Rick Stein in Poole - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

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. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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 😎😎😋😋

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.

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 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

Great food and lovely views of the harbour.

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

We had amazing breakfast See you again

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

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

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!

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.

Always an enjoyable experience dining here, can’t fault it 🫶🏻

I recently dined at Rick Stein and had a delightful experience overall. The staff were incredibly friendly, and the food was amazing, with every dish tasting exceptionally fresh. However, we chose to sit outside at the back, and while the interior is beautifully modern and inviting, the outdoor seating area could use some modernizing. It felt like a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the establishment. Despite this, I would still highly recommend it for the great service and fantastic food.

Great meal, good service, premium price.

Went for birthday lunch today.i had fish & chips which were the worst I have ever had.vicky had salmon at £26 and the day before had better salmon from aldis for £3 .service charge £18 total rip off never again

Fantastic lunch for our Golden Wedding celebrations.

My husband and I visited on the 3rd July. We were seated with the harbour view which was amazing as we was told that was the most popular table by the waiter. Food was delicious with very generous portions. The young man who served us was very polite and professional, unfortunately I didn't get his name. Would highly recommend a visit

Went for 3rd / 4th time for a birthday treat for my wife. Could not have been made to feel more welcomed or valued by the staff. All of the team made our experience truly special. The food and wine was excellent- highlights being the Fillet Steak - best steak I have ever had, the Sticky Toffee Pudding - better than Hell’s Kitchen (sorry Gordon, but it was). If you’re in the Dorset area, please make a visit to Rick’s - you will not be disappointed!

Overrated ,but friendly Waitress . Everything seemed very rushed. Nobody came to check if our meals were OK. When we got our bill, a service charge was put on. I'm sorry, but i didn't receive the service i expected but paid half off the service charge. Not sure if it would go again.

Excellent dining experience. Wonderful food, service and superb location

A fantastic spot for lunch on a beautiful sunny day. Being right on the waters edge with the sea breeze, lunch at Rick’s with some oysters and perfectly executed Dover Sole was sublime. The service was brilliant. I would but hesitate to recommend

Had takeaway small fish and chips, was lovely and fairly priced, cooked fresh

Fantastic restaurant with great views over Poole harbour. Great decor throughout. Very friendly and professional waiting staff. I went for the set menu at £33 (plus 12.50% service charge). I had mackerel as the starter, breaded cod with skin on chips as a main, followed by the bakewell tart and ice cream. Food was delicious.

Josh was incredible! Food was fantastic! What a wonderful meal.

Overrated, poor food, been to other Rick Stein restaurants and not been disappointed, Sandbanks, never again. Frosty reception very poor quality food.

Great service and amazing food.

And food and services was brilliant.

Amazing location and view, the service was excellent and our waiter very attentive and polite. The food overall was basic based on the prices charged. Gazpacho was the highlight! Amazing dish and this was the substitute of the the mushroom tart that kindly our waiter changed for me because it was awful and too greasy with unbalanced taste. The seabass Cheviche was spiced with totally the wrong spices - a fresh and cooling dish that was mixed with warm spices didn’t hit the mark for me. Coconut prawns amazingly cooked but served with a curry sauce like the ones from your local chippie. The courgette flowers was actually a whole courgette including the flower (disappointing) Furthermore the crab linguini that was very spicy and too oily and greasy - again a delicate dish that was executed in a barbaric cruel way. Finally, the pavlova was really bad, too sweet and unbalanced taste. The wine was ok. Disappointed overall especially for the prices charged.

Great view and lovely service. The waiter was very attentive and pleasant. However I felt the food was disappointing. Having had very good meals in portugal London and Auckland recently the level of flavours and taste just wasn’t there I had the seabass and it was just swimming in soy sauce. It completely overpowered the fish. It was supposed to be ginger spring onion snd soy. The potatoes were bland and the courgettes overcooked and tasteless. Thr portions were generous but for me when I go out to this level If restaurant I want taste over quantity My husband had the turbot. It was ok. But again not very sophisticated. We went to Rick steins in Padstow last year and it was amazing. This is our second visit to the sandbanks restaurant and last year was much better

I had the fillet steak, which was amazing . The wife had the crab linguine that she found to be rather dry. The service was amazing and very friendly.

