Maison Sax in Poole

Booked for Christmas lunch with the family looking forward to great food and service. Unfortunately the day turned into a complete disaster. Starter took over an hour, the main more than an hour and a half and the sorbet course didn’t even materialise. The quality of the food was very sub standard. Have eaten there before and had great food but this time it was really awful. A Christmas Day ruined

A huge thank you to all the staff working on Christmas Day. This is the second year we have dined here for Christmas and the staff worked so hard in what was a very busy day for them. All courses were to an exceptionally high standard and were evenly spaced out so that you could enjoy all the hard work and love that was put into them. Thank you very much to everyone at Maison Sax for a great day.

Massive shout out to all the staff at Maison Sax on Christmas Day 2021. The day wasn’t without challenges but the food was excellent, matched by the service and trumped with smiling faces. There were a few freeloading whingers in the house today, but our day was excellent - only made possible by the amazing stars who chose to work on Christmas Day. Fantastic day for us - and to the moaners, next year buy a turkey, stay at home and turn up as late as you like!! Thanks again Maison Sax and all the kitchen and front of house staff. Merry Christmas to you and Bah Humbug to the whingers.

Just had another wonderful Sunday lunch at Maison Sax. The Roast Beef was tender and delicious and the most amazing Yorkshire Pudding too. The service was excellent, I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone

Private dining room upstairs. Lovely food, service attentive and festive decorations. Enjoyed by all. I have been previously for a supper night and a couples night both times food & service was superb. (Calves liver was best I’ve tasted in years)

I visited Maison Sax last evening for the Supper Club evening and was more than a little pleased. We arrived to a warm friendly welcome and received unintrusive attentive service throughout the evening. This was the best meal I have had in a long time, cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. It was an excellent evening, the decor, the food, the service and the overall ambiance was 5 stars all round.

I visited this place with 13 other colleagues for a business type meeting with a nice dinner. We had to order our starters and main courses well before the night. The food was nice but no sides were offered. On the night the service was slow but we were upstairs in a private room. After dinner nobody came to ask us if we wanted anything further. We all wanted desert but when one of our number went to ask for desert we were told it was too late!!! We were all sad but I was disgusted. I would not recommend coming here in a large group because the staff clearly see you as an inconvenience. Eventually we got a few cups of coffee but they didn’t even bring us milk without begging them for it. The best bit was they started clearing everything away into big plastic buckets before we had finished our meeting. They really wanted rid of us!! Not impressed

Fab evening drinks with friends in beautiful surroundings with attentive staff - thanks maison sax for making our meet up super easy and fun

Maison Sax is one of those places that is tucked away so that only locals know about it. The staff are very efficient and the food is consistently excellent! Thank you for a lovely lunch!

We tried the new Wednesday Mid Week Roast with a choice of meats and vegetables All of which were cooked to perfection. the atmosphere was lovely and the waiting staff very attentive. A very reasonable price too! we will definitely go again, soon I hope

Lovely interior to this high end pub/restaurant. Friendly helpful staff. Offers very different items on the menu. Food was well presented and very enjoyable

Came for dinner with a friend. Upon arrival, no staff member greeted us and we were left standing waiting to be seated for a few minutes. There is a strange atmosphere in the restaurant, I can’t put my finger on what it is. It may be the decor, which feels like you’re in a pub but with posher looking seating! I was impressed with the menu on first glance, the price of all dishes was high, which I never mind if the food lives up to it. Our waiter was friendly but he started off on the wrong foot by doing my most pet restaurant peeve, not using a notepad and pen and attempting to memorise our entire order. He repeated back to us our order and had forgotten what I had said. Just use a notepad for gods sake. We ordered some taps for starters and a Camembert, I ordered the wild mushroom tagliatelle as a main. (I am vegetarian). We had been seated for an hour before our starters arrived to find that the Camembert was served with Chorizo covered in its oil, served on top of the cheese. I was astounded as there was no mention of this on the menu so I rightly assumed it was suitable for a vegetarian. We sent it back and the waiter did not apologise and just said we would have to wait for a new one to be cooked. Eventually it came, it was nice although the bread served with it tasted like heated up Hovis! My main arrived, it was very poor. I understand al dente pasta but the tagliatelle was hard. I also almost choked on two pieces of stalk (I assume from thyme or similar) that were left in my dish. We didn’t have dessert. All in all, a very underwhelming visit. I have looked through some of the reviews on Trip Advisor and it seems to be a common theme. The worst part for me is the management response at their customers bad reviews. You seem to be so defensive and blame everything but yourselves. Really shocking. I hope you learn to take accountability for poor experiences otherwise I don’t see this place lasting.

