Stunning place to visit. The staff were incredible, lots of poeple dotted around to talk to, give information and show you the local animals. Lots of different trails you can follow on the map depending on how much walking you want to do.

A nice sunny day out but didn't see any squirrels. Food wasn't up to normal NT quality. A lovely place to visit but could do with more benches

Had a wonderful 3rd trip to the island with my partner - they have some great new hides - we saw a lot of wildlife and young wildlife too. Definitely be returning! Walnut cake in the cafe was fab & the volunteers were all awesome!

A real hidden gem! Took the ferry from Poole Harbour (around 20 mins) and spent a fantastic few hours exploring Brownsea Island. It’s a National Trust site, so well looked after and full of natural beauty. Lovely woodland walks with loads of wildlife – we spotted all sorts of birds, several red squirrels, and even a deer! Peaceful, scenic, and perfect for a relaxing day out in nature. Bring comfy shoes and maybe a picnic. Highly recommended!

Amazing place to visit. Access through ferry from poole harbour unless you've a boat and im guessing there's considerations even if you do. Ferry was 15 return per person and these go every 30 minutes and stop at 5 pm with a break at lunchtime. The island is reasonably flat with paths around. The north of the island is more concerned with bird watching. The south of th island is more to do with the scout movement. There is a tea and snack stand near the scout shop. The national trust owns most of the island and there a further cost of around £10 to go in. Very beautiful and tranquil and worth checking out. There is also a small bus you can take around the island.

Fabulous day out. Caught the ferry, on the Quay opposite Tesco Express, at £14.50 each. There were no concessions for the disabled or those over 65's, there was a long que, but they ushered us onto another ferry, doing the river cruises, and they dropped us of, which was great. On Brownsea Island I was able to get in free, being my daughter's carer, so I just had to pay for her and my hubby. We took her disability parking badge, but they didn't ask for anything. It's not a far walk from the car park, just round the corner. Cost us about 12.50 for 6 hrs. There are all-terrain wheelchairs to hire on Brownsea, free of charge and children's buggies, also free. Though I struggled to push it around on the rubble tracks and had to turn back and return it, the volunteer commented that she knew that this was a problem. But then happily booked us on the shuttle bus for the tour, which was brilliant, and our guide Tony, was great, he gave us a great commentary around the island. It takes 40 minutes. We ate in the cafe. In our rush to leave the car park to get to the ferry, we left our bag with food drinks etc. in our car. So bought some water on the island, ( to my horror £3.30 each 500ml bottle, it is, Re:water, a metal, reusable bottle though ) only to find they had a water station, with free tap water. I should have just asked. We didn't think we had time to pick anything up from the Tesco Express opposite the ferry station in Poole Quay. The restaurant staff were great, very helpful and could cater for my gluten-free vegetarian daughter, they expressed how they take it very seriously in the kitchen, to prevent cross-contamination, that a member of staff, washes down everything first then kits up to prepare the food. And they then bring it out themselves. Our food was lovely, fresh and tasty. Great friendly staff in there, they work very hard. Very helpful staff all over Brownsea. The ferry was a very smooth crossing, and friendly informative staff. All in all, a great little trip

Brownsea Island is National Trust. If you are N.T member you only have to pay for the ferry crossing. Non members have to pay ferry plus enterance fee. There is lots to see and alot of walking. They have numerous hides on one side of the island to watch the various water fowl. There is also a colony of Red Sqirrels apparently you can see them behind the church. Plenty of places to have a picnic. They have a lovely café by the jetty offer nice selection of drinks and snack. Would definatelty go back again as in.

Excellent seaside location. Not far from the town center, and has plenty of bars and restaurants for the foodie fans. We loved looking at the very expensive yachts across the waterway at the sunseeker factory.

Go on a nice boat ride and see the white chalk cliffs very worth a visit see pics.below beautiful

Great lively spot so many different places to eat and drink

Lovely area. Poole is a lovely area with picturesque areas and lovely boats. Well worth a visit

strong wind & tide made out approach a challenge but fine once we'd moored up.

Love Poole, especially Tuesday evenings when it is bike night, up to end of September. Lots of great motorbikes to see as they all park up on the front promenade. Plenty of food choices and pubs.

