The Willett Arms in Poole

A few weeks ago my husband & I came for lunch here & the food was very good, but the ladies toilets were filthy. Considering it was only lunch time, I would have thought they would have been cleaned in the morning, but clearly not. I talked a couple of friends to meet me here for dinner this week & the food was hit & miss. My cod looked like it had been on a diet, cod is usually a meaty fish, but not this one. My friend didn’t like her rise dish either, strangely sweet tasting. We were very disappointed, but the most disappointing this was the ladies toilets again. They didn’t look like they had been cleaned since the last time I came. Absolutely disgusting.

The Willett Arms is hit & miss & depends entirely on the chef. I visited with friends last month & had a wonderful meal. We therefore booked our anniversary meal on 4th November but the food was awful - sloppy cheese sauce & bread for starters, which was tasteless, & a very bland & overcooked linguine veggie thing. The wine was £24.50 for two large glasses of red!!!! I wouldn’t recommend.

I ordered the lamb rump and was very disappointed as over 50% of it was solid fat. A young lady who I guess was managing the restaurant said it wasn't their fault as the cuts of meat come in already prepared. I did suggest that when there is a slice that is completely solid fat it is quite obvious for a chef to see. The dish was £24,95 which works out at over £5 per piece of lamb that I was able to eat. I left still hungry. Sadly not the experience I would like.

Flying solo , popped in for a quick pint. Harry was serving behind the bar. Pleasant service, although, unfortunately did not know what a dimpled handle was. I attempted to inform him and we agreed that he had no dimpled handles , but a straight handle. I accepted and asked for a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord. I nearly passed out at the price !!!! £6.20 !!!! You gotta be joking !! That is London prices. My own local, a tied house, has a similar quality ale at £4.20. Needless to say, it had been poured so I begrudgingly accepted. The temperature of the ale was pleasant and the seats were comfy. I visited the gents on my way out, and although they were clean, there was an overpowering odour of air freshener, too strong. Also the radiator in the loo was more rust than metal, so needs replacing before any leaks occur. Would I be back? Not at those prices !!!!.

I decided to invite my friends out for a meal for Sunday lunch and thought that the Willett would be a great option, due to their new menu…..and we were amazed! I had the port and mushroom starter and it was absolutely delicious! My mother and law said she enjoyed her pan fried king prawns. For mains I opted for the banana blossom stew (I’m vegan) and wow! The flavours were so tasty and the meal it’s self was extremely hearty. Our waitress was attentive, welcoming and extremely knowledgable about allergies. (3 in our party have allergies) She was able to assist us through out to make sure our meals was delicious and up to standard. We can’t honestly can not wait to return! Our friends have been telling their friends!

We went to the Willett Arms last Sunday, to celebrate a family birthday. Most of us opted to have the Sunday roast which still appeared on the Sunday evening dinner menu. However, we sent back all 4 roasts as the food was not even lukewarm and must have been standing around for some time before it left the kitchen (perhaps lunchtime !). It arrived back at a hotter temperature but all the vegetables, including the roast potatoes, were soggy and not at all crispy. And the supposed star of the show... the sirloin beef ... was an unusual rectangular shape, like no other cut of beef that we have ever seen. It was as tough as leather and there were no mentions of its provenance, so you can only guess. The whole lukewarm, soggy, rectangular experience left us decidedly unimpressed and we won't be going back. The only saving grace were the front of house staff who were courteous and tried their best to redeem the kitchen and procurement issues.

Fantastic meal, lovely food. Really nice restaurant area and the staff were really attentive Would definitely recommend

We booked a table for outside in the patio area. Upon arrival, we sat down and starting talking, no-one came to take our drinks order. I went in and asked if it was usual practice once a table was booked to then have to go to the bar to get your own drinks. Apparently, it isn't waiter service outside. This was not explained when we booked our table. We were told that because they weren't busy on this occasion, they would come to us, so we sat and waited. They did finally arrive with menus, we then had to prompt the staff that we'd like to order some food. The food portions were tiny. I had the Panzanella salad with goats cheese added as an extra, total cost £16.50. It certainly was not worth that. My husband ordered the 1/2 chicken and chips. It was not 1/2 a chicken, more like 1/4, total cost £17.75. No one came to take away our plates. No one came to see if everything was OK. No one asked if we would like any deserts. No one asked if we would like any more drinks. We spent a lot of money between the 4 of us, over £200. If you want good customer service and good portions at a reasonable price, do not go here. If you want to pay extortionate prices and self serve everything, do go here. The place is dirty and in much need of some TLC.

