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

Great food and location at the top end of Chesil Beach. The car park is free to national trust membership card holders.

What a wonderful place to visit. There was ample parking, outside space, inside tables and choice on the menu. I love that they bake their own goodies on site and they also have a couple of corners promoting other local craft people and businesses Well worth a visit

Lovely coffee that was absolutely delicious! We had cakes that were divine, so yummy we are trying to plan another visit in before we go home! All staff kind and helpful. Don’t miss this cafe!

Popped in on way to Portland. Had a sausage roll (which was OK but nothing to write home about), almond cake which was lovely and coffee. Coffee took forever to arrive but was lovely. Would stop again.

Highly recommend! Wide variety of burgers, seafood, and bites, as well as beers and local ciders available. Beware their hot food service ends at 3pm but if you're a few minutes late they're really nice and can make select menu items. Loved the chicken burger here after finishing a long hike from Studland

Had a nice egg baguette and a coffee. Unfortunately a seagull got half of it! A warning would have been nice, but the gull enjoyed it eating it in front of me.

Perfect breakfast experience. Very nice staff. Great food. Couldn’t be better

A food stall at the end of the beach, about a 5min walk. Outdoor seating but sometimes not enough as it gets busy, beware of the gulls!! A great view out over the beach & water. We had a bit of wait because they were flat out. It provides breakfasts up to 11am but you can still buy baguettes. Usual hot n cold drink, & other food, not cheap but you’re paying for the location.

Really impressed. Great value for money. Good honest food, some great gift bits too. Food was quick, hot and tasty. Can't ask more than that (and the views were beautiful).

The Jailhouse Café is one of Portland more unusual tourist spots. Run by charity Expia, it is a café based within HMP The Verne on where prisoners cook and serve the food in a bid to further their rehabilitation, give ex-offenders new job prospects and skills and also help prisoners to make reparation for their crimes. Walking into the cafe, There are plenty of tables inside and outside, a counter to order your food from and an area where you can purchase Jail House merchandise. The on right side of cafe. This also includes flower baskets made by the inmates. The cafe is very light and pletty of space inside and out. Theres pletty of seating in and outside. It's was very clean and staff was friendly and helpful. I took my pops there for breakfast [not the first time]. We aim to get there around 10.30am, as normally 11-11.30am it gets busy and it did get very busy, being out the way. The food gov'ner breakfast fully pack piping hot and was really lovely. Prices are good value. Theres pletty on the menu, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus daily specials. 5 star hygiene rating. Outside pletty of seating and beautiful views looking over Portland harbour and in the distance on a clear day see weymouth beach ⛱️. Pletty of disabled parking, ramps, toilets 🚻.

A unique cafe with absolutely stunning views across Weymouth, Portland and Chesil Beach. Dog friendly and has a ramp for wheelchair access. Reasonably priced food and drink with lovely little souvenirs and artwork to purchase by local artists. Also free car park very close to it.

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.

Busy lunchtime. Had a delicious soup and amazing pink grapefruit tea. Very good value. Will be back for the plant based croissants! Thanks so much, it’s so important to have options like this.

I fly kites at Bowleeze Cove common ground, and the Lookout is right next to the field so it's very convenient. They provide great food with good sized portions and the freshly ground coffee is lovely especially on a cold day. Would recommend 👍

Great cakes, coffee and tea (we stopped both ways walking from Osmington Mills to Weymouth). Views are spectacular to!

Popped in for a quick bite to eat after visiting the Roman temple ruins. The cafe has the perfect location looking out over the bay, and has seating both inside and out. Staff were super friendly and even though it was fairly close to closing time they were incredibly accommodating. We had the seafood platter, and even though they did not have a lot of crab meat, they offered to make it up with another part of the platter instead. That being said, the platter had a great portion of each of the seafoods, and the salad was very good too. Personally I really enjoy radish in salads so glad to see it here. We also got a milkshake and a smoothie, the milkshake was a great refresher and my partner said she loved the smoothie. Finally we also had a couple of cakes to finish our lunch, I had a rocky road which was superb, and my partner had the largest slice of coffee and walnut cake, which of course I helped finish off. Definitely worth going for a nice meal with a view!

Food delicious but rather pricey. Staff friendly enough but a little brash. It was nice that even though they were busy we did not feel at all rushed. Very clean.

A lovely tea room that has a dog friendly seating area. Food is always lovely. Highly recommend!

Great place for some English breakfast, lovely food, polite staff and you can take your dog there too - only outside seating if you come with your pup, however it is under a roof, so even if it rains it is still pleasant to have a meal, also I don't think they do dog menu anymore as when we asked we were only offered sausages for the dogs! Inside did look nice and comfortable and it wasn't busy for a weekend! Had coffee and cake too, and both were nice! Not a bad place for food in terms of money and also can get some gardening stuff while at it :)

Lovely little cafe. I had the meatball panini which was delicious, very nice coffee too. Definitely recommended

Having got shocking non service at a nearby cafe we found this one close by and so glad we did. Great prompt caring courteous service was received! We had the vegan Paninis which were stunning, very different to what I'm used to but perfect for breakfast and really well presented, nice coffee too. I know where in town I will come back too! Would be great if there were another vgn choice or 2 but happy here anyway.

Very nice owners nice staff nice coffee very busy would recommend.

Decent, a well needed bacon sandwich and a coffee. Obviously popular with outdoor types so can get full of hikers and watersports visitors, directy opposite a D-day museum so there payable parking nearby. I'm a semi regular visitor when I'm in the area, and have tried most of their food, ranging from a bacon sandwich, where they cooked my bacon as I liked upon request, and the large full english kept me going right through till early evening. Why only 4 stars, fix the front door! Makes me jump everytime, if you know, you know

Ordered the quarryman and was expecting a run of the mill breakfast. When the food was served my eyes lit up and my jaw hit the floor. What a breakfast, best I've ever had. Never expected what I was served. I would definitely recommend but you'll need a big appetite 😃

Great quality farm shop food you can taste the difference ! My third visit a little of the beaten track but worth it .

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.

Beautiful place to go for a stroll with much of the area covered by a forest canopy. Lovely little café which was reasonably priced with an amazing outlook onto the lake. Took a pram with my newborn with a fairly accessible route around the Blue Poole. Many of the other trails have steps to access so will use a baby carrier next time.

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.

Good food, lovely staff. The atmosphere is simply beautiful

Excellent experience, the staff are very friendly, attentive and helpful. The full English breakfast is very tasty and just the right size, tea or coffee, a fruit juice and toast can be included in the price. Nothing seems like too much trouble and a lovely atmosphere. Well done, the whole team is doing a fantastic job, excellent food and service, I will visit you again, hopefully soon !.