Had breakfast at Maison and it’s the best in the area without question. So glad they back doing breakfast. Highly recommend it.

Had a great time, Kacey did a fantastic job looking after us, despite having to try to talk over the ladies in our group singing Abba VERY loudly. I had Scallops to start and the 12 hour braised lamb as my main, both were delicious.

Fantastic ambience & food, attentive and friendly staff made for a lovely Sunday lunch with family. Would thoroughly recommend a visit

Really welcoming staff, me and my partner were served by Harry. Although warned they were short staffed we didn’t have to wait long for food or services. All stuff especially Harry made sure we had everything we needed. Food was also amazing easily the best...

I was involved in a road rage incident earlier today which had the potential to end badly as the other driver was threatening me and my daughter with a shovel. One of your security guards happened to be passing as managed to get photos of...

We have visited Maison Sax twice in the past month with a large group of friends. Both times we were made to feel incredibly welcome. The food on both occasions was delicious (love the slow roast lamb!). Service was friendly, prompt and helpful The outdoors...

YUMMY FOOD Went here for dinner last night, we was a little late! Even though they were busy we was greeted with a lovely smile. The outside space is amazing along with the food, wine and staff. We loved it so much we are going...

We had a really bad experience here on one of our first visits out after lockdown- as a couple. The food was OK service very slow, but we could see they were understaffed. We had no opportunity to order desserts as the waiter was so...

We had a great time meeting friends for dinner and drinks at this restaurant. The place lacks atmosphere and the decor is more 'luxury home' than restaurant, maybe that is the idea, not sure it works. The food selection was limited by 'pindemic' and when...

I’ve never reviewed on here but after this evening I felt I needed to put pen to paper to show some appreciation for what was an exceptional evening Attended a friends wedding at this venue. What an absolutely amazing evening the food was incredible, please...

I don't know if they are poorly trained, inexperienced, or just rude, but (most of) the staff contribute to a really strange atmosphere at Maison Sax. They will ignore you all night, look down their nose at you, and bark at you to leave/ pay...

Came here for my parents anniversary expecting a luxury dining experience but got the opposite. The food is overpriced and underwhelming (£39.00 for a steak!). Servers while friendly, were severly undertrained and could not answer simple questions about the food. Despite this, we had a...

Menu varied, prices are reasonable for burgers / flatbreads but over priced for more formal dishes. Staff good. Outdoor seating area is nice. Dorset apple cake best avoided!

Me and my girlfriend were on the hunt for some dinner in the Lower Parkstone area, and stumbles upon the Maison Sax by chance. We were greeted by a cheery gentleman who led us to a table in the very sizeable and comfortable garden. We...

I have always been a fan of Maison Sax but lately it has upped it's game to be probably the best restaurant in Poole and Bournemouth. The staff are all wonderful and I wish I could name them all but Neil, Marco, Harry, Finn, Josh,...

Fantastic service, the roast beef dinner was outstanding. I would recommend. We will be back soon. Can’t wait

I was thoroughly satisfied with my food and the welcoming nature of the team at Maison Sax. Everything came out quickly and correctly. I am very pleased with my visit and will defiantly be gong back soon!

We've been to Maison Sax on a number of occasions, and I would say that this is the best restaurant in Ashley Cross (and there is plenty of competition). Today, they had skate wings on the specials menu - its my favourite, and I have...

Visited here on a week away from london. Had found this place online and it looked like just the vibe we love. On arrival it was much bigger than we expected. We had booked outside, but I have to say the decor inside was absolutely...

I visited with two friends and sat in the garden. We had a bottle of prosecco, one of us had one further glass of wine and a few light nibbles and then ended up with a bill of just shy of £100. I was pretty...

Really disappointed! Was looking forward to going for a meal here with a group of friends but all of us were left disappointed. On arrival we were told we couldn’t have our table in the bar area which is where we booked and has a...

I went to maison with a group of girlfriends last night and whilst my head may be a bit sore it was worth it! The service is brilliant and the atmosphere is great with lots of seating and heaters outside! Would recommend!

We had the best experience here even with the COVID restrictions! The staff are all friendly, the drinks arrive quickly and it is very sanitary. Massive thank you to Sarah-Jane, Harry and Marco for their hospitality, they were so welcoming and were exceptionally friendly!!

Went for dinner and drinks recently and had the best time. The food and atmosphere were brilliant and the staff were amazing. Big thank you to Marco, Neil and Harry for the great service! I also appreciated how dog friendly it was there too! Booked...

