The Best Cafes in Alton Pancras, Dorset, United Kingdom (2025)

Amazing. The food never disappoints and the staff are so kind. The cafe is kids friendly with a good kids menu. The soup is amazing too. I would definitely recommend this!

Stopped for lunch at 'The Posh Partridge' when visiting Dorset on a combined business / leisure trip. It was a relaxed and pleasant place for lunch and both the service and the food was quality and nicely presented. The hot Pastrami sandwich I had was very tasty, as was the toasted Brie and Cranberry Panini. The cost for two toasted sandwiches and two diet cokes was £20.80

A fantastic cafe, serving delicious, well priced food. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed sandwiches, soup of the day, and the crab bisque, followed by treacle and ginger tart and Bakewell tart. All of this was homemade and the portions were excellent. This cafe is not to be missed!

Lovely little place. Actually more space in there than you might think. Very nice & friendly staff. Didn't have to wait too long for service & food. Very tasty meals, & excellent sized portions at a very reasonable price. Will certainly visit them again next time I'm in Dorchester.

Lovely owners. Mum makes the savoury food and her daughter makes the cakes. A choice of vegetarian and gluten free options alongside full English breakfast etc. Not a huge cafe but charming with seating upstairs as well as down. Chairs and tables are also set out on the green. Supper evenings available and the downstairs setting is super romantic.

Hello 👋 Tiny village atmosphere. Outside on The Green, time stands still. Inside, cosy, creative chic. The array of cakes looked delicious 😋 Simply the best coffee and lovely helpful service.

adorable little place next to the green, we sat outside on a little table with our dog and enjoyed some savouries, cakes and coffee. the sausage roll and ham and cheese croissants were delicious! the staff were lovely too, thankyou 😊

Beautiful food and coffee with lovely attentive staff who were very friendly and super helpful. Food was delicious and cakes were incredible. Handmade on site too. Beautiful scenery. Absolute 10/10

What a little gem in Alton! We had a fantastic time visiting dill. We were very late to our reservation due to traffic and the staff were very understanding, which we appreciated. The atmosphere was very relaxing. We had the tomato and mozzarella sourdough special, the hog father (pork belly burger) special and the sweet corn fritters. We very much enjoyed everything!

Very nice food and very importantly, a great coffee. I couldn't have most of the items on the menu but what I did have was very nice indeed, great bread and dressing with fresh ingredients. Would recommend.

The food was enjoyable and fresh, which is always a plus. Although it took about 25-30 minutes for a simple dish to arrive, the quality made it worth the wait. It was nice to see the ladies at the reception handling greeting and serving duties, as well as taking orders at the counter in a well-coordinated manner. I encountered two ladies, and while one, Trisha, was genuinely kind, friendly, and full of happiness, the other seemed to be having a challenging day and wasn't as pleasant to interact with. Understandably, we all have our off moments. Overall it was a nice first experience.

We had a wonderful evening, food was amazing! The service was fantastic with personal touches and recommendations. Could not recommend enough for a special, intimate evening.

Highly recommend! Wide variety of burgers, seafood, and bites, as well as beers and local ciders available. Beware their hot food service ends at 3pm but if you're a few minutes late they're really nice and can make select menu items. Loved the chicken burger here after finishing a long hike from Studland

Good food, great location just be aware of seagulls! I wasn't but when half my burger was eaten by one it was replaced free of charge which was very nice. :)

Perfect breakfast experience. Very nice staff. Great food. Couldn’t be better

A food stall at the end of the beach, about a 5min walk. Outdoor seating but sometimes not enough as it gets busy, beware of the gulls!! A great view out over the beach & water. We had a bit of wait because they were flat out. It provides breakfasts up to 11am but you can still buy baguettes. Usual hot n cold drink, & other food, not cheap but you’re paying for the location.

Saturday in December. Quiet and slightly out of town but excellent service. Not a huge range but the paninis we had were tasty, hot and well prepared.

Great selection of home cooked food and cakes. As if that wasn't enough, the atmosphere and dedication of the owner surpasses any I have experienced before. If you haven't been, go!! Book a table as this little gem is popular and rightly so!

Found this place while visiting the dentist 🦷 Popped in for a cuppa tea while waiting on the better half , when she arrived we ordered breakfast 🍳 this consisted of one poached egg and beans on toast and one full English breakfast. It didn’t take long for us to clear the plates both meals were cooked from fresh no precooked rubbish , so expect to wait just a little bit longer but we’ll worth the wait . It had a very diverse menu and offers a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks so can cater for everyone’s needs. Jonathan looked after us and was very good at it, attentive friendly and not over the top 🔝 I’d highly recommend this for any meal time x great looking and clean 🧽 which is always a must xx

We came in with my Nan while she was visiting us. It was our first time to this cafe but definitely not our last! Jonathan who served us was funny and very attentive. He made us feel so welcome and even gave my daughter ice cream for breakfast! She was made up! The food was lovely and I would definitely recommend! Thank you Jonathan for making us laugh and the breakfast was beautiful!

