The best restaurants in Merley and Bearwood Poole South West

Brand new to the area, went looking for a decent fish and chip shop. I went in, explained that I always judge a place on their chips. I love a light crisp to the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle. To their credit, they let me try one which was nice of them. But the lady serving told me that all chip shop chips are soggy and if they are crispy then they are French fries. I explained that I really liked Harry Ramsdens chips which are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside but I was told this wasn't possible? I took a bite and the tips were nice and crisp but the inside was soggy, dense and oily/greasy. I was told that their chips are not oily because they drain them. (Basically told that I was lying about what I was tasting). Then she said no chips shop chips are crisp and fluffy. I replied, well you say that but there's a chip shop... and before I could finish my sentence, she said sarcastically "well perhaps you should go there then hey." I then finished my sentence and said in LONDON, where I'm originally from. I said that his secret was ground nut oil. To which she replied " we can't use that because a lot of customers have nut allergies." Which is fair enough. But I couldn't get past the "perhaps you should go there then hey," comment. Based on the service alone, I'll never be back there again. Shame because its now my local. The chip wasn't terrible, but the service was. I didn't expect my honest feedback to be met with sarcasm and patronising defensiveness. My complaint is about the sarcastic remarks, yet their response is more sarcasm. Yeah, I'll definitely go elsewhere.

Disappointing. It was not particularly busy yet had a ridiculous rope barring your entry as if you had arrived at the Savoy. Menu was dated and uninspiring. The setting is bucolic, yet this was ruined by hideous local radio being blasted around the cafe. The atmosphere was really more like that of a little chef in 1970s.

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.

Sorry but the food is dire:Sweet and sour chicken swimming in piles of gloop with only a few chicken pieces. Shredded smoked chicken so sweet the it was inedible. Won't go there again