Omg!! I can’t express how amazing our visit was!! Harry and Denise both gave me and my friends incredible service, it’s my birthday, so they made sure we had an amazing time with music, amazing drinks and lovely chat whenever they had the chance to...

Amazing night , good great , fantastic staff especially Harry and Denise xx see you next Saturday , nice too see it full

Beautiful garden with friends for drinks highly recommend to anyone visiting Poole :) Marco was super attentive and kind with our group

We were so happy to get a last minute table here on a Saturday night. Service was great and the food was exceptional as always. So lucky to have Maison Sax close by. Looking forward to visiting again when the lockdown is over

6 of us rented a private room which was FANTASTIC. The food was great and the service was spot on. Couldnt recommend Maison Sax enough. Thank you

We had a lovely lunch in one of the private rooms upstairs and it was fantastic. The food was lovely. We had roast turkey and the rooms upstairs are stunning. Highly recommend

Marco our server was amazing! So polite and nice, just a lovely gentleman! The food was lovely too and we enjoyed some wonderful in between courses for free! Will be returning!

Fantastic evening at Maison Sax - the staff could not have been more welcoming and professional. The precautions that have been take with regards to social distancing are outstanding .Highly Recommend the sausage and mash. We Have already rebooked !

Had a wonderful lunch today - the fillet steak and fish were the best we’ve had - all of the staff were exceptionally friendly, helpful and professional - five stars / highly recommended!!

Maison Sax is a fantastic venue with great food and great service. Since the old manager David Sax was kicked out for pinching out the till, it has become a lovely environment to spend time with friends and family with great food.I would highly recommend this pub.

Despite prior booking, we were placed in the really noisy bistro instead of the restaurant. A lovey Italian ? Waiter kindly moved us. Unfortunately this is where the good stuff ended. Security staff were rude and placed the thermometer (due to Covid) right in our skin before entry- totally unnecessary. They then proceeded to walk about in the restaurant during our entire stay, opening and closing the back door where a friend of theirs was drinking, leaving us diners freezing. Food was very average and overpriced, my main was cold when it arrived. Finally the head waiter asked if we wanted to leave a tip when we paid and If so how much!!! We always leave a tip, but to be questioned rather than to have the option just to do it as part of the payment process was just shocking. Staff need to take advice from the Italian waiter in his 30s/40s. He knew how to treat customers, sadly he was outnumbered.

Mmmmn..... we went here as a mix of adults and children..... food was fine but the dire slow service really took the enjoyment away!!! Not sure if we will bother again....

Lovely lunch here yesterday. Staff were very welcoming, friendly and accommodating. Felt safe with all the COVID measures in place which enabled us to enjoy our meal. Thank you all.

I am a local, long-time customer of Maison and have witnessed the challenges they have faced with new management and having to cope with the ever-changing Covid policies - not an easy time to be in the business of hospitality and catering. I read the recent negative reviews and was a little concerned. That said, I can honestly say that they have listened and reacted - we had the most amazing meal and service last weekend - we were treated to complimentary amuse bouches and palette-cleansing sorbets - a lovely touch. The staff were amazing and wore a smile all evening - which in current times, can't be easy. I am so happy to see this amazing establishment restored to its former glory - in fact - it was better than it has ever been. Thank you and keep up the hard work!

great lunchtime meal, great service, very good decor, COVID safe, excellent fish and chips and they bought us a delicious amuse-bouche - whole meal very good value indeed

Popped in for a drink yesterday which turned into 3/4 drinks and dinner too. Food was great but more importantly the team were so nice! Nothing too much trouble and really attentive service. Hidden gem!

Had a really great night at Maison. Service was on point. Food was delicious. Eleanor our waitress was absolutely lovely, a joy to be served by her. She made our night. Thanks for a great eve : )

The staff were very friendly. The food was good, although there was some waiting time to start and between courses. A very pleasant place for lunch with a young child.

We have visited Maison Sax many times and enjoyed ourselves. The food is always first rate and full of flavour, the staff are always very helpful and polite, and the interior decor is very tastefully done. However, the menu change is disappointing. The cheese soufflé was always their speciality and the best for miles around, but is no longer available despite the waiting staff admitting it was incredibly popular! Similarly, there is no longer anything chocolate based on the dessert menu. It’s a shame the food style seems to be moving from unpretentious but tasty dishes, to unnecessarily complex food.