Lovely dog friendly place and delicious food. Derryn looked after us and did very well, thank you Looking forward to coming back soon

Had a lovely meal tonight. Food was amazing and the service by the bubbly friendly Indie was top notch. Definitely would come back again.

Today 14 friends just had an end of term lunch at the Willetts. We all chose different menus and the food arrived in a good time and everyone cleared their plates and loved their choices. The drinks were brought promptly and then the various menu choices were brought to our large table with a smile. We are all local to this Pub but many had not been there for years. The success of today means we will all be going back

Lovely meal at The Willett Arms, we were served by Ollie, very attentive and polite. The food was amazing. We turned up with no booking after visiting another pub down the road which we booked but was turned away due to staff shortages and a very rude women serving. So thank you again Willett Arms we will definitely be back!

Great service by Lucy and noticed all staff attentive to customers. Food excellent and had a lovely bottle of Sauvignon.

We always make a point of visiting the Willett Arms for a meal when we are in Dorset. The food is always thoroughly enjoyable and the staff are always very friendly and helpful.

Father's Day gathering for the family. The place was busy, the staff were friendly and helpful and they didn't seem to mind all our different requests! We were aware some people had a wait for their food. However we had lots to chat about so the time went quickly. Food was lovely and we enjoyed a selection of dishes including the roast. Nice crispy yorkshire puddings, really enjoyed the cauliflower cheese and extra gravy. Definitely be back.

Great value pub and restaurant which we've visited many times. Great for a cosy drink and roast dinner in the run up to Christmas, but also excellent in the summer months as well. Food is good value and always great and the staff are also excellent. My partner had her mum's wake at the pub in Feb and the staff were understanding and caring throughout, despite it not exactly going to plan! Can't recommend enough.

First visit to the Willett Arms, and it was great. Excellent food (particularly the panzanella salad) and lovely service. Would recommend.

Much was made of this pub before we came, but I found it was the most crowded and over-priced of all the places we visited. The food was alright but not wonderful, prices were a little steep. The dining area itself would probably be nicer on a weekday; service was quite slow as there were so many already there.

Excellent, polite, quick service and the food was delicious. Really enjoyed the ambiance of the place and good range of drinks as well.

The staff here are great. Super friendly and really efficient. Great selection of beers and the pizza is fab. Would highly recommend!

Just visiting and chose this restaurant for our anniversary meal. The food was excellent and the atmosphere really friendly and relaxed. We had a great meal served by our lovely waitress Sammy and were treated to 2 glasses of bubbly when we said it was our anniversary. Thank you Willett Arms for a truly special evening.

My friend and I had our joint birthday lunch here today and it was amazing. Fabulous food and the service was above and beyond. We had a lovely time.

My wife and I went for lunch after some hard decorating. We ordered drinks and food and the starter arrived in good time. After over an hour of waiting I asked how much longer we had to wait. Suspiciously, our meals miraculously appeared within 2 minutes. My wife's chips were almost cold, her peas were cold and the fish just warm. My pork and my potato was just ok, my broccoli and gravy cold. My wife refused an offer to replace - wait another hour? - and asked for it to be taken away. I ate my pork and left the rest. This is probably one of the worst dining experiences we have had anywhere. Absolutely appalling wait to have cold food served is unacceptable and we would definitely not recommend the place. We noted that a table next to us arrived just after we did and they still had no food. Avoid. Not even a coffee or drink was offered.

A treat from my Son, lunch out. I decided to go vegan and the meal was gorgeous. Great atmosphere and service A quiet booking in the bar area

We had a great time with family and friends. The food was brilliant but the service was even better. We will definitely be back again

Booked table for mid afternoon on Good Friday so it would be quieter (we had 2 small children in our group) to celebrate my mums big birthday. Fantastic timing for us, not so convenient for the children who got a bit hangry but our lovely host, Sammy, made sure their food came out first and everything went smoothly. Food was lovely, staff very welcoming, Sammy was kindness itself. All in all I would highly recommend!

Went out for lunch to celebrate a birthday. Both elderly people in our party eat small meals. One had the fish and chips and couldn't eat it all! The other had the tomato pasta. Both enjoyed the smaller portions and were impressed by the quality and quantity. One of them hates to waste food and finds big meals too much. They did both however manage a mini pud and hot drink. Great pudding option. My hubby and I both love a mini crumble, he had the custard, I had a scoop of ginger ice-cream! Will definitely go again. Such a lovely atmosphere too, staff are lovely friendly and welcoming.

Came here for Sunday lunch and it was incredible. There were two special roasts on as well as the usuals, turkey and lamb. I went for lamb and it was truly delicious.

