The Best Cafes in Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom (2025)

Where to start? The food is very good and well worth the price. The service is top notch. And finally, the design and environment is lovely. It is a very fresh and open feeling and you can tell the owners put real care into it.

I've been popping into this place a couple of times a month for a while now. Rodney (the owner) has done wonders with time place since taking it. This little cafe/sandwich bar is rapidly building a bit reputation and is starting to become a favourite breakfast haunt for many of the local tradesmen. I normally pop in for a breakfast bap which is excellent. I well recommend it.

Lovely bacon bap!!! Freshly cooked to perfection :-) Thanks Rodney! Charlie & Aya xx

Shoutout for this awesome sandwich bar.Their breakfast baps are delicious…to be honest it’s almost addictive.I always oreder the Mike’s special wich is a breakfast bap with 2 eggs,bacon,mushrooms and cheese.Totally recommended!

If you are in the area, a great little place to grab a coffee. Had a cappuccino, which was great tasting and just the right temperature. Friendly staff. Selection of food and snacks, will try one next time I visit. It is a quirky building, made from a freight container! If you are in the area, you must go try a coffee from them…

Amazing coffee from lovely & friendly staff. Have drunk in as well as take away and both have been great. Would recommend to all. Can’t wait for there to hopefully be some food options soon… Good luck with your new business venture!

Great little find just outside of Christchurch! Parking just outside, the barista was friendly, coffee tasty and homemade treats were delicious. Would visit again for my afternoon coffee.

I like to think of myself as a discerning bloke with particularly high standards, though those that know me probably think I’m fussy. When it comes to coffee, there appears to be enormous competition between those who strive for mediocrity. Or worse. Mediocrity is a crowded space. Then you have the big chains that charge premium prices for bucket-sized drinks full of sugary flavours, cream and marshmallows to hide their cheap, substandard coffee. And for some inexplicable reason, reviewers of these places award them five stars? Well, you already know that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. And so it happened that I found myself in Dorset on a Monday morning and googling for coffee brought up the big chains, supermarkets and the occasional garden centre. But amongst it all was a small container on a small industrial estate. It was different so I had to visit BLK BOX. And I’m so pleased I did. Katie is an absolute professional and supremely skilled in crafting what is the best coffee I’ve tasted since 21 Grams in Fulham. The coffee here was so good I could not fault it at all. And so I came back the next day and the day after that. On each visit, Katie was expert in creating a coffee that was consistent with the last, a feat that most places struggle to do on the same day let alone day-to-day. I spent a little time enjoying the coffee and some lovely cinnamon swirls. The toasted sandwiches also looked excellent. And in my time drinking coffee in there I was struck by how welcome every single customer was made to feel. This is a young business run by someone who clearly knows their craft and whose business deserves to flourish. And it will do so as people seek out quality coffee from an independent rather than buying oversized mediocrity from large chains adept at avoiding taxation. As I say, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet and you can’t take my word for the five stars I’ve rated BLK BOX and Katie’s coffee. And because you can’t believe what I say about BLK BOX, you’ll just have to visit to experience the coffee for yourself. Then, and only then, you can decide whether you agree with my top recommendation.

What a gem. Lovely atmosphere, cafe was spotlessly clean with lovely decor. Staff incredibly friendly. Coffee and cake were amazing. Dogs were welcomed and offered treats. There are games for the children and lovely milkshakes ,drinks, pastries, cakes and buns, to name just a few. All profits are going to three different children’s charities which staff and management are passionate about. I would highly recommend Fika- Skandi Coffee. Definitely worth a visit.

A lovely coffee shop with excellent cakes and coffee. Definitely worth a visit.

What a delightful place, coffee lovely, bright and clean , pastries looked yummy but its summer and I am trying to resist ! Owner llovely , all proceeds go to charities and even better dogs are allowed 😀

What a great find. Lovely atmosphere, delicious Fika, welcoming staff and profits going to good causes.

Such a lovely restaurant and space to use for private hire/occasions. I used MAW for a bridesmaids proposal brunch and I’m so glad I did. The decor is gorgeous, the food is delicious and Libby and the team helped make the morning really special. Super dog friendly too. Will definitely be back!!🩷🌺🥂

A superb quality breakfast; very warm and welcoming service. I would definitely recommend the breakfast/brunch at Maw, a perfect place to bring friends and family. I believe they even offer private hire for things like hen do's etc. The decorations are very pretty and welcoming, the food and drink is reasonably priced (especially before 10am), I would recommend booking a table in advance.

The cutest find on Christchurch High street! After aimlessly wandering checking out every menu on the high street, I stopped here and saw a sign for pancake Thursdays! The pancakes were perfect and the staff were very polite and welcoming!

Really welcoming and friendly service in beautifully decorated Maw cafe in the middle of Christchurch High Street. Very tasty smooth coffee and may be tempted back for the 2 for 1 Pancake Thursdays. Seating inside and out with hidden gem cosy seating upstairs. Recommended.

Came here for a big breakfast on a busy Friday morning. Staff were very welcoming and quick to serve. The quality of the ingredients really stands out. The bubble and squeak absolutely delicious. No complaints whatsoever and will definitely be back again.

Excellent homemade food, good portions and lovely friendly staff. Best cottage pie I’ve had in ages! Nice Spag bol too! We’ll be back next time we’re in town 🙂

A real gem, just what you want from a cafe. We drive 30 plus miles to go to mums. The food is just superb and mum and her team really put in 100 percent to everything they do! Look forward to going again and again.

