The Best Cafes in Ashley, Hampshire, United Kingdom (2025)

First time in today. Excellent coffee and service. Beautifully clean. Very reasonable priced. Would recommend a visit

I never leave reviews but this cafe is a little gem. Me and my husband popped in here on the way from Burley to Barton on Sea, for lunch on Saturday. The lady who owns it (I assume) was lovely, very welcoming and offered us lots of options. We chose to have warm chicken and bacon baguettes plus coffees to take away which we ate on the clifftop in Barton - they were lovely, really fresh and tasty and I wouldn't hesitate to go back 😋 Good value too which is unusual these days!

A very enjoyable breakfast served on hottest plate I've ever felt! And if you ask nicely then you can have alternative items than listed on the menu. Great service from the wonderful staff. Still have the hottest plates, hotter than the polls this 4th July.

Lovely independent cafe. They boast of having the best coffee and I can agree with that statement. The service is at table and good. The proprietor is very friendly, coffee is very good, cakes lovely. Cannot speak for the lunches but they will probably be just as good. Breakfasts are especially good. The scrambled eggs they do for a breakfast are just right according to my wife. There is a vegetarian version for those who want it. They are open early in the morning and close mid afternoon.

A nice but small cafe in Brockenhurst, serving all manner of delicious treats. Although I only stopped by for a coffee (which was great) all of their cakes and sandwiches looked fantastic. The cafe gets busy very quickly and only has a handful of tables, but there’s a reason why they are so busy. The staff are friendly and efficient and I will certainly be back to sample some of the lunch items on the menu.

Beautiful cafe. Friendly and attentive staff, food great, great tasting coffee. Keep up the great work, will definately recommend and will return when visiting the area again 10/10 Loved the place too, when it use to be called Rosie Lea

A lovely little coffee shop, but it was fairly small inside, the tables nearest the front have seats pretty much on the windowsill. Lots of drink options but not as many for the very small kids (never confident they will finish anything we get them!) I think I paid about £20 for two adult drinks, two juices and a couple of slices of cake to share - not sure if that's good, I don't go to coffee shops enough to know the going rate! The cake was nice, a piece of caramel slice and a blueberry and lemon coconut cake. It was a nice stop to slow us down a bit whilst visiting the area.

Really gorgeous salad for lunch and decent coffee. Would definitely come back. Good choice of gluten and dairy free options too.

Honestly delicious homemade cakes and coffee. The savoury menus looked great too so we’ll definitely be back to try that out. The guy who served us was lovely and the whole place felt cheerful and calm on what was a grim and rainy day. Loved it.

A Fine Place to Drop in Robin Edmonds It’s always nice to escape the frequently inclement English weather. And you certainly can do just that if you happen to be in the Dorset village of Highcliffe-on-Sea. There is now a great café called The Coffee Garden, owned by a very friendly and amenable chap originally from Ecuador, called Alex. He runs it with the equally approachable Zdena. Having moved to East Dorset many years ago with my family, I now pass by this café on a very regular basis and find it very difficult not to pop in and say a cheerful hello. The café is situated very close to the centre of the village (immediately adjacent to the Cooperative supermarket and Wortley Road car park). It is the ideal place for a relaxing sit-down where you can place an order for a good variety of hot or cold food (locally and ethically-sourced) along with non-alcoholic hot or cold drinks. The prices are reasonable as well. There is a really good community atmosphere to the place which makes it that much more appealing, whether you are a local resident or just visiting the area. Alex and Zdena always seem to do their best to welcome customers and ensure their needs and requests are well catered for. The café is on the same site as the café formerly known as the Blue Sky Deli (previously owned and run by a couple from Belfast called Tom and Sharon). So if you fancy dropping in for a bite to eat or even just a refreshing drink or two, this is the perfect café for you. The Coffee Garden is open Monday to Saturday 9am until 4pm. For further information see the café’s Facebook page.

Nice little place. Easy atmosphere to sit and chat while having a coffee or bite to eat. Good menu choices and portions are about right. I had the breakfast, which unusually for many places, came out nice and hot - you could even see the steam. We had missed the breakfast cut off time but the owner still allowed us to choose from the breakfast menu. It is dog friendly if you don't mind that kind of thing. Service was friendly and we didn't have to wait for too long before food arrived. Recommended.

Excellent place to have a coffee,tea or a lovely piece of cake we will defo be back.

