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

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.

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

Exquisite food. Iced coffee was great, Cappuccino a bit on the small side. I liked the no laptop rule (well signed).

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.

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!

This was a super cosy cafe which had a lovely atmosphere to it. Our drinks were all good and the cake’s were delicious, there was a great selection to choose from! The staff were also very friendly, we will definitely be back!

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!

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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 😊

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!!

OMG! Never have I been served such a large doorstop sandwich. This is half a loaf! But absolutely delicious, the bread was so soft and the eggs, bacon and sausages were cooked to perfection. Couldn’t eat anything else for the rest of the day. The staff were also brilliant, a real credit to the cafe.

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!

If you're looking for a place with great food friendly staff and low prices this is the right one. You get what you see on the menu, it's great portions and just all in all a great place. Our meal today was an omelette and an avocado toast with poached eggs and hot chocolate which is also really really good here.

Fantastic Cafe! Friendly service with a great menu mixing British Cafe classics with a some Turkish dishes to add variety. All perfectly cooked - the chips were a thing of beauty, crispy/crunchy and golden and fluffy inside! Thoroughly recommended and we went out of our way to visit again on our last day.

A wonderful café. Unpretentious, welcoming, great service and a fantastic menu at really good prices. Plenty that you’d find on the menu of an English café along with some superb Turkish meals too. We were so pleased to find this place.

Fantastic little cafe. Great food stands out above the rest. Big breakfasts with vegeterian, vegan and special alternatives. All day breakfast is a definite recommendation!

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 😉

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!

Seduction in the form of sausage rolls in the shop window 😍. Stopped to explore the town and a stroll along the river, this looked like the place to be. Good choice of sides to go with the freshly baked sausage roll, so was definitely a great choice. Coffee good too.

The Aroma cafe were superb. Exceptionally friendly, welcoming, eager to serve and deliver in customer service. The food is great, good sized portions and fairly priced. Always drop in when I'm over Poole way.

Without a doubt this is the eating gem of Poole High street. The range and quality of food is excellent, it is hot and fresh, and always very quick. The staff are efficient and friendly whenever we visit and the desserts are gorgeous. I would highly recommend this for singles, couples or families. The children's menu is also very good. The smoothies and milkshakes are a favourite with our kids and the tea is good too. Give it a try!

This was my second visit. I was way across the other side of the borough but I had to suffer the heat on the buses to get to this place. It was worth the discomfort. I can say without shadow of any doubt that this was the the nicest lasagne I have had in a long while. The staff are always friendly and I'm greeted and seated right away. My food was ordered quickly with no fuss. It arrived after not too long of a wait. If you're looking for a great meal of any size I can wholeheartedly recommend this place to you.

Birthday breakfast with my daughter, first time here but it most definitely won't be the last time I come here as its amazing. Breakfast was so delicious, so flavoursome and fresh and the egg was cooked to perfection, I'm normally funny with eggs but these eggs were just divine. My only criticism is to have the toast the same time as the breakfast, but I will ask for that to happen next time I order.... #SeeYouSoon. 😊

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.

Literally had the best afternoon tea I’ve ever eaten this weekend and I’ve eaten lots over the years, which is why I felt so compelled to write a review to spread the word! I’ve been coming here for years and it just gets better and better. The food is always incredible and super fresh, there’s always lots of specials and the menu choice offers something for everyone. The staff and atmosphere really do make this place extra special, you feel very welcomed and an added bonus they absolutely love dogs. We are so lucky to have such a superb spot like this in Dorset.

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.

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 🤍

First visit to the restaurant. I was very impressed with our server, who suggested we could move to the adjacent barn where it would be leas noisy. He was right. It was😎. Food quality was excellent. Also, I was very impressed with the general cleanliness. Toilets were immaculate. I would definitely recommend this place. 👍

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.