Toby Carvery Poole, Oakdale, Poole

Official site of Toby Carvery Poole - www.tobycarvery.co.uk

Official site of Toby Carvery Poole - www.tobycarvery.co.uk

A Toby carvery right next to a major junction with a flyover, and spitting distance from large supermarkets. Recipe for disaster? Well, being fair, not on this occasion. This large stone-fronted house is appealing to the eye, well maintained and sympathetically extended through an orangery-style annex. The car park is large but tidy, while the suburban garden at the rear is pleasant enough given that it is surrounded and overlooked by local housing, and subject to a lot of traffic noise. The ravages of successive food chains – it was previously a Beefeater – have removed any internal architectural charm it may have had, but it’s still bearable. There are multiple gaming machines, 1970s carpets, dull muzak and a really annoying tannoy announcing people’s tables, while some inconvenience was caused by diners queuing at the ‘reception’ counter thus blocking the front door. There is a fairly comfortable saloon bar area, and children are not allowed in after 9pm. The staff were surprisingly helpful and friendly. There is a purpose built ramp providing wheelchair access and a soft landing for those who would otherwise fall down the steps at the front, and there is free WiFi. Two ales on, both from Ringwood: the Fortyniner was in reasonable condition, just a bit too cold when poured. Not bad as these places go, a reasonable watering hole to hide in while the wife shops, but I still wouldn’t eat here.

A good pub, with a range of events available throughout the week. The beer is generally good quality, although there is very little choice with only 1 or 2 available on tap. However it is well priced, leaving little to complain about. The interior is a little outdated, but hopefully forthcoming refurbishments should improve this.