The Point in Poole

We used to stay at The Haven many moons ago and wanted to return to see it. It was also a lovely day and hoped we could sit outside and watch the world go by in and out of Poole Harbour. Things started well but gradually became more worrying as our food did not arrive. We ended up waiting around 1.5 hours for our food with no explanation from the kitchen, despite waiting staff apologetically telling us food was ok minutes away. When the food did arrive, my sandwich looked like it had been toasted, it had sat on the pass for that long. They made me another sandwich and took it off the bill. The whole order should have been reimbursed but the bar manager didn't seem to think a 1.5 hour wait for food was problematic. Lovely setting, food good but staff judgement when things went wrong fell well short in my opinion.

Really helpful staff. Made sure we had an amazing view over to Studland. Which takes some beating. The food was delicious. I had pork confit which was cooked to perfection. Not fatty or greasy. Lovely veg too. The beef bourguignon was great too. I will definitely come again.

Terrible service. We sat down for breakfast and no one came to take our orders. After waiting for 20 minutes without any attention, we decided to leave. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

Lovely place. Only stopped by for a drink so can't connect on the food.

Food is great, location is even better but the service is consistently AWFUL! literally awful and I’m basing this on 6 trips here in as many months. Don’t bother sitting down and waiting for someone to take your order as it won’t happen. The waiting staff have no sense of urgency or service skills. If staying at the hotel for breakfast then that’s fine but the point restaurant needs a massive overhaul and training of the staff. I feel disappointed for the chef as the food is really great but ruined by the FOH.

Had a few drinks here both inside and out. Staff were really nice and the location was perfect

Pretty overpriced (£19 for a caesar salad!!) but the food was nice and a good view. My friend was however surprised to be served a burger when the portabello mushroom dish she ordered didn’t have anything in the description saying it was a burger!

I booked The Point as part of our anniversary and asked if it was possible to have halal options for the meal. I hadn’t heard back and thought that’s fine we’ll have something else. When we arrived the manager approached us and said they’d been able to sort out halal chicken which was not on the menu. Incredible service and delivery. The food was great and the ambiance and views just as great. The staff were very helpful and we couldn’t as for more. Thank you again for a great experience. We’ll definitely be back.

All very sad. Having had a pleasant lunch last month I returned with friends for dinner this week. Firstly the maitre d' was insistent we had our pre dinner drinks at the table rather than the lounge while we looked at the menus. On the menu the selection was very poor. Steak veggie fish or Lamb, in the end some of the party eat from the Bar menu. The wine glasses were cleared from the table without being offered wine, no water was offered, desserts came to the table with no cutlery. No staff were about and we had to raid other tables still laid up and then finally, no coffee was offered This was not an enjoyable meal, the waiting staff blamed the kitchen for being one chef down, when the restaurant was not busy Too be honest if we had be shown the menu before being seated at the table we would have walked. This restaurant in the past has been very good, this is certainly not the case now

I am reluctant to write a negative review as we love locally and have visited the Haven many times over the years. I will relate what happened when we visited for coffee on August 3rd last week. We ordered coffee in the Bar about 10.45 am and were told that coffee was not served to non-residents until 11, but they did serve us. There were no prices displayed and we were amazed to find the charge was £4.70 each so the bill was £9.40 for two regular americanos with cold milk on the side. It was served with a small wrapped biscuit each. We queried this at Reception when we left and were told by ‘David’ that he had been instructed to put prices up. Later that day we sent an email to natasha.manley@fjbhotels.co.uk who we were told was the area Manager. We complained about the pricing and asked if the Haven was discouraging non-residents. We received no acknowledgement or reply to this email. This morning we have forwarded our email again requesting a response and we have not had a reply. These are the facts and we are still waiting to hear. Excessive price and poor service.

