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

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

We’ve just checked out of The Courtyard after a one night stay and are super happy. From the staff to the rooms to the food to the location it was the most lovely stay. We stayed in room 4 the garden suite. We had everything we needed. It was warm and the bathroom had underfloor heating as well as a working towel rail. The toiletries smelt amazing to. We had dinner and breakfast at the hotel and both were delicious. Aron was especially helpful and polite with a great sense of humour. We will be back for sure. Highly recommend for couples, families and dogs.

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.

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.

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. 👍

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.

Really great lunch food and coffee, well worth the price. Nice open interior, comfy seating and very friendly staff.

Just sensational. Mozzarella on the pizza was amazing, not greasy, nice people. Absolutely made my day!

Lovely little place. Friendly staff. Generous servings. The savoury options are great but the desert options are out of this world.

Nice and yummy pastries. Sausage roll was good and so was the pulled pork with apple sauce. Had them toasted and as takeaway and ate them by the water! Will come back to try out their sweeter options.

Wonderful little place. We didn't eat here but the setting is wonderful for an afternoon tea. Loved the little walkways through the garden, with things to spot everywhere.

We had such a lovely time at the model village and gardens. My first ever model village! It's very impressive. Can't imagine all the work that has gone in to it. You can see the love! Was really good to have it be dog friendly too and they both had a lot of fun too.

We had a lovely day here yesterday. The Castle is part of the National Trust which can be a bit pricey for non-members unless you can find a free pass offer on line. For 2 adults and a child was £30. Under 5's get in for free and unfortunately no senior citizen discount but it was still a jolly day out. The staff were so friendly, and they had set up a teddy bear zip line for the children with a Bravery certificate to be had on exit. We loved exploring the castle grounds. The views and the tranquil sounds of the river were an amazing experience and a perfect place to sit and enjoy our packed lunch (there is a cafe by the entrance). We were also lucky to get a good view of the steam train passing by.

Had a late lunch (family of 9) and the staff were attentive and the food was fantastic!! I don't think we could pick our favourite between the Basket of Seafood, Fancy Finger Sandwich and the Trio of Fish!! Great portions and perfectly cooked. The restaurant was also child friendly, and had a fantastic exhibition on Swanage Pier attached to alongside it, so it kept fidgety little ones busy while the food arrived.

Beautiful selection of cakes. Perfect place to sit outside for lunch. We enjoyed a toastie each. One of them Ham & Cheese the other Cheese & Onion. The quality of raw white onion in the cheese & onion toastie was a little too much. Will def return for a breakfast and some cake!

Tried this cafè for the first time on my last visit to Poole and what a place! Had the smoked salmon sandwich and a smoothe and they both were delicious. Very interesting menu, lots of soups, paninis, hot and cold drinks, great atmosphere and good service too. I will definitely be coming back!

Lovely scrambled eggs and smoked salmon brunch. Nice and airy cafe, right on the quay and close to the shops. Would definitely return

Food is very nice, if a bit on the higher end for a country pub. Still they need to pay bills or we lose them. The view of the castle is priceless in good weather, not storm Darragh! Watch out for the service charge.

I’ve never been disappointed by The Scott Arms, it’s beautiful in the summer and in the winter the Sunday roast is incredible and great value. Really high quality beef, portion sizes are amazing, a great selection of veg and the Yorkshire pudding …. Delicious!! Already looking forward to my next visit 👍🏻

Stayed here whilst walking the coast path. There is a long diversion away from the coast to Kingston, so it was in a great location. The pub is clearly very old and the rooms reflect this. Very clean and warm but slightly shabby. I arrived on a Sunday, and they were serving Sunday Roasts, which was excellent - perfect after a long walk. Breakfast was lovely too - quality ingredients and well cooked. All in all, it was a very pleasant stay

Incredibly friendly staff, quick service and cheap prices. The food was lovely and they were holding a donation fundraiser for an all terrain wheelchair which is a great cause. I’d definitely recommend the scones with honey and cream, see picture. A nice place to go to as it’s right next to Corfe castle

Cosy establishment outside Corfe Castle. The cream tea was very reasonably priced at £6.55 and consisted of a choice of plain or fruit scone, a hot drink, ready made jam and cream. You have to order at the front desk and the tea took around 7 minutes to arrive. We also ordered a cheese scone which was delicious and I would highly recommend it to combat the sweetness of the jam and fruit scone. Hot and cold sandwiches are also available after 12pm as well as gluten free options. The tea room had a homely vibe with a wood burning fire perfect to quell a brisk winters day. Note that seating is limited so it’s best to arrive early to avoid waiting. Dress code: casual Cost: £ Service: very efficient Ambience: cosy

The scones are homemade and just perfect. I’d definitely recommend the scones with marmalade and cream. An amazing place to go to. It’s right next to Corfe castle with beautiful views of the castle.

Visited The Kitchen yesterday for the first time since it reopened and wow! This place has had so much potential for years, yet I feel it was never used appropriately. With a new General Manager in place and now a much more friendly team of staff this place seems to be buzzing already and there were limited seats when we turned up. I had the Fish in a Bun which was bloody delicious and there was no faults from any of us on our table. With the weather on the change and the evenings getting lighter this is just a perfect spot. Well done to Jack and the team for turning this place around!

Poor selection of cakes but they are nice enough. Also, do real hot savoury food, but ONLY in the summer! It's winter now (they say) so coffee and cakes only.