First Day Impressions: Outlaw House, Canford Cliffs
Having dined and stayed with Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall over many years, we were thrilled to hear that his newest venture was coming to Dorset. Naturally, we pre-registered for updates!
His new site brings Nathan’s signature brand to a brasserie, bar, and guest rooms (though the accommodation isn’t available quite yet at the time of posting).
Arrival & First Impressions
We booked a table for 1:30 PM on opening day.
First impressions were great, the entrance is warm and inviting, and the decor strikes a lovely balance of elegant yet simple design. The venue features:
- A spacious bar area
- A mix of seating options, including window tables at the front, cozy bench seating toward the back, and a seated decking area outside by the car park
- A private dining space sectioned off for up to 8 guests
Because it was their very first lunch service, the restaurant had deliberately capped bookings so the new front-of-house and kitchen teams could settle in smoothly.
Nathan himself was keeping a watchful eye over the kitchen (hands behind his back) while Fergus Coyle took the reins on service. We couldn’t wait to see what was in store!
Seating & Service
Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly and shown to a table for two, featuring bench seating on one side and a chair on the other. We later realised our table was positioned near the entrance to the toilets!
Our first observation was the chair, it felt quite low for the height of the table and was a bit uncomfortable, even for Mark, who is over 6ft tall! To fix this, we used a cushion from behind the bench for extra back support, and noticed a couple seated further down had done the exact same thing.
When asked if we would like water for the table, we requested still water, but were brought sparkling by mistake. However, as soon as we mentioned it to our waitress, she apologised and swiftly replaced both the glasses and the water without any hassle.
The food menu arrived along with the drinks menu. The menu has snacks (which we didn’t have), 6 starters and 6 mains to choose from, plus they also give you a little insight to which suppliers they source some of the produce from. The drinks menu has something on there for everyone. We started with a glass of Louis Pommery Apanage 1874 Rose Remis, from France – (£17.50) while checking out the menu.
Food Choices
Here is what we chose from the opening menu:
- Starters:
- Crispy Dorset oysters with pickled vegetables and jalapeno mayonnaise (£15)
- Crispy pork belly and octopus with red pepper ketchup(£14)
- Mains:
- Harissa monkfish steak with black olive hollandaise (£38)
- Grilled gurnard with warm tartare sauce (£32)
- Sides:
- Fennel, cabbage, and carrot gratin
- Hand cut chips
- Cornish mids in seaweed butter (The sides were served in individual dishes, making them ideal for sharing between us.)
- Dessert:
- Cocoa choux bun with chocolate mousse, chocolate treacle sauce and lime (£15) — chosen by Mark! (No dessert for me)
- Wine: Janare Fiano del Sannio, La Guardiense Campania, Italy (£40)
A Sweet Finish
After enjoying all the delicious food and drinks, we asked for the bill. To our pleasant surprise, our waitress came over with a bottle and two small glasses, inviting us to “help ourselves!”
The mystery drink was Devoncello, a brilliant local twist on Limoncello made in Devon. If you’re a fan of Limoncello, you’ll absolutely love it. It was such a generous, lovely touch to round off our lunch at Outlaw House!
Facilities
Last but not least, the toilets!
They were spotlessly clean and tidy, well-stocked with quality hand wash and lotion, and offered a choice between an air dryer or individual cloth hand towels. The large, full-length mirror was a lovely, practical touch, too!
Overall Verdict
It’s a lovely venue overall, though the lighting is a bit dark in certain areas, and the chairs definitely need a rethink as they aren’t very comfortable.
As for the food, every dish was beautifully presented with generous portion sizes and flavours that complemented one another perfectly, including the sides.
However, there were a couple of small hiccups. While my monkfish was cooked, it arrived lukewarm rather than hot. I mentioned this to the manager when he brought over our cutlery. He offered to send it back to the kitchen to be remade, but since the rest of our food had already arrived, I decided to keep it so we could eat together. We also had to ask our waiter for a serving spoon for the side dishes, as none were provided on the table or brought out with the food.
These are just minor opening day teething problems that will undoubtedly be ironed out as the team gets into their groove and the restaurant settles into a full service routine. It was really encouraging to see the management team Sal Brock and Louis Rogers (General Manager) so attentive, actively checking in on guests, asking for constructive feedback, and showing a genuine interest in perfecting the experience. Was lovely to see Nathan in the kitchen too, and have a catch up.
And the bit you’ve all been waiting for …The total cost including drinks and service – £212.62
Will We Be Back?
Definitely! While it’s not somewhere we’ll be dining every week or fortnight, it’s fairly local to us, just a bus ride away. We’re really looking forward to seeing how things progress and checking out what other culinary delights they bring to the table in the future.
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