Rick Stein in Poole

Dining here is lovely, but very overrated. I found the food to be subpar what you should expect with food that lacked seasoning. Apart from that service is great and the location is great. Breakfast here is always nice too.

Great food and the views are lovely well worth a visit....not cheap though

Unwelcoming Reception Experience - (October 18, 7:30 PM) Dear Rick Stein Sandbanks Team, I am writing to share some feedback regarding our visit on the evening of October 18th at 7:30 PM. Unfortunately, our first impression upon arriving at your restaurant was far from welcoming. The lady at the front desk appeared to be more focused on inspecting our clothes rather than offering a polite and professional greeting. For all four of us, it was clear she was looking us over from head to toe, without a smile or eye contact, which made us feel uncomfortable and out of place. This is certainly not the reception anyone would expect when dining at an esteemed establishment like yours. This behavior made us feel judged and out of place, despite the fact that all four of us were dressed appropriately and presentable. This kind of attitude is far from what anyone would expect, especially from a restaurant with such a high reputation. I would suggest some additional training on customer interaction to ensure that every guest is made to feel welcome, regardless of their 'background' or 'appearance'. That said, I would like to praise the male waiter who served us during the meal. He was a true professional, with great knowledge and a friendly demeanor, which did help improve our overall experience. I hope this feedback will encourage improvements in how guests are greeted at the front desk to ensure a more positive and welcoming atmosphere in the future. Kind regards

My dream come true. What a place. Us New Zealanders really enjoyed having lunch here. Could not fault.

Initially went to Tandy next door (not friendly waiter so left) but so glad we went here Staff at Rick stein super friendly lovely place

Celebrated a Golden Wedding while staying on Brownsea Island. A very memorable experience.

Was disappointed in my meal, wife was the same. I doubt I'd go to another Rick Stein restaurant. It was a lovely outlook.

Had a lovely meal on Saturday night. Great service and the food was stunning.

Had been here lots for lunch and dinner but didn't know they also do breakfast. Went two weeks in a row to try it out and it was really good both times. Very relaxing atmosphere helped by incredible views of the harbour. It's right on the water so watching waves and boats bob is a very zen way to start the weekend. Service is excellent. Quite slow the first time and very prompt the second. Staff are warm and welcoming. Food quality and value were brilliant. Hollandaise was gorgeous. If you're on a budget but want to try a Stein's definitely go for breakfast. Paid carpark opposite which gets very busy in the season. Lovely hand cream in the loos.

Overpriced. Our local chippy does much better fish and chips for half the price. Waitress didn't know anything about the drinks available and even forgot to bring us any cutlery. No loo roll in the ladies either..... Jokers. Triumph of reputation over delivery.

Best thing is the view, food pretty good. Service excellent. The decor was nautical and very relaxing. Smashing place

We chose from the lunch set menu. We were not disappointed at all. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. We were lucky enough to have a harbour view, although not by the window, still a great view. Felt welcomed by the staff and well looked after. Didn't order drinks, just had tap water. Good value for money for the quality of food.

Unfortunately I am not overexcited when to many people, when overcrowded. Tables to close... But then again, probably it's only me Otherwise spot on.

Great food, good service, ambience of a care home.

Wonderful lunch on a Monday to celebrate our wedding! The food was simply wonderful and the service was second to none!

We came to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, looking forward to the food, but also the view. The sunset across the harbour just made it extra special! We had quite a few dishes, all cooked and presented beautifully. Really great service from start to finish, attentive and friendly.

Giving this restaurant a second chance after a somewhat negative previous experience when the service was appalling. This time, it was faultless. Three of us agreed that we had a chilled luncheon experience, with excellent food, chosen from the affordable lunch menu. Our waiter 'Manuel' was patient and helpful with suggestions to suit my two lactose and gluten intolerant friends. I look forward to returning.

