Poachers Seafood Bar & Restaurant

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#3 of 25 Restaurants in BandonIrish, Bar, €€ - €€€

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Poachers Seafood Bar & Restaurant

Review

At a glance

Open until 9:00 PM

See all hours

Website

+353 23 884 1159Improve this listing

About

Features

CUISINES

Irish, Bar, Seafood, European

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner, After-hours

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Free off-street parking

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Highchairs Available

Mastercard

Parking Available

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Street Parking

Table Service

Visa

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

Clonakilty Road, Bandon Ireland

Free off-street parking, Parking Available, Street Parking

Can a vegetarian person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Open until 9:00 PM

Sunday

12:30 - 19:30

Monday

12:00 - 15:0017:30 - 21:00

Tuesday

12:00 - 15:0017:30 - 21:00

Wednesday

12:00 - 15:0017:30 - 21:00

Thursday

12:00 - 15:0017:30 - 21:00

Friday

12:00 - 21:00

Saturday

12:00 - 21:00

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4.3

400 reviews

Excellent

238

Very good

102

Average

Poor

Terrible

David A

8 contributions

Best meal this year so far

Jul 2024 • couples

Best meal so far this year. I had the steak medium rare. The onion and mushroom with it were incredible. I brought my Spanish in laws who are difficult to please and the first bite he took of the steak he almost fell off his chair with delight. Can’t wait to go back. Hats off to the chef

Written 30 July 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anita O

12 contributions

Delightful

Aug 2024 • friends

Visited The Poachers last night for the first time in a few years. Had a really positive experience. Previously we found the portions small but last night, our food was delicious, portions were perfect size and the presentation was great. There was a very pleasant atmosphere and staff were very efficient. The two course option for 25 euro is great value. I had the fish and chips and meringue roulade, both were delicious. Will definitely be back.

Written 18 August 2024

Kazza1

Dublin13 contributions

Hard to beat !

Aug 2022 • family

We had such a lovely meal at the poachers Inn . The food was delicious. So fresh , presented beautifully, lots of choice and reasonably priced. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They were so informed of the menu and were easily able to answer any questions we had. My son who is a coeliac had a great choice of delicious food and again our server was very informative. I have to say I’ve eaten out a lot this summer in west cork. Poachers is hands down the best there is. Thank you .

Written 21 August 2022

Sarah H

4 contributions

Shocked by lack of hospitality

May 2024 • family

We have dined in the Poachers many times over the years. We booked a table to take an elderly family member for dinner after a flight from the UK. Unfortunately his flight was delayed which would have made us 10 minutes late for our booking. As a courtesy we called and informed the restaurant that we would be late and they told us we would not be accommodated. We both offered to place our orders over the phone en route and to skip dessert in order to ensure we could get our uncle a meal after travelling but we were flatly refused. This was so far from the cead mile failte we were hoping to extend to our guest that I was actually a little embarrassed. Needless to say we won't be returning.

Written 4 June 2024

Robert

Cork3 contributions

Regular Customers who wont be returning

Mar 2023 • none

Visited a week ago for a family birthday in the upstairs "tapas" bar. On arrival we were greeted by the Manager who sat us at our table and gave us our menus. Menus were not as advertised on the website. Told the manager that we thought there was tapas on the menu. She said "There is there on the side" The only tapas option was Patas bravas (Pictured below) and mixed olives, the other options were chowder, soup and other basic bar food starters. We told the manager that the menus were not the same to which she replied that the menus online were "Sample Menus" There is no mention of this on the website it is clear the website just has not been upadated in some time. We asked if the Menu was the same as the downstairs bar menu and she said it was. Having 2 Vegetarian on the table the 2 Veggie options of a cauliflour steak and a cream based pasta were not very appealing and the cheese board only had two typoes of cheese. As of writing this review 11-3-22 the online menu is still not updated for "Little Poachers Tapas Bar" or presumedly the downstairs menu. The menu which we recieved was extremely limited. (But you wouldnt know cause its not online) Also advertised as a seafood restaurant with 3 options of fish and chips a prawn curry and seafood pie ... Settled at this point we ordered our food. 2 portions of potatas bravas (9 euro each), soup, chowder and mixed olives for starters or "Tapas". The Chowder was bland and the seafood was over cooked in it a trend that followed with the rest of the food. We were pretty disappointed at this stage as the service had already been poor. The staff were both untrained and uninterested in hospitality and the food was dissapointing. For the main course. The Steak was covered in fat, The kids salmon was so over cooked so much so even the 11 year old could not even eat it, The burger was bland, dry and the chips were greasy, The Tiger Prawn Curry, the prawns were extemely over cooked and rubbery and the curry sauce was bland and the other four meals were also very dissapointing. We have been regular customers of poachers for 10+ years and have honestly never had any complaints about service and food but this experience was honestly so dissapointing and one of the worst meals we have had in years. We asked our waiter if we could speak to the manager who at first appeared very apoligetic but then got extremely defensive after we tried to point out some of our issues. After we paid the entire bill, 200+ euro we were assured that we would receive a call from the owner or another manager in the following days. We have never received a call. As we are regular customer we waited 2 weeks to see if we would receive and communication from them before writng a review. The fact that there was no follow up shows there value for customer service and care for regular customers

