The Real Greek is a chain, and the Bournemouth branch does not pretend otherwise — the souvlaki and meze here are much the same as in its other towns. What sets this one apart is the address. It occupies a corner of the BH2 complex on Exeter Crescent, where the town centre gives way to the green slope of the Lower Gardens, and on a warm evening the terrace earns as much of the credit for dinner as the grill does.
The food
The cooking is taverna Greek rather than the white-tablecloth kind: small plates ordered in a heap and passed around. Chargrilled souvlaki arrives as skewers or folded into flatbread, and the meze splits into hot and cold — halloumi, dips, grilled vegetables, warm pitta. The vegan menu is one of the fuller ones in the town centre, printed clearly against the meat dishes so nobody has to interrogate the staff, and there are gluten-free choices too. For a larger group, a set sharing menu removes most of the deciding, and a cheaper weekday lunch menu runs earlier in the day.
The room and terrace
Inside commits fully to the Santorini idea — whitewash and blue, bright and Mediterranean, a deliberate counter to a grey Dorset afternoon. It is a big, forgiving room built for shared tables and a bit of noise rather than hushed dinners. The summer pull is the first-floor terrace, which looks out over the greenery of the Lower Gardens instead of the service side of the complex. Ask for it when you book if the weather is behaving.
Where it is
Exeter Crescent is the BH2 leisure complex, on the western edge of the centre where the shops run into the gardens. Bournemouth Pier and the sand sit a few minutes downhill; the Square and the main shopping streets are a few minutes the other way. ASK Italian shares the same building, with a cinema above, so the restaurant slots neatly into the eating half of a night out. It is a short, level walk from most central and West Cliff apartments.
Good to know
Hours shift across the week and run later on Friday and Saturday, so check current times before a late booking. Bookings go through the website and walk-ins are seated when there is room; weekends fill, and the terrace tables are the ones to reserve in summer. There is a children’s menu, and the sharing format keeps a mixed table happy. Delivery runs through the usual apps if you would rather stay in. For more places to eat close by, see the restaurants guide or the map.