Had take away fish and chips, looked fantastic on opening the box, crisp and golden. However, the batter on the fish was crispy on the outside but thick and soggy inside, the fish chewy and overcooked somehow. The chips again looked great but were dry and barely cooked in the middle, some of the worst I've had in ages. Had better from many back street chip shops. Very disappointing won't go back. Can't comment on resteraunt but now put off trying

Our second visit to Rick stein's at Sandbanks sadly this time we were disappointed. The fish was okay but not exceptional and the chips - some were slightly hard and mushy peas weren't anything special. We have had much better fish and chips elsewhere i.e the Scallop shell & Oyster shell in Bath and Squires in Braunton which are both excellent and worth the money.

This was a bucket list experience that didn’t live up to expectations as the restaurant was over booked and delays for a reserved table was over 1 hour 15 mins. As we end up eating very late it spoilt the experience and the food was not amazing as expected 😞

Great place with great food. Staff greets you with a smile and we had exceptional staff all the time. Answered every question, made suggestions and were always smiling and attentive. The choice of food is amazing. Almost too hard to chose from. All prepared to perfection and we left the place very happy. Will come back to try the other items on the menu.

Without a doubt, the worst meal and experience I have had in years (perhaps ever). Abysmal service from start to finish. Food that was not cooked with one pregnant guest on the table. No apology and I was actually blamed for the 1+ hour wait for food because we ordered mains without starters (not sure what difference that makes). As a previously regular customer, I will not be visiting again. I can only assume there has been a change in staff/ management, but it is not anywhere near up to the previous standards. At Rick Stein prices (or anywhere), they simply can't get away with this. This is the only time I have refused to pay for a meal because I have never been so shocked at the service and food. Needs some serious changes, or they'll end up closed.

Stunning view over Poole Harbour. Standard Rick Stein menu, but that's no bad thing. Dover sole as good as it always is. Special mention to the staff who made a visit for my mother's 93rd birthday a great experience. Everything from prompt call back to resolve a booking query, welcome from Karen on arrival, help with stair lift and characterful friendly service from waiting staff. Many thanks.

I visited the Rick Stein restaurant , at sandbanks , for an evening meal.l, solo . I was greeted by the lovely Antoinette , who took time to speak with me and chat with me as I was seated at my table , my sommelier was outstanding , as was Izzy , who I later learnt had only been with organisation for 3 months . She was incredible , wine topped up regularly , checked on service and satisfaction levels throughout my evening . An absolute credit to the team . Then came their manager Louis ( apologies if this is not how it is spelt ) the politest , professional but somehow endearing manager I have ever met . I ordered the mussels to start , absolutely delicious with an abundance of flavour , initially I thought it was heavy on pepper but it was astounding in terms of flavour , seasoning and presentation. Then came the crab linguine . Seasoned to perfection and the linguine was al dente … nothing short of perfect . The only small criticism I have , is that when you are a solo diner , place that person with a premium view . There are many of us that dine alone, in the UK it is a rarity . There are many singletons that may not have the confidence to dine alone ( I am not one of them ) but the more you do this , the more singletons that have the power of the purse will come . It needs to be encouraged . A fabulous meal with outstanding service , topped with a lift home in Rick Steins Porsche . If I could give you more than 5 * I would . Well done to Louis and his team . I look forward to visiting again soon .

Had a lovely meal for my 50th and the father in law's 80th. Good food, service and views.

Good service, amazing fresh food. Recomend the seafood.

Had a fantastic lunch at Rick Steins Sandbanks. The food was superb and the staff were brilliant.

Lovely ambience as always and tasty Dover Sole today for our anniversary. The disappointing things were the expensive "side dishes". There was no choice of potatoes, only cheesy chips, which, although tasty, didn't really go with the delicate Dover Sole in our opinion. A dish of buttered parsley new potatoes would have be appreciated. But then there's the salads.... well "Green Salad" was a small bowl of lettuce straight out of the packet, and tomato salad was small, especially for the money. These sides should be improved. All was virtually redeemed however with the hot chocolate fondue with passtatio icecream which was the best dessert I have had in long time! Not easy to execute, it was cooked to perfection. The waiting staff appeared to all be foreign students. They did their best, but not what we expected. Seemed like a cost-cutting exercise.