Amazing service, beautiful food and a really great selection of gluten free cakes and food options. We felt well looked after and well fed! Also, the coffee is on point!

Incredible food, friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. Stopped for lunch with my sister when we were in the area. So glad we did! I had the chicken nourish bowl and it looked as good as it tasted. We look forward to returning to try the gorgeous desserts.

Lovely food and host/wait team! We went for the special barbecue lunch and it was lovely as well as great value. My only comment would be that I'd have loved it if the food had been brought in piping hot but it was delicious nonetheless. Definitely revisiting to try other things on their menu.

Fables and food has a lovely atmosphere, it is happy and Homely, has incredible food and amazing service. I had the French toast and it came out so well presented and tasted just as good as it looked! This cafe is like no other I’ve been to before as it has such a South African vibe, from the food to the decor! They even sell fresh eggs, cakes and fresh bread. Could not recommend enough!

Busy lunchtime. Had a delicious soup and amazing pink grapefruit tea. Very good value. Will be back for the plant based croissants! Thanks so much, it’s so important to have options like this.

This is easily becoming my favourite cafe in Weymouth. The location is great, just moments from the harbour side in the bustling brewers quay area. They have a sizeable outside seating area for those dry days and a cosy dining area inside. The staff are wonderfully accommodating and lovely with our children, they are always offered colouring books and numerous high chairs are available. Now the food...it is lovely. It is all vegetarian or vegan, but even as a meat lover I always find something to eat. A personal favourite is the poutine, fries with melted cheese covered in the most delicious mushroom gravy - it is gorgeous! The extensive waffle menu is a firm hit with all ages, with choices to suit all. From waffles doused in chocolate to lovely fruit toppings. If you are in the area, I would wholeheartedly suggest you pop by for lunch.

Lovely coffee. We always have oat milk lattes and they are delicious. A little on the small side for me, I like a big coffee. But, very nice. Nice selection of cakes and treats too. It overlooks a road, which is hard not to in a town center for the most part, however the other side of the road is green with trees and not just other shop windows which is nice.

Popped in for a proper coffee on our way through Dorchester and this place exceeded expectations. The owner couldn’t have been more happy to go the extra mile for us (filled up our water bottles, showed us the equipment he uses etc.). He is super passionate about coffee and truly knows his craft, which shows.. the coffee is INCREDIBLE. A lot of care goes into each and every cup. Highly recommend checking out this little gem, lovely vibe to the place too, the sweet treats also looked great. Thank you for the great coffee and inspiring chat. We will definitely be checking out other locations and returning to this one!

Finca. Coffee only. I chose this café based on their Google reviews as I’m only passing through so my expectations were raised. Well, I wasn’t disappointed as my cappuccino was totally delicious. Strong, smooth, rich and hot. With chocolate sprinkles added without having to ask. Perfect! You can smell the coffee as soon as get to the front door! 😁 It’s only a small shop but I really loved the decor with the lady serving being very personable. A great location for the Dorchester West train station. Parking nearby Card only

Best latte I tasted in a while, you ‘ll see a cafe nero next to it; ignore that and their overburned coffees and come&visit this cafe 🥰 tasty cakes too

We only popped in for a drink but the staff were lovely and the service was very good.

Been a couple of times and already planning my next trip! Staff are lovely and attentive, menu is simple but wholesome with a great selection of café classics and specials. Really lovely setting and a courtyard - and a big bonus they're dog friendly!

A lovely little cafe, tucked away in a Dorchester side street. A well-kept secret that the locals cherish. You can get to Potters back door and their lovely patio garden by turning left before entering Waitrose. The front door is in the street next to Tony & Guys hair salon. The cafe offers lots of homemade goodies and great tea and coffee. They are a little pricey for some of their items but it's worth paying that little bit more for quality. The staff are well above the average.

Friendly staff. Very accommodating with dietary needs. Service was relatively quick considering it was a busy lunchtime. Would recommend.

Had some delicious food here for brunch , made by chef Maria. Was extremely tasty!

Absolutely adorable little cafe with the sweetest service, great prices and really yummy food! Forgot to take a picture of my BLT but my partner had mushrooms, eggs and avocado on toast and we both loved every bite! Will definitely be back :)