Written 11 March 2023

Barry M

Without question this reviewer was the most unfair, bitter and rude customer we have ever faced in nearly 17 years of business. First of all, from our point of view, everything was a problem for (mainly) you and 1 other member of your party from the moment you arrived - the table, the menu, the service, almost every dish (only after the fact). We initially attempted to take a drinks order and we were rudely dismissed. Your table was visited regularly. The food your party ordered was eaten, your barage of complaints came after the fact (you seem to have added a few new ones for your review). As is standard, your table was checked when having your meals and all was ok. You claimed on the night (after it was finished!!) the striploin was 50% fat, that'll be a new one on most people. Lastly, you'll recall that you, along with another member of your party, came up to the bar counter in an aggressive manner and berated a senior member of staff very publicly - all because she rightly charged you full price on the basis that everything was eaten at your table - not for the first time you've certainly put your own spin on what happened there!!. We absolutely welcome feedback here, especially when the hard-working customer has something that might not meet expectations, it helps us stay consistent and helps us improve. In this case the credibility of your multiple complaints were difficult to process because (a) everything was eaten (b) all was fine when we checked during the meal (c) your behaviour on the night (it was atrocious towards the staff from the first minute). Customers that heard you were appalled by what they witnessed by you in particular. Every single staff member that was on that night couldn't believe what they were dealing with which is all the more disappointing given that you were keen to portray yourself repeatedly as a hospitality professional.....how can someone that claims to work in our trade be so demeaning and aggressive in their attitude to fellow colleagues? You'd wonder. Barry McLaughlin, Owner

Written 7 April 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cici 568

1 contribution

Disappointing

Oct 2022 • family

We went for a meal Friday evening, when we booked we were told the main restaurant was full so we would have to sit in the “little poachers” part. For the full night we were frozen with the cold as we were sitting by the door. We got our food and overall it was quite disappointing. The hake was tasteless, the fish and chips were very greasy and the mashed potatoes had more water than potato in them. When we went to pay the bill, the prices which we were given on the menu were not the prices that we were charged. The prices were very overpriced, €24 for greasy tasteless fish and chips. Overall it was very disappointing and overpriced.

Written 5 November 2022

Mary M

3 contributions

Poor main course

Jul 2024 • friends

Three of us ordered fish and chips and it was below average. The fish was tasteless and the chips were hard. Very disappointed as we travelled to go to this restaurant. The desserts were very tasty. Staff saw that we did not eat our main course . We will not be returning.

Written 26 July 2024

Eddie B

6 contributions

Disappointed with service and attitude

May 2022 • none

Having eaten at this restaurant several times before and having always been very happy with both the food and the service, I visited again today with my son. We were shown to a table and given our menus by a very friendly member of staff. Our orders were taken but when our meals were brought to us approx. 20 minutes later I was given a completely different meal from the one I had ordered. I pointed this out to the waitress who replied "Oh" and removed the plate straight away without comment or explanation. About 5 minutes later the waitress who originally took our order approached me and said "Sorry about that Sir". After another 20 minutes or so the correct meal was brought over, but at this stage my son had already almost finished his meal. We didn't make any fuss of the situation but when I was paying at the counter I wasn't asked by anybody if everything was ok, which I normally would be asked, and I did not leave a tip like I normally would, even though I got the distinct impression a tip was expected.

