Corkers

A delightful seafood restaurant right on the quay at Poole. I’m giving it five stars because the staff are so welcoming and the service is excellent. The restaurant is upstairs, which gives a great view over Poole Harbour. (I’m not sure if there is a lift, but I saw a sign saying disabled access.) The décor is tasteful and does not overwhelm, and the lighting is pleasant, neither dim nor bright. The’re a wide range of starters and entrée’s. Most are seafood based, although they do a lovely pea and ham soup. I had fish pie and was not at all disappointed. It had cod, coley, haddock, salmon and prawns, topped with perfect mashed potato and a touch of cheese. It’s probably the best fish pie I’ve had. Dessert is waiting on the trolley. Oh, what to choose! I had the hazelnut pavlova with raspberries. Delicious, yummy, these words don’t do it justice at all. The house red is very good and not pricey. There is a well stocked bar and I wish I’d had a liqueur to finish. All in all, a most pleasant evening. There is some parking on the lower High St, otherwise it’s the multi storey.

I chose Corkers Guest House almost entirely on the basis of its location, which is superb — right on the corner of the High Street and Quayside, almost across the road from Poole Museum in one direction and the various boat trips on the other. Some rooms (although not mine) even have a see view, and you’re right in the heart of the old town.
I was less sure about the likely quality of the accommodation: it’s above a bar and restaurant, and at £55 for a twin room (single occupancy) at the height of the tourist season, I was expecting something more cheap and cheerful than luxury. Here, I was very pleasantly surprised. I was shown to a lovely room whose décor was more classic contemporary than classic boarding house. There were lots of lovely touches, including hot chocolate and mineral water as well as the usual tea and coffee, while the bathroom had dispensers of decent brand shower gel and hand wash. The hairdryer was a real one, and the bed and desk were comfortable.
Happily, I heard no noise at all from the bar or restaurant that night, and slept really well. One of the luxuries of taking breakfast in the café bar downstairs is that you have until almost lunchtime: no more ‘lie in or full English’ dilemmas! Staff were really pleasant and helpful. Overall, this was a lovely place to stay in a superb location at an excellent price.