We've just had such a lovely evening at Maison Sax I felt compelled to write to Review. It really was everything you hope for and more... SO accommodating - we were half an hour late (not something I'd advocate) but absolutely wasn't a problem - we went off-piste menu-wise and again wasn't a problem. Nothing was too much trouble. They were SO welcoming from the moment we walked in. SUCH amazing staff, really engaging with us which made it all the more enjoyable. And the food was excellent - beautiful mussels, stunning fish & chips and steaks cooked to perfection = 5 full bellies and happy smilie faces. Cannot recommend Maison Sax highly enough! :)

Our first experience at this restaurant - and on reading the previous reviews was very sceptical. However, on arrival we were shown to our table - our drinks order came immediately and a lovely waitress took our food order. The food was good and the service and hospitality were great. Our waiter 'Fin' was great and we were asked a few times how was our food and did we enjoy it..and yes we did. We are not easily pleased and have contributed well to the government scheme..I have to say this was one of the most pleasurable meals and service we've had..Well done !!

First of all we arrived after booking TWO weeks in advance to find we were not booked in!!! The Service was poor and slow!!! I found a STONE in my meal which I brought to the attention of the assistant Manager discreetly!! When the Bill arrived I had to remind the Staff I had found a STONE in my meal, they then took the original bill away and brought it back with only the last round of drinks removed!!! AND THEN ASKED FOR A TIP!!!!

Lovely afternoon in the sunshine in their beautiful garden. Fabulous food, the staff couldn't have been more welcoming and attentive. This place has really upped its game. highly recommend

A bit nervous given some of the reviews, but with a change of ownership, they’ve clearly sorted the house out. Service was excellent, polite and prompt. The food was a peasant surprise. Well cooked, fresh produce and served in good time. Fine evening. Very happy.

It was our first night staying in Poole and this restaurant was recommended to us as it was close to where we are staying.What a great place! All the staff were warm and welcoming and couldn’t do enough to help us. The food was excellent. The Hake dish was some of the best fish we have ever had.I would thoroughly recommend anyone to visit this restaurant.

My wife and I have followed David Sax in all of his pubs from The Cow to The Museum and then to Maison Sax. David is an industry professional who knows everything there is to know about food, wine and service. We loved David’s wine dinners, chef nights and all the events he hosted. We had heard that David had left Maison back in March and that Maison had new owners and new management. We were slightly concerned that standards may have slipped since David’s departure. We were totally right to be concerned. From rude, obnoxious staff, dreadful food, warm wine, the list goes on. This venue has hit rock bottom. Avoid!!

Where do i start!! I booked this restaurant as i have been many times before lock down. I believe it has changed hands, but i didnt bother checking trip advisor before i went, as i didnt think i had to!I booked for my husbands 50th, on a thursday, (20th august 2pm if the restaurant want to verify this) So not in the eat out to help out discount period, as such i expected great food and a more relaxed and friendly staff. How wrong i was! The menu was very reduced, simply a few options, we were not offered any other menu choices. But as a group of 6 we were in good spirits and wanted to have a good time. At the start our server was friendly (cant remember his name now) but he took our order and after an initial delay on unpacking a warm £4.40 small bottle of fever tree tonic, we received drinks and food. (During this review, you will see that excuses make up a large part of the Maison Sax customer service policy. As restaurants go, I don't think this policy will catch on!)Then the food arrived. This is definitely the worst meal i have had in a long time. I and 1 other ordered the Caesar salad, the leaves were swimming in dressing, prawns and chicken were tasteless and we each had 10 anchovy fillets! 10 anchovies would normally be for 4 people, we had 20.... 17 of which swam back to the kitchen in their dressing!!! My friends ordered the pork kebabs, which were served on stale greasy flatbread, my husband ordered fish tacos, served on a wrap and were overcooked so much that even the server thought they were pork! The chips were ok.....thank god! But the onion rings were overcooked and soo greasy. So the server came over, and rather than complain about everything and ruin my husbands birthday by creating a scene, we simply chose the onion rings to complain about. This next part is too funny.. the man said, "hhmm they do look overcooked, can i try one?" and he then leant over and took one from the plate!! As a group of individuals who have eaten out on many occasions, we were literally dumbstruck! He then proceeded to squeeze the onion ring to check the grease level and eat it! He agreed with us, but still asked if we wanted it taken off the bill and removed from the table.......well we sat there, amazed, and all simply nodded ..yes please! We didn't have the nerve to raise any other issues..... until they committed the cardinal sin of serving warm wine!!! i mean.... that is a gloves off moment! At £29.00 for a Sauvignon Blanc,,, i expect chilled! This time we asked a female waitress, we didn't feel like the man drinking out of our glass! You must hear this response... did she apologise, did she offer some ice for our glasses, or some other option!? You guessed it.... some other option.... "well we have only just had our delivery so it hasn't had a chance to be in the fridge!" Amazing, but one of us got some ice from the bar and we carried on. So then the bill arrives.... We are still trying to be reasonable and friendly, but the bill is £192.25. We raised this with the man (i wish i could remember his name, but he is tall, blond and wore sunglasses on the back of his head if that helps). His attitude was simply astounding, he quizzed us on why we hadn't said anything earlier... which was a good point. But we are British and way too polite. We explained that when the plates were cleared, we were not asked about the meals, and nothing was said to us, despite the fact that we sent all the plates back with most of the food on them, (apart from the chips, we insisted on eating every last one, i even ate the ones that fell on the table...we were starving!). My especially polite friend ate none of his meal and simply covered it with a napkin. After sensing that this was ruining our high spirits and our mood on my husbands birthday, we paid the full bill, no tip. WE didnt even quibble the bits we didnt recognise, as it appears we were charge for a rum and coke, but that included a dash of pepsi and a bottle of diet coke? (see picture below). We then left, and went to South Deep in Parkstone Bay Marina, and as we were starving, we ended up having lobster and burgers, and great food, chilled drinks and fabulous service from the staff! If this restaurant stays open in the long term, i will be surprised, as i eat out and go out locally regularly, and its reputation was good, but lately is dreadful. Since visiting it last week, i then looked at trip adviser, and saw that this is the new normal for them, I cannot wait to see if they reply to this, but if Maison sax respond.... please note, i would prefer a response where you recognise your errors and make pledges to improve, and not blame me because i turned up when you only just had a delivery, or where the chef was busy, take ownership and improve, or else i will wait to see what opens on that site when you close down.