A lush coffee shop/ brunch venue. Well worth it due to the cozy vibe. Perfect for a beach stroll and chill. Went back to have more breakfast and again it was amazing. Get the creamy mushrooms and add bacon! Careful as the toilet may not flush as efficiently as required. A poo-flush-poo approach may be needed.

Favourite place for brunch, always delicious food. Staff and atmosphere are lovely 10/10

Me and my boyfriend have been here a couple of times now and the food is great! The service has always been excellent😊 We really enjoyed pizza night tonight

Absolutely LOVE this place. Best brunch for miles around and the coffee is outstanding. Total gem of a place with cracking food and lovely staff. Always look forward to going and never disappoints.

Stopped off here for breakfast mid walk. Freshly cooked full English served up by friendly, attentive staff. Sipped on a freshly ground coffee, looking out the picture window, watching the world go by. Very relaxing. Outside seating too, when the weather's kinder and there are less seagulls.. Takeaway available too + ice cream on offer

Perfect tasty food on a chilly day. We had a crab sandwich - nice chunky bread, very tasty, and the soup - stilton and broccoli - creamy, tasty, and also with nice chunky bread. Coffee was from a machine and was ok, but could be better. Friendly welcoming service, and nice and warm indoors. A perfect stop, will definitely go again.

We stopped here close to closing time and the staff were great. They offered us the snacks we wanted and prepared them with no fuss. The food was great and the coffee was very nice. If you are here on the beach or just passing, stop here for a bite or drink.

The Retreat is a quaint, inviting cafe and definitely a must visit in Brockenhurst if you fancy a delicious breakfast! We opted for the large English breakfast which arrived on a warm plate, clearly cooked to order (a rarity) and was presented beautifully! Excellent produce, from the golden yolk eggs, to the sausages and bacon from their local butchers. The baked hash browns were fluffy and mourish, all washed down with a cuppa! Great selection of homemade cakes- unfortunately we didn’t get to try any as we were full but looking forward to next time! Fleur and Paul were incredibly welcoming and attentive, you can see how much effort and love they both have put into their lovely cafe! They make a great team 🫖🍰🍳🥓☕️

What a delicious experience! The lady from the Airbnb has recommended us this place for breakfast and obviously we had our doubts. I'm glad we believed her! It's a tiny place but its flavour is great. I didn't have enough stomach for eating the full menu, or the pastries bar. The people were so helpful and kind. Totally recommend by the lady and from now on by me as well.

Such a lovely place to come and eat good, clean and honest food. Had a really lovely Breakfast here, Avocado Smash with Sweet Tomatoes and a side of Bacon. The Service has been wonderful and they managed to cater for a tricky intolerance - Rapeseed Oil. Thank you for such a lovely start to the day and for being so friendly.

Very nice cafe in Brockenhurst. We went for a breakfast and they had a wide range of breakfast options available. I had the full English and my wife had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Both were very good quality and good portions too. Looks like they have some good lunch options too, so next time I'll try that. The homemade cakes and sweet treats look very good too, so definitely one to try in the future. Lovely service here and good baby changing facilities too. Definitely recommend if you're in the area.

What a gem of a place! Friendly staff, great coffee and breakfast and stunning venue/ atmosphere.

My mum lives near The Stalls Cafe, and we often go there for coffee and something to eat when I visit. We LOVE it! The coffee is fab, the food delicious, whether you go for cake or somethgin more substantial. The surroundings are beautiful and the atmosphere is perfect. It means a lot to me that everything, from the coffee cups and packaging to sourcing of food and drink, is thought through with an environmental conscience. If you are in the area, do visit. You won't be disappointed!

This place is stunning!!the settings are lovely! The food was amazing! The best coffee I’ve ever had I didn’t even put sugar in for the first time ever, followed by the best Bloody Mary and breakfast I’ve ever had! The staff are so friendly and had such a nice time at the summer fair walking around the yard and looking through all the lovely stalls. A chilled unmatched vibe and somewhere you don’t want to leave! My dog had the best time aswell! Honestly can’t recommend enough 😊😊

This place had that "I don't want to leave feeling" because the atmosphere was just perfect. A wonderful space with exceptional restoration and refurbishment. The Patagonian Latte was a delight.

