Rockwater in Poole

Spectacular setting on a beautiful night but evening ruined by absurdly loud dj music which made conversation impossible. Service rather slow and chaotic too. Dissapointing.

Amazing waitress Doretta made our breakfast really special, got us a table outside for fizz after.

Lovely restaurant/bar on Bournemouth sea front.

Elliot is an exceptional waiter very attentive and appreciate of my napkin design food was amazing and great. Reuben lovely assistant helpful and found a seat for us in no time will come back here

In the area for a short break visiting family friends, Hannah was the most attentive, helpful and genuinely caring hostess that we could have hoped for. With two children under 3, an elderly person with Alzheimer’s and more than one food allergy at the table in our party of 12, Hannah was gracious and thorough with taking and executing our orders. Chatty and lighthearted, Hannah was appropriately professional whilst being incredibly friendly, giving the atmosphere a truly friends and family vibe, despite the upscale decor and clean lines that could have implied otherwise. The food was wonderful, and all allergies/dietary requirements were catered for without hesitation, including coeliacs disease, lactose intolerance and the aforementioned elderly person being on a special soft food diet. A huge thank you to Hannah, the chefs and everyone else at Rockwater. We’ll be back the next time we’re in the area, without a doubt.

We love this place, food was great and we had an excellent service from Amelie.

Ruben is always welcoming, attentive and provides flawless service

Delicious food lovely view great vibes. Had great service from our waiter Callum who was very accommodating for my dietary preferences

Lovely restaurant, and kiosk for having beers on the beach. Katie-Marie was a super host; really helpful and accommodating!

We stopped in for a coffee and brunch on the weekend. I had scrambled eggs on sourdough toast with streaky bacon and hubby had fried eggs on sourdough toast. Unfortunately his eggs were hard so a little disappointed but I enjoyed mine. We both had a flat white coffee and ended up having another as was really good coffee. Service was good, friendly and didn’t have to wait too long for service or food. Our bill came to just over £40 so perhaps a bit pricey but coffees were just over £4 each so that took a chunk and they added 12.5% gratuity but I didn’t mind as the waiter did point it out when he brought the bill over and said we could remove it if we wanted to. So at least I was given the option on that. It would’ve been nice to get a table outside to enjoy the summer weather we’ve been having but weren’t disappointed with the being sat inside. Comfy chairs and lots of windows to enjoy the view! A little unrelated but think you can tell a lot by the state of toilets, and they were immaculate!!

Absolutely delicious Caesar Salad with hot smoked salmon. The small salad was definitely big enough for a substantial lunch. Service was good, but not particularly fast. 12.5% service charge was automatically added to the bill - hence dropping a star. No reflection on the lovely, polite staff members we interacted with.

Staff brilliant - Hannah looked after us extremely well. Food -Chicken ceasar salad came with very large chunks of cold chicken - not what was expected.

20+ empty tables but couldn't fit us in for a quick bite...

Had a great evening, we did light bites, something from each section of on the menu. The half pint, shell on prawns and double pepperoni pizza were delightful! Was very busy for a Friday night and we hadn’t booked ahead but had a great seat downstairs looking out to the horizon. And special thanks to our wonderful waitress Hannah who made are night amazing with her faultless service and attention to detail. Thanks again!

Hannah was very nice and very sweet to my children’s excellent service

Cannot comment on the quality of the food or the surroundings, however, we stopped off for a coffee whilst cycling from Sandbanks. Sat in the outside area, on the beach side of the prom. My wife went into the building to order and was bruskly informed by a gentleman, "if you want a coffee go the Rockwater bar further up the prom". Obviously we had mis-interpreted that our custom was not worthy of the main establishment, hence we continued our cycle ride and found an alternative establishment. My wife was a bit embarrassed by the way she was treated. Be fair Rockwater, get over yourself, you're a beachside cafe not a Michelin rated restaurant. My suggestion is that your front of house treat customers as they would want to be treated themselves.

Had a lovely relaxing lunch by the beach here, the food was good and the access and parking were good to. Stacey who served us was really polite, friendly and helpful. Will definitely go again.

