The Coconut Tree started in Cheltenham in 2016, when five friends from Sri Lanka took on a tired old pub and began cooking the food they had grown up with; the Bournemouth branch is one of the outposts that followed. It sits on Old Christchurch Road, the pedestrianised run that links the Square with the Lansdowne, and it deals in Sri Lankan street food designed to be ordered in a heap and shared. Nothing about it is precious. Candles burn in coconut shells, a roll of kitchen paper stands in for napkins, and the room gets louder as the evening goes on.
The food
Order broadly and put it in the middle of the table. Hoppers — bowl-shaped, lacy rice pancakes — come plain or with an egg set into the base; kotthu is chopped roti stir-fried with vegetables, egg or meat; and the curries run from mild coconut to properly hot. Short eats and small plates fill the gaps, and the menu is easy on vegans and gluten-free eaters, with plenty for meat and fish too. To drink there are Cocotails, the group’s own tropical, often fiery cocktails, and prices stay deliberately friendly.
The setting
This is a room with the lights down and the volume up. The look is cheerful and unfussy — bright paint, island bits and pieces, candlelit shells — and the service is warm and quick rather than formal. It suits a group far better than a quiet pair, and it is a reliable pick for a birthday or a hungry family; there is a kids’ menu, and the sharing format keeps everyone involved. Come early for a calmer meal, or later if the noise is part of what you want.
Where it is
The restaurant is at 185-187 Old Christchurch Road, BH1 1JU, near the eastern, Lansdowne end of the pedestrianised shopping street and an easy walk from most of the town centre. It sits in good company for a night out: Beirut Lounge, Eat Pho and the rooftop Cosy Club are all within a few minutes on foot, so it slots neatly into a wider crawl.
Good to know
Tables can be booked by phone, and it is worth doing at weekends; you can also collect a takeaway or order delivery through Uber Eats. Hours vary and the kitchen closes before the bar, so check current times before you head over. For more ideas nearby, see the restaurants guide or our roundup of where locals eat in Bournemouth.
