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

Recently discovered Java which was recommended to me. It’s fantastic, just off the main high street if you don’t know Swanage it can be difficult to find ( it was for me originally) the place has a real buzz out it and gets very busy The cakes are the best around ( I’ve only tried the cakes) they are just way better than the mass brought offer in most coffee shops I believe most are vegan and GF not something that bothers me, but is a big plus for many. Service is always warm and friendly. Coffee is excellent served in an array of decorative China! Without doubt the best in Swanage by far

I was there for breakfast on a Saturday morning. It had a separate vegan breakfast menu which was great. I chose the grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, spicy beans and avocado on toast. It was delicious. I also had two flat white coffees and a slice of chocolate cake with orange peel. The place itself was beginning to get busy. The staff were very pleasant too. Nice ambience. A bit difficult to find. A little expensive but worth it.

Visiting this cafe was the food highlight of our little holiday. We stumbled across it from their sign on the high street and thought we'd venture down to see what it was about and so glad we did. Service was great, food was amazing. The lovely guy even gave my daughter her own little soup bowl like ours. Really friendly atmosphere, coffee tasted great. We aren't vegetarian or vegan but would visit this cafe again when we travel to Swanage.

Friendly staff and lovely food. My coffee was also great. Have already returned already and suspect we will go again before our Dorset holiday is over. The portion size is good which helps if you've done a morning walking. I was particularly impressed by the salad that came with each dish - it wasn't just a few leaves added as an afterthought, but really complemented the plate. Hopefully my photos do it justice. Just updating my review on my return this year to Swanage. Java is still the best cafe in Swanage and possibly the best I've been in anywhere. Food is great, fresh and creative. Staff still super friendly.

Here for breakfast. Nice cafe with seating upstairs and downstairs. The upstairs gets a bit cramped and hard to get to the paying desk if full, downstairs was more spacious so we grabbed a table downstairs. Was looked after soon as we got through the door by helpful staff. The food was great and nicely presented, I had vegan avocado on toast. They have soya milk etc for vegans but sadly no vegan cake on today. Previous reviews show that they usually have it so just my bad luck hehe. Toilets downstairs. Place would be a bit hard to navigate if you had mobility issues. Overall, a lovely cafe.

New discovery Absolutely love this place, incredibly friendly welcoming staff, quiet possibly the best Carrot 🥕 Cake I've ever had. Delicious cake selection/ Hence the name "LOVE CAKE" yummy 😋 breakfast and lunch menu as well, lots of cute foodie gifts too. I'm definitely going back everytime I'm in Dorset. Highly recommended 👑👑👑👑👑

Love cake? Then this is the place! But not just for cake. The lunch menu is all as good as it sounds. The quality of the service and the food is oozing with care and love for the ingredients. I wish I could make bacon and scrambled egg as good as they do!

My partner couldn’t stop talking about love cake! We come here every time we visit swanage. The cakes are insane! The slices are very generous. Coffee is good too. Staff are very friendly, it can get busy but we aim to go there around 10 and there’s always a table! We got the cinnamon bun and the Guinness cake. But we’d also recommend the cheesecake which I’ve had before but unfortunately they’ve ran out when we visited this time.

Studio South is such a lovely spot in Swanage! The coffee is always spot-on, and the pastries are delicious. I love the cozy vibe—perfect for a relaxed chat with a friend or spending some quiet time with a book. Plus, their art supplies shop in the back is a hidden gem. Definitely worth a visit!

Amazing place! Art materials, great coffee, lovely food and the dog was welcome too! I wish I lived closer as this would be my weekend hang out place! We will definitely be back!