We visited Maison Sax for Sunday lunch for the first time with no expectations only to find the food was way above normal pub standards and the service was exceptional, all the staff were fabulous and front of house Elaine Nesbitt could not have been more helpful and charmingWe would highly recommend this establishment for its outstanding service and delicious food

This is our 4th week On the trot for a Sunday roast.. always greeted with such lovely professional staff topped off with amazing food! See you next week 😂♥️

Such potential but didnt live up to expectations. Nice garden area but on the hottest day of the year, our table was in middle of patio, full glare of the sun so asked for one of the parasols not being and told too heavy to move (it was an ordinary parasol, not large heavy duty one). There was zero attempt at covid precautions. Paper menus clearly being reused, no sanitiser in site, no masks on staff, no social distancing by staff, no one way systems in place. Most of our group went for the table d'hote menu - good value at £20 for 2 courses but you pay extra for veg/salad etc. My steak was good but my "salad" was just a pile of rocket with few shaves of parmasan. My friends kebab meal was uneatable and returned. The berry trifle was not finished by any of our group of 5 - beyond sweet and sickly and a weird purple jelly with just 3 strawberries being the berry bit. They then overcharged us by £52 by charging us £10 each for the said trifles (plus the tea we never had). There is a lot of competition in this area - they need to up their game.

Chose this restaurant based on the fact it had an outside area to eat, with COVID I am reluctant to go inside a restaurant. We arrived in the garden having reserved an outside table but was asked to go back out and into the front of the restaurant, we thought that was a bit odd but assumed it was to fill in the track and trace. Alas not.....tbf the waitress was lovely and friendly and didn’t realize we had reserved a table outside. The outside area is lovely really big with nice big tables. Our drinks order was taken by the same waitress and they arrived promptly, promising start. Unfortunately the food took over 45 minutes to arrive, by then we had drunk our drinks. The manager did apologize for the delay 5 minutes before the food arrived but it would have been nice to be informed upon ordering, there are delays or 20 minutes in, however the explanation when paying for this was that they had a big table ordered before us! Having worked in hospitality the restaurant was not full or busy and if the kitchen can’t cope being half full (if that) I dread to think what the wait times would be like if full. Our food was OK however totally over priced! £18 for a lamb burger(literally) as you then have to pay £3.50 for ANY sides, again TBF the triple cooked chips were lovely but they should have come as standard with the dish, with 2 sides and the burger it came to £25 which is scandalous!!! I ordered the prawns to start the king prawns were ok (slight bitter taste) but the Marie rose ice cream was hideous I ended up making my own sauce with ketchup and mayo which was much nicer however when I got down to the bottom of the glass there were piddly little tiny prawns which were not nice. Now I know I have done the cardinal sin and I should have stated this when asked if everything was ok however I had just started to eat so by then having had one mouthful I couldn’t really judge and we were really hungry having waited ages so we just ate it. When we did speak to the man at the end and said how disappointed we were, we even said as the food arrived we had finished our drinks which we intended to drink with the food there seemed little in the way of customer service. Now don’t get me wrong the staff are pleasant and nice but communication is lacking, tell people the food is taking longer than usual when ordering or 20 minutes in it was almost like excuses.... well we did have a big table in sorry about that!! Customer service can be improved! Having drunk our drinks intended for the meal a nice gesture would have been to offer another one as a good Will gesture! I’m not suggesting handing out freebies left right and center but when you get poor service it would be nice to compensate otherwise reviews will be written and as a result this will effect future business. We did turn up with the hope of booking Saturday night but will never return or recommend. Yes we did use the dine out discount which did take the sting out of the tail, no track and trace information was taken and it would have been nice to see staff wearing face masks in this current climate. I’m sorry I have tried to be fair but just really disappointed...