you read other reviews and you tell yourself, maybe it will be better with us. So we booked a table at The Point for Fri night, perfect warm sunny weather so we asked to sit outside. Outside is weird - they have this amazing breathtaking view but uncleared dirty tables, weeds growing on the terrace, it looks really unkempt and scruffy. OK so then we were given the restaurant menu AND the bar menu and told we could order off both, so we did, but it seemed to cause our wait staff confusion. The food was ok but LOL my husband ordered the salmon cannelloni to start and it came up as salmon rolled in the shape of cannelloni - surely a total miss-sell if you were hoping for actual cannelloni! I ordered the Haven Club sandwich, it was sliced bread and a very odd crab mix that looked like sweetcorn. Then the bill - over £100 for one glass of champagne, one glass of red, a bar starter, a restaurant starter and two mains from the bar menu. Absolutely disgraceful pricing. Friendly and helpful staff although I sensed they were doing the best they could. I don't know, go for the view I guess. Don't go for the food and don't go for the quality to cost ratio, its out of whack big time.

Booked this for our wedding anniversary, would have received better service at McDonald’s Firstly don’t get excited over restaurant , it’s same place you eat breakfast ! Second we pre booked and asked for sea view table, when we arrived no tables available even though tables empty, seated without menus nor offered drink. Had to ask for both! Starters okay but my husband had to leave table to go bar to get drinks. Finally mains arrived, not hot but looked okay, my husband ordered medium rare fillet steak what he got was well done ! When we mentioned this to waitress she said oh I’ll talk to chef and walked away. She did come back and took my husbands plate, leaving me to eat alone ! We decided not to wait and left my food. Managers response was very poor said it’s not my fault the chefs cook fillet in a bath and that’s how it is, why ask how you want your steak cooked??? Then presented with full bill for good we had without apology ! Terrible disappointment for anniversary celebration. Would not recommend nor return. Only thing I can say is manager was not supported by a very poor team and was managing both bar and restaurant. Off to fish n chip shop, happy 39th wedding anniversary

Despite ringing the hotel 3 times (yes, three times!) to advise them that we're vegan, they still hadn't bothered to cater for us at all. We ordered leek & potato soup. What arrived was an oily unpleasant tastng watercress soup. We told them that it was unpleasant & not leak & potato, but they insisted it was! Despite us leaving the soup & reiteratjng that it wasn't nice, they still charged us for it! My main course was ok, but not great, but my friends main course was completly bland & she left that also. Again, despite tolling them that her main course was not good & leaving it, we were still charged for it! Dessert was OK, but not great. It was obviously something the chef had scraped together without any effort. We asked which wines were vegan but the restaurant manager said "he only sells normal wine" so we had to sit & google the wine list ourselves! We won't be returning. We won't be recommending to friends & family. The only thing this restaurant still has going for it is the views!

We visited for an evening meal and were let down by the poor service. Considering the prices and location, the staff were rude and unapproachable. Limited menu and cold atmosphere.

3 starters, 3 main courses, 3 desserts. None of them appealed to us, a very 'limited' menu. Bar food (bages, sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips) very overpriced and under flavoured.

Comprehensive menu choice, especially the self service breakfast. Dinner menu and setting excellent. Good range of wines.

A hidden gem? Dropped in here for a late light lunch and very much enjoyed the experience. Good, simple fresh food, friendly service (and thoroughly welcoming to 🐕)... Thoroughly recommended!

Nice environment for a brilliant breakfast. Ee also had a fabulous lunch as well. Can't comment on the dinner. Staff lively and helpful as well.

its such a shame the service and food doesnt match the location and view average food, slow service when asked for fries instead of salad and crisps on the side they still brought the side salad and crisps and charged us for the fries wonderful view though and you catch a tan while eating

High tea ...stale sandwiches limited pastry choice

Fantastic meal. Compliments to the chef it was absolutely delicious. Menu was varied and well thought out, something for everyone. Would definitely recommend - pricey but worth every penny.

Super place to eat with a great view. Book a table in the shade though! Staff much improved. Can recommend nibbles platter (roasted chickpeas failed though). Our roasted camembert had some plastic wrap still on it which was dismissed by the kitchen....

We had a fantastic meal at The Point Restaurant in the Haven Hotel, the views were amazing, we sat right by the sea & could see for miles. The boats & marine life were so close & wonderful to watch. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful & efficient. The food was wonderful, cooked really well & fresh. The overall experience was Brilliant, a really magical night out.