We visited pool ,recently and was very disappointed it was very run down, lots of places shut down. The pubs looked shabby ,rubbish every where ,parking is not very good either private run with large fines further more if you haven't got a mobile smart phone and tap facilties type card it's impossible to legally park. We were shocked considering the last time we visited some years ago. We won't ever visit again.

Somewhat misleading as the main museum isn't open until the Autumn.We passed yesterday nothing to say it's closed so attended today,to find only the Scaplens court museum open. Great food at cafe though.

Amazing new museum. Full of interactive exhibits for children and fascinating history. Lovely café too ☺️

First up, it is FREE entry so already a winner. Set in an old building, but the front and upstairs cafe are brand new. Low beams in places but are easy to see and avoid. Well laid out rooms and display cabinets, activities for younger children. Not too difficult to find out interesting facts about the exhibits with a info-card number system. Worth visiting even for the well stocked and comfortable café.

What an absolutely amazing place for locals or visitors. Came with the school when I was a boy over twenty years ago! Saw the famous wooden long boat again and it has a seriously good coffee shop, amazing balcony to have a coffee with a view. Amazing and passionate staff PERFECT FOR WET DAYS OR SEEING POOLE'S TREASURES

A nice little to visit if your in Poole it's free entry so if it's raining and you need a place to hide this can take up some time. Some nice photos in air condition rooms and history about boats on the upper floors some children's costumes to try. Over all a cheap and cheerful filler if you go to Poole

Good museum with lots of really interesting things. All the ladies working here are really nice with big smiles and very helpful. The lady in the tearoom today was also really nice and the views on the quay make it worth popping in for refreshments when you are passing, even if you don't go around the exhibits. Lots to learn, and although we thought we knew our home area really well, I learnt even more. The highlight for me was definitely the long boat. Long is an understatement! I first saw this boat back in the 70's when it was soaking in a liquid to preserve it, in Scaplen's Court. To see it again, out of the conservation solution and in its full glory was really great. With free entry as well, what's not to like? Gave it 4 stars because we liked it, however, for us, Salisbury Museum is absolutely fantastic and really hard to beat, so it wouldn't be fair to give Poole the same as they are not on the same level.

Compilations of Poole’s history, small yet cute museum in the heart of Old Poole Town! Worth the visit to learn more about this beloved fishing village!

Absolutely just lovely place. Amazing walks, the nature is surreal and seeing all the ducks and birds just chilling about is so nice. The lake is huge and beautiful and there’s even a little walkway through it. The outdoor workout places are a nice touch. Maybe my favourite park I’ve been to, definitely a favourite

Beautiful park with lots to do for people of all ages. There are lovely walks, a boating lake, exercise machines and a couple of places to get drinks, ice cream, etc. There is also a miniature train to take a little tour of the park on.

We did Parkrun here, a lovely park with great views across the water. Super flat course that attracts lots of runners but we'll worth going to. We parked in the swimming pool car park and the start to parkrun is about a 10 minute walk. Toilets are available in the park but they do get busy.

Beautiful park so many birds, cafes toilets a children's play park and miniature train ride

I recently visited Poole Park and overall, I really enjoyed the experience. The natural beauty of the park is lovely, and seeing ducks, geese, and swans up close was a real highlight. It’s a peaceful place with lots of potential for a relaxing day out. That said, there are some areas that really need attention. The footpaths are quite messy in places, with a lot of duck and goose droppings, which makes walking unpleasant. Regular cleaning would make a big difference. The most disappointing issue, though, was the toilet situation. The park toilets close at 5 p.m., even during summer when the sun doesn’t set until around 8 p.m. It’s inconvenient and frustrating, especially for families or anyone spending a long time in the park. The water areas also need maintenance—there’s quite a bit of algae and moss, and some parts just looked dirty. A bit of regular cleaning could help keep it looking more inviting. Some benches were also quite dirty and clearly hadn’t been cleaned in a while. It's a small thing, but it affects the overall comfort of the park. Lastly, I couldn’t help but feel that the birds—especially the swans—seemed quite hungry. It may be worth looking into whether they’re being fed enough, as they rushed to any food people were offering. Despite these issues, I did enjoy my visit. The park has a lot of charm and potential, and with better maintenance, it could be an even more wonderful place to spend time.

Lovely afternoon out. Had a coffee in the cafe. Lots on offer there even if you just want to people watch over an ice cream.

