Riggers - Poole

The restaurant has a wonderful setting with a picturesque atmosphere, but unfortunately, the food did not meet expectations. This was my second visit in a month and both times the carvery was disappointing - the food was not hot and the lamb was tough. Despite being called a carvery, you are not able to serve yourself, which was also a letdown. The kitchen needs to be improved in order to provide better quality dishes.

We booked a table for 15 people, adults and children, for afternoon tea. The service was excellent and the food was lovely. Plenty of food for everyone and the staff were so attentive making sure we always had enough to drink. Would definitely recommend and will certainly be back!

We visited Riggers, as well as the bar above, multiple times during a midweek break in Poole. We were staying at the nearby Travelodge and found the atmosphere and food at Riggers to be superior, especially the quality of the breakfast. The location is a bit isolated, with a busy ring road separating it from the town centre and quayside. However, it was ideal for enjoying sundowners overlooking the waterfront and watching lifeboats on training exercises. The food and drinks were reasonably priced and the service was excellent. The building itself is attractive, with plenty of polished wood and glass accents, as well as nautical touches. A large spiral staircase leads up from the restaurant to the spacious bar, which features a balcony for enjoying the sea breeze. Riggers is a part of the RNLI college, and all profits support the charity's lifesaving efforts. By dining or having drinks here, you can enjoy a pleasant experience while also contributing to saving lives at sea.

We have visited this restaurant multiple times, with our most recent visit being in June 2023. The menu always offers a variety of options, including many vegetarian dishes. I made a reservation online for my husband's birthday meal before we headed to the theatre. I mentioned in the booking that we were on a tight schedule due to the theatre show. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the only vegetarian main dish available was a falafel burger or pizza. The menu did not clearly indicate which items were vegetarian or vegan. The service was slow, with our starter arriving 20 minutes after ordering. After 40 minutes, our main course still hadn't been served. We informed another waiter that we may have to leave if our food didn't arrive soon. Despite informing the waitress when ordering that I was a vegetarian, I was mistakenly served a chicken burger. Because of our time constraints, I was offered a complimentary bowl of chips. This birthday meal will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. I would not recommend this restaurant for vegetarians or for those in a hurry.

The whole place was empty we were the only diners and I can see why. The menu is pretty limited. “King prawns” were small defrosted prawns in tasteless butter. Chicken burger and chicken skewers both dry and chewy. Pizza very good.