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

A very lovely dinner, mussels were good & plenty of them. Had the cafe gourmand for dessert & that was nice. Service was good though a little slow on taking our order & when we wanted to settle up. They also gave us the wrong coffee & wrong dessert but quickly rectified the error. It’s not wow but lovely traditional French cuisine.

Staff were lovely, particularly the manager guy, with the glasses! Food great and not as expensive as I thought it would be. Very impressed.

Went for dinner and the food was fantastic! The staff were so lovely & attentive. They catered to my allergies (shellfish) really well, making notes for everything and making sure it was labelled with a little flag. It wasn't too busy when we went in, but as a very anxious person i quite liked that. Would recommend to anyone and looking to go back for my birthday next month!

We were felt to be made very welcome and special by all the staff. The menu we chose was the set vegetarian which was explained to us in great detail. We were amazed at the choice and quality of the food.

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.

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

Great coffee place in Dorchester, it has not lost its touch despite opening more shops and becoming a mini coffee chain. The carrot cake was delicious too.

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

I love this little place that has a larger personality especially around the holidays, nice food, nice helpful staff, and full of friendlyness. It gets bigger and louder during the holidays and summer months when it opens the play area and the maize maze. Lovely for families and children. I have to say it pleases my heart to see this place set up for children's outside play, they certainly keep you on your toes, even when you are not part of that group or party, it has a little downside life everywhere when is busy hearing can be an issue even when sat face to face, so if you're expecting a wee cuppa or coffee or lunch in peace or relative quite here, you honestly won't know until you get there. It's just lovely hearing the children and youths being a play outside and not attached to their phones or computers.

An amazing maize, maze one of the best around. What a pity it's the final maze this year. A wonderful attraction for all the family with all the usual facilities including a superb little cafe. Play area for younger children and very reasonably priced. Staff extremely friendly and helpful adding to the experience. The maze is open all summer until early September so get in there quickly for a brilliant day out!

Good location on the edge of Sherborne to let the kids run and play while you sit comfortably in the old farm yard with a cake and coffee or maybe a light lunch.

Lovely lil cafe. Had an Americano and a flapjack to go from here. Emily and John were on shift I must say both were very welcoming, friendly & extremely helpful. Was a pleasure to meet you both will visit again soon. I really dislike coming into poundbury (was there because of work) but these lovely humans made my day. Thank you so much.

Amazing customer service, very reasonably priced. It's a cafe you come away thinking "that was amazing" rather than "that was ok" Thank you very much! Will come back ❤️❤️

Friendly and kind staff, they are really a pleasure to be around and the cafe is honestly a great place to have a snack or a drink in. Tasty hot chocolate!

Stopped at this lovely cafe on the way to Cornwall and it was so good we stopped there again on the way back. Emily and John are friendly and the food tasty with generous portions. We thoroughly recommend. Keith and Serena.

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

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.

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!

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.

Great little cafe. Stopped here for tea and a light snack on our way to Cornwall. Was pleasantly surprised at the number of gluten free options. Millionaire shortbread was delicious!!

Welcoming atmosphere. Dog friendly which is great. The breakfast was one of the best I have had anywhere. Decent amount of food and perfectly cooked. And only £7.50 which included tea or coffee. Absolute bargain. Definitely recommended. Will be stopping in next time we’re passing.

We had the best sunday roast today for a very long time! I had beef and my husband had pork. The meat was plentiful tender and tasty. The cauliflower cheese was delightful and the roast potatoes were crisp and yummy, the red cabbage was super flavoursome. There was also plenty of gravey. What a find, we will definitely be heading back very soon. Thanks guys!

What a wonderful find, friendly staff, fantastic breakfast and great prices! Will definitely be going back, highly recommend!

Absolutely divine Sunday roast at the Octagon cafe. Choice of 3 meats, lots of veg, cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes, yorkshire…too much to eat! Excuse the lack of gravy in photo, that was my choice as I have never liked gravy!! Thank you, I will be back!

This is a well loved beach cafe which has beautiful scenic views, it is very popular and rightly so. The menu is mainly fish and seafood dishes. However, they do a smashing full English breakfast up to 11.30 am. I will post pics. This dog friendly beach cafe has a carpark close by, but if you choose to walk along the cliff top path or the lower paths, you will walk within the most beautiful scenery. This is a totally table service venue, so once you are seated, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the view. Prices are reasonable.

Came here today, after walking from our campsite at Graston Copse through Burton Bradstock village. A warm welcome by a member of staff & shown to our outside table for 4 with 3 dogs. Our waitress took our drinks order & returned after a few minutes to take our food order. She was very friendly and attentive, giving time for a chat despite being extremely busy. Wait for our food was minimal and when it arrived it was hot, tasty & well presented. Back ground music was pleasant, giving the Mediterranean feeling due to the sunshine. Wouldn't hesitate in returning if we are in the area again .... thank you.

We arrived at 11.20, just in time to order breakfast. We were lucky to get the table on the edge of the 'tent' overlooking the beach. Despite being quite busy we received very efficient service. The food arrived within 15- 20 min, then our hot drinks. We had 3 x full English and egg Benedict on muffin with bacon. Everyone enjoyed it. The only nuisance were a few wasps but not a lot to spoil our experience.

Camping at Freshwater holiday park, a 20 minute walk to visit this gem of a place. Busy and bustling restaurant, great menu, food was outstanding and the service was great too. Dog friendly aswell, all in all, will definitely be returning soon.

Went there as part of a new trail race and a great location. The pool is still blue all year so never disappointed, but obviously better when weather is clear. Great walks around. Good cafe. Well family priced.

Lovely place for a day out. Walks were clear and easy to stroll. The rope bridge was great fun. The views across the pool are stunning in a number of viewpoints. I guess when the azaleas are flowering it is absolutely beautiful. There's a nice cafe and lovely gift shop. I only wish we had visited before but will be back again before long

Lovely scenic spot that's well worth the visit. Very relaxing and pretty. Nice place for family, kids, dogs or just pleasant walk round on your own. Cheerful, friendly and helpful guy in ticket office and pleasant staff in cafe. Thoroughly enjoyed the place. Nice little plant shop, Ice cream shop and gift shop. Easy access loos. Highly recommend if you're in the area.