Both my husband and I are pescatarians, so when we saw the menus we were slightly disappointed as it leaned heavily towards a meat or vegan, having only one fish dish available that didn't also contain meat.My husband ordered from the 'Table d'hote' menu, 'Vegan steak, skin on fries, rainbow salsa' - when arrived it was basically a vegan burger that had been flattened with what looked like a very over cooked brown salsa, 'skins on fries' were oven cooked fries with a token table spoon sized salad - very disappointing. I ordered form the 'la carte' menu - 'Vegan chicken breast, olives, tarragon vinaigrette' - on a taste level this was truly revolting but the entertainment value will definitely stay with us for some time. The 'Vegan Chicken' was slumped one over the other, it was of a lightish brown with what looked like a pitted finish, the one on the bottom was the greatest offender, I can only describe it as a possible 'Bobbit' moment from the famous case in the 1990's when a wife cut off her husbands p***s!! Regretfully we didn't have our phones with us so there is no photo but I kid you not, it was as if I had been served a mans genitalia with a weird runny sauce!!!!A member of staff (I think it was possibly a manager?) came over to our table I showed him the dish and expressed my dissatisfaction regarding the poor quality of the food and ended the conversation saying that apart from the hideous taste I didn't expect to be served food that looked like a mans scrotum and penis! There was no reaction, I was merely asked if I would like an alternative!!!Putting food aside (best thing!) though the inside was very modern and spacious, the staff seemed disinterested, a definite lack of enthusiasm? Though we would highly recommend the 'Gin Barman', he was engaging, knowledgeable and certainly knew his topic - to which we enjoined, thank you!Thankfully the Eat out discount helped with swallowing this bitter pill!!

Went on recommendation and entered a very spacious bar and garden. Would be interested to see it pre covid - or hopefully post - the lack of people and bold, doll housey decor made it a bit soulless. The staff were friendly without being overbearing.The menu was varied and seemed imaginative.This seems to be a place which tries real hard to be imaginative - and it may be a bit of a stumbling block. I went for the muscles which were generous and the the sauce - fennel and chorizo - was amazing.The lamb burger however had a mix of quince (pretty sure) and a cumin chickpea affair which really clashed for me.The sirloin that arrived for my dining buddy was, however, great.Could be a case of the meal not being for my palette - could be a case of going overboard with flavour combos.I would recommend the venue but have a good read of the menu and a full wallet - over £50 a head for a short a la carte menu.

Service average. ordered the main meal with sides, green beans and shallots, when it arrived there was only green beans. When I enquired about the lack of shallots the waitress went away and returned to inform us that shallots were not available. Suggest the menu is changed as they are supposed to be single use menu's or to be informed at the point of ordering that items are not available. Dessert - really looked forward to the Raspberry cheesecake only for the waitress to return and say that only strawberry available. No problem except that when it eventually arrived it was still FROZEN.

My first negative review on trip advisor! I hadn't checked their recent trip advisor ratings as having eaten here previously I had an ok experience. I was quite surprised to read the more recent reviews where there appears to be a common theme of missed bookings! Unfortunately I can't tell you about the food and drink because we didn't get to sit down....We had made a reservation only to get to Maison Sax and be told there was no record of my reservation and they had no availability (at 6.30). If you look at their website you will see the only way to make a reservation is by phoning through, they do not do online reservations. If you want to eat at Maison Sax I would suggest you ask them to confirm the reservation by email, get the name of the person you are speaking to and phone through a couple of hours beforehand just to double check.