Dined here during our tay at the haven hotel &staff were great catering for my mums gluten intolerance

We have had a booking for 19:00 on the 17th of June, I have had the confirmation email and we were on our way. Traffic in Sandbanks was really bad due to roadworks, and I know they keep the table for 15 minutes but I thought I will call to let them know we migjt be late. I called just before 19:00, a guy picked up. He was nice and he said there might be an issue because he cannot find our booking, he placed me on hold trying to resolve the issue and then after several minutes (while we were stuck in traffic on the way there), a lady picked up the phone. I suppose she was a manager, But not sure she did not present herself. And she sharted the conversation with “right , what is the issue what is the name on the booking?” Confirmed my name the 4th time and she started rasing her voice at me, like it was my fault and saying we are busy and I don’t have a table for you. (No apologies, not trying to help just a blunt “f**k you attitude and raised voice). This is a restaurant which presents itself above the regular restaurants and pubs around here but this employee is ruining the image. I understand language barrier can sometimes be an issue, but this lady was rude and her attitude was discusting. I will raise this further, obviosly we wasted 1 hours in traffic for nothing, Inhad to put the phone down on her because she was almost screaming at me and without even trying to help or apologise.

This place channels the overlook hotel from the shining, only with less axe murdering and more forgotten orders and eye wateringly high prices. And don’t expect lemon in your g&t - you won’t get it.

Nice Sunday roast with great views would have liked a bit more meat with my roast especially for the £27 price paid! But would return

I rarely have high expectations for hotel dining and was subsequently very impressed by the fare at The Point. The view is lovely being straight across the entrance to Poole Harbour to the open and wild Studland beach. All of our food was of an excellent standard, way above my expectations. It’s probably a bit expensive for a hotel restaurant, but then the location and the views will account for some of that!

Afternoon Tea to celebrate 2 birthdays. At £26 per head you would expect an accompanying glass of bubbly. Sadly not the case, an additional £9.50 for a glass of something to drink. We were given 1 pot of cream & Jam to fill 6 scones,...

Lovely outlook with simple well presented lunch.

this hotel and restaurant has the most amazing view and location overlooking the water toward Studland Beach. The Point restaurant has a long terrace with lots of outdoor tables. Service was chaotic and we were left waiting to give our order for 20 minutes. Once...

Don’t believe the negative reviews on this restaurant. Food and service were perfect. Me and my partner came for Valentine’s Day evening meal and the little touch of giving out roses and decorated table were lovely.

Stayed in the hotel ( hotel reviewed separately) and chose to eat our evening meal at the point, the views of the sea snd old Harry’s rocks are unspoiled, but the food was the star of the show, my husband and I both chose the...

Stayed at the hotel for 2 nights had a really delicious meal the first night & breakfast on both mornings was really good. We are looking to book again for Feb!!!

Lovely staff very helpful , although the restaurant was quite empty

Good menu, fairly priced, beautifully presented. Would definitely recommend. Only giving it 4 stars, because the kitchen closes rather early, meaning the last booking is 8:30pm. That said, no one was rushing us to leave once we'd finished eating.

Clean environment. Friendly, hardworking staff, lovely choice of breakfast, if staying at the hotel haven

Ordered chicken burgers arrived cold not even warm. One of the burger was asked for the burger to be topped with cheese the cheese was a lump of grated cheese . At the end of the meal we ordered 5 teas they were served in pots to share not individual pots. Totally waste of nearly £250 l not visit again.

We stayed at the Haven and dined here the first evening as we had booked lots of local restaurants to try whilst there, but i think this was our favourite. The food is exceptional, the staff courteous and professional, and the setting beautiful, making full...

Good food and great service. Plenty of tables inside and outside, enjoying the scenery and sea view. Enjoyed the Fish and chips, Beef, and Tuna.

Lovely views. Great service. Lovely food, especially vegan platter.