Honestly this is my go to place when it comes to coffee with a lovely view. A tiny bit on the pricy side however the quality makes it worth it. The staff are absolutely lovely and if you come in with your pet they bring treats/water for them which is so sweet!

Perfect setting for a meal especially on a sunny day . The buttermilk chicken burger was delicious.

Rockwater at Branksome Beach is a popular beachfront venue in Poole, offering a stunning setting with extensive sea views and serving a diverse menu of food and drinks throughout the day, providing a relaxed and scenic spot for dining and gathering.

Love love loved our visit here on our trip away. Will definitely be back!

Wine is very overpriced but is great spot and lovely staff

Great experience over the busy bank holiday. Greeted by great blonde server with RL belt (don’t know name) very attentive and then seated. Great drinks and food offering and grey for those that don’t drink! naughty bear 0.5 IPA on draft winner winner ! May our server was great and despite being warm outside and busy in the restaurant she was flitting in and out serving all her tables smiling and she was all about the finer detail checking on drinks, building rapport and she knew the menu in and out. Basically everything you would want in a server. I love this place always great service. Food is moderately priced and on the higher end but it’s worth it for the quality, atmosphere and view. Perfect first date vibes or for those wanting to visit the beautiful coast as this is the best end of the town near Sanbanks and Canford Cliffs !

Staff didn’t know about table availability and we had to stand around for about 5 minutes waiting for customers to leave so we could have a table. We had to wait 15 minutes just for drinks and the staff gave us only a selection of pizzas for the main menu. However, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was brilliant with a view of the ocean however we had to wait 30 minutes for the food…

Wonderful food compliments to the chef and also to Hannah who was our server , very kind and extremely good at her job

It’s a lovely location ! With very nice staff. We enjoyed the food …. Of course it’s busy. The reason I have given a 4 star is that the prawn cocktail I ordered was something out of a horror show. The prawns were carrying so many eggs ! I had to rip off their heads & their behind. … Ok. Normal shrimp activity 🙄 However, I also had to Dislodge all the eggs from their stomach …. It was just so gruesome, it’s made me look into shrimp farms… which led me to the fact that they remove female shrimps eyes so they breed faster. While I am thankful to the establishment for bringing all this to my attention ….. perhaps a different shrimp farm is appropriate ! That was just …. Shrimp carnage ! I am now seriously considering going vegetarian because it was so utterly horrifying. If you can’t change shrimp supplier …. May I suggest you deal with the shrimp to save your customers the pain 😬🙄 At the risk of sounding like a snowflake … it was just a little ‘Arghhhg’ ….. my pronouns are She, Her. No former known snowflake or Karen sensitivities !!! So if it bothers me I dread to think what it might do to someone else around the table x

Our waitress, Anna, was lovely and very personable together with providing excellent , friendly and efficient service. The lunch of Caesar Salad with halloumi was superb. Yesterday popped back in for coffee during a busy time. Andrew ( Welcome) found us a place inside then we were later able to move outside for a couple of drinks where Veronica gave us the special', always friendly and efficient service. Love going to Rockwater.

Visited this morning, just for a coffee on the ground floor terrace and wanted to make a special mention for Amelie. Amelie welcomed us with a smile, and directed us to an available table, taking our order immediately as we knew what we wanted. During our stay we witnessed Amelie looking after her section. She welcomed all customers with a smile, was very efficient in taking orders and quick to clear tables. It was a joy to watch her work, she is a credit to your business. Thank you Amelie

Had an evening drink here at the sunset. Great evening, superb service from Hannah! Thank you!

Wonderful brunch. Katie was fab. Thank you 😊 the banana bread was awesome.

Our brunch today was marvellous. Even more so because of the wonderful service and conversation with Katie.

Me and my girlfriend pop in and has something to eat it was very nice and very expensive it was a special occasion excellent fish menu

A lovely experience with fantastic food amazing views and great service. We were a large table of 10 with a mixture of kids and adult adults. Everything was exceptional as was the weather couldn’t ask for more!