Why is the Music so LOUD that you can't converse at ALL.......ACROSS A TABLE... Never again.....What atmosphere are you creating we come for your Menu Offer and Service....ITS NOT A NIGHT CLUB!

Staff were very pleasant and food was yummy

Really nice evening, looking over the harbour plenty of staff doing a really good job, very nice indeed

We have been coming here for the last 5 years,every time we come on holiday, it's always been good ,this time waiter, had an attitude, food was dreadful, at one stage my wife and I thought it was worse than bad pub food! Shell Bat restaurant is a proper seafood restaurant.You pay for what you get top quality seafood and service.Hey Rick you need to come down ,and check your food out because, it's terrible, some advice, sack the manager, and chefs, and bad waiter who served us ,your ship is going down if you don't act fast, good luck ,mate you need it mr hancock.

I prefer sitting in the bar area personally. Nice wine list and a lovely place to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon. Food is okay, for the money their are better places locally.

Arrived and ordered at the bar AFTER being told the terrace (with panoramic view) was open for us to enjoy. After paying we were then given the excuse we couldn't use the terrace because the handle was broken! Pathetic trick! AVOID!

Poor VFM. Some very good service but some very slow indifferent or borderline hostile. Need more and better-trained staff.

I’ve been coming here for years and this time it was a let down. The atmosphere was lovely as usual and the staff were nice (nothing exemplar liked they used to be). The key issue was the food. It was just not up to the standard it usually is e.g. the crab pasta was was incredibly bland. They took one of the pastas off the bill but it just made me think that for the price it’s not worth the risk of coming.

So ordinarily this review would of been a bad one, but because of how the manager dealt with our situation I felt it only fair that I gave him our honest and positive feedback. We had a table of 6 on a Saturday night, it was busy and a good atmosphere. Our food was amazing but the wait for each course was painful. After us having to ask numerous times where our food was. The manager came over to our table and simply said "there is no excuse, its simply bad service" (which clearly isn't the norm) and he not only gave us a complimentary bottle of wine, he also comp'd our entire food bill. I never leave a reviews as I know how hard it is to run a business and keep everyone happy, but I felt the way the manager dealt with our situation needed mentioning. A very well run establishment FOOD WAS EXCELLENT.

Good food and friendly staff can't cover up dreadfully slow service. When the diners on the adjacent table arrive after you and finish their dinner before your starters, you know it's not right! The manager was apologetic and arranged a discount, but this doesn't get away from the basic lack of good service.

Service was very slow - waited 1 hour for 3 starters to arrive and then mains arrived at same time. When we asked about the wait, there wasn’t any apology. Waiter/Waitress service was non personal and lacked any attentiveness. A real shame, as the location and view is beautiful.

Absolutely fantastic setting, but for the prices being the charged the food was disappointing and the service extremely average.

The breakfast was gorgeous and the service was incredible. All for a really reasonable price. The pasties were awful, like something out of a packet from a supermarket.

Rick Stein - Morning Coffee 24th May 2024 Dropped in for a coffee with my Mum and her friend. Service great, atmoshere excellent.....coffee very good. Thanks........ Julian

Top class restaurant and good food

Loved it! Great atmosphere and food. Service fabulous too 😄

Ordered x2 portions of take away chips, waited 30 minutes for our order, chips came out stone cold, very small portions. The restaurant wasn't busy inside either.

Great fresh fish and sea food, brilliant service, and resonable pricing, considering all elements that the restaurant offers. Great views to the bay.

Unfortunately we didn't have a good experience regarding the food which is the main part we booked up. We are 2 x carers for my terminally ill mother only have 3hrs a week time off with a Sits care company coming in to sit and look after my mother. We rushed over the ferry (walking/running ) ate in time and rushed back to my mother. It was also my father's 75th birthday and my 1st visit. Nice touch with happy birthday but now we both have bad gastric issues my father worse as soon as we got home!! We both had the same set menu same dishes. Really not a good experience at all. Our time is very precious and wanted to treat ourselves as well as being a celebration. :((. We are still feeling ill into the night. As primary carers to my mother we can't afford to be ill like this.

So disappointing. Wonderful location & we had a superb table. Regrettably the quality of the food and service fell way short of the ‘brand name’. The restaurant manager did his best to retrieve a woeful experience. The location and ‘name’ means the restaurant will continue to be busy.