We are guest at the hotel and dinned in the restaurant twice. The first time I ordered the rib roast with Yorkshire puddings and received silverside and no Yorkshire pudding. I was told they had run out of Yorkshire pudding. What chef doesn't know how to make Yorkshire pudding? Second time we dined in the restaurant we ordered beer battered haddock and chips. We were sever something resembling Pollock and no beer batter. This meal was no better than you'd get at local pub. On the plus side the service was attentive A bit cheeky trying to charge for the tip with out being given the option to give one.

Fabulous mussels, gorgeous view. A very special place for lunch

We went for lunch, the location is fab especially sitting outside overlooking the harbour. The menu is limited however the food was delicious. Staff were all very friendly. Highly recommended

Amazing views, service was good, food was disappointing. My Lunch Main, Tandoori Chicken Salad with chargrilled Pak Choi?, Pak Choi?... thought that is a fast stir fry vegetable?..( fresh crisp dressed green lettuce would have been my choice if I was making this at home ) the chicken had no Tandoori flavour, and was very finely chopped, so no texture at all, made into a circle, had the appearance of cat food, with a dollop of bland chutney in the middle, two spoon swirls of white tasteless sauce, err no.. not what a Tandoori Chicken Salad lunch should have been.

Very disappointing for what is supposed to be the best hotel in the area. Where shall I start? Firstly dress warmly, air conditioning - which is not needed - was full blast and I was shivering through this worse than average meal. My starter of...

Came here for lunch last week during the hot hot weather. A perfect and stunning location and we sat outside looking at the view to Studland and watching the boats. I understand the difficulty with staffing in the current climate, but even with only 4...

Great Sunday lunch, staff excellent, friendly and efficient. Nice place for friends to meet. The prices were reasonable too. Would recommend.

Very friendly staff even in a peak time. View is fantastic.

The Point offers a beautiful setting with views across to Studland and Old Harry. Unfortunately the food and service didn't really live up to its location. Started with a drink on the terrace outside which was probably the best part of the whole evening, we...

Nice breakfast and helpful service!

Virtually nothing to commend The Point, other than the view. Very poor, limited menu, that was the same all week. Lacklustre service, verging on the disinterested at times. Expensive for quality of food and zero ambience to boot. Lack of table-linen or any adornment, and...

Went today for a lunch started with the moule marinière it was ok but not seasoned properly. The worst was my main I had the duck leg confit, the dish consisted of a soup of lentils flavourless with the leg on the top again a...

We spent the week in Sandbanks to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Because this was a special occasion I wanted to enjoy a special evening so I made a reservation at The Point. We were shown to our seat and was surprised to see no...

As non-hotel guests, we struggled to even find the entrance as the surroundings are in the dark and all doors seem to be closed. No friendly nor welcoming atmosphere once you find your way in. It has the look and feel of a cafeteria, with...

Wouldn't go back. Lovely view. Small menu, moules were good (one basket of bread between three people). Noodle salad was inedible, cold noodles swimming in soy sauce with rubber chicken and half an egg. Pork chop fatty not crispy. Very no frills. Slow, unattentive service and when we advised the staff how awful the 'noodle salad' was, there was little interest and no effort to ensure we left satisfied. We left quite underwhelmed.

With COVID the presentation and ambience are stripped back to the austere. So focus on the food. We had a wide selection from the menu and this was of consistently good quality. Presentation on starters and deserts were thoughtfully presented and of a very good...

We visited the restaurant for our first wedding anniversary. We booked as we thought the view was just the setting to enjoy our anniversary. Very disappointed with the price of the food for what you got. View was ok from inside but better from the terrace ( that we couldn't use). Didn't feel like we were in a restaurant at all. Felt like we just in a normal hotel restaurant. Felt quite rushed also. Won't be visiting again. Very disappointing.

The view from the terrace is excellent, but not quite as good from the inside restaurant although still probably worth the visit. It didn’t really feel like a quality al a carte restaurant inside though, so glad we sat outside. Unfortunately you can’t book the terrace tables so you have to book an inside one then ask to sit at the terrace when you arrive and hope you get a table.The food choice is a bit limited, so we had the fish and chips, which was ok but expensive at around £15 for what amounts to a bar meal. I would probably visit again if staying in the area but it could be a really quality restaurant if more effort was put in to the menu.