Had a great lunch at this pub - the staff were friendly and the food was delicious. Thoroughly recommended for a meal or even just a casual drink

Stopped for a small lunch, nothing on the main menu so we both chose a childrens menu knowing it would be a smaller portion. WELL!!, small is an understatement 1 dessert spoon quinnel of mash, 1 sausage and 5 green beans. They should be mentioning how small the portions are. Had I brought my 9 year old granddaughter in for childs meal she would of asked for the rest of it. They need to explain that this may suit an under 5 years old, but not over or an elderly person who does not have a big appetite. Also the bar staff need to know you do not touch the rims of glasses when handing over drinks, this is where people drink from.

Great stop off en route to Cornwall. 2 minutes off the A31 and easy to get back on after. Gorgeous roast, very tasty and plenty of hot gravy. Interior a bit sparce but nice open fire made it feel a bit cosier. Will stop again for food as about half way for us.

Sunday evening Roast Dinner My Son and I arrived at 7.20pm and ordered a roast, The Beef was out of stock and my vegetarian gravy was too. The waiter/barman was very apologetic and eventually we ordered the roast chicken and the vegetarian roast. It took over 30 minutes to be served and surprisingly the chef had found the vegetarian gravy but my son had no chicken gravy. We had two drinks with this and the bill was £50. Seemed rather a lot

Excellent service and lovely food! Really enjoyed my experience. Will be back again to try other things on the menu and to try the cocktail menu

Delicious lunch with my family. They occasionally run a 50% off mains voucher for members of the newsletter which we took advantage of and thoroughly enjoyed. A great experience all round

I am writing this review to express my disappointment with the recent dining experience at The Willett, our local restaurant. Having frequented this establishment many times in the past, I regret to say that the quality of the food has become inconsistent, which ultimately hinders the overall dining experience. While the serving staff at The Willett have always been delightful and attentive, the inconsistency in the skills of the chefs has frequently let them down. On our most recent visit, we ordered steaks, a dish that comes with a substantial price tag of approximately £30 per meal. Unfortunately, the steaks were served to us cold and not how we asked them to be cooked . We did not specifically request replacements, but the same steaks were brought back to us only slightly warmer after a mere two minutes. To their credit, the staff acknowledged our dissatisfaction and discounted £10 from our bill. However, considering the total cost of the meal, this gesture was not enough to make a significant impact, leaving us unsatisfied. It is deeply disheartening to realise that The Willett, a place where we have celebrated two memorable Christmases and enjoyed countless meals, has now become an establishment we cannot in good faith return to. The consistent issue with the chefs' inability to deliver a satisfactory culinary experience has left us with no choice. It is unfortunate that due to this ongoing issue, we have been left with no other option but to seek alternatives for our future dining experiences. I sincerely hope that The Willett takes this feedback constructively and addresses the issue at hand. As a valued customer, it is my genuine hope that improvements can be made to ensure an enjoyable dining experience for everyone.

Very good food and service all round.Well worth a visit.We go midday as to avoid a rush,best to book online,and sign up for special deals.

A lovely Christmas Eve lunch, we all enjoyed our different meals, very good food. Thanks Sammy for your fast and friendly service :)

Great pub. Very friendly staff. Sammy served us today and was extremely nice. Good menu choices. We have been several times and always enjoy it.

Xmas lunch with son and his girlfriend. Festive menu .Food excellent. More than enough to eat! Service from Sammy perfect.

We came as a group of five for a Christmas meal our first course for two people was carrot soup which arrived at best warm ,this was sent back ,this was returned watered down so obviously hot water was used to heat it up. The main meal was ok but then came dessert Christmas pudding with custard the pudding was stone cold . To finish the evening they were unable to get the bill right. In all it was very disappointing will not be returning

Great lunch with excellent service. A lovely family catch up with unhurried and attentive service from our waitress Sammy.

I would have to agree with accompanying friend that this was possibly the worst lunch I have had in my life. (I travel quite a lot too) Two of our party of four had the 'line caught battered cod' which included a 'puree of minted peas' and chips. 1. The cod portion was small and in a insipid light, almost white batter. 2. The chips were just the last overcooked scrapings in the basket and swamped in salt. 3. The 'puree of peas' was a dry mash of overcooked peas which could have been just chopped up parsely in dryness/taste. The feed back was given to bartender/waitress who told us she would inform kitchen. She took one plate back to show the 'cook'. No apology or explanation from kitchen, let alone a reduction on final bill. Needless to say we will not be eating at this establishment again.