**Unforgettable Dining by the Sea** You’ll find it hard to discover anywhere in the UK with views as stunning as those at Rockwater Branksome in Bournemouth. We had an incredible early Saturday evening dinner on the rooftop terrace, gazing out over the sea — the atmosphere was absolutely perfect! We started with refreshing Aperol Spritz cocktails, followed by Lobster and Oysters, both fresh and full of flavour. For mains, we enjoyed the Turbot steak on the bone and Monkfish, paired with delicious, healthy sides like charred cabbage in a Parmesan crumb, Jersey Royals, buttered kale, and a crisp green salad. The service was outstanding. A huge thank you to Rhys, who made our experience extra special with his attentiveness and warm hospitality. His professionalism truly elevated the evening. It was delightful from start to finish and we’ll definitely be returning. Highly recommended for anyone seeking exceptional food, impeccable service, and unbeatable views. Many thanks Nikki, Kev, Ellie & Ralph our doggie xxx

Had a lovely breakfast with a beach view today. Staff very friendly and helpful. Food delicious. We weren't rushed at all. Great location.

Popped in for lunch and was given great service by Rhys. Lovely Haddock and chips on the prom in the sunshine. Well worth a visit.

Set across from the beach at Branksome, this eatery has lovely views but is sheltered from the wind. There are different levels: on the ground level you can order drinks, breakfasts and pizzas or salads, and the upper level is for fine dining. We had a pizza and eggs Benedict, which were so delicious. Went for a coffee on a busy sunny morning and was able to sit on the upper side terrace, which has fantastic views and is a real suntrap.

We had lunch on the terrace and really enjoyed the afternoon. Food was great and the service from Katie was impeccable she was friendly and helpful throughout. Well worth a visit

We’ve recently visited Rockwater at Branksome hoping for a great birthday celebration but unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations. Atmosphere was great but purely because we came a bunch of close friends and also the venue is very nice especially on such a beautiful evening like few days ago. I went for a rare beef steak, which should have been the highlight of the meal, but unfortunately was very very average at best. It arrived at the table lukewarm, almost as if it had been sitting out for a while before being served. The biggest disappointment was the meat quality itself. It was tough, lacked flavor, and had a strangely processed texture that made it hard to enjoy. £40 for that quality of meat it’s a letdown. I could have made a complain and return that food but didn’t want to spoil that evening for the other people. Service was decent, but it couldn’t make up for the food. With so many better options nearby, I doubt I’ll be returning anytime soon. Bill was £500 for a table of 4 people and included main meals (2x steaks- both very average at best and 2x fish very small portions ) bottle of Prosecco, 2 bottles of wine, 2 pints of beer and 3 deserts. And definitely in that price range there are better places to visit locally. In the future I may just pop in for a beer, cocktail and sit down with a bunch of friends to enjoy nice sunny evening but I don’t think that I will ever visit that place to eat anything.

Booked last minute for my father’s birthday. Super lovely staff I wish I could mention by name but I forgot to ask. The food and drinks were top notch, we all had the Monkfish mains, the starters and accompaniments were great, and the additional touches of a birthday card and sweet dessert for the birthday boy was much appreciated. Five stars!

Katie was outstanding. An asset to the team. What a wonderful employee. Excellent service and food. Highly Recommend!

Delicious lunch, fish and chips cooked perfectly with crispy batter and excellent service from Katie who was attentive, helpful, speedy and polite. Thank you!

English cuisine can't get any better

Lovely lunch. Friendly and efficient service by Hannah. We will be back

We choose the shellfish sharing platter, and it was deliciously good! We will be back for more! 💖

Hannah G was fantastic from once we arrived to when we left .it made such a difference she obviously enjoys working with you .

Great view and good variety of menu.

Great food in a lovely location right on the beach front. We visited with friends and our 2 children, for a late lunch. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. It was a busy service but they managed to move us to the sofa area when we wanted to stay for another drink too

We walked in and had no booking, they accommodated us well, as it was busy, and we were seated on table 1. The service was great and really helpful, we had a waitress called Natalie who looked after us and was great with our kids. Will be going back.