Such a lovely place we return to week after week. Lots of play areas and walks, beautiful views and wildlife. Ideal for people watching whilst enjoying an ice-cream, or taking in the evening sun on a circular walk. Great to watch the model boat enthusiasts racing too.

wonderful place. Vibrant with big playground. And got almost all major fast food restaurants!

I've been going to Tower Park since I was a kid and always loved it there! There have been a few face lifts over the years, and it looks like another one is underway, which is looking really good. This time we went to the cinema, which has recently changed to a Vue cinema. There's been a major revamp, which looks brilliant. I loved it! Lots of atmosphere, the smaller screen 3 that we were in was lovely, with nice, big reclining seats, undisturbed view, loads of leg room. My 5 year old didn't even need a booster seat! The foyer is quite different to how it was before. Its all very self service and funnels you through the various stations for popcorn, sweets, icecream, soda etc. There's also a massive double fridge of alcohol with a huge range of options and price scales. I was hoping for a coffee, but the only option was a tiny Lavazza machine in the corner, but that was the only letdown. Overall a great cinema experience and a lovely day out with my little one. I'll definitely be going back!

Absolutely brilliant. So many different, and varied food chains, taco bell and KFC to name a couple. Lots of different shops to visit, along with an arcade and absolutely INCREDIBLE waterpark! The area is always clean, however the car park is very crammed and there really isn't much room between cars

Lots of leisure facilities, like splashdown, cineworld,buzz bingo, fast food and restaurants like Five Guys KFC, burger king pizza hut, taco bell, nandos, sweet shop, arcades family and over 18s.a big Tescos, big ball park and free parking but weekends can be very busy. Days all you can eat buffet restaurant shut down due healthy safety for the 3td time.

Interesting to see but extremely crowded, hot (no fans or air conditioning) and lots of stairs. We paid to get in and nearly immediately left. It was a cool day outside too. I would hate to be there on a hot day.

For the 1st time in ages I went to Tower Park, to the Vue cinema which was great 👍 Excellent seating!! A vast improvement on Cineworls's roller-cosster ones!! Parking spaces available and nothing negative to say.

Lots of building work going on at the moment hopefully will be worth it in the end. The Vue cinema is now open it's nice inside not but at the moment doesn't have the same atmosphere as Cineworld did the staff were very welcoming and friendly and helpful but this is my first visit so will have to wait and see

Amazing seafood and steak at the Guildhall Tavern tonight. We’ve been coming for years and it’s one of the best restaurants in Bournemouth/Poole in our opinion. Ingredients are always fresh, great taste, wonderful service, welcoming ambience with nice decor. We will be back again soon!

What a delightful evening. We were searching for a place for a special celebration and the reviews looked great so we booked a table. The food was DELICIOUS and the service from Dom and Apple was also delightful. I had the days Special - which was Massamon curry with huge pieces of meaty fish and an amazing sauce which was like lobster bisque meets Thailand - absolutely fabulous. My husband had the platter with catch of the day - also stunning. We even squeezed in a chocolate fondant to round it all off! I only wish we had found it sooner!!

Simply the best restaurant I’ve eaten at in Poole and the best Sunday Roast I’ve had in 10 years. The staff were superb, the Chefs are artists as far as I’m concerned and I had a great pleasure talking to Alan who’s the owner who was eating at the table next to me and chatting to guests and the pride in his restaurant and love for his staff and customers was so apparent. I’ve never felt so welcomed, looked after and enjoyed a leisurely Sunday meal like it

Everything was at a high level. The dishes were delicious, and I personally liked the scallops. The service was excellent. The main dishes were not served quickly, although the restaurant was not fully loaded. A nice bonus from the restaurant for my birthday. Overall, I recommend it.

Wow, what a fantastic find, we went here today, and i am seriously impressed with the quality of the food, in particular the fish cookery, I've eaten seafood around the world, and this comes out on top of all the seafood I've eaten, top marks to the chef, and all the great staff, we will definitely be back, and I have no hesitation in recommending this fantastic restaurant 💜 And it's dog friendly too, massive bonus points there too

The food was superb and the service was great. Really liked that they sell a locally made Prosecco. Only small downside was the beer choices—not the best, but the bottled IPA was actually really good.