Written 8 May 2022

209annoynomous

Cork6 contributions

Overall a lovely meal lovely staff and good atmosphere, shame about the chips

Nov 2023 • couples

My partner and i went here to celebrate my birthday. From once we were greeted at the door the staff were very attentive and couldn't do enough throughout our time there. The goats cheese starter was lovely, it just could have done with a bit more goats cheese. The only thing i will say that was disappointing were the chips, they were just too salty and were very hard too eat. Some mushy peas would have been nice to go with the fish and chips. The sticky toffee and trio of chocolate desserts were both divine.

Written 19 November 2023

Brennedy

Waterford50 contributions

Enjoyable food, but not exceptional

Jan 2024 • couples

We arrived early, without a booking. We had a drink while waiting for the kitchen to open. We shared a camenber starter, and my husband had a seafood pie, which he enjoyed. I had one of the specials, which was a Japanese seafood noodle type dish/soup, which was also very nice, although I would preferred a rice or authentic Japanese type noodle, rather than the wheat noodles. It's a very popular busy spot, frequented by lots of families.

Written 19 January 2024

Ray O

Waterford1 contribution

Top drawer

Apr 2023 • couples

Just had lunch (again) en route to Roscarberry. The Poachers is a jewel - exquisite food, excellent service and well priced for the standard of cuisine. We’ve been dropping in over several years and it only gets better. Well done guys👍👍

Written 22 April 2023

Norma H

Cork20 contributions

Birthday Lunch

Apr 2023 • couples

We dined in Poachers April 16 th for a family members birthday. We were a party of 6. We were given a table to the right of the bar in a little snug type area which was lovely. From the starters to the dessert the food was fabulous. We ordered a few starters for the table … tapas plate for sharing was one of the starters. This was very generous and the quality of the meats and cheeses was fantastic. All mains were of equally high standard and again very generous portions. Every single main course was superb and the whole party was really happy with the food. For the dessert … what can I say but to highly recommend the lemon posset. The best one I have ever had. Staff were also great… friendly, courteous and attentive. I can only recommend Poachers if you are looking for a nice venue and top class food

Written 20 April 2023

Barry M

Cork387 contributions

Great fare

Aug 2021 • couples

On a recent visit to West Cork we stopped for lunch at Poachers. Choice of indoor or outdoor dining available...we chose outdoor which was in fact a small marquee which shielded diners brilliantly while maintaining great airflow. Lovely choice of food and while primarily a fish restaurant, meat eaters are well catered for. We had the haddock fish burger with Mexican slaw and fries and the fish pie which was served with a lovely green salad. Both were delicious and plentiful. Service was excellent from a very friendly waitress. Parking is immediately adjacent. Well worth a visit if passing.

Written 14 August 2021

Mary L

34 contributions

Lovely

Sept 2021 • none

We stopped as a couple on our way to Clonakilty , we had never heard of it didn’t know the first thing about the restaraunt we stopped because there was parking, just hoping for a coffee and a sandwich. When I went in I was delighted with the place ,it was really lovely and inviting.Unfortunately they had just finished lunch ,but had no problem getting us coffee , the girl who was an absolute pleasure to meet told us she would get us chowder .I declined but my husband took the offer and he said it was delicious. I gave four stars because I didn’t eat a meal there ,but I hope to return soon and sample the food and I have no doubt it will warrant 5 stars

Written 1 October 2021

Redsionnach

Cork963 contributions

Wonderful food and service.

Nov 2022 • couples

We came here for dinner as we were moving from the town and wanted a nice meal. The menu is superb and very wide ranging. Staff made us very welcome. We had starters of vegetable soup and chicken wings, mains of chicken curry and fish pie (amazing) and desserts of chocolate tapas, chocolate brownie and lemon posset with tarragon foam. We also had hot chocolate and americano. The special cocktail was a delicious spiced old fashioned. Service throughout was really excellent. The only place the restaurant fell down was the toilets (ladies had no toilet paper in either stall, mens has no light in the main area). €110 for four courses and drinks. Very highly recommended.