12 of the Best Breakfast & Brunch Spots in Dorset
After plenty of “research” (tough job, I know), I’ve brought together 12 places I consider to have the breakfast and brunch in Dorset. These aren’t ranked and they’re certainly not the only great options out there; they’re simply places I’ve personally visited, enjoyed and would happily recommend. I’ll keep this guide up to date, adding any new places worthy of a feature, so make sure to bookmark this page!
The cafés are spread right across the county; from brunch in Bournemouth, Wimborne and Highcliffe to coffee stops in Swanage, Lyme Regis, Bridport and Abbotsbury, there should hopefully be something here wherever your Dorset adventures take you.
If there’s one thing I’ll never say no to, it’s good coffee, cake and brunch and luckily, Dorset has some brilliant independent cafés serving all three. I’m pretty particular about coffee too. My usual order is an oat flat white, while my husband keeps things simple with a black Americano – no syrups or extras to hide behind! All of these Dorset brunch spots serve amazing coffee, they wouldn’t have made the list if they didn’t.
I’ve scored them out of five. If they have a 5/5 from me, it’s usually due to the skill of the baristas, the use of a local coffee roaster (Bad Hand Coffee is one of my favourites) and, importantly, consistency from one cup to the next. Once you find a reliable cup of coffee you’ll struggle to go elsewhere (but I must continue the search)!
So, whether you’re looking for the best breakfast in Dorset, planning a leisurely weekend brunch or just need somewhere for great coffee and cake, here are 12 places worth adding to your list.
Best Breakfast & Brunch in Dorset: At a Glance
Tap a café card below to jump to my review.
The Thirsty Bird
Location: Wimborne
Great for: Brunch
The Hutch
Location: Westbourne
Great for: Breakfast & brunch
The Cowshed
Location: Lytchett Minster
Great for: Countryside brunch
Goose & Badger Café
Location: Bridport
Great for: West Dorset stop & cakes
Cafe D'Urberville
Location: Sherborne
Great for: Breakfast & coffee (& cake)
Cherries Abbey Farm
Location: Abbotsbury
Great for: Breakfast on a Dorset day out
Velo Domestique
Location: Southbourne
Great for: Coffee & brunch
BEAR