Visited Rockwater Branksome yesterday, family of four and our pet dog Bella, we ate upstairs on the roof terrace. Service from Lucy was excellent, the fish and seafood plates we had were fantastic. Loved the fact that a restaurant serving such great food was so dog friendly and we could all relax and enjoy the experience. We’ll be back!

Food was better before. Quality of food not adequate to the price. Cocktails so-so. You can go for the view but not for the "great food". It is quite pricey for the experience in my opinion. Service still nice.

Hannah G was amazing. Super accommodating to my son and very friendly :)

Beautiful location and lovely drinks and pizzas! But have stopped here for coffee before on a walk with a friend and the service charge is added even for just a hot drink which does take the price up a bit. Understand on food orders and groups but does make the price alot higher, this should be optional rather than just added. It is dog friendly so you will find dogs in the restaurant

Extremely rude and unwelcoming and impolite member of staff that served us last night. The place has definitely gone downhill and the service levels are not what they should be. We actually left due to bad service! My friend and I came to sit down outside and wanted to order a hot drink and some food, the waitress only bought an alcoholic menu and didn’t ask us if we wanted food and only assumed we wanted alcohol. It was quite cold so we asked for blankets and she was rude and abrupt and told us ‘ No there was no blankets’ . When she came back to ask my friend what she would like. My friend said she would like a hot drink, my friend is European so has a bit of an accent and the waitress looked at her and again was really rude when asking her ‘what ? ‘ a what drink ? ‘ and pulled a bit of a screwed up face not understanding what my friend had asked for. When I intervened I said ‘ a hot drink , like latte / coffee ? ‘ the waitress then again was rude and said “ we do but Im going back to serve the other people down there as I’m just so busy “ The table behind overheard and the man sniggered about the waitress saying “ great hospitality ‘. I was actually quite shocked at how rude she was, and even if she was ‘so busy ‘ , it’s not what you would expect a waitress to tell a customer and be so hostile ! Her manner in how she spoke to my friend because she didn’t quite understand her accent was most concerning to me , and I refuse to pay for bad service so we actually just got up and left ! I have been coming to Rockwater since it first opened and there was always good service and polite and friendly staff even when busy. It’s disappointing the place is definitely not as good as it first used to be, either due to understaffing or poor recruitment . This staff member clearly lacked customer service and care skills, she was extremely rude and abrupt and I was disgusted in how she spoke to my friend so rudely as she didn’t understand her accent , she didn’t realise I was English as I watched her interacting with my friend talking to her in such an unpolite and unprofessional way!

Lovely venue & food, great Addison to the area, Sandbanks next time!!! No zero alcohol on menu or available, a shame.....

Lovely place great location great food and service may was brilliant can’t wait to go back

The mushroom pithivier was nice. Potato’s were overcooked The Yorkshire pudding was so oily it was oozing out. Veggie gravy tasted and looked like baby puree. Overall the food was average. Not sure I’d have it again. No dogs should be allowed in as paying customers are eating food it’s unhygienic and people could be allergic! The waitress that served us wasn’t that friendly. Overall it has put me off from coming back again.

Lovely food, great atmosphere and May our server, was fantastic.

Birthday treat Service upstairs was amazing - thank you Jamie for looking after us on my birthday

We ate here today with a group of 19. service and food was very good. We ordered in advance. Reuben our waiter was fantastic, efficient and great fun. He really made the experience memorable for us.

The service definitely needs work. This was the 2nd time trying this place and it’s just not getting better in terms of service. We walked in to the front desk and 2 members of staff not only completely ignored us and carried on their private conversation, the walked away from the desk leaving us waiting and looking for someone to check in with. We were shown upstairs and then left again at an empty desk where another couple were also stood waiting frustrated. We had 2 small children and we were eventually seated but it took over 20 mins before I eventually got up with my 2 year old to find someone to take our order as our little ones were hungry. Once ordered the food came quickly and was nice, but nothing reflective of the price or how beautiful the setting is! The servers were very helpful and friendly once we got their attention but they just don’t seem to be fully trained on top level service or are under staffed. Just a simple smile and ‘I’ll be with you in a few minutes’ would make all the difference when customers arrive. Then checking if customers have ordered where there are still menus on the table is to a minimum.