Limited menu each day. Cheaper not to pre book. Do not pre book more expensive or the same as on the night.

after going to Rick Steins restaurant last August we thought we would try the Point as it overlooks Studland Bay and we can enjoy the sight of the water and boats while eating. I was pleased I booked as it was fully booked on arrival. As we were early we had a choice of tables and got one at the far end so we could see right over to Bournemouth. Service was good and friendly and we ordered shandy's and fish and chips which was nice and enjoyable. However we had to wait over 20mins for the bill asking twice and when the waitress we hadnt seen until then came over asked us was everything alright I said yes apart from waiting twenty minutes for the bill and she did not respond or acknowledge my comment at all ! No apology or any comment at all. The hotel is tired in the comment areas and toilets and needs attention so wouldnt stay but this is a nice play to sit and enjoy the view with light bites.

Came here on a weekday and it wasn't crowded. The restaurant is in a lovely setting with a nice terrace. The food ok but not brilliant. Would come here again just for the setting.

Busy restaurant with a view over to studland

On the last night we had a dinner in the restaurant that was just out of this world - the ambience and view are just beautiful. The head waiter was just a wonderful friend ensuring the food and wine were such tasty partners.

Restaurant de l'hotel, très bon mais un peu cher, plats du jour changés tous les jours, menu avec choix 2 ou 3 plats

We were booked in to stay at the hotel on Saturday and Sunday evening. I booked about 2 weeks in advance as I thought it easier to eat at the hotel then go searching for a restaurant on arrival. We were seated in a window seat away from the 3 other tables that were occupied. It was a stormy evening and it was cold at our table. The food was average and was not reflected in the price. I had the set menu and my husband chose from the specials - fillet steak - just really poor - unappetising to look at. We went to Steins the following evening - for the same price scale it was a much better meal. It’s only a 10 min walk away.

Went yesterday Thursday October3rd to Sandbanks to celebrate a very special ladies 80th birthday.. Having been to the restaurant many times it was rather disappointing food wise.. As usual the staff where very helpful and kind and made a big fuss of my friend but we had the set lunch menu and it was really not up to the standard I am used to at Rick Stein's,, The main meal of hake and puy lentils arrived in a bowl and there was far too many lentil s nearly going over the edge of the bowl.. The puddings where really not up to standard my peach melba came with tinned peaches and as there are so many available fresh at the moment I could not believe that you served up tinned fruit.. The strawberry meringue came with what tasted like frozen strawberries very soft and tasteless rather watery. THe lady whoes birthday it was had that and she was not impressed...... Come on Rick sort this out .. I would like to receive a reply from these comments just to see what you have to say. Many thanks Irene Notley

Booked Sunday lunch on a whim after planning to go to the beach for an early stroll by the water and explore Sandbanks. Booked for 1pm, restaurant was quiet as it was an exceptionally sunny September Sunday, the terrace & Spa were busy. Service was very good, attentive but discreet. Good menu, food was great, quality and presentation very good, seasoned well and the wine list gave a good choice to suit all budgets and tastes including wine by the glass - the Coravin system for fine wines by the glass is a great idea and the Louis Jadot Chablis Grande Cru les Blanchots 2015 is highly recommended.

Beautiful setting and easy parking. Our tea was ruined by a guest at the next table constantly harassing the waitress, declaring undying love and telling her he was such a 'naughty boy'. He pawed at her as she coped wonderfully. I had a word with her after the tea to express that I felt she should not have to put up with that behaviour. I asked to see her manager who declared he was harmless, a resident who spent 6 months of the year with them and he was 'one of us'. The hotel should have a duty of care and more respect for their junior staff, reminding guests, no matter how lucrative to the hotel, of modern day standards of behaviour towards women.

Dined here one evening during our stay and the staff were very helpful, especially with ensuring my wife was well catered for as she is lactose intolerant. Would definitely recommend this place for a meal.