Best restaurant in the Rick Stein group. The view over the harbour, the ambience and decor inside, the food, the menu...the best! Dined here recently for dinner on Saturday night and as you can imagine, it was very, very busy. There was a slight delay to our table being available, but Louis (Manager) and the team (despite being rushed off their feet) made sure we were really looked after and went out of their way for us to know it. As you can see from the pictures, we had the fish and chips and salmon - both heavenly. Drinks/Desserts wonderful too. To top off a wonderful evening, given the delay, they also made sure we got home safely. All around amazing and I can't wait to be back! Thank you Louis and team!!!!

Visiting on a day when understaffed, food good if no a little over priced. Atmosphere was flat, very bright dining room.

Good food but seriously pricey.

Early evening dinner in the bar with our dog, food excellent, staff very attentive to all our needs, whole restaurant very clean, bar staff very friendly and well presented, been here before, lot of people may be put off by the name of the restaurant, but for a great meal with really good food wine and deserts, very reasonable for what is presented

Food was simply delicious am so glad we decided to eat here. Venue overlooking the harbour is stunning. I had muscles,chicken fricassee and ice cream partner had cheese soufflé, crab linguine and millefoi. All of the dishes were super. Staff were great too would highly recommend.

Cosy restaurant with a fantastic view.

What a lovely time we had! The food was lovely. My husband and I both had the crispy mackerel salad for starter which was fantastic, and then for our mains, my husband had the fillet steak and I had the salmon with cucumber. Initially I wasn't going to have a dessert, but my husband persuaded me and I chose the berry compote pavlova which was huge. My husband had the bakewell tart which he thoroughly enjoyed. You didn't wait long between courses which was great and our waiter was lovely. Infact, all the staff were great, they were all smiles and very welcoming. We will definitely be going back. Thankyou for a lovely experience.

We went to the restaurant after booking 2 weeks in advance for a special family occasion. We had pre-warned that the only child attending had dairy and egg allergies. We confirmed our booking and on arrival, soon realised that my son couldn't eat anything on the mains of the kids menu. We eventually chose crudités with humus and tomato soup (they couldn't give us humus or bread with them due to allergens; had they told us before, we would have found somewhere else) The rest of the experience was underwhelming. In restaurant like this we would have thought the food would have been better, but I've had better prawns from Asda. We had fruit de Mer, the seafood tasted bland as if it was frozen, which has never been my experience from a sea front restaurant. The service was slow, it took 90 minutes for our mains to come out (surprising for fruit de mar and 3 portions of fish and chips) I definitely wouldn't not go back

Was exceptional in every way! Fruit de Mer was to die for!

I am now done with Rick Stein at Sandbanks. Our first visit was for breakfast: despite literally no more than a dozen people seated on a Saturday, the food took an eternity to arrive. When it did, it was no better than your average "caff". The next visit was to try the set lunch. Again, literally a handful of customers and the food took forever. The chicken sumac main was so tiny, we genuinely thought it was the starter. Last weekend, with friends visiting, we thought we'd give dinner a go. Service was all over the place - at one point I had to get up to get a member of staff to come to our table. Our drinks order was forgotten; when it arrived, it was what another table had ordered. The coconut prawn starter was beyond tasteless, and the medium-well fillet steak main arrived cremated to a crisp, with a stone-cold broccoli side dish. No offer was made to take away the other guests dishes, so they sat there eating very slowly whilst we awaited the return of the steak. When the bill arrived - just under £500 for four of us - no apology was given, no offer of, say, the desserts being complimentary, and the 12.5% service charge wasn't even removed! I have contacted both the restaurant and Head Office, but am still awaiting a reply. I should have known better, really - many's the time in my experience that these celebrity-branded restaurants fail to deliver. The restaurant looks absolutely stunning at night with sensational views, but it is very much a case of the Emperor's new clothes. Just because 'Arry Redknapp and a lot of Bournemouth FC players and wags like to be Instagrammed there does not make it an even decent restaurant. Prepare to have your wallet emptied, and a kebab on your way home.