Fantastic place for an early evening coffee

A really warm welcome and attention straight away meeting everyone's needs. The 6 of us plus our dog were upstairs with the exceptional view of the sea and blue sky. We are a group of veggies, vegan and meat eaters and nothing was too much trouble. Beautiful meals and desserts. Even the dog was spoilt with attention and treats. Would highly recommend 😍

Beautiful restaurant with outdoor seating overlooking the beach. Extensive food and drink menu. Recommended for summer and winter months. The staff are very friendly and professional too.

Visited for Mother’s Day - food was great - especially the treacle tart with ginger - just amazing! Service from both Lucy’s (do you need to be called that to work there?!) was just perfect 😃 Tom the chef did the restaurant proud and we’ll be back!

Had simplicity when arriving for a booked table, 15 mins too early. The staff made us feel welcome and seated us comfortably in the bright dining cafe and we had some gorgeous pizzas for lunch - atmosphere wasn't too busy

Great food, great service and great view.

Mae was a great waitress. Food was very good. They made room for us when we hadn't booked and the view was incredible.

Mae was our lovely server tonight, very helpful and attentive. The view of the beach is lovely in evening, the food is spectacular with only a couple of vegan options but all super tasty. Lovely evening overall, expensive but worth it for a special occasion or catch up with good friends!

Food was nice but I think overpriced at £21. Service was very slow and we were waiting too long for our order to be taken, and a table who sat down after us had their order taken before us so it made us feel ignored.

Great atmosphere, beautiful restaurant, lovely food and drinks. Fantastic service by May. Highly recommended especially when it’s sunny.

Lovely food and excellent waitress. Adriana

I'm still giving this place 5 stars because of previous visits. Our last however, was bad. It's not just bad for this place but bad in general. Service was slow, they had no excuse for this, they were not busy. My wife received her food, and there were nuts on it, which was NOT on the menu. This is a serious and heinous error on the establishments part. Because of this, my wife has already vowed not to return and as she is my wife, that means I won't be either. Rockwater asked me to contact them directly over email. 1 week later and I've heard nothing!?

Lovely bream for lunch. Henry enjoyed his pizza too! Our waiter Ben was excellent

Such lovely views and service was good! We enjoyed the food, but I wish the coffee was better for such an exclusive location (that's just me being picky though as there's so many great coffee places in the area)! Will be back!

Wowsers £25 for a cider too and medium glass of wine! Plus seated behind a massive wall so no view. Not impressed at all

Great lunch with friends, Katie was very kind and efficient and served us with such grace and personality! The Shepherds pie was delicious, too!

Last Wednesday afternoon, my friend and I, along with our four children, arrived at the restaurant without a reservation. I anticipated we might be turned away, but instead, we were kindly asked to wait a few minutes. Ruben generously prepared a table for us! He went above and beyond to make us feel special, and each child felt like the most important guest as they ordered their rather elaborate ice cream selections. He patiently took their order, despite several changes. Thank you for your kindness, Ruben, and your patience in accommodating us! You made our afternoon!

Beautiful spot right on the beach.

Fabulous setting, service was slow, nice friendly ambience and friendly staff, confusing with bar menu for one bit of restaurant and another menu for another. Not enough plant based options, sadly. Nice decor. Would I revisit? Yes, but for drinks only at the moment.

Buyer beware!! Great location great service but boy do you pay for it! £16.00 for 2 pints! Including a service charge that came out of nowhere. Higher prices than Belgravia London 😱.

Arrived on a lovely march day waited to be seated which was fine, staff were slow which I can understand when busy. Order our food and drinks, drinks come very quickly as did the food. We had ordered some chicken wings to share to start but they come at the same time as our mains, a pizza and a ceasar salad. The ceasar salad was supposed to come no anchovies and added chicken, the salad come with blue cheese not chicken, we waited for someone to come back no one did so I got up to find someone. When I told the waiter they said I’ll get you a new one no apology nothing, returned to the table started our chicken wings and after 15 minutes eventually after asking how long it would be the salad with chicken arrived, although it had anchovies this time. Rather than bother complaining my partner just picked them out as we didn’t what to wait another 15 minutes as I had already finished my food. The pizza was okay burnt in places the chicken wings were nice but the ceasar salad was very bland and not very nice. The food was okay service was very poor not a single apology for the food mistakes never once asked if we wanted anything else or if the food was okay. Really poor for a place that changed £98 for this. Would highly recommend avoiding this place as very overpriced for bang average food and rubbish service.