Group of friends who often come down to sandbanks for weekends regularly, thought we would give ‘The Point’ a go.Service - very poor. Constantly waiting for someone to offer us any. Only got the bill when we told someone (who initially said it wasn’t his job) that we were about to walk out without paying if someone didn’t turn up soon. They couldn’t manage so much as “enjoy your meal”. Took an empty bottle of wine off our table without even asking if we wanted anything else. When we asked for the service charge to be removed they didn’t even care enough to ask why or if there had been a problem. Food - hit and miss. Chicken was nice but the gravy on it was horribly bitter and had a skin on the top. The lamb and sea bass were excellent. Starters and deserts were average. Good wine selection. In such a lovely setting there is such huge potential to have a fantastic restaurant, shame it was a bit of a let down.

Wir übernachteten und diesem Hotel, da das Reisebüro dieses gebucht hatte: Kann nicht so wirklich positives berichten:-Zu wenig Parkplätze, Hotelgäste müssen quasi warten bis sie dann vllt noch ein Parkplatz bekommen wen sie nach einem Ausflug zurück kommen.-Zimmerservice und Sauberkeit sehr schlecht - Restaurant essen: Imbiss Buden Niveau - Spa Bereich: renovierungsbedürftig ziemlich viele Fliesen kaputt- Service: grüßt nicht, aufgesetzte Freundlichkeit, oder unfreundlich, nur wirklich ganz wenig einzelne Personen sind bemüht und freundlich.- Standort: zu abgelegen, ein Spaziergang in die Stadt oder Shopping Zentrum nicht möglich, nur mit Bus oder Auto erreichbar. Schönes Aussicht auf das Meer, sehr viel Betrieb mit Booten und Wassersportler.Am Strand sind hundebesitzer nicht rücksichtsvoll, sie sagen es sei ein hundestrand und werfen die Bälle auch in die Nähe von Kindern so dass die Hunde auf die Kinder los rennen und sie sich erschrecken und Angst haben. - Wasser ist super am StrandUnd im Wasser hat es Spaß gemacht.- Hotel bittet eine schöne Kulisse für Fotos mit Meerblick.Im ganzen Umfang lohnt es sich jedoch nicht in diesem Hotel zu übernachten oder zu essen.

We visited as a family for a special birthday! It was just terrible in every sense! Here is the detail:The Positives: incredible views - BUT there are other places with the same view. So The Point’s view/location is nothing unique or special.The Negatives: there were plenty, so I shall list them:- SERVICE: was non existence. We had booked and I had said it was for a special birthday. On arrival it Took a VERY long time to be seated (staff just ignored 7 of us standing there, and looked straight at us several times and walked away). I had to make a fuss before one staff member got another staff member who got a third staff member who sat us on our table.We ordered drinks and food, it was delivered (with issues of an item missing), and that was the first and last of any service. We finished our food and half hour later, we were not asked if we wanted desert, more drinks, or anything. NO SERVICE at all.-FOOD: was AWFUL served cold and just the most horrible soggy half cooked dishes I had ever seen. All our foods were just stone cold!!!! Our food was served one dish short and when I called the waitress after a few minutes to say we are missing one meal. The answer was “no you aren’t” I had to insist before they said ok I check with kitchen. They did and immediately returned with the missing meal that was left out in the kitchen. No apology, no is all ok now, no enjoy your meal!! When we finished our main meal was finished our table wasn’t cleared and we were never offered a desert menu. We decided to leave.- PRICE: had this been good food and service, it would be worth the top dollar prices. BUT as is, it is just overpriced horrible (I mean HORRIBLE) food with no service.- OVERCHARGED: As there was no service at all, we got up and paid at the till, for 4 star top dollar restaurant no member of staff bothered asking why are you leaving your special birthday without desert, cake, candle and all that jazz!!!! Luckily i checked the bill and noticed that they have over charged (not taken the value of the already charged deposit off). ALSO to add cherry to this cake, we were also charged a hefty “voluntary” Service charge!!!! By this time I was too exhausted to say anything!HORRIBLE experience- NEVER AGAIN

