I’ve been living in Dorset for nearly 3 years now and during this time have travelled ALL over, explored so many places and found some firm favourite hang-outs and eateries. Dorset has so much to offer and I’ll be sharing so much more soon on my favourite locations & hang-outs but I wanted to quickly share some of my favourite and the BEST places to eat in Dorset from charming pubs to beachside cafes.
Dorset is famous for a few things (hello knobs – google it) but the breath-taking Jurassic Coast is probably the most famous. 95 Miles of coastline stretching from East Devon all along Dorset and it’s England’s ONLY natural World Heritage site. It has incredible fossils, rocks and landforms and is fabulous to visit for walks, adventures, beaches & fun!
I’m chatting FOOD today. Now there are SO many more areas I need to explore so this is simply places I have discovered in my years here – I am SURE there are many more incredible places I am yet to find, so any further recommendations always welcome! I need a long list of eateries to hit up now the lockdown has been eased and hospitality is now OPEN.
I think it’s more important now than ever to be supporting our local restaurants, cafes and pubs as they have had it pretty damn terrible over the pandemic, with many not opening their doors again. Dust off those napkins and let’s go in!
Fish & Chips on the beach/harbourside @ Westbay
Westbay : Famous for the TV show ‘Broadchurch’ and is a stunner of a small seaside town! It’s not big, but it’s dotted with independant shops, cafes, fish & chips stalls & has a cute harbour and good vibes.
I always find myself stopping off at the ‘By The Bridge’ (the blue stall) to pick up fish n’ chips (& mushy peas and curry sauce) and it’s always been incredible. They are numerous stalls to pick up fish and chips so honestly I can’t say that this the best but I don’t want to sway and be disappointed. Also if you manage to grab a table and chairs here you have a direct view of the river AND David Tennant’s famous little blue cabin from Broadchurch.
PS also grab a portion or two of their doughnuts : an absolute must!
Watch House Cafe, Westbay
You can’t get much more on the beach than this place which is smack bang ON the beach at West Bay (+ sister restaurant to the Hive Beach Cafe mentioned below). I love it for a stone baked pizza and you get stunning views of the famous cliffs. Super casual/ cafe vibe, no frills and family friendly.
Walk-ins & bookings HERE. 01308 459 339
The Seaside Boarding House, Burton Bradstock.
I had an incredible afternoon tea here and the views are some of the best in Dorset I promise! You can see for miles all around and it’s actually breath-taking on a sunny day. It’s a hotel / restaurant but non-residents are welcome just make sure you book in (as pretty much everywhere now). The seaside boarding house has a huge outdoor terrace which is the place to be when you are here! Views as in the photo below – LOVE!
BOOK/ENQUIRIES tap HERE or 01308 897 205
The Hive Beach Cafe, Burton Bradstock.
THE BEST BREAKFAST/BRUNCH IN DORSET! I love this casual beachside cafe, it’s probably my favourite place to go and eat. It’s busy, it’s a lot of hustle and bustle and it serves incredible breakfast and n=brunches. I ALWAYS go for the salmon benedict but all the breakfast/brunch items look incredible! It’s right on the beach too so you ca have a pre or post brunch ramble along the beach. I recommend this place to EVERYONE and no-one had been disappointed. I can imagine it’s stunning in the evening too but with Margot we haven’t yet had the opportunity to do an evening meal here. Fingers crossed soon!
NO BOOKINGS / FIRST COME FIRST SERVED 01308 897 070
The Fisherman’s Wife, Lyme Regis
Again, I cannot profess to be an expert on Lyme Regis as I have only been a handful of times yet the scallops and seafood offerings at infamous ‘The Fisherman’s Wife’ have never failed to impress. Fresh. Simple. Cooked beautifully. It’s a takeaway shack so best to grab a few different dishes and then hot-foot it to find yourself and bench or similar to sit on whilst you scoff your fishy treats and watch the hustle & bustle of Lyme Regis. It gets busy so be prepared to wait a fair while in peak times.
Rock up and wait. There’s not even a website!
The Pig Hotel, Studland
A beautiful place to stay and eat situated along the long, peaceful stretches of coastline in Studland. They have a kitchen garden restaurant situated in a stunning conservatory with fabulous views. Everything you eat comes from within 25 miles of the hotel and the food is as delicious as everyone says!
This is the fanciest of my picks and is definitely privier but perfect for a special occasion or a trip. They have on-site sheeps/pigs/chickens and wonderful gardens to walk/run around and also sheep hut treatment rooms if you want a pamper time. If you have a bigger budget then it’s definitely worth trying to book a room to stay overnight and soak up the surroundings with a coastal walk around Studland the next morning.
Booking Essential GO HERE / 0345 225 9494