Me and my friends popped in one afternoon for a few cocktails and snacks and had possibly one of the best afternoons ever! Especially thanks to our server I think was called Simon, so friendly, funny, accommodating and polite and he makes an incredible cocktail, a massive asset to that team! The garden was so relaxed and it was just such a fab afternoon, we will definitely be back! And hopefully bar tender Simon can whip up some more of his fabulous cocktails! The service really does make a huge difference to an experience!

There is a pattern emerging with all these recent reviews..........Whoever owns this restaurant needs to take a serious look at their staff training and procedures. We booked a table via phone a coupe of days beforehand for dinner (you don't seem to be able to book online any more for some reason). The person in charge was extremely off hand and more or less accused us of lying using phrases like "your alleged booking" as they had no record of it. We showed him our phone to prove we had made a call to them, with the time and that we had spoken to a female member of staff. Who incidentally said the time we had booked was perfect as they were busier later on! So my guess is they forgot to write it down or booked us in for a different day. They said we could have a table outside (I don't think so, windy and drizzly!) but no room inside. It's not so much the fact they made a mistake, it was the awful way it was dealt with. We left and enjoyed a nice meal elsewhere in Ashley Cross.

This place is very disappointing - it promotes itself as something special with an upmarket name and a fancy menu. I feel it is just a bit of a facade - the food was absolutely terrible and the service was poor.The menu looks good with a nice selection of meat and fish dishes, plus some vegetarian and vegan options. The staff, when asked didn't seem to know anything about the ingredients of the dishes however. We waited and waited for our food to arrive and when it came it was disappointing - I left hungry. Small portions of strange ingredients including pickled onions that felt out of place and what looked like microwaved wrinkly peas, floating in a watery sauce that had no flavour. The service was friendly but incredibly slow. I'd read lots of mixed reviews and thought we'd go anyway - I'm not sure who would give this establishment 5 stars. Such a shame because it looks so promising and the garden really is lovely in the sunshine. We didn't bother staying for desert - I'm grateful it didn't cost too much with the 50% eat out discount. Sit in the garden for some drinks but go elsewhere for food.

Was really upset with the service we received from aBar manager this evening. He was rude, had an attitude made us feel unwelcome and when confronted with why he was being so rude he had an answer for everything. Such a shame because the food was so lovely sat in the garden! But the man that Served us drinks was Horrendous.

So disappointed to make an online booking on a Wednesday and be phoned 2 hours before the reservation time on Saturday to be told (rather bluntly) that a booking error meant that there was no table available for our party of 3, so left scrabbling around to find a table somewhere else last minute. Poor

Booked Maison Sax on a Wednesday for the Saturday evening for 8. I received a call at 6 in the evening for them to tell me that they had a party who had booked out the bar area and so therefore had no space for us as our booking had been online and had been apparently missed for 3 whole days?!?!?! I explained that I had come down from London and it was a special family event but they didn’t seem to care. We were eventually offered a smaller table which we could squeeze on to, which we agreed to as it was too late to book anywhere else. We then had a call back from the manager (David) who said we weren’t able to squeeze on and there was nothing else he could do. He was rude and unhelpful, and I don’t think he’s ever heard of customer service. Therefore we were left without any table anywhere late on a Saturday night, very disappointed.

Maison Sax is now definitely one of our favourite restaurants in a Poole. Good food, tasty wine list and friendly service make this a must to visit for dinner or Sunday roast maybe.

My family and I visited for roast dinner and we were not particularly impressed. We had a very early booking for lunch so was not at all busy however somehow my lunch was forgotten about. It took close to 15 minutes to be bought out and by that time my family had almost finished their food. There was not much of an apology and it was not the service or response I would expect. The amount of gravy served with the roasts is minimal and leaves the meal being very dry. The other thing is that my 2 children are vegetarian and there are no options on the childrens menu apart from having a small portion of the vegan wellington from the main menu. This meal is created for an adult palette and the flavours are incredibly strong. I would strongly suggest creating some options for vegetarian children, as despite my children being very used to dining out and trying a range of different foods they left most of their meals as the flavours were too full on. All in all a disappointing experience unfortunately.

We really liked Maison Sax.The food was superb - I went for devilled kidneys to start and a shared chateaubriand to follow.The puddings were excellent too. Everything was really well prepared and presented and tasty. Service was friendly and attentive and there was a real buzz about the place. The only negative was that the noise level made conversation difficult. There were two noisy birthday celebrations but it was a Saturday night so it was understandable.

We have visited Maison Sax on a number of occasions - particularly for family events but last Sunday was not a great experience. We waited two hours for our main course and the meal was not as good as we have experienced previously. The beef was tough and stringy. Our impression was that the kitchen was struggling to cope with the volume of business. It would be a pity if they sacrificed quality for the desire to maximise numbers.