Lovely view and location. Steaks tasted reheated and tough... A large number has this issue. Starter average. Disappointing

I think if this was a school report it would read "could do better". Here we are on Sandbanks - where I've been told they have some of the most expensive property in the UK so with cash rich clients you'd expect.... True the location is great, the views are great watching ships and boats coming and going from Poole harbour but the restaurant is cold and impersonal. We ate mainly a sea food meal, I had a crab cake to start - a large but unimpressive item on a salad base and them Mussels with chips (or Moules Frites) again a bit lackluster...For the wheelchair user it all works - not all the space is accessible and they are a hotel so toilets work.

Good views but drinks are a bit overpriced

Excellent restaurant, good service, 1st class food.

Excellent location is not always a guarantee of good food, but here the two unite: the location is superb and the food does its best to match it.The restaurant is cleverly designed on two levels (three if you include the bar buffet outside) so that all tables have a fine view. The Sunday lunch menu was surprisingly short, but sufficiently varied, including two roasts, good entrees and a nicely broad wine list. Portions were a good size, with a nice mixture of vegetables. Service was good and the slate dishes on the table were elegant.

Very pleased with all aspects of our visit . Food was nice and well presented . Portion size not large but adequate. Unusual menu,varied . Usual choices with a slice twist . A pleasant evening .

Visiting for 3 course evening meal for two as had been given a voucher. Quite nice food, but small portions. Pleasant service but noticed some waiting staff not over confident with their service technique. Good but not as exclusive venue as we thought.

With a good range of food the 2 or 3 course menu was good value and well cooked, the Staff were efficient and attentive, the Pheasant I had was well presented and cooked, and with a good wine list a good night was had, worth a visit if you are in Sandbanks,

We took our Mum into the bar on a Sunday afternoon. We sat very close to the end of the bar. We were told in a very curt tone that we had to get up and go to the bar to order drinks......... we were literally inches from the bar itself. Once our drinks were ready, the barman leant towards us and advised that we could get up again and collect our drinks!! Bear in mind, we were able to literally lean against the bar whilst sitting at our table. However, he wouldn't simply hand our drinks to us - he placed them in the centre of the bar instead. We were quite amazed and, at £26.00 for 3 drinks, were slightly horrified too....... A completely bizarre approach to customer service but, as a friend of mine stated, sadly they rely upon location and don't really give a sh*t!!

3 courses circa £37. Good food, attentive staff and a wonderful view of the sea and Brownsea Island. Had to book as they do get busy. Well worth a visit.

We stopped off for drinks outside which, in the sunshine, is a brilliant location.It was so nice we decided to have a light lunch and ordered from the bar menu which I presume comes from The Point's kitchen?.My Cajun chicken wrap, with guacamole, was presented. Initially tasty but a soggy, blended filling (I assume this includes the guacamole). Then I found the first small bone approx 8-10mm long. OK. Then a lump of gristle. Then another bone, then more. The largest bone more than 25mm long and quite thick. It appears that whole chickens are chopped up and thrown in the mix - a revolting notion. When eating a wrap I expect the contents to be completely edible. I shared my disappointment and concern with the waitress who was initially sympathetic then argued that it was a difficult job to remove the meat from the bones. She didn't return so I reached out via the website suggesting a review of the prep on this dish. No acknowledgement so I suspect my input was ignored which compels me to share my experience here. The location is fantastic, great bar, reasonable service but in my experience the food prep is sub-standard. I note that The Point generally receives good feedback - so I really hope my experience is unique.

Very good meal. We had the set menu offer and were all very happy with our choices. Service was good. Wine choice was also reasonable. Would recommend eating here, Just don't stay in the hotel!

Amazing view again location , fish and chips amazing and the dorset Gin went down a treat , lovley place to spend the afternoon

The perfect place to eat or just have a coffee, and relax, spending time watching the world sail by.