Popped in to grab a lovely take away. The staff were quite rude and off handish! We asked for a menu and were told abruptly to look on line. If RS was there I think he would be quite shocked. Luckily the delicious Fish n Chips made up for it.

Beautiful restaurant from the best.

The food was great but…… 45 mins to get a drink, 1 hour before appetisers. Server 1 oyster when serving was 3 for £15. Told us we could get a carafe of Chablis. Then came over an hour later to tell us it was only by the bottle. Took us 2 hours to get to main. The staff were uninterested and unhelpful

Super nice full English breakfast (only missing the baked beans hehe).

I went a couple of years ago with a friend. The lady at the front desk was so rude. She obviously didn't want to accommodate us. She said they were full...then we heard another colleague (who was much nicer) say it was a quiet day with lots of free tables. She continued to be rude and obstructive to our requests...while veing very nice to other clientele. If the restaurant wants to be represented by such people, that is a shame. We did write and complain, but got no response.

Thank you to all the staff can not complain, food service etc etc etc all 1st class. However........... there was a definite dislike to us asking for the service charge to be taken off the final bill (£120 is this excessive???? When the majority was booze so not really service???? Tell me im wrong?) albeit we did say we would leave our tip on the table. Which we did and was thanked for. It wasn't £120 though. Sorry😮😯🙁

Really disappointing I booked two weeks in advance for a window table and not only did we get a back room table but no apologies at all when we arrived!! The food did not come out at the same time! They forgot some of our order and our meals compared to others were half the size! We used to frequent this place a lot but now remember why we don’t bother going anymore!! Poor service and will not bother returning again nor will i recommend this place!! Very disappointed

Had a delicious lunch at Rick Steins Sandbanks restaurant yesterday with friends. We were a little restricted for time, so we all went for the 3 course £17.50 set menu. Mackerel starter, chicken Holstein with anchovies for mains, walnut tart and clotted cream for desserts. Excellent value and served by a friendly welcoming team as always! Been here quite a few times now and the overall experience is always spot on! Can definitely recommend 😋😋😊

Visited on a Friday for lunch as it was my wife’s birthday. We have been before on a few special occasions and the team at Sandbanks never disappoint. Everything about this restaurant is first class. The staff are always very attentive and the food is always a wonderful treat. We always try and book well in advance to get a table by the windows for the best restaurant view in Dorset. Would highly recommend this special place to everyone who likes a treat now and then. We always leave looking forward to the next time we can visit. Great experience from a great team in a great location. Well done all.

Food was high quality but the staff mixed up our order and made no effort to correct it. Atmosphere was pleasant but a tad sterile. Staff attentive but didn't seem entirely genuine. Impressive wine list. Set menu options available, and reasonably priced.

Absolutely fabulous food and service and a beautiful location! Highly recommended!

Very disappointing ,went for a special occasion and some staff not even a smiley face or wished a happy birthday ! The mackerel starter…just salty crumbs with missing mackerel fillet ? ! We realised this after seeing a picture of somebody else’s ! Despite it being a starter and being small , we still thought it didn't look right ! Also beware if sat in the soft seating area in front of till.Every time the till was used it was vibrating on to my back …feeling like I was constantly being knocked ! I did let the restaurant know of our experience via email , the manager of this restaurant didn’t value our custom . There was no offer of any goodwill gesture ,re booking or to put this right for us in order for us to want to return . We thought it was rather over priced for the service we received ,so we won’t be returning !

Great ambience and service. View of the sea and subset if you are lucky enough to get a table near the window. Good selection of wine. For food, my personal favourite would be the crab linguine but all other dishes we had were very well prepared and presented and tasted very nice.

Lunchtime visit with friends. Two opted for the spring set menu, good value at £17.50 for 3 courses. I opted for a single plate from the main menu, fresh crab linguine, which was extremely good. Service and setting was excellent. The restaurant was full and had a lovely atmosphere.

Visited Friday afternoon it was not busy. Had a table outside for a drink and bar snack as the weather was good. Staff were polite and service quick the snack was the Halloumi which was ok nothing special. Didn't like the atmosphere, too formal partially created by some of the clientele present. In particular an older couple who looked me up and down as they went past. The class system/ money talks is alive and thriving in Rick's at Sandbanks ! What a shame as he comes across as a chef in touch with the people. How uneducated and arrogant that these type of people with money still think it makes them superior to others.

