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

This cafe is very popular - during the August bank holiday, staff were having to turn customers away as they were full. Thankfully, I arrived early enough to get a table without a reservation. The decor has a woodland theme and is tastefully done. This cafe has an excellent menu - large sections for vegan and gluten free items. In addition to the extensive menu, there's a large board of daily specials for hot and cold food. There's also a display case with freshly baked items. I had a vegan croissant with scrambled 'eggs' (chickpea flour) and avocado. The croissant was flaky and delicious, exactly like an all butter version! The filling was generous and tasty too. This was followed by a rhubarb bakewell slice. I love bakewell tarts but it's difficult to find vegan versions. This 1 hit the spot. Lastly, I was smitten with the possibility of flotted cream - a vegan alternative to clotted cream. I ordered a vegan cream tea to take away which had a large scone (choice of fruit or plain) a little pot of flotted cream and a small jar of strawberry jam. It was outstanding. If it hadn't been such a warm day (and with no access to a fridge) I would have bought a large pot of cream which they sell saparately. I had a strawberry milkshake with vegan ice cream and oat milk. I could have had 10 of these, it tasted so good. It was a little difficult to get the attention of staff towards the end of the meal because they were so busy, so patience is needed during the busy lunch time.

Very friendly and helpful staff, lovely atmosphere and perfect location for a spot of lunch. The food is outrageously amazing (try the cheese/tomato/pesto panini and the chicken ciabatta!). Love the dogs being around, all were completely relaxed and welcomed. Set up our afternoon walk perfectly!

My friend and l having a day out, found this cafe by accident, thank goodness. It is wonderful, the food was lovely, l had pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, delicious. Staff were so helpful and friendly. We would recommend to anyone.

I want to say a big thank you for our wonderful vegan cream tea we enjoyed today at The Greenwood Tree. We are staying in the New Forest for the weekend and we found this absolute gem of a cafe by chance. They serve a huge array of beautiful dishes and all the cakes look delicious. My husband and I are vegan so we were excited to see the vegan cream tea available. It did not disappoint. It was the best cream tea we've ever had. We spoke to the friendly owner and she told us she makes the vegan clotted cream herself. You can even buy it to take away. We highly recommend it to all vegans and non-vegans. It was absolutely delicious. There were lots of options available of vegan and gluten free foods and drinks. Even if you are not vegan, the cafe has lots of options and the environment is very warm and welcoming. The staff were all very friendly too. Thank you for making my husband's birthday lunch treat even more special.

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 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.

We love stopping off at Shappen Cafe when passing through the new forest, staff are very friendly & Happy, it's table service to order, food has always been very tasty which I can only put down to using local products & a great cook! Highly recommend stopping here. Outside seating area plus pet friendly.

First visit to Shappen Cafe after a recommendation from a friend. Pleasant surroundings. Busy inside so had to sit outside under electric heaters. Car park to rear, with gate access to rear of cafe.

Service with a smile, nothing is too much trouble. Food is tasty and cooked well. Presentation is perfect and fills the spot. Good value for money and so close to the A31 as an easy stop for something to eat and drink… so much better than the usual A31 haunts

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.

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 🫖🍰🍳🥓☕️

Lovely little cafe. We sought refuge from the rain here and got a hot drink. The hot chocolates we ordered were lovely, and the service was also great. Very friendly bunch working here. Didn’t get a chance to try food here as we had already had lunch but the food menu looked good and the cakes also looked very appealing. Also bought some jars of locally made jams here as gifts.

Food was wonderful, service was amazing & I was incredibly impressed by the level of gluten free options at the afternoon tea. Will definitely be returning. Photos of my gluten free which was shared between two of us.

Fantastic like cafe. We ate in the courtyard outside which was wonderful in the sunshine. We had full breakfast and veggie breakfast £11 each. Sun shining, mellow music playing, it was lovely. Would go again.

Lovely little coffee shop. Cozy and quirky atmosphere. The staff were very polite and helpful. The place was clean and service was pretty quick considering the had quite a few orders to make. Coffee was decent (cafetiere of the Columbian coffee) and the sandwich I had was lovely (Bacon with brie and cranberry on sourdough) The only let down was it felt a little pricey compared to similar places I've been to in the past. But I think it's worth a trip at least once.

Oh my gosh this place is amazing ! I can’t believe something this chic and cute is in the new forest! The staff are so lovely and the interior is so cosy and aesthetically pleasing. Every little bit of potential comfort has been thought out. All the furniture has been really well thought through.

