Every pizza at The Stable begins with sourdough proved on the premises, and every one comes with the offer of a cider you have most likely never tried. That is the point of the place. The Bournemouth branch of the West Country group sits on Westover Road, just above the Lower Gardens and about five minutes’ walk from the pier — a handy stop on the way down to the sand, or back up from it.
The pizza and the cider
The bases are the thing here: sourdough, made fresh each day, spread with a San Marzano tomato sauce and topped with produce that leans West Country. The menu shifts with the season, so loaded flatbreads and lighter salads appear over summer, and there are gluten-free and vegan bases for anyone who needs them. The cider list is long and genuinely regional, the sort of range you work through slowly, with craft beers and cocktails for those who would rather not. A pizza-and-cider tasting board is the tidy way to try both at once.
The setting
The room is built around big windows and a corner site, with long oak tables, bench seating, chunky candles and hand-painted walls — casual, a little rustic, made for groups. Outdoor seating gives you somewhere to sit when the weather turns kind, and dogs are welcome throughout. The outdoor tables are not reservable, which is fair enough given the climate, so a sunny evening is a matter of turning up and hoping. It reads as a post-beach place more than a special-occasion one, which is exactly the register the building and the menu are pitched at.
Where it is
Westover Road runs along the top of the Lower Gardens, a minute from the town-centre theatres and an easy roll down to Bournemouth Beach and the pier. It is central enough to fold into almost any evening — the Real Greek is a short walk across the centre if pizza is outvoted. Most central accommodation is within a few minutes on foot.
Good to know
The Stable opens daily, though the kitchen tends to close before the bar does, so aim earlier if you want a full pizza rather than a last drink. Saturdays bring the bottomless brunch, which is worth booking. Gluten-free and vegan diners are catered for. For more places to eat close by, browse the restaurants guide or find it on the map.