Review: Guildhall Tavern Garden

The Guildhall Tavern in Poole has just launched its new outside dining area, providing a delightful dining experience for anyone seeking an al fresco meal or drinks. Hidden in the heart of old town Poole this spot really is a gem.

Team Total recently took our team catch up offline and headed down to The Guildhall Tavern to check out the new garden area for a spot of lunch. 

We were in for a real treat as the sun was shining and their new garden transported us to an oasis in the heart of old town Poole. 

The Guildhall Tavern has long been one of our favourite eateries in Poole with high quality locally sourced ingredients cooked to perfection, they have recently been awarded their second AA Rosette so we're not alone in our love for this restaurant. The addition of the garden has just added to what we already know and adore. 

With the sun shining it felt only right to enjoy a glass of wine, while we waited for mains. We were served by the fabulous Whitney who knew the menu's inside out, she talked us through the dishes whilst advising us on the wine list and remained attentive throughout our visit. High quality service always takes a restaurant from good to great in our books and she did just that. 

We started off with some bread and olives, which sounds a little simple but the way the Guildhall do bread and olives is just unmatched. The smell of freshly bake bread is unbeatable and perfect for sharing whilst pouring over the menu. 

For mains we chose from the A la Carte Menu; the steamed plaice fillet came highly recommended and with good reason, it was incredible. The plaice came served with a king prawn mousse, potato and samphire, caviar, crayfish and chive butter sauce, each element adding a new dimension to the dish. It was light yet full of flavour and I must admit I have been craving it again ever since we left. We also had the grilled cod which came served with borlotti bean, spring onion, chilli and samphire “cassoulet” apple and radish, broad bean and pistachio pesto. Again, this was delicious the cod was cooked to perfection and complimented perfectly with the pesto. 

As well as the A La Carte menu, they serve a set menu which is updated each week. The set menu is available Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm with 1 course for £17.00, 2 courses for £23.50: 3 courses for £30.00. Making it a great option for lunch in the garden. 

As always our visit to the Guildhall Tavern was fantastic, the waiting staff are always so friendly and the relaxing atmosphere of the garden really makes you feel as though you're on holiday on a warm summers afternoon. It's a great addition and just what Poole was missing!