Did a takeaway Fish and Chips, Click and Collect which worked perfectly it was fresh Tatar sauce in a container, lovely

Fantastic as always. Great sea food with a classic menu.

Absolutely fantastic restaurant. All the staff are amazing. Food is amazing. It is an experience and not just a place to eat. One of Rick's best restaurants for sure.

This is on a class on its own. Expect to pay more for superior food, proffesional service, and an altogether wonderful eating experience.

Dissatisfied and disappointed. The food was fresh but unimaginative and doesn’t meet the price point. We nearly walked out as we were left at our table for around 15/20 mins, whilst plenty of staff checked other tables around us. The same happened at the end of the meal when we asked for the bill but again we were left waiting for another 15/20 mins. I made reservations several weeks ago to ensure we had a memorable wedding anniversary, only for it to be tarnished. I also mentioned in the reservation that it was our wedding anniversary, but this was completely ignored.

I wanted to like this place but here we are. The first misstep was that we were left waiting at our table for more than 15 minutes without any of the servers asking for our drink orders. We felt ignored and almost walked out. The second misstep was asking for the bill. It took another 15 minutes to arrive. When my dining partner reminded them, we got 2 bills. The food was middling. The wine was good. Ultimately the experience was unmemorable. It’s a shame because this was our first wedding anniversary meal.

Awful experience, this restaurant has gone dramatically downhill. The staff had totally lost control. Lady front of house was clearing tables, the barman (only 2) were fetching and carrying drinks to tables when it took over 30 mins to get served a drink, it was a car crash. We arrived early for a drink, and an 8pm table, we eventually ate our mains at 10:15pm! Outrageous! Seriously would not bother!

The most awful experience we have had dining out. We had the same lunch set menu. As soon as we left we fell seriously ill with sickness, diarrhoea, fever and lethargic. 5 plus days to recover. The manager admitted it was the fish which is shocking coming from a celebrity chef who specialises in fish and seafood! We officially complained, the company they use for complaints (strange a restaurant brand has a company to handle this). This seems to make sure all complains are erased and not taken seriously unless you go to A&E or send your own faeces to get analysed. You have to pay extra for the service too even if you had good or bad service how arrogant is that!! I will not recommend this restaurant or any of this brand. We are even put off eating fish now!! Well done Rick Steins!

Lovely food in a lovely setting, had a meal in the harbour view section.

I'm a bit biased because this restaurant is where I took my partner on our first date, so it is a bit special to us. That said, we wouldn't keep going back if we didn't like it. It's not good. It's fantastic. Lovely food and polished service in a very fine but unpretentious environment. Prices are okay too, considering it's located in one of the most affluent spots in the country.

I do not usually write Google reviews but this time it felt important to share the unpleasant and awkward experience my partner and I had at this restaurant. We did not book and were hopeful to get a table but on arrival we were made to feel so unwelcome as two members of staff spoke between themselves, deciding whether to host us or not when the restaurant was visibly quiet. We were thankful that they did. We sat waiting to order drinks for more than 25 minutes until we had to leave our table to get somebody’s attention. A family situated behind us arrived much later than us and received their food before anyone came to take even our drinks order. We felt extremely uncomfortable about this, especially since a group of people dining on a table nearby noticed. When our food did arrive it was mediocre. We waited so long for our table to be cleared after eating that we ended up not even considering dessert and paying the bill at the server’s area before leaving. We felt like we were being looked down on although we were dressed appropriately, polite, respectful and hopeful for a lovely evening meal. Unfortunately, we will not be returning.

Had great service and great food despite the restaurant being full we were really taken care of.

Great food and great service, thanks so much

I had chips, which was fresh, crispy and tasty.