Delightful cafe close to Breamore House which, unlike the house, is open all year round. We visited on an overcast day in March and can’t wait to visit on a warm day as the outside tables look lovely! Very relaxed vibe, friendly too with both dog and small grandchild welcomed. Food tasty and fresh, alcohol available too but it was too early in the day for us. Most of the other clients were in hiking gear and looking at the map there are some great walks close by. We’ll be back for coffee followed by a walk and back again for lunch! I can fully recommend this place

What a gem of a place ! Lovely team of people working here and also the other places on the estate. I really enjoyed my coffee and cake - it was delicious. My good lady had a MASSIVE tuna sandwhich - it was so large, she kept half for later ! Also the decor here is absoultely classy and elegant. I'm so glad to have found this (the new signs on the main road are working !!!). I'm looking forward to coming back to the Cafe, it really made my wife's and I visit a lovely time out.

Lovely cosy atmosphere with unique decor, loved the jazz playing in the background and log burner. Great coffee and delicious food!

A cute little cafe, but I feel like it's missing something special. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food on offer had a wide range with bagels, sandwiches cakes etc. I think this could be so much more with a couple of tweaks with offering local bakery items like bread etc. Flat White and Dirty Chai were quite milky, Coffee could have been stronger.

Lovely brunch. Sweetcorn hash was a really delicious combo of flavours. Pancakes were less impressive but staff couldn’t be more apologetic and did all they could to rectify the situation. Will definitely be back.

A really lovely cafe - super atmosphere and seating areas. The staff were very welcoming, courteous, and helpful. Our drinks of hot chocolates, coffees and cakes were delicious. We met friends here and were delighted with their recommendation to meet here. We will definitely return when we next visit family in the area. A highly recommended place to visit. Thank you!

A fantastic selection of brunch choices! Speedy and high quality service, it can often be quite busy in the café but fortunately I've always managed to find a table. They have 3 floors to choose from. You have the choice of ordering either via their QR code using your phone or downstairs at the till. They largely promote the use of recycling and reusable options wherever possible. Plenty of flavour in the food, plenty of drink selection, I'd also say good portion sizes for the price; a little more expensive that a lower end brunch style, but perfect for a little treat!

Tried the new Chorizo Hash, perfectly filling and nutritious and delicious. Café Latte with oat milk is refreshing as always. Bar team are so smiley.

I visited here for breakfast and I treated myself to The Big Burley Full English. The food was absolutely amazing, tasty, and generous. The service was fantastic and very welcoming. After visiting the other near by café, this one wins all the way!

Really enjoyed our first food visit to the Old Farmhouse Restaurant. Loved the Big Burley Breakfast. 😋 My soya milk latte was very good too. Plenty of free parking also. We visited in December and it was nicely busy for a brunch. Staff were friendly and helpful 🙂

My first time visiting here and I have been to Burley more times than I can remember. Well we will certainly be back! The food was delicious. I had a traditional cream tea and the other half had a Cheeseburger. Both were incredible. The food was fresh and scrumptious. The staff were attentive and friendly. The restaurant is rustic and very quaint. We highly recommend. They also had a bench with a memorial plaque for Buster Merryfield.

The best caramel Dunnet I've ever had, and a delicious coffee! Everything there was wonderful!!! We love it, and we will be back for sure!

Lovely coffee place.. Has an upstairs wich I was not able to visit.. Looks cool and warm. Staff nice :) of course :) it s a coffee place! They could put a sign on it instead of shouting at you that upstairs is closed though. My white chocolate soya mocha was divine. Good texture but lack of art. And I am very fussy about coffee art. Overall a 4. They could also discale glasses and water bottle. Have a look.

I have always loved coffee1 ever since they set up. The people who work there are so so nice and wonderful. The sandwiches are always superior to other chain coffee places. I also enjoy the vast selection of drinks that you can order.

Liked it. I'm a Costa guy if one is available,but the Americano I had was pretty good. Their pastries look far more tempting than Costa's. I had 2 (count 'em 2) Almond Croissants - they were HUGE and delicious! Toilets.. not the worst but certainly not the best.

Lovely little cafe. Great atmosphere and very helpful staff. The best piece of cake I've had in a long time. Dog friendly as well. Definitely recommend a visit. ++++++

Popped in for a quick cuppa. Lovely atmosphere and great service. Tea served in a proper pot and a nice cup and saucer. My wife's coffee was a very generous size. Offered a complimentary tea cake as we were one of the first 10 customers of the day, politely declined as we had already had breakfast. Overall a far superior experience to the many branded coffee shops in the town. We would happily return if in the area.

Had a very pleasant breakfast with friends. Nice personal service from friendly staff. Thx

Follow Mr and Mrs R on TikTok. A lovely little tea room in Ringwood with everything is cooked in house. We love the slogan at the counter which reads:We don’t cook fast food we cook great food as fast as we can. Friendly staff, highly recommended.