ASK Italian is a chain, and there is no use pretending otherwise — but the Bournemouth branch earns its place through location and consistency rather than surprise. It occupies a glass-fronted unit in the BH2 leisure complex off the Square, with a terrace draped in trailing greenery that is genuinely one of the nicer places to sit outside in the town centre on a warm evening.
The food
Stone-baked pizza and fresh pasta are the backbone, with signature dough bites — ‘nduja, pesto — to start and tiramisu to finish. The kitchen covers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diners properly, and there are set menus that make it one of the more affordable sit-down options in the centre. None of it will astonish anyone who has eaten Italian food before, but it is reliable, well-priced and quick, which is often exactly what a night out with children or a group needs. Portions are sensible rather than showy, and the pizzas come out of the oven fast enough that a restless table is not left waiting.
The setting
The plant-draped terrace is the reason to choose this branch over the identikit alternatives. Trailing greenery hangs over the outdoor tables, and it catches the afternoon and early-evening sun before the light drops behind the town. Inside it is bright and modern, part of the BH2 development alongside the cinema and a run of other restaurants including Nando’s. It is built for families — high chairs, a children’s menu, baby changing — and dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, though not indoors.
Where it is
Exeter Crescent, in the BH2 complex a moment from Bournemouth Square and the top of the Lower Gardens. The Odeon cinema shares the same development, which makes it a straightforward dinner-and-a-film stop, and the BH2 car park is the nearest place to leave a car. See the restaurants hub for the rest of the centre’s options and the map for how it all lines up.
Good to know
The restaurant is step-free and accessible, with baby changing on site. Booking is simple and worth doing for the terrace in summer, when the outdoor tables go first. Takeaway and delivery run through the usual platforms if you would rather eat back at your apartment. The set menus are the value play, particularly for a group. Hours change with the season, so check current times before heading over, particularly if you are aiming for a late table after the cinema.