A real treat whilst taking some down time with my girls. However complex tastes for younglings. The staff super polite and attentative. Set menu was lovely the truffle chips devine. All in all cant wait to go back

Was in the restaurant over 3 hours, was asked once throughout the whole sitting if we would like any more drinks wasn’t even asked if the food was ok. We waited an hour between start and main to then be served rock hard potatoes, rock hard carrots and no broccoli as the ordered. We then ate our fish very slowly as we was told the potatoes and broccoli would be out shortly. We finished our main courses without any potatoes or broccoli, about 5 minutes after we finished our main course the broccoli came out with no potatoes. We was then told the 2nd batch of potatoes were still cooked rock hard so wouldn’t be served. Then between finishing our mains and having a dessert and getting the bill it was another 45 minutes. This is one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. The service was sub standard and have had better in cheap chain restaurants. Very disappointed in the whole meal and wouldn’t recommend anyone to go.

Expected a better experience than what we had. Could only be seated outside which would have been fine if it wasn't so breezy. Lovely view and was offered blankets, a bit of outdoor heating would work much better. Food was mediocre. We've had better food for half the price. On the plus side, our youngest got to taste the calamari, free of charge which she enjoyed. If you are expecting a quality meal, made to Rick Steins standard, book elsewhere

Very expensive coffee and croissant.

The food at sandbanks was so fresh and so delicious, we loved it. There’s a lot of options on the menu, I really appreciate that a lot of the flavours are very classic but really well done. I had the sole with a shrimp butter and it was beautiful, my husband had the lobster and it was like butter. We weren’t able to dine with the terrace view but we didn’t book, so this wasn’t unexpected. I imagine this would complete the experience. The restaurant is fitted beautifully, the cocktails and wine were spot on and the staff were really helpful. It is on the more expensive side but it’s really worth the money. Really good quality food and drinks and flawless service, will definitely return if we’re in the area!

Electricity went out and we had to leave the building. Unfortunately because we were still having lunch.

Love the food. Best fish and chips I have ever tasted. The ice cream is just melt-in-the-mouth DELICIOUS. Would totally recommend this to anyone I know. The service is incredible, along with all the food.

Very expensive looks nice inside

Excellent service, knowledgeable and helpful staff, fish cooked to perfection. Will go again. Good atmosphere. Great location.

Great service and very clean A little pricy but you get what you paid for Will go again soo

Good vibes, lovely staff, fantastic food. Couldn't have been better.

17/8/2024-Saturday. We have pre-plan for my mum's 90th birthday in Rick Stein. Thank you to ALL the staff for the great service to assist my mum's mobility concern. Giving her such a memorable birthday celebration. The food was superb and the embient of the restaurant was specially decorated on our table for her birthday occasion. Highly recommended for any special occasion ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A perfect spot and this time of year they’re open for breakfast. Friendly staff and good atmosphere Can’t beat it to start the day

Oh, I wanted to love this but what a disappointment. Our hotel booked the reservation at 8:10pm. We arrived at 8pm to be told there was no booking. Then we were suddenly wait listed and we could get a table at 9pm. (The hotel later shared the 8:10 reservation). We stayed at the bar 20 minutes later we finally got served (there were only 15 people, who were annoyed and impatient). We listened to people who booked 3 months ago and driven hundreds of miles still waiting to be seated some as long as 60 minutes. The place was chaos. We finally got seated and you could feel the tension. The people next table asked for the manager as their food had not arrived and they had been waiting 90mins for their meal. It was bad. Thank goodness for a fabulous view to look at while we waited some more. The food when it finally did arrive was good. However we had waited for so long the evening was ruined like our appetite. The story was they were down on chefs, wait staff and bar staff. However they could have managed the experience better for their guests. Sorry Rick, I won't be coming back despite the view.

23/12/223- Saturday, we back again to Rick Stein for lunch with my mother-in-law. Celebrating the Christmas Eve 🎄🍾🌹❤️. Thanks so much for the restaurant service, helping my partially immobile mother-in-law with great care🙏❤️🌹. The service was excellent. Restaurant food was superb, and the restaurant ambience, facing the Poole Harbour, was spectacular. Making our family meal a most memorable experience Highly recommended ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The food was delicious and well presented. Service was great too. The view from the window was quite something.