Incredible food, incredible service, and a stunning location to enjoy taking the family for a nice meal! Highly recommend! AND… the master classes and supper clubs are 10/10!

Had a fabulous meal. The chicken fricassee was sensational.

Went here to celebrate a birthday and have been here several times before. Was expecting it to be busy as it was Good Friday but the staff were clearly struggling. We arrived slightly early but were kept 45 mins past our table time with no offer of drinks and had to eventually order our own at the bar which took a long time to come. When we were finally seated we were offered a free bottle of fizz but the waiting stuff were inattentive and took a long time to take our order and when ended up pouring our own wine etc which is unusual for this place. The food was excellent as always although the birthday cake they arranged was dry and had obviously been kept in the fridge which any decent chef will tell you is not good for sponge. The service really let down what was supposed to a special (and expensive!) night. I waiter kept disappearing and coming back smelling of cigarettes and coffees we ordered never appeared and we had to ask for them to be removed from the bill. This was the first time I have ever asked for the optional service charge to be removed from a bill. Very very disappointed. I would expect so much better and have experienced better from this restaurant.

We had "lunch with harbour view". Lovely food and setting and great menu options for everyone. I will go back soon

Most disappointing. Spiced octopus from a tin!!! 2 lobsters at nearly £70 each, were appalling. Supposedly medium in size, but honestly I've seen bigger prawns. Less than 6 inches from head to tail.....

We have visited this restaurant a number of times and this was without reservation onthe middle of the afternoon. Staff were helpful friendly and attentive. The food was lovely and a delicious pudding . The table with a sea view was a lovely bonus .

Beautiful sea front location and a warm welcome with good service throughout our brunch, especially from the smiley girls! Didn't book, took a chance, but the restaurant only had three tables full so plenty of space for us (hence lack of atmosphere as everything was very quiet), and they didn't mind serving us even in our walking gear! Good amount of food and delicious green smoothie.

We had a really great lunch here on a Sunday in April. This is a seas food restaurant and so the menu obviously is heavily aliased to it. But we both had Ribeye Steak which was really good, loads of flavour, very well cooked. Served with chips, also great, and tomato and onion salad which was a lovely contrast. Extensive wine list, attentive service. Not cheap, but worthwhile, highly recommended, even for a couple who do not eat seafood of any sort.

Popped in for a coffee while on a walk. Lovely coffee, lovely staff

Brilliant date night venue. Food was terrific. Came here for my wife's birthday. I ordered the chicken Fricassee, cooked to perfection, moist and tender with beautifully crisp skin, covered in a delicious sauce. The wife's crab linguine, which she said was lovely. After that, we shared an affogato, which was truly spectacular. A member of staff then presented us with a lovely little "happy birthday" art on a plate with melted chocolate, and some fudge. I don't normally do the service charge, but this place goes above and beyond to earn it.

We don’t normally opt for seafood but were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed seafood after dining at Rick Stein’s. We had the tuna and salmon tartare, lobster Thermidor, crab linguine + desserts and all of the food was amazing and bursting with flavours. Service was 5* also, we would love to come back again!

Very slow service, and very mediocre food, while being very expensive. The crab linguini had no crab flavour at all, and just tasted of undressed pasta with a few bits of tomato. The turbot was dry, with rubbery skin, although the sauce was delicious. This was served with sad undercooked and under-seasoned potatoes. Overall a real disappointment, especially when compared to Rick Stein restaurants in Cornwall, which in my experience are excellent

We spent the weekend in Sandbanks staying in Harbour Heights hotel. We booked this restaurant in advance to ensure a table as they are known to be very busy. The reason they are so busy is because the service, hospitality, views and most importantly the food is exceptional. We love seafood and have been to his other restaurant in Cornwall. This one has the same level of excellence in every aspect. If you are looking for an amazing culinary seafood restaurant experience then look no further, here it is!!!

Been visiting since it opened. Never lets us down when taking guests. Also good for taking the pooch at lunchtime downstairs.

Special winter deal( £17.50) for three excellent courses. Incredible value but full price menu also justifiable with consistently great professional service and high standard of food. Staff are clearly well trained to best continental standard rarely found here. Ambience informal and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyable experience

Everything ranging from service to cuisines is beyond perfection. Will definitely become my go to place.