The food and ambience was excellent as was the customer service from May, who was awesome and a credit to the company. All in all a wonderful experience and I am happy to encourage my friends and colleagues to visit. Many thanks Kevin

If you’re looking for friendly high quality service, look elsewhere! My review isn’t based on one visit alone, my review is based on multiple visits across the last 12 months. Being local to the area, we have given Rockwater multiple chances to be the venue it can and should be. Whether this be for a coffee in the morning or drinks in the evening. The service is very slow and certain managers and hosts are not very welcoming or look interested to help. Often we just get turned away, whilst empty tables are visible. One occasion I had to get my coffee from the bar itself as it was just sitting there going cold. I’ve also waited over 30 minutes for an Aperol spritz when the place was 25% full. Upstairs seems to always be closed for a ‘private event’ when you can clearly see no one is up there. Such a waste of space, especially on sunny Mother’s Day! Today we were told to find a table outside and a waiter will take our order. We sat outside for 20 minutes before I had to get up and find a waiter inside. Who then came and took our order of two drinks. 20 minutes later our drinks had still not arrived, it’s not even busy! You wonder why ??? So we left. This is 3 of many more occasions where service and staff have been extremely poor. I genuinely don’t want to leave a review like this but enough is enough and it seems to be a recurring theme. Rockwater Branksome…. Sort it out!

The food here for breakfast is absolutely delicious! Highly recommend the banana bread and eggs benedict. Our server Monica , went above and beyond, accommodating every request with a smile. She ensured we had everything we needed and made the experience here amazing. The only adjustment I would change is for the upstairs to be no dogs.

Great place on the seafront, we sat outside on a lovely sunny day for lunch, fantastic friendly service, good food and beverage choice. Caesar Salad a bit pricey but tasty.

Excellent red velvet cake today. Perfect with a coffee. Thanks to Ben for recommending

Amazing views , good food , slow service still worth a visit

I had the best red velvet cake ever thank you Andreana and Ben - delicious ♥️

Food was great but the level of service is the worse I’ve experienced. Never been gaslighted by a waiter before until going here. Jensen was appalling. From getting things wrong, being nonchalant about it, not communicating why he had to wait soo long for our food, not asking if we wanted more drinks while we waited and the worst part was trying to bully the table into paying for the service charge. Then we declined to pay it he made out it was because we couldn’t afford it. Then he said it was because it’s how his system is for the bill and it couldn’t be removed. I could go into more detail but I think my point is proven. Avoid at all costs.

Family brunch can’t fault anything or anyone all working as a team served by a lad called Jensen very professional cheers mate for looking after us

Amazing food, gorgeous restaurant, stunning views, roof terrace is an amazing experience definitely worth a visit if your in the area. Highly recommend.

Great good had brilliant service thank you jensen for looking after us much appreciated will definitely be returning

A really nice spot, very well decorated. However service was incredibly slow, and waiting staff impatient and rude. Head to The Noisy Lobster down the road for great service

Great location and stunning views over the beach. We had fish and chips which were delicious.

Lovely location, great drinks! Adriana was excellent, service was over and above!

Friendly service, delicious food, sumptuous ladies room and a view to die for. Anna, our waitress, was friendly, efficient and had a great sense of humour.

I can't remember the last time I had to wait two hours for my food.... The first dish arrived after 50 minutes, we were with two small children... in my case I didn't order starters, it took me 2 hours to put the first piece in my mouth... desperate. It was my first time and certainly my last. Apparently this is a recurring situation... The waiters were friendly but in this situation it was of little use....

Liam was the best, made every drink asked for and offered brilliant service. thank you for a lovely day out!

Thoroughly enjoyed celebrating my husband’s birthday with brunch at Rockwater yesterday. Excellent food, attentive service and what a location!