The Spyglass & Kettle sits high on the Southbourne clifftop, where the land drops away to a Blue Flag beach and the view runs out across Poole Bay toward the Isle of Wight and, on a clear day, the Purbecks. It is a Greene King house — the kind of dependable local that fills with dog walkers at lunchtime and families on a Sunday — and it holds a useful card for anyone staying nearby: eight rooms upstairs, so the pub you drink in can also be the place you sleep.
The pub
Inside it is traditional rather than styled: a proper bar to lean on, tables laid for eating, and a terrace and beer garden that earn their keep the moment the weather turns. The welcome extends to dogs and children, and there is step-free access from the front. Darts, including an interactive board, give the regulars something to argue over on a quiet night, and live music turns up on the calendar from time to time.
The drink and food
Cask ale is taken seriously here. The line-up changes, though Flack Manor’s Flack’s Double Drop — a light session bitter — has been a fixture, joined by a couple of rotating guests, and the pub carries Cask Marque accreditation. Food is Greene King pub cooking, the familiar classics done straight, with a Sunday lunch that draws a crowd; you order at the bar or through the app. Menus and roast times are worth checking before a weekend visit.
Where it is
The address is 25-27 Stourwood Avenue, a few minutes back from the edge of the cliff in West Southbourne. Walkways and zig-zag paths lead down to the sand at Fisherman’s Walk Beach and Southbourne Beach, and the independent shops and cafés of Southbourne Grove are within easy reach. The clifftop is also the start of a long, flat promenade: head east along the front and you can follow the sand for miles toward Hengistbury Head, or simply drop down for a swim after lunch. For the wider picture of the neighbourhood, see the Southbourne area guide.
Good to know
Rooms are en-suite and come as singles, doubles and family rooms, with tea and coffee, a TV and Wi-Fi — handy if you want a night or two by the sea without heading into town. The car park helps, but it is small, so plan around busy afternoons. It belongs to a decent stretch of Southbourne food and drink; Dicky’s Bar & Brasserie is another local option a short walk away.