Went for breakfast with my partner and had the crab omelette which was lovely and tasty. Good service.

A fantastic location with food and service that are simply superb. Lobster and lemon sole very highly recommended.

Had an iced coffee, which was great! Service was perfect. I loved that they accepted dogs, but there was a lot of yapping, and they were quite noisy.

You never know what type of experience you are going to get at Rick Steins in Sandbanks. In June we had a wonderful lunch with fabulous service. Our experience, as local residents is that on numerous occasions previously it is always been a little hit and miss.So on the back of the good lunch experience we booked for my husband’s birthday meal. Irritating is probably the best way of describing our experience. We sat down after a lengthy wait at the reception. The reception lady was lovely and friendly and brought us a jug of water almost immediately. However that was obviously because she was aware that there were service issues! We waited approximately 15 minutes for our order to be taken and the drinks arrived approximately 30 minutes later just in time for our starter. The food was good when it arrived. Our waiter an older gentleman was working his little socks off but as we were sat near the wine room we could see many of the younger staff members congregating in that room chatting laughing and on their phones rather than attending to the customers. Management should really be on top of such matters. Our main course, lobster,arrived almost 2 hours after our booking time! The waiter was aware that the wait was unacceptable and did apologise profusely and we did acknowledge that he was doing his best. We were asked if we wanted dessert however it was now so late that we didn’t want to risk another significant wait. It was a busy service but we noticed that many other tables had similar issues. Perhaps it’s just a matter of keeping the staff motivated to serve the customers more promptly either that or the kitchen was short staffed? Who knows but something needs to change.

Absolutely fantastic evening could not fault our experience - we were looked after by a lovely waiter called George. Nothing was too much trouble. The food was fresh and beautifully presented. We had a lovely table overlooking the water. We started off with the yummy home made bread and Padron peppers followed by prawns to start and then the most delicious fish Asian curry I have ever tasted and finished off with a selection of cheeses. We chose the entry level Rose which was very good and on par with whispering Angel. There was a bit of a wait but we didn’t mind it was all worth it. Excellent and Exceptional and would highly recommend you try this if you haven’t. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Can't fault anything. Birthday celebration only booked a few days ago. Lovely table, sea view, balloon in place when we arrived. Food was all excellent, as was the service. Best restaurant for miles, always special.

My wife and I booked a table for 8:10pm on Wednesday 7th August 2024. We arrived at 8pm but our table was not ready until about 8:40pm. The staff at the bar, where we sat for a drink, appeared harassed and low in number, unable to service the bar and also the requirements for drinks in the restaurant in a timely manner. The same mood was true of the other front of house staff at the reception desk. There were a number of parties waiting for their tables which seemed to have been similarly delayed, and the apologies were frequent. I had stated at the time of booking online that my wife was gluten free. When we eventually got to our table, she asked the waiter if there was an allergens menu and was told that most if not all of the choices could be provided in a gluten-free format. A rigmarole then ensued in which my wife asked for a particular option, only to be told by the waiter that in fact that one was not suitable for her. This happened on about four occasions for both starter and main courses: so eight in all. It was awkward and embarrassing, and certainly not the sort of spectacle that we have experienced elsewhere in the UK and in Italy this summer. It was most definitely not what one expects at a restaurant of the calibre that the Rick Stein group purports to exhibit. It was most certainly discriminatory. There should be an allergens menu, or the staff should be better trained. In the event, we both had scallops to start. Service was slow, and they took an age to arrive. There were three per portion, each on a shell in which they were swamped with soy sauce on a lump of ginger. They had been thrown on the plate and were pretty underwhelming. My wife then had the hake, and I had the turbot. These were both fine. We then shared a cheese board, which was lovely. Although that said of course, the cheese is bought in and put on a plate, rather than being the product of any real input by the staff of the restaurant beyond choosing it. The lady in charge of the reception area asked us how the food was when we were leaving. We replied, "Fine." The expression on her face made it plain that our lack of enthusiasm was not unexpected. We were obviously not the first, on what seemed to have been a difficult night generally. We were staying at the Harbour Heights Hotel nearby on Haven Road, and dined there for two of our three night stay, choosing the fish options from the menu. Our visit to the Rick Stein restaurant was to be a treat which we had been looking forward to. I am sad to reflect that both the service and the food were of a higher quality and value at the hotel than at this restaurant. I have no idea if Mr. Stein himself has anything to do with the daily running of the Sandbanks restaurant. I suspect not. However, either he or his management company should be made aware of the standards currently in evidence at this restaurant, get a grip of them and give the place a shake. For an outlay of £266 for dinner for two, the experience simply was not worth it, and was disappointing