We had a great evening out for a family Christmas meal. Food was great, service was really good and efficient and the atmosphere was lovely. Jacob was our waiter and he was super helpful and friendly! Thank you

Lovely place to go for lunch or dinner. Good value and great service with nice decor. All staff very welcoming

Jacob was very attentive, service was amazing food was lovely We will be back Atmosphere lovely and very good value for money

Our server was Jacob and he made our visit so pleasant this evening . He was attentive , kept checking everything was ok and genuinely kind and professional. It was good value for money - a lovely evening spent with friends .

We had a lovely meal today and the food was served really quickly even though the restauarant was nearly full. (highly recommend the chilli prawn starter and buttermilk chicken burger!) Our waitress, Sammy, was very good. She was very cheerful, polite and helpful.

We visited on a Sunday for a family birthday. There were 12 of us including 2 young children and a baby. There was so much potential for things to go wrong. First of all the serving staff. All young people and they could not be...

I had a celebratory dinner here with all of the family and the service and food was top notch - I would recommend to anyone looking for a good quality meal in friendly surroundings.

I came here on Sunday for a drink with my family but the food looked so good we had to stay for a roast! Definitely the correct decision as the food was lovely and the service was great. Very friendly environment and Ronnie in particular...

This place has a great look and feel to it. The service was friendly and quick, and I would definitely go back if I am ever in the area again!

Really lovely restaurant and friendly knowledgeable staff. I would definitely recommend the Willett arms to my friends and family!

Went for anniversary meal and was left with our empty starter plates in front of us for over 30mins despite being the only diners at 5.45 on Monday. One member had delivered a coffee to the table next to us and looked straight at us...

We had a great lunch here at the Willett. Friendly service, lovely comfy surroundings, great atmosphere and fab food. What’s not to like! We will be back.

The food as great. olly was very polite and attentive. Nothing was too much trouble. My only complaint was it was a bit dark and reading the menu needed a phone torch. Apart from that it was excellent.

The Willett Arms was recommended to us by another friend and my darling wife and I enjoyed our visit so much we just had to leave a thank you review, the staff including especially front of house small lass with dark hair provided such a...

When asked for allergy advice the staff gave the following answers: "It's gluten free because its plant based" Fact: Gluten is a plant protein found in grains. "Yes, this is regular ice cream made of milk, and it's vegan" Fact: Milk isn't vegan. Allergen info...

We had a great afternoon here (a 6 hour elongated lunch !!). The food was fabulous and service was good. However...we decided to go for a cheaper bottle of wine by the end of the afternoon (at £26 a bottle), but after pouring 3 large...

I booked for a business event and from the start we had very efficient communication. On the day very friendly staff, Kate and the team looked after us very well.

Had a great Sunday lunch here! They seemed busy but under control. A little wait a the bar but could see they were making drinks for the restaurant.

Lovely night, ollie (our waiter) was intelligent and polite whilst serving. He informed us about yuzu and samphire very well. Look forward to coming back soon

Lovely Sunday lunch. Friendly, attentive, staff. Sunday roasts were good potions, well cooked and presented. Not overly expensive, good value. Definitely recommended. Will visit again

We stopped by for a late ish lunch on a Friday afternoon, and as the weather was decent we opted to sit outside in the large garden. The pub is much larger than I expected with nice covered seating areas outside in addition to the...

Had some cracking cocktails in here with the mrs last night , definitely worth trying next time you’re in!! Barman was nice and chatty too

This pub is a regular stop for myself and the family after we have been into Wimborne and never fails to disappoint - the food was excellent and the service was very good too. We are lucky to have this as our local pub

This pub used to be very badly run but has been turned around so well in the last year or so. The staff are all friendly and welcoming and do their jobs well, and the atmosphere has a nice buzz about it - it’s great...

I had a celebratory dinner here with all of the family and the service and food was top notch - I would recommend to anyone looking for a good quality meal in friendly surroundings.

Stopped here for a coffee after a walk on the trail way and the service was friendly with a nice cosy feel to the pub. We will definitely be back in for lunch sometime as the menu looks very good!

Love coming in here for a cheeky pint after work - the staff are always friendly and the beer selection is the best in Wimborne in my opinion. Keep up the great work Willett team! Thanks

Came here with my other half for a casual lunch - enjoyed a steak sandwich each and then had dessert to make the most of the 2-course lunch deal. The staff were very friendly, so I recommend this place if you want to be well...

Visited again to see the refurb, very smart. Lovely atmosphere and patrons eating outside since it was a lovely day. I had Stickey chicken for starters which was lovely in a tasty sauce, other relatives with me had the chicken pate which also had a...

