yes, it was.

Funki Sushi

Bournemouth, UK

She Said:

I hate starting off our first Date Night post in Bournemouth on a sour note, but there is just no other way to describe this Date Night. So here goes.

After a few weeks living in our new digs here in Bournemouth, Brett and I were craving some good old-fashioned Sushi.

After a quick Google search, we found that there were two sushi restaurants within a 10-mile radius, and one within walking.

Funki Sushi it was!

It's a shame we didn't do a bit more research on this place before heading out on one of our first Date Nights. If we had, we would've been well-warned to avoid this place at all costs. But our lesson was learned the hard way.

Funki Sushi is located just outside of town center, and when we arrived, we entered what was clearly a restaurant-by-day-nightclub-by-night.

The place seemed cool and minimalist-modern-chic, but there were signs that past 10pm at night, this was a place Brett and I would stay FAR away from.

The waitress seated us with indifference, as if she loathed that she had to be there. We ordered, and asked for a couple waters. We were brought a bottle that looked like it had been used about 5 times prior to us, but were still charged £5 for it once we got the bill (even tho we asked specifically for tap).

The food took ages - probably about 30 minutes for Brett's Phad Thai and my sweet and sour Chicken. That's right, we didn't even order sushi... after getting a california roll as an appetizer and finding it less authentic than what we'd find in the Safeway Deli Section. Seriously. Brett enjoyed his phad thai, but my sweet and sour was soup.

Perhaps it's because we have been spoiled with Seattle sushi. Or perhaps it was the fact that the entire place felt like a shady night club. Or that the service was awful. Or that we were the only people in the entire restaurant for the first 30 minutes we were there (never a good sign).

But no. It was the food. The food. Just. Wasn't. Good. Especially for the price. The whole meal - two mains, a roll as an appetizer, one glass of wine, and water we were charged for - all came to about £50 - which is $75USD.

Take our advice - go elsewhere if you're looking for authentic sushi. This place just wasn't good.

RATINGS:

Funki Sushi
20 Exeter Road
Bournemouth BH2 5AQ
England
01202 25 25 33

Romance: 1
Cool Ambiance/Interior: 2
All Around Service: 1
Cost: £££
Would we recommend it? Not really. Just not for us!

[The view from the restaurant was stunning!]

*Please note this blog is solely the opinion of the author(s).