Decided to visit this place for lunch for the first time, since I came to walk with my newborn baby on bay. First of all - you do not feel welcome if you have a newborn. The staff (waitresses mainly), do gove you looks and unpleasant service. There was also a manager (what she seems like at least), and she was quite ok jn terms of service and atmosphere. Secondly, and the most importantly, the food takes ages to arrive! I can just at around 1-1.15pm, to have a lunch, and I specifically ordered set menu - knowing that usually restarurants will have it all ready prepared and wouldn’t be so difficult and long to wait. My started arrived within like 5-10 minutes maximum, but the main took ages?! I had to wait like an hour for the main to arrive, so received the majn at around 3pm? My poor newborn baby was so distressed from such a wait…. Further, when the waitress found time to serve me after my main, I asked her to expedite, and bring the dessert together with a bill. How long long you think it took them to bring Panna cotta (which of course is ready to be served usually). It took another 30 minutes. Dont get me wrong, i know if the restaurant wiuld have been busy, but there were 3 waitresses chatting at the reception, and did not care of the only two table that were busy at the front of the restaurant. And the best bit is the bill…. When i received a bill, there was some unknown item called “Ashley’s Birthday Bank”, when i asked what is this? The waitress said, “one second let me check it”, so she approached reception to ask her colleague and they all started laughing quite loudly about this incident. The she came back to me and said “sorry, i think it was added randomly so we just removed it”. - Very “nice” apology, isnt it? Food was ok, thats why I am giving two star - just for the chef. But the staff is utterly dire as well as the service. Adding some pictures for proof.

We were so disappointed, it was our 19th wedding anniversary, so we thought choosing a special restaurant would be a great way to celebrate. Unfortunately it wasn't. We arrived 5 minutes late for our table, it wasn't ready. We then waited for it to be set. Once seated it took 10 minutes for someone to come and take our drinks order. A further 17 minutes for someone to come and take our food order. When the food arrived, it was ok, nothing special. Had to get our own condiments from another table. The tables around us, although the diners had left, the tables weren't cleared. Once we had finished our meal, we had to eventually move to another table to get away from our plates as no one came to clear the table. When we eventually received the bill we asked for the service to be taken off as it was suboptimal. We won't be back and we won't recommend. It was such a disappointing evening on what should have been a special occassion.

We had a fantastic time at Rick Stein's restaurant—delicious seafood, great atmosphere, and excellent service. We'll definitely be back!

I honestly can’t comprehend how the restaurant gets 4.4 average. We’ve had two visits now (and sadly served by the same person which I think is most of the issue), and it’s been below par. Food has been pretty good but nothing incredible, but it’s been let down by the attitude of the staff. Lack of knowledge or the menu but lack of willingness to help. A strange experience both times and sadly won’t be back again.

Amazing food, service & atmosphere as always. Fantastic view. Very relaxing too. Highly recommend!

Great restaurant with a relaxed yet professional atmosphere. The food was delicious and there's a great choice for both seafood lovers or those wanting some other seasonal options.