This was my first visit to Maison Sax and it will be the first of many. Loved the decor and atmosphere. Visited with husband and friends and we all thought the food and service were excellent. The food, was a taste sensation. We all decided to choose from the table d'hote menu, which was wonderful value for money and the choice was superb. None of us could fault anything.

Three of us ate there for Sunday lunch, the restaurant wasn't full as the weather was dreadful but the noise level was still quite high, it didn't spoil the meal but I can imagine it being too much when the restaurant is full.

We had the most amazing time.. best steak we have ever had and the staff were amazing! Thanks for helping out with us changing our dates.

We’ve been 3 times now but no more. Although the food was really lovely and the service very attentive by several waitresses, the noise in the main restaurant, right from the start (and only half full then) was bad. We asked to sit in the quiet smaller bistro/bar area but told not possible for six of us. We looked later and would have thought it possible - we do know how to talk, not shout! The main problem seems to be a large open space with nothing to soak up the sound of voices (like carpet or curtains) - this may not be the fashion but surely something equivalent as decor on the walls, partitions, insulation or whatever could be done to alleviate what in the end was a totally abhorrent noise all around. We really couldn’t hear ourselves speak!! Such a shame it spoilt what could have been a very enjoyable evening.

David and his team hosted my family for Christmas lunch and what a feast it was! Staff made us feel very welcome and were full of Christmas cheer. Food was amazing and a lovely touch was a visit from David himself

Had a Sunday Lunch here today and the food was amazing. First time I’ve eaten here but I will definitely do so again.

Absolutely great day - Superb lunch, excellent service , and warm friendly atmosphere !! Next Christmas already booked !!

We were looking for somewhere family friendly, serving great food, in a smart yet relaxed environment for our Christmas Day lunch. With that in mind we settled on Maison Sax and it didn’t disappoint!

My family and I dined here on Christmas Day and it was nothing short of wonderful. The menu was outstanding! Most of us had the lobster tart to start and either Turkey or Beef with truffle for main. The whole experience and the food were absolutely faultless. It’s consistently great value for money and a vibrant, buzzy atmosphere. I cannot wait to return in January to take advantage of their special Vegan menu in the “Hush” area of the restaurant - in celebration of “Veganuary”! This place is without doubt the best establishment in Ashley Cross - especially if you’re a foodie.

Love this place. Atmosphere great, food yummy, very welcoming , amazing garden . What more can I say ? Maybe a Prosecco happy hour please 😬🎅

We where very pleased to secure a table for our Christmas Day lunch and have to thank the staff who made us all feel very welcome with their attentive and pleasant service. The menu choice was excellent, two great vegetarian options and of course the Traditional Turkey roast all of which where enjoyed by one or two of our party. My favourite was the beef Rossini, Cooked to perfection in a truffle sauce with beautifully baked potatoes and caramelised carrots and fresh green vegetables al-dente..

Usually Christmas lunch is spent at home, but we decided to branch out, leave the pots and pans in the cupboards and try Maison Sax; we were not disappointed!

Visited very recently on recommendation - it didn’t disappoint, the food was above average and super attentive (and friendly staff).

We were a party of 15 who had pre-ordered our 2 courses from the Christmas menu & paid a deposit of £10 each. We sat down at 12.30 & it took until 4.00 for our meal to be completed!

We had our staff lunch here and it was very good. The welcome was warm and friendly.

Came for Sunday lunch with high expectations after several recommendations and I wasnt disappointed. The lamp rump was incredible. Plenty of veg and lovely, crispy potatoes. One of the best roasts I've had. My partner's beef was great too. Very good value.

We were a group of one meat eater, two vegetarians and one vegan - so a good challenge for the chef! Our Sunday lunch exceeded our expectations and was absolutely delicious. We found the staff to be friendly and efficient and would definitely recommend Maison Sax.

Sat in the new bistro area as the main restaurant was full, this was preferable as the noise in the main restaurant was deafening. Kind of glad we hadn’t booked to sit in there. Our female server was great, just attentive enough. The fillet steak was excellent, the chateau Briand was superb - both cooked exactly to our liking which is unusual! Accompaniments of chips, side salad, broccoli with chilli & garlic were also great. My only complaint was the very loud, very drunken people in the bar area, which is not really within the restaurants control on a weekend, they were quite overbearing. I think maybe some sort of separation might maintain the intimate atmosphere of the bistro a bit more. All in all highly recommended. All the staff I have encountered in here even when just drinking, are pleasant and professional too.

Saturday night meal with a group of friends. Not very impressed