Rope & Anchor, Poole

Just off Poole Quay, this is a very pleasant Wadworth pub that has had a bit of a gastro-style makeover. The former multiple room layout has been knocked about so that formerly cosy, compact rooms are now opened out as much as is structurally possible. The pub has also been painted in a pretty bright colour scheme, which further loses the cosy atmosphere it previously had, but having said all this, the place still retains enough partitioning to break up sightlines and create spaces that still feel relatively secluded. There are a couple of seating areas to the front with banquettes and chairs in the right hand section and high tables and stools over to the left, with the two area separated by a fairly steep staircase leading up to the toilets. The servery can be found in the rear left corner and has a decent looking counter and fairly regular bar back. Beyond the end of the bar, there is a small nook with room for one table and access out to the compact rear patio garden. One final seating area can be found to the rear right, where more banquettes and chairs can be found in a space that is perhaps best utilised by diners. The whole place has very clean, smart furnishings and the walls have been decorated with appropriate art prints, photos and the like, whilst I also spotted a TV screen to the front left showing a muted daytime TV show. Four Wadworth ales were available from the bar – 6X, Horizon, St George’s and Swordfish – and we sampled the latter two, both of which were in fine shape. We also called in for a Sunday roast and I have to say that the quality of their food is as good as any I’ve tried around the county. The staff are also very cheery and eager to help, going out of their way to assist an elderly customer who was struggling to move around the pub. Whilst this place is very much positioned at the wrong end of the diners/drinkers spectrum from a pub purist perspective, I still found a visit here to be an enjoyable experience and can imagine dropping in for one of their Wadworth beers on a crawl around town. I’d also suggest it should merit serious consideration if you’re looking for a decent pub meal, as I can’t imagine there are many better in Poole.

Something of a struggle getting in here, as they had closed the main door to allow a band to set up but the handle on the side door didn't work! Eventually a customer let us in. As mentioned below, the once-modernised but now rather dated interior does nothing much for the atmosphere of this pub. Beers from the Wadsworth range seemed fair enough and the food is presumably good as virtually all the tables were reserved, which made our visit a bit brief. Possibly ok when quiet, but there are better pubs nearby.

Official site of Rope & Anchor - www.ropeandanchorpoole.co.uk

Official site of Rope & Anchor - www.ropeandanchorpoole.co.uk

Previously Cranberries, this back street pub is well described below. I should add that it is dog-friendly and there is WiFi available. There was a full house of Wadworth’s beers on, two of them on gravity. I had a pint of Bishop’s Tipple from behind the bar, and I found it to be in excellent condition. What let things down on this occasion was the attitude of the barman whom I found stroppy and unwelcoming. I’d be happy to include in a crawl for its beer quality alone, but I wouldn’t want to while away time here due to the unwelcoming atmosphere.

Has dropped the ‘Cranberries @ No.4’ moniker (a tribute to Delores and chums?) and is now the far more sensibly-named Rope & Anchor. The split-level modernised interior remains, very mid-2000’s in terms of colour scheme, light wood etc plus the inevitable nautical knick-knacks. Never the most appealing prospect and was made worse by the heating being resolutely off, so cold I kept my coat on. Large overbearing TV showing some gaudy graphics advertising various pub-related bits and bobs. On the plus side, there’s a tidy patio to the rear, a selection of papers and the gents toilets are very swish. This is a Wadworth pub, with 6X and Henry's IPA from the wall (and from the wood?) plus four regular pumps with Waddies standards and a guest, Hooky Lion. The Lion was pretty lacklustre but the Henry’s IPA was the best I’ve tasted of what is usually an eggy, sulphurous brew. Curate’s egg.

An old backstreet pub, operating under the very curious 'Cranberries @ No 4' name which helps explain the unexpected modern refurbishment inside. Compact split-level layout, with a variety of seating areas. Small patio beer garden out back. Friendly landlord. Four handpumps plus two more real ales on gravity, with 6X, IPA and Horizon (£1.75, half) from owners Wadworth plus Castle Rock Elsie Mo and Clark's Westgate Gold as guests when I visited.