This is my go to cafe in Swanage! Ben and Sophie are so lovely and always serve with a smile, i always love bringing people to studio south because it’s such a chilled out and lovely atmosphere, the bonus being that their hot chocolates are the best in town! And the cakes are mwah 😘 👌 I highly recommend this lovely little cafe, it’s in the heart of Swanage and is just perfect. (Also dog friendly!!!) Well done Ben & Sophie, you are both amazing! 💕

Amazing little gem of a cafe! We were very impressed with the quality of cakes, drinks and actually the prices were really fair too! Super friendly service as well 😊 Vegan food options on the menu. Vegan chocolate cake and vegan treacle tart available on the day we went but sounds like the cake options change regularly (lots of other options too). I had an iced oat milk coffee with caramel syrup which was amazing! And the treacle tart with soya cream which was equally amazing. Dog friendly at the outside seating and dog treats brought out your pooch 🐶

Called in today for some lunch, pleasantly surprised 😊 my husband and I had a panini and a doorstep sandwich WOW it was massive, biggest sandwich ever with loads of prawns and a side salad. All this plus drinks for under £18 a bargain. Will definitely be back. Thank you 😊

Came here to get out of the intense heat at a shady table outside and were really pleasantly surprised - lovely coffee, good value, excellent customer service. One of our party didn't want a drink but was offered a glass of iced tap water all the same - so kind and thoughtful. Recommended!

Hands down the best cake I have ever eaten! Purchased entire cake ! Cost was super! Got home and absolutely smashed it!! Wow Thank you so much for sharing your amazing culinary skills with the world!!

We had a one-night stay as part of a short trip to Dorset. Whilst for us the decor lacked a little, the room was very clean, as was the en-suite wet room. A highlight of our stay was the customer service for which they have won an award and we are not surprised. Dinner was tasty - we had some beautifully cooked cod - and the breakfast was good too. The location is excellent for Corfe Castle and the coast.

Good value comfortable hotel and a good sized room. Very clean Close to the sw coast path (esp with current 2024 diversion to Kingston) Comfy bed. Good shower. Dinner and breakfast were fine. Some breakfast options had a supplementary cost. This was clear on the menu but I was surprised to be charged an extra 70p for a ham omelette when there was a plate of hand carved ham freely available on the buffet table and I was not having the bacon, sausage, beans etc that would have been included if I had the full English. This seemed penny pinching. Lighting in our room was very poor - Impossible to read in bed.

We have stayed on a few occasions, but we also chose to have our wedding reception at this venue. Julie and her team where fantastic from the arrangements to the day. Food was exceptional and nothing was too much for the staff. Staff are always so helpful and the views from this venue are second to none. For a country side/historic retreat this is definitely one for you to seek. With breath taking views of countryside and the sea. You will have everything you need on your doorstep.

Such a lovely place to stay. I just wish we could have stayed for longer. I love the rooms, the bed was so comfortable. The restaurant serves stunning food and the staff were very friendly and attentive. We would definitely stay again when travelling that way. I have recommended this place to my family when they go too

From the moment I saw this venue and met Heidi & Matthew I knew this would be the perfect place to hold our christening reception. Communication was faultless, food amazing and plenty of it, I couldn't fault the staff, we were a bit short on seats, but within a few minutes we had enough! We had hired someone to do some decorations in the room and I was worried as I wouldn't see them until we arrived, but Heidi spoke with the supplier and everything was perfectly set out when we arrived! I can't thank them all enough, it really was everything we wanted! Please don't hesitate to book this venue as you will not be disappointed! Thank you again xx

Just had one of the best Sunday roast dinners I’ve ever had. I’m not crazy about veg normally but I could have eaten a whole plate today delicious. In fact it was all delicious. Service and atmosphere too was great. Not a single complaint from me it was all fantastic. Will definitely be back very soon. Thank you everyone.

Our favorite place to relax and eat. Lovely comfy sofas. Cosy relaxed atmosphere. Really fresh food at a good price and nothing too much trouble. The staff go out of their way to be accommodating. Thank you to all. We have recently moved away from the area and will miss our visits to you. And we have to give a special mention to all those fabulous cakes obviously 😋 We will be there when we next visit Dorset. Keep up the good work 👍😊

Massive run club Christmas breakfast, the all stars team did an amazing job!