Great food well presented, well cooked and well served - good knowledge - Restaurant high standard in the area, be prepared for decent food with a cost attached - # Ensure to check fixed priced menu is actually accurately available as advertised on website #

I expected more from a Rick Stein restaurant. The one in Padstow was excellent, this was not. For the price paid and level of food expected it was severely disappointing to say the least. We were a bit disappointed with the starters..my Mrs coconut prawns had no taste of coconut whatsoever. My mackerel salad was mediocre. We had the goan lobster and herb lobster for main , and whilst it seemed good value with a glass of champagne thrown in with the deal; they were both under seasoned and under spiced, and were bland at best. The accompanying sides were worse than I’d expect at a 1 star restaurant though…presentation was severely lacking for the quality of restaurant this was advertising.The cucumber and lime salad was literally cucumber and some lime juice ( I take more care slicing cucumber evenly at home !) and the buttered potatoes were bland to say the least ( I put parsley or chives on at home). There seemed to be no love in the food preparation. This may be because we sat at 8.30 and it was late in the day , but this not excusable for a restaurant that sells itself as higher end. On the plus side, our service from Luke was impeccable. Really good. The atmosphere is great and the setting amazing. Still, it didn’t detract from the bland food.

Great location, nice and cosy inside. Could use a few less pillows on the seating so you can actually sit down. The food was amazing. I had the crab burger, I always live seeing crab as a choice on menus because it isn't very common. Stunning burger and desserts. Highly recommend.

Superb restaurant, impeccable staff - warm, down to earth but super good. Amazing views and the food was top notch. We had the Fancy fish and chips and were blown away by how good it was, Best Ever! The octopus and halloumi small plates were delicious too. Definitely a special occasion venue or just a really nice treat.

The menu/food selection is great. I ordered the coconut prawns starter, which were very crispy and seasoned beautifully and tasted great. My main course was the wonderful crab linguine. Again, very tasty. We had a centrally located table for the 7 of us with a fantastic harbour view.

Wow 😋 I was speechless. From food to staff customer service( many thanks to Paul, Emanuel and Elena who served me today; you were 10 out of 10 👍) skills to ambiance - everything went flawless. I am looking forward to my next visit. This is the place to visit if you love shellfish as much as I do 🦞🦪🍤

Treated myself daughter to a lunch here to celebrate her pregnancy. I said in my reservation that she had been through ivf and not been successful but now actually pregnant naturally, when we arrived we had the best table overlooking the harbour, with a congratulations balloon, the food was exceptional, the wine was fantastic, the fresh juice was so tasty and the service was impeccable.

We went for mother's 80th birthday. We asked for a table bt the window. The view from the table was fantastic. The food was exceptional and so was the service. They piped in chocolate on her plate Happy birthday. Nice touch.

Da Vinci’s has a great location and a lovely atmosphere, and I really appreciated the use of fresh ingredients in the dishes — you can tell the produce is good quality. Unfortunately, the positives stopped there for me. The service was the biggest letdown. On arrival, we were greeted (if you can call it that) by a young man who I believe is the owner’s son — his selfie is in the menu. His attitude was rude and sarcastic from the outset, which immediately put us off. The other waiters didn’t seem to know what they were doing and couldn’t even name the dish when serving it to me. It felt like the staff were more focused on payment than actually providing good service. Also no women working, only very young men which is strange to me.. Food was slightly overcooked, which was disappointing given how fresh the ingredients seemed. Also, the outdoor seating could use an upgrade — some nicer chairs would really elevate the space and match the otherwise charming vibe. A place with potential, but sadly the service and attention to detail really missed the mark.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Me and my bestie went to Da Vinci’s for their Set Three Course Motown Event, and it was absolutely amazing from start to finish! We started with the bruschetta and prawn cocktail, followed by the famous Da Vinci’s fish pie and pork steak — both cooked to perfection. For dessert, we had the tiramisu and the cheese board which was such a fun touch! The atmosphere was incredible — great music, people up dancing, and nothing but good vibes all night. The staff were fantastic, so friendly and attentive. Honestly, we enjoyed every single moment. Can’t wait to come back for the next event! 🎶🍷✨