Gorgeous location if you are curious but also appreciate picturesque surroundings combined with good service and good food

If you are after stunning views then The Point is a sure thing with large picture windows showcasing Poole Harbour / Brownsea Island / Studland and the ferry!I had the pork loin which was perfection and the smoked salmon mouse as a starter which was amazing. The coffee cheesecake I felt was spongey - not enough biscuit base - but excellent overall and look forward to returning.

We stayed at the Haven Hotel in Sandbanks, Poole, and enjoyed a delightful dinner at their restaurant The Point.The tables are set out at right angles which allows a couple both to have good views of the channel out of Poole harbour whilst eating. The menu choice is narrow and offers 2 courses for £25 or 3 courses for £37.50, (for some reason they want an extra £10 for a fillet steak). Having said that our selections of breast of chicken and rump of lamb were excellent, beautifully flavoursome sauces and tender meat. The coffee infused panacotta was very good.The waiting staff were friendly and attentive enough without constantly interrupting us. Worth booking up when in Poole and looking for a restaurant with a superb sea view.

Excellent food whist sitting in a dining room which is light and airy with marvellous views. A good choice on the menu.

The Point is the restaurant of the Haven Hotel on the very tip of Sandbanks in Dorset.The view of the sea is stunning and is the main attraction for dining there. The food is not at all bad, in fact rather good for a hotel but does not come up to standard in comparison to Rick Stein, which is a few hundred yards away and similarly priced.The service is good and staff helpful but value for money is barely achieved as meal and drinks are charged at premium.If you are in the hotel anyway eat on the terrace, weather permitting, it really is worth it.

We booked for lunch on a sunny Sunday. Watching the boats and ferry was just wonderful. Food was good, I had the dressed crab (£17) a bit expensive. Service ‘patchy’, we were only offered the main menu and had to ask for for light bites, and one waitress rather rudely told us we couldn’t sit at our table as it was reserved ... yes reserved for us! Otherwise we just soaked up the view. It will be a sad day if they destroy this hotel and rob local people of enjoying this spectacular vista.

Absolutely stunning location if you can sit outside! But service really wasn’t good - firstly we were only given the standard set menu (for hotel guests and more expensive). We worked out for ourselves that there must be another menu when people around us seemed to have other dishes - so we went back inside and sourced the other menu which offered much more choice. After 25mins of waiting we managed to grab someone to take an order, as no one seemed concerned about coming to get it. The food itself was fine, but then had to wait quite a while again for the bill. It was a bank holiday but did not look that busy, perhaps a little understaffed but I could see other staff members more concerned with cleaning tables than attending to clearly waiting guests despite the fact it wasn’t that busy so there is something here about focus on customer service first. It is a stunning place so you have the opportunity to give people a special experience.

Took my family here for a birthday meal and the food was superb. The only problem was with the kids' meals which were very basic and where it felt like there wasn't nearly as much care given to serving up good food as with the adults' menu. But otherwise all was excellent and made for a great night.

Friendly staff, wrong starter delivered, venison over cooked, desert stale. Very good Provence Rose wine

Four of my friends and myself got a bad reactions on the seafood mix/platter they served on April fools day. I was looking forward for a good variety of seafood but our lips and palate became itchy, numb and swollen. The staff were helpful but the food incident let it down.

The view over the harbour is great. They have quite a few beers on tab and an extensive menu to choose from. My cajun chicken wrap wasn't very good, however.

Second stay at the Haven hotel and did enjoy the food as much as the first time.Lovely lamb cooked to perfection, also liked the banofee ice cream...would suggest it.Also enjoyed the pate and artichoke soup on their snack menu, just wished they had a couple of salads on the lunch menu...great service. Nice breakfast.

It was the worst lunch ever. Luckily we ordered some starters before the main course. They brought them 20 min later and both of them were really cold as they were taken out of the fridge. Supposed to be just cooked grilled vegetables. It's not even a problem that it was a really little portion but the taste was horrible and it was 100% food from the fridge. You have to pay for water, no bread or butter ...:( Very slow and relaxed service. We were ready to leave, took them 15 min to bring us a check even if the restaurant was empty. The only good thing about this place - the view! Food is horrible, really low quality and overpriced. Never again! Glad we didn't stay for the main course.