Guide: A perfect day in Ashley Cross

This article is sponsored by Dolce Vita

Whether you live near Poole or you’re just visiting beautiful Dorset, Ashley Cross should be high on your list of places to check out, being one of the most popular areas with Poole locals.

Friendly, vibrant and, as the name suggests, a bit of a crossroads, Ashley Cross is ideally located between Bournemouth and Poole and not far from the blue flag beaches. At its centre is a pretty green, lined on all sides by shops, cafés, restaurants and other local businesses. Ashley Cross is the perfect place for a little mooch about and a coffee, a quiet lunch, or dinner and cocktails into the early hours with live music.

Start with a delicious breakfast, perhaps at The Dancing Moose (I recommend the smashed avocado with tomatoes, chilli flakes and lime on grilled sourdough), Camden or, for the perfect pastry, award-winning Patisserie Mark Bennett, who was the official baker for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee cake. 

Suitably fuelled, how about a spot of shopping? Running Free is great for all things running-related, especially trainers, and Surface 2 Air Sports caters for sporting daredevils – think snowboarding, kitesurfing and paddle-boarding. Golfing fans will enjoy the appropriately named Golf Shop. We’re a sporty lot!

Debnique is a boutique for the ladies and there are numerous charity shops with many a hidden gem donated by the great and good of nearby Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks - if you love a rummage, you’re bound to find something special. 

Ready for coffee and a treat? Head to The Little Red Roaster (best coffee in Ashley Cross) or The Dancing Goat, just around the corner. If the weather’s good get a take-away and relax on the green watching the world go by. If you have little ones, they will enjoy a spot of squirrel hunting or playing around the centrepiece fountain and stepping-stones. In summer, the green often hosts mini festivals, most notably 'Grooves on the Green'.

We love a bit of pampering and recommend a visit to one of the numerous hairdressers or beauty salons Ashley Cross has to offer - The Industry is our favourite, though Luxe Hair Studio and Synergy Hairdressing are also great. Or perhaps you’d like a treatment at IlluminEye Lash & Brow Lounge or the excellent Oxygen Beauty? You could even go wild with a tattoo from local favourite Adorned Tattoo. For the men, Off Your Head is an excellent barbers.

You are spoiled for choice for lunch, with gourmet sandwiches, bagels and pastries galore at one of the many cafés or, for something more substantial, Chicken & Blues does perfectly cooked chicken – sit in and relax or grab a wrap to take away.

There’s more shopping to be done! We recommend wn interiors for unique and stylish homeware, Edwards florists where you’ll find unique gifts as well as stylish plants and flowers. Grab a special treat for the fluffy person in your life at Marshalls Pet Store, another family-run business.

Stock up on food for dinner before you go; buy Dorset free-range, grass-fed meat at Soutars Fine Meats, fresh fish and seafood at Parkstone Fisheries or wine at independent wine shop, The Village Vine, where you will find an incredible range of wines unavailable in your local supermarket, mainly from small artisan producers. For a really special treat, you will find all manner of goodies at high-end deli Nicholas James – think cheese, wine, charcuterie, chutneys and top-quality fresh produce. Or sit in and soak up the stylish interior while enjoying one of their fabulous deli boards and a lovely glass of red.

Ashley Cross has a wonderful range of restaurants to choose from for dinner though, to suit all budgets and tastes. For a special night out, you can’t beat pan-Asian Drgnfly; think stunning interiors, amazing sushi, curries and small dishes – the Ebi No Tempura is a must. They do beautiful cocktails with names like Divine Winds. Blush is the other place for a good cocktail and maybe some oysters.

For Italian, Dolce Vita is unbeatable (we recommend booking). We love the cosy traditional decor and the al fresco dining area that overlooks the Ashley Cross Green that Dolce Vita has to offer. And for curry, definitely Mint. There’s Chinese at Ni Hao and even South African available at Zim Braai.

In terms of ‘posh’ pubs, newly reopened The Britannia, towards the bottom end of the area, offers fantastic classic British food with a French twist and a huge all-weather garden, or The Ox has a wonderful Thai menu and rooms if you need to stay the night.

To finish your visit, there’s a group of more traditional pubs in a little triangle off the main drag, where you’re likely to find live bands. The Bermuda Triangle is very popular, with hidden nooks and crannies, including a secret door to the gin bar upstairs, as are The Butcher’s Dog and The Bricklayer’s Arms. Dive Bar, back on the main road, has delicious food and live music every Thursday and some Sundays, with DJs playing until 2am at weekends by which time you’ll probably be ready for bed.

It’s impossible to list all that Ashley Cross has to offer; we love to celebrate independent local businesses, so why not visit for a day and have a wander around this little part of Poole? You won’t be disappointed.

By Emily McGregor, Local News and Lifestyle Reporter