Just had a fabulous meal sitting outside at Da Vinci's. I had a locally caught skate wing with a lovely sauce and it was cooked perfectly which is not easy to do. My wife had a very tasty sourdough pizza. The service was overall very good and attentive. Rounded off with sharing home made profiteroles. Good food well cooked in a great setting for a reasonable price. I'll be back.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Honestly one of the best meals I’ve had in ages! Came here with a group of five and we all left absolutely obsessed. The place has such a lovely vibe — cosy but lively. We came on a very wet and rainy day and looked fully booked! The food was bloody amazing. Every single dish looked incredible and tasted even better — starters, mains, desserts — all the plates were spotless by the end! You can tell everything’s made fresh and with proper care. The staff were just as good — super friendly, chatty, and actually knew what they were talking about when it came to the menu. It makes such a difference when people genuinely love where they work. It was my birthday, and the waiter told me my main was on the house if I took a photo with the owner for their socials — such a nice, funny little moment that honestly made the night even better. Overall, can’t fault a single thing. Great food, great people, great atmosphere. 100% would come back — already planning the next visit!

Not a local—just visiting the area—but really glad I stumbled across Da Vinci’s down in the port of Poole. It’s in a great spot with the option to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air or tuck into your meal inside in a cosy, welcoming setting. I went for the Linguine Scallops and King Prawns (£30) from the specials board, and it was absolutely spot on. The seafood was fresh and generous, and the pasta was packed with flavour—garlic, chilli, cherry tomatoes, anchovies and a splash of white wine. Rich, delicious and not too heavy. It’s also really child-friendly, especially for earlier diners—there were families around but it still felt relaxed and well-paced. Staff were lovely, friendly without being over the top. Not the cheapest dish on the menu, but for the quality, I’d say it was well worth it. Would definitely come back if I’m in Poole again.

Awful experience starting by being moved from the table we were seated at, only to be verbally abused by the people moved into our table when we complained. They seemed to be friends with the owners hence the special treatment. The waiter didn't seem bothered we were getting abused by their mates simply for complaining. Asked for chilli oil for my pizza and got a bottle with 1cm of flavourless oil in it. Salad was served without onions and salad tongs. How difficult is it to do a green salad? My friends lasagna was very poor and we were never offered Parmesan. Cocky waiter didn't seem interested in us and I had to walk up to the bar twice to get their attention.

I went for an impromptu dinner with a good friend. The waiters were wonderful! We were greeted with a smile and a great sense of humour. The waiters were attentive and lovely to speak with; nothing was too much trouble for them. The food was delicious, and my friend and I wanted to share each other's food. So, the waiters kindly provided extra plates for us, again, with no trouble at all. The prices are good for the quantity and quality of the meal. We had the Margherita pizza and the seafood linguini. YUM! We will definitely visit again, and soon! Thank you for having us!

This was our first time here as recommended by my mums friend. Super tasty and fresh seafood, and fabulous service. The owner and chef came out to greet us which made it an even more enjoyable experience. The garlic scallops, oysters and grilled Dover sole was my favourite!

What a lovely gem of a restaurant we found by accident on our holiday last week. We were welcomed with our dog (it was lunchtime) - superb service and wonderful food. Next time we are that end of the country we will be back. Even the iced water was infused with Lemon, Lime and Mint. Much needed as it was a hot day. Thank you to the lovely staff - it was lovely.

We were staying down in Poole, and wanted some breakfast, we had spotted this restaurant the evening before and picked it for our breakfast. Breakfast was delicious and staff were super friendly. Would definitely recommend!

Our meal was exceptionally delicious. All of the dishes were exquisite. The muscles were so fresh and perfectly. The staff are friendly and efficient. We will definitely return soon.

We had been recommended to this restaurant by friends and relations. It did not disappoint. Very French but with a sense of humour, the staff were lovely and attentive and it had a light and fun atmosphere. They clearly took the food very seriously though, and the food and the wine were both outstanding. I thought it placed the sea but it doesn’t, or at least the section we sat in did not, however it did look out onto the quay side.

Amazing lunch menu, great location on Poole quay for people watching and chilling in the sunshine. The duck confit was superb as was the mixed salad and Tartiflette. Service is excellent. Great value highly recommend!

We came to St Tropez for lunch after getting married and i couldn't have asked for a nicer experience, they go above and beyond for you and make you feel so special, it was everything i wanted. The food was spectacular, absolute perfection! Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience xxxxx