This place is a little gem There are a few tables to eat at so I would strongly suggest that you book in advance. The food was absolutely fantastic The chef loves to cook and you can certainly see this and taste this when your plate arrives. Also lovely local ales to try I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and I hope you will too.

Delicious well priced lunch. The salads were great and the pork was plentiful. Can't wait to make a return visit!

Superb rib of beef from Sean, 2Kg, 2 hours in the oven, 8 delicious Christmas dinners 🎄; so much easier than turkey! Same again next year for us 😉

We had the rarebit and avocado smash. Both were decent. The highlight was the actual shop itself, which was charming, with a lovely community feel and local meat.

Friendly welcoming staff that couldn't do enough for you. The food was well presented, and very tasty- The Timmy (fish finger sandwich )was delicious, one of the best I've had. The decor was spot on and there was so many things to look at. The latte was slightly watery tasting- but minor compared to the experience overall. A new favourite.

Visited a few times and never been let down. Very friendly staff, amazing food, lovely laid back environment with lots of different things to look at. Had the homemade quiche, amazing. Fully recommend you visit.

Definitely worth a visit. Breakfast menu a wide choice of delicious foods, home made cakes and very yummy. Service impeccable from being greeted on entry., to great service when ordering food. Food delivered quickly on hot plates. Wide choice hot and cold beverage. Quirky place to eat out with light music. Very popular hidden away professional place. Even better when warm as can sit outside.

Had a great lunch with a group of friends today, such a lovely environment to sit back and relax in. All the food was excellent, and well presented and served at the same time for such a large group all ordering at different times. The staff were a joy it was most definitely service with a smile, Thank you Aunt fanny's for a great afternoon. Special thumbs up for the American lady on the till, superb!

Absolutely stunning little cafe fresh crab was perfect and right on the beach ‘if the flags are flying they’re open’ ❤️

An amazing place to stop and eat and drink. Food is amazing, the staff are friendly, plenty of seating however can get very busy. The view is beautiful, the perfect location for food and drink. Highly recommend and we will definitely be returning.

A lovely rooftop beach bar with views to just sit and admire. Beautiful spot for a bite to eat and a pint. Good selection of snacks like baguettes and kid friendly food too.

This is the most awesome cliff-side cafe around, well, it's the only one I know of so... a well deserved title! Opens at 9am, perfect to grab a delicious fried breakfast at the start of the day before enjoying the surrounding scenery / beaches. Get there early and you can sit half way up the cliff (on top of the café roof to be precise - the cliff isn't very high!) and take in the lovely view of Swanage bay at the same time. Quick, friendly service, not too expensive, they also take card/phone payment... what's not to love?

We had a baby shower for my sister at The Cow Shed in their Barn area on Saturday, and it was perfect - everything we had hoped for! The staff were so helpful, both in the lead-up to the event and on the actual day. The barn itself is really picturesque, which was perfect for photos. We opted for a cream tea with both sweet and savory scones, and it was lovely. We paid per head for drinks, which guests could get from the private bar as and when they wished. There was plenty of room for games ect too. We couldn't recommend it more. We had the most special afternoon celebrating our new arrival with family and friends. A big thank you to The Cow Shed Team 🤍

Amazing food, Amazing ambience and Great service. There was no waiting time, even though the place was filled on a Wednesday morning 10am. Great bunch of ppl running the place. The cowshed breakfast was a delight. The hash browns was one of the best i have tried in UK. Overall, it is highly recommended.

Had the pleasure of visiting here last Sunday we arrived just after 10 and there were already quite a few people here. Offered seating inside or out, we ordered coffees which were very good and then I chose the homemade granola bowl which was absolutely delicious (it was also huge!) my husband chose the Mexican open flatbread which looked amazing, which he said was really good. Lovely friendly staff. Highly recommended.