Codie was awesome, had an amazing pavlova, will definitely reccommend and can’t wait to come back!!!

Had a great night with my other half. Was served a bottle of Malbec by Kai. Only saw him a few times when we would bring us drinks but he seems a brilliant lad. The food was also stunning but the wine was the cherry...

Came for Sunday Lunch at the last minute, lovely table outside under the pergola. Roast Beef and Belly of Pork mains followed by Pavlova and Trio of cheesecakes. Special shout out for the Cauliflower cheese and the Halloumi Fries, best we’ve ever had.

Three meals out of the five were ok but the belly pork as the worst I've ever had. Really tough meet and slimy under cooked fat. Truly awfull. The prawn linguini was also really sad . The fish dishes and pizza were not bad. Worst...

A lovely meal with the family, great location, food and service, a special thanks to Charlie. We will be back again

The roast looked lovely, so very high score for appearance! Sadly the only nice things were the carrots and parsnips. The beef was chewy and insipid, the Yorkshire was inexplicable - crunchy with no substance, even our little dog struggled to eat it. The pork...

Came in for dinner and we were looked after by a lovely young man named Jacob. Our steaks were cooked beautifully and we had a great time. Thank you team

Great little pub for a lunch in the garden. There is plenty of room for the dog to run around and also the guys behind the bar are nice and friendly.

5 adults 2 had gammon eggs etc 1 had Pizza 2 had Massaman curry pizza was terrible rock hard very little topping , why would you put Massaman curry on the menu if you didn’t have a clue how to make , it would take...

Came for drinks with my friends, the beer selection is very nice and also the cocktails are good (can’t beat a margarita).

Had a lovely evening meal today , the seabass was fantastic and my waiter Jacob was so helpful and lovely.

Came with my partner for their new Wine & Dine menu. It was very good value for money considering the quality of wine we had (a delicious Shiraz) and 3 courses each including steaks. Great food, great atmosphere, staff all friendly. We’ll definitely be back!

Popped in for a quick burger on a walk back from Wimborne. The service from the bar staff was very nice and I enjoyed the chicken burger very much.

Came in for a lovely chateau brian steak, which was cooked to perfection also had a lovely young chap called charlie who looked after us excellently! Will definitely return

Came for an impromptu dinner and drinks in the bar as there was a power cut in Wimborne closing all the other pubs. As a result they were busy (as the only place open) but the staff working were really friendly and looked after us...

Excellent meal, drinks and atmosphere. Great service from Ollie. Would definitely recommend.

Brought clients here for a business dinner and was thoroughly impressed with the meal and service. Thank you to the team for looking after us so well.

Lovely evening , lovely food and served by a lovely young man called Jacob Lovely mini dessert which was good size and Excellant coffee

Nice welcome, superb food and excellent service from our waiter Jacob. I would recommend the Dirty Burger. Thanks for a lovely evening.

Came here for dinner last night. Excellent food and service will definitely return no wait on food considering it was fairly busy after dinner had some cocktails in the garden absolutely amazing.

the best food around !!! staff are friendly and polite, food is perfect and the drinks are sensational…… i had the scallops to start which were cooked immaculately, my partner and i shared the chateau, we asked for medium rare and it was cooked just...

Usually the goto pub when we visit the area to see friends , but on this occasion we were quite disappointed with the inefficient service. We ate in the bar area as we had our dog with us. The food was OK. However, cutlery should...

We came to this pub for a Saturday night meal as a family, and we left very happy with our experience. The service was so friendly from the gentleman looking after us, and the food went down a treat (I had lamb which was excellent)....

Me and friends came for lunch and we sat in the garden lovely, clean and welcoming garden with great staff and quick service. Would definitely come again.

Enjoyed cocktails in the garden after a wedding - the yuzu margarita was delicious and made by staff who were clearly having a good time and enjoying their job which is so nice to see these days.

Great cocktails in the garden after a wedding nearby. Thanks to the girls behind the bar for recommending the 2 for £14 deal!!

Came with the family for some drinks a few weeks ago to celebrate finishing exams. Great cocktails selection and friendly people working behind the bar. Great to have a place like this near my house!

Great pint of landlord in the garden - the beer is well kept and the service from the bar staff good (it’s rare to find a pub now where they will have a joke with you too!). Great shout for lovers of real ale and...

Very expensive and limited menu if you don’t like fish or fast food style cuisine such as pizza and burgers. All of us struggled to find something on the menu and when it arrived very small portions. Used to be good but not so at...