McKenzie's Bistro

"You need to book as there is limited availability. My mom and I went here the starter was great, the main perfect and the dessert excellent.

The people cooking the food knew how to cook food.

The waitress was friendly helpful and professional.

Excellent service and the cost in my view was underpriced I would've paid a lot more than we did to be honest.

High recommend this place."

jason biddulph

"Totally uninspiring.!! Homemade honest fare is their USP and while their food might be okay for the 'blue rinse set' in Swanage, I'm afraid to say what we were given was bland and overpriced.

The 'Fish of the Day' offering was a small fillet of Salmon identical to the ubiquitous supermarket farmed salmon fillets. It definitely was not 'pan fried' as the menu had implied.. It was simply oven cooked or poached and was served pink, plain and bland..The cream based sauce that covered it may well have been cooked in a frying pan but this made no difference at all to the fish.

Our prawn starter was a few frozen peeled tiger prawns served without a hint of pan sear or char. Again, served plain, pink and bland. They came in a small ramekin and sat very sad looking in a puddle of melted, mildly garlicky tasting butter.
That was it..!! Nothing else at all..Nada! Absolutely awful, and 5 pence shy of 8 quid.!
Very poor and overpriced for what it was.
Anyone under 70 years old who still has their taste buds would likely be very diassapointed eating fish at Mckenzie's.

The bright and plain white looking decor might be okay for afternoon coffee and cake, but I want my evening meal in a restaurant to have a more intimate cozy, and warm setting. A darker interior with some softer, ambient lighting designed to create the atmosphere one expects in a restaurant these days.. it definitely is not this.
Your little table candle had absolutely no effect at all against your strong florescent LED bright ceiling lighting.
The whole experience felt to me like I was eating my grandmothers dinner in a dentist's waiting room.!
I'm sorry to be so harsh but the other reviews I had read before booking our table did not tell it like I found it to be.
I want to make sure that other discerning diners are fully aware of what they are getting and paying for.

Unfortunately It was not possible to raise these concerns at the time. One does not want to cause a scene in a small, very quiet restaurant in front of other diners sitting very close. And putting them and us in a difficult and embarrassing position.
Safe to say we definitely will not be returning any time soon."

Timbo

"It's hard to find a bistro that are passionate about their food. We were lucky to find McKenzie's, good quality food that is homemade and freshly cooked.
I deducted one star on atmosphere, simply could have a slightly more subtle lighting."

carole debtuch