I can’t be positive enough about this fabulous restaurant in Sandbanks! The Indonesian seafood curry is out of this world as is the cod & chips! Magnificent service and views that take your breath away while you eat! Outstanding!

Third visit in as many years (we go when on holiday locally)

We came here spontaneously. Even with a dog, we got a table straight away. The food was fantastic. When we are back in the area we will definitely come back.

Good table & service but Disappointed with the fish dishes, which I so wanted to be better than my local establishments, but I'm afraid not. Rick, I love your TV programs, but have you taken a hands off approach to your own diners?

A Fantastic Experience , Everything 5 ⭐

Had to wait 20 minutes for the table, then had to go to reception to find out when we would get a table. Overall service was slow, took 2 hours to eat a 2 course meal! Food was good but not excellent; if Rick is going to charge fine dining prices then back that up with service. Parking a branded Porsche outside shows Rick not struggling on the profits. Would not return.

Fantastic sea food, incredible service and excellent wine from Josh, Ramon and the rest of the team. Thank you Rick Stein Sandbanks we will be back!

Disappointed 😞 We always enjoyed going to Rick Stein Sandbanks and Barnes branches. But since this year both restaurants have been disappointing in terms of the menu and the food, sorry guys, but meals are far from being delicious.

Amazing seafood place with views over harbor and dj playing in the bar area. The food was fresh and prepared very well, mix is spices and garnishes. Drinks were good as well, the service was nice but a bit slow as the place was a bit busy. If you want to have a nice view better to book in advance

Absolutely fantastic experience. We were really enjoying our meal - all saying how great the food was and we had a table by the window looking over the port - when my mum suddenly felt unwell. The staff were fantastic with her. I really couldn't fault them. They all went above and beyond. Thank you so much! We hope to return sometime soon.

What's not to like, you pay for top quality food.

Great atmosphere and reasonable and polite service , however, the food in my opinion is very disappointing. Food looks good but lacks in flavour. This is the second time I have been disappointed so I will be avoiding Rick Stein restaurants from now on.

Very poor service today Waited so long to order drinks and food ended up just leaving Many other customers also left

Disappointing experience for the price. Our second visit to Rick Stein’s. The first was several years ago and was much better. Tonight was very disappointing for the price. Our local gastro pub does nicer fish and chips for half the price. My daughter’s tonight was dark, over done, dry. Service was very slow. Took nearly two hours before we had our mains. The waiter admitted there were too many covers for the kitchen to manage. They do seem to have squeezed several more tables into the space which is uncomfortable. My broccoli side was cold. Others waited even longer to get served. One table left before their food came. Food was ok but nothing special, particularly for the prices. We told them in advance we were celebrating an 80th birthday at the table. They brought a plate with ‘Happy Birthday’ in chocolate writing with six blackberries and six chunks of pineapple. At The Ivy in Windsor by comparison where the prices are about a third less, they brought me a profiterole and a candle for my birthday treat. Last night we ate at Koh Thai in Lilliput and the food was tastier, the service was better, the prices more reasonable. A much better experience. Rick, do your customers a favour and take some tables out to offer a better experience for the top dollar they’re paying. The sunset was lovely, but I didn’t need to pay £450 to enjoy that. (And dogs should not be allowed in restaurants.) I had steamed scallops, they were ok, ginger soy sauce was nice but £7+ per each of three scallops, really? My OH enjoyed his cheese soufflé, my mum said her coconut prawns were ok, not very coconut. Rest of the plates much the same response. Not the review I wanted to be writing when we came to celebrate a special birthday and spent a lot of time money to make it extra special. It wasn’t.