Mums cafe have always looked after and kept our boys nice and full ready for a day of selling !!!!! Mums breakfasts are by far the best......service is second to none & nothing is to much trouble. its always the small things that make the difference. Thanks for looking after us , Eden vauxhall

We had the Grilled Halloumi with Fig Chutney and the Falafel with Chilli Jam Wraps. Both were delicious. We had chips too and a Flat White Coffee with Oat-milk. Lovely atmosphere and decor inside and outdoor seating too in the back. Excellent service and pricing.

We visited this restaurant for a quick lunch and had Persian tea, a halloumi, hummus and fig jam wrap and a falafel, hummus and chilli jam wrap. All very tasty and freshly prepared. Very friendly welcome as you'd expect from a family run place. The little garden at the rear is fun and colourful with a view of Christchurch castle. They also do Persian themed evening dinners and with Persian heritage I would expect it to be good.

We were in Christchurch for a weekend, a week or so ago, and had breakfast here on the Saturday morning. We have a dog and she was warmly welcomed, as were we. Felt at home. The Raft was empty when we first came in, which can be a bad sign, but within a few minutes it was bursting (so good timing on our part). The breakfast was really good, although if I was being slightly critical and the sausages weren't quite as good as everything else on the plate, and the coffees were great (funny how so many coffee places get coffee very wrong - not here!). They accommodated our requests for slight changes to the breakfast (another thing some places don't do which puts me off a restaurant) and they even cooked us up some scrambled eggs for our dog, who doesn't like to miss out!! We were very happy with the service. We liked it so much that we had breakfast there on the Sunday morning as well. If we're ever in Christchurch again we will definitely be in for breakfast and a lovely coffee.

Great coffee and it was extremely difficult to decide which was better, the Jammy Dodger Blondie or the Kinder Bueno Brownie, both were amazing. Friendly service in a comfortable attractive setting.

Perfect view on the street, comfortable sofa.. Try the cinnamon or the biscoff buns to be washed with the good coffee

I recently had my engagement party here and it was perfect from start to finish. They accommodated for everything I requested and were present for the planning and listened to everything I wanted for on the day. They made it personal and everyone had such an amazing night. Thank you Rachel and Steve, you went above and beyond🩷

Well, this was a surprise and a pleasant one to boot. This is a golden nugget in Christchurch. The tea we had was very good and the cake my wife had was lovely. Everywhere else we tried had teeny tiny tray bake cakes "one bite and it is gone" but Cuckoo's have proper cake slices. And I found it very good value for money.

Always a good proper pot of tea and a great selection of cakes and bites to eat. Cake portions are very generous and I highly recommend the Dorset apple cake.

We’ve been a few times for breakfast and always amazing food. You wouldn’t leave hungry. High quality food and really substantial portion sizes. It’s great to have a different choice for breakfast. We’ve tried Spanish eggs, Scottish breakfast and avocado on toast. All delicious!

Good quality food. Presented well hot and tasty. Varied menu. Warm welcome friendly staff. Clean. Probably best to book at busy times there is additional seating outside weather permitting. Accepted our Scottish currency with no problems thank you x

4 of us had a great evening in The Priory off downstairs with excellent cocktails and beers before heading upstairs for an excellent meal. We kicked off with a couple of charcuterie platters before a delicious chateaubriand (and excellent accompanying sauce). The tandoori monkfish was another great selection! We’ll done guys and keep up the good work! And The Priory was dog friendly too!

It was my second visit to The Priory and it was amazing! I have only been for the roast but I will definitely go back for the midweek menu soon. Everything is cooked to perfection and although the roasts are big I had to have a starter. The first time I had shrimp and this time the scallops - absolutely divine. You can tell the ingredients were fantastic quality and service is top standard. I would recommend this place to anyone that loves high quality food.

New restaurant in Church Street, Christchurch. I was expecting good things when we went to The Priory for a little celebratory lunch, I had had the chefs food before at a different venue. I wasn’t disappointed the curry was full of flavour and the puddings were to die for. Love the decor by the way. Heading back soon to try their cocktail masterclass. If you visit try the Clouded Leopard gin created for the bar with donations going to The Born Free Foundation.

Came here for a summers work do and it couldn't have been any nicer! The food was super tasty, I had the chicken and prawn satay which was gorgeous! Plus the cocktails are amazing. The staff couldn't of been more helpful either!

Very nice ambience and decor. Service was so professional and food was quite good. We visited for breakfast and dinner and it didn’t disappoint. In the evening the cocktail bartender is a genius and does magic!

We had a really good lunch here, the view across the beach, service and cooking were all superb. There is a very good menu and a very reasonable set menu. The whole lunch experience was a delight, would certainly recommend anyone to have a meal at this establishment.

Had it's ups and downs. The location is lovely, sitting on the glass fronted terrace, looking out over the bay is quite lovely on a summer's evening. The service was fabulous, considering there wasn't an empty table in sight. The team all worked so hard, they needed help really with it being so busy, but they definitely tried their hardest and the individuals cannot be faulted. There doesn't seem to be an enforced dress code, which is odd given the prices and general upmarket feel. The food was hit and miss... The children's fish was a little overcooked and dry. The seafood picnic (starter) was delicious. The mussels (starter) were great. The crayfish and prawn salad (starter) looked amazing and tasted wonderful. The stone bass and risotto (see photos) was a little overcooked and the skin, whilst it appeared crispy, was quite soft. The hake and ham (see photos) was a little too salty but otherwise delicious. The jam roly poly was swimming in custard, which is great, nobody ever seems to give enough custard anymore! I wonder if the kitchen was slightly over-run and this affected some of the finer details/finishing?? £9 for 4 slices of bread, a spoon of hummus, tzatziki and aioli is far too much, also why not tell us there wouldn't be enough bread for the whole table to have a slice each? The wine menu is fairly good and the prices not unreasonable (£64 for a nice Sancerre). All the above being said, we had a lovely evening and would gladly return.