Rockwater Branksome — Restaurant in England

Extremely rude and unwelcoming and impolite member of staff that served us last night. The place has definitely gone downhill and the service levels are not what they should be. We actually left due to bad service!

My friend and I came to sit down outside and wanted to order a hot drink and some food, the waitress only bought an alcoholic menu and didn’t ask us if we wanted food and only assumed we wanted alcohol.

It was quite cold so we asked for blankets and she was rude and abrupt and told us ‘ No there was no blankets’ .

When she came back to ask my friend what she would like. My friend said she would like a hot drink, my friend is European so has a bit of an accent and the waitress looked at her and again was really rude when asking her ‘what ? ‘ a what drink ? ‘ and pulled a bit of a screwed up face not understanding what my friend had asked for.

When I intervened I said ‘ a hot drink , like latte / coffee ? ‘ the waitress then again was rude and said “ we do but Im going back to serve the other people down there as I’m just so busy “

The table behind overheard and the man sniggered about the waitress saying “ great hospitality ‘.

I was actually quite shocked at how rude she was, and even if she was ‘so busy ‘ , it’s not what you would expect a waitress to tell a customer and be so hostile ! Her manner in how she spoke to my friend because she didn’t quite understand her accent was most concerning to me , and I refuse to pay for bad service so we actually just got up and left !

I have been coming to Rockwater since it first opened and there was always good service and polite and friendly staff even when busy. It’s disappointing the place is definitely not as good as it first used to be, either due to understaffing or poor recruitment .

This staff member clearly lacked customer service and care skills, she was extremely rude and abrupt and I was disgusted in how she spoke to my friend so rudely as she didn’t understand her accent , she didn’t realise I was English as I watched her interacting with my friend talking to her in such an unpolite and...

We had a delightful dining experience at this restaurant on a quiet Monday evening. The restaurant features two unique menus - one for upstairs and one for downstairs. After browsing online, we were more intrigued by the upstairs menu.Our server, who was exceptionally pleasant, suggested that we order a few small plates each. We ended up ordering five dishes between us, along with some fries. Although it turned out to be quite a lot of food, each dish was a delightful culinary experience. The scallops were mouthwatering, complemented perfectly by a delightful sauce on the side. The monkfish and medium rare lamb were just as flavorful. The lamb, especially, was a hit with my partner. The beetroot hummus, despite its vibrant pink presentation, lacked in flavour, it was missing something, maybe more lemon juice or sea salt, It was our least favourite dish. But the true star of the evening was the yakitori chicken. The dish was a flavor explosion, served on a bed of salad with pickled pear slices, chilli, and a dressing that amazingly complemented the chicken.The upstairs ambiance was cozy and inviting, with twinkling lights and a warm fire creating a truly beautiful setting. The staff were wonderful - our server was friendly and polite, and the mixologist impressed us with his well-crafted cocktails.If I were to nitpick, I would have appreciated a more extensive wine list, particularly more options for wines by the glass. I have a penchant for Californian Cabernet Sauvignons, Petite Sirah, Zinfandels, Australian Shiraz, South African Pinotage, Spanish Rioja’s, and Italian Montepulciano or Primitivo, there was nothing that I fancied, so I didn’t drink any wine, are usually love a glass of wine with my food however, I had two cocktails instead and they were really good, and this minor detail did not overshadow the warm welcome we received, the friendly service, and the overall fantastic dining experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will...

Lovely place and food was really well prepared and presented. Our waitress was Doretta who couldn't have been more helpful

But the whole thing was soured a bit by the attitude of an individual allocating tables. When we arrived a lovely lady at the door pointed out a couple of tables outside and said we could have one of those or alternatively choose one inside. It had been raining so we opted for inside.

All of a sudden a gentleman, very much resembling the liquid metal android from Terminator 2, came rushing over saying the table was booked and we couldn't sit there. With the same level of empathy and warmth too. No reserved sign or any indication that it was booked. So we moved outside to the table that had been pointed out to us by the warm and friendly lady on the front door.

Next he comes rushing out with a face like thunder looking really annoyed. 'That's reserved as well!!' Well we know it isn't as the table wasn't laid and the chairs were tipped up. And we had been told we could sit there. But hey ho stay calm. We are then put bang next to the kitchen pass. The table he initially said that we couldn't sit at remained empty until we left, by which time he had turned it into a table for six.

It actually felt like we weren't attractive enough to be sat in the table by the window and terrace so we were stuffed next to the kitchen, despite there being other tables. I very much hope it wasn't because my teenage son has Down Syndrome which isn't a good look for their image. I pray that isn't the case and it is just an officious, condescending and unprofessional individual letting down what is a lovely establishment. I have never written a review before so must have been seriously annoyed to write one now.

Disappointing as we had been looking forward to our first visit which may well now...