We booked a table for six at Rick Stein’s Sandbanks to celebrate an 80th birthday yesterday, 28th July. We have eaten here several times before but this occasion was very disappointing. The food was ok but some dishes very below par. Especially when you consider the prices being charged! But the worst thing was the very long wait to be served, initially when we came in no one bothered to come up to us to ask if we would like drinks. When we finally ordered them there was a long wait until they arrived. Then another long delay before our food order was taken. Long wait for the starters. Even longer wait for our main courses to arrive. In fact we had to ask a waiter when he thought our food was coming. A couple at the table next to us were so annoyed at the delays that they just left, leaving their drinks on the table. Our waiter tried to explain that there was a chef shortage after Covid. But there really is no excuse for this. In a high end restaurant where the owner is not a novice in the industry, management should adjust the number of tables so that the waiting staff and chefs can cope with the number of clients. The conclusion I’m afraid is that pure greed is behind this to the detriment of the staff and the paying customers. A final insult being the automatically added “service charge”! We won’t be going back but I’m sure RS won’t give a toss.

Great location, just a bit overpriced for what it is

Sadly this did not live up to expectation at all. The drinks (wine and cocktail) were very nice but I cannot say the same about the food. The prawns starter was borderline raw and had to check each piece we ate. The sourdough bread felt a day old, as the crust was very chewy. The hake main was very average and the ravioli definitely wasn’t fresh pasta and was undercooked as it was pretty hard. Worth noting that there was only 2 vegetarian options and although it’s marketed as a fish restaurant, it’s good to cater to everyone. The first waiter we had was great but we moved a table to see the view and the new waiter wasn’t great at all. They seemed like they didn’t want to be there and weren't friendly or attentive. Overall, it was extremely average and we wouldn’t return or recommend.

When booking a birthday table, we got a balloon and roses, which is a very nice option, very nice and professional service, very good food and drinks, I highly recommend it 😎😎😋😋

Yum yum! Our late lunch at Rick Stein has put me in such a good mood. Their lobster thermidor was succulent, generous and divinely flavoured. The oyster charentaise followed by a sip of muscadet made for an intriguing taste journey. In fact, all the plates were delectable, and the staff treated us very well. We sat downstairs but the view across the bay from the main dining room is unmatched in the area. More recently though we've had several poor experiences, separated toffee sauce on the pudding, uncooked fish, overcooked fish. Will have to temper this review now. Pity!

Avoid this place if you have any money you want to throw away!!! They ruined our wedding Anniversary with terrible deep fried food, which they obviously bought in!!! Should have gone to our local pub and not paid £240.00!!!

Great food and lovely views of the harbour.

Great place to celebrate my sons 18th Food as you would expect at a class restaurant, service absolutely fab, look after you as soon as you walk through the door. If your lucky like we were to get table next to the window you'll get fantastic views over Poole harbour One word though get there early especially on a hot day as parking can be a problem, apart from that a fantastic lunch. Thank you all there

We had amazing breakfast See you again

Best fish and chips not here .my local chips and the price is much better

Had an amazing time at this place and what better place to go after proposing to my girlfriend. The staff where so kind and helped us get a table last minute. Met friendly people and had lovely food I would say portion wise could of been better and could of had more seasoning on salmon and a lemon wedge but other than that was great thank you guys for a great experience

The food was fantastic. The flavours were great and the service was excellent in most ways. Admittedly, we were a large party but we had pre-ordered so the bit of confusion over some of the orders was unnecessary and we did have to wait too long for the children’s meals (two 6 and under children practically wilting in hunger) which, along with one ice cream order needing to be taken four times, is why there’s a star dropped. One server was particularly brilliant, attentive and accommodating, I wish I’d taken his name but he dealt with the large group really well. Finally, if you go here you must eat the sticky toffee pudding. It’s divine. Better than Cartmel’s which is saying something.

One of the best sticky toffee puddings ever!

A superb location with great attention to detail, wonderful views excellent staff with food to match nothing to much trouble food served quickly and beautifully presented mustn’t leave it so long between visits

Fantastic anniversary lunch. The lobster was delicious.

We went in at 8:50 and they close at 10 but they refused to give us table and suggested us ta take away. Such a horrible experience as we went all the way from london. Such a disapointment.