I was treated to an afternoon tea at Kimbridge Barn by a wonderful friend in March 2024. What an experience. We were seated in the window in the sunshine. Staff could not be more attentive and friendly. The food was delicious. The scones were huge - the size of a large mango - but beautifully soft & delicious and served warm. The sandwiches were scrummy, the ham hock mayo my favourite. The sunshine melted the sour cherry chocolate bar as we weren’t paying attention! It too tasted wonderful. Will definitely come back when the weather warms up. The package included unlimited teas and americano coffee. Would have been nice to include one special coffee like a latte for the price, but small niggle.

Saturday I had Chicken snitzel and my wife had the Haddock we both enjoyed the food. We returned on Sunday I had the Bacon belly and my wife had the scallops we both enjoyed so much so that I said complements to the Chef. Wonderful food. Good atmosphere and a craft shop too.

Went on a Monday and got the vegan full Kimbridge - it was lush! The only “criticism” is that I’d have liked 1 more hash brown because they were perfection and there was waaaaay too much butter lol. But we will definitely be going back. The courgette fritters were fried to perfection. Great atmosphere, lovely location and the staff were very accommodating!

Found this place by chance after camping in the New Forest for the weekend. 100% recommend, a great menu and yummy food. I had the chicken and waffles and it came with a generous helping of maple syrup. The only thing I would change is serving the syrup on the side. I also had one of the best chai lattes I’ve ever had. Our dogs were made to feel welcome and were given treats by the staff. Thank you so much for a lovely breakfast!

Lovely find. An old railway station opened as a tea room, in truth they serve a wide range of food and drinks. I went for soup of the day, my wife for a sandwich with two drinks bill was about £20. There was a really tempting array of cakes and pastries. The walls are covered with bits of history from the buildings past and the Southern railway. There are even a few souvenirs on sale. Service was spot on and cheerful.

Had a lovely lunch stop on a walk from Burley along the old railway line to Holmsley Tea Rooms and back. Arrived at 11:30 when the menu changed over from breakfast to lunch, but this didn't delay anything. Staff were friendly and attentive. We had a Savoury Cream Tea and Whitebait. Delicious!!

This appears to be very popular with walkers and cyclists. There is an indoor area with table service and a large outdoor area, with a counter to order from. The menu usn't huge but it had a nice variety of options. I was particularly keen to try the vegan cream tea which came with vegan whipped cream from a can rather than a clotted cream. All the food tasted good, and represented good value for money.

On Valentines day we booked a table for lunch, and brought Jack, our elderly Jack Russell terrier with us. The food and service was great, as usual, and the staff so friendly and lovely. Thank you for another enjoyable visit.

Lovely Coffee Shop one of the guys in our cycle club guided us to, after seeing good things about, so we gave it a go........it's in a very remote location but has lovely decor and a very bijoux feel about it. Staff were very upbeat and were serving quickly and efficiently. There is a large selection of coffee, cake and hot food on offer with the coffee beans baked on site called Moon Coffee which is also sold here. The "yard" area is very spacious with lovely seating around as well as outdoor heaters for the colder mornings or evenings. They are doggie friendly as saw a few on our visit and welcomed cyclists to with two very large bike racks to use.........will definitely visit again if we are out this way again!!

I recently booked this venue for my partner’s 30th birthday, and it was amazing! This is one of our favourite spots to enjoy coffee together, so it felt like the perfect place to celebrate the occasion. From the moment we arrived, the staff were absolutely incredible. Frankie and the team went above and beyond to ensure everything ran seamlessly. We had an outside caterer for the food, but the staff took charge of organising and presenting it perfectly, making sure everything was on time, and making sure all of our guests, including those with allergies, were well taken care of. The atmosphere was fantastic- full of energy, warm, welcoming and it didn’t feel rushed or stressful. I kept checking in throughout the evening, but Frankie was absolutely wonderful in reassuring me that everything was under control and telling me that I should enjoy the celebration without a worry, which is what I did. Our guests had a wonderful time, and I’ve received nothing but positive feedback about the venue, the staff and the overall experience. I would highly recommend this place for any event - you won’t be disappointed. A huge thank you to Frankie and the team for making my partner’s birthday so special!

Wonderful! We went to Friday night's music evening and everything about the venue was just perfect - the music; the street food courtesy of Earth to Oven; indoor and outdoor seating which interconnects beautifully in one space, and an overall 'holiday' vibe in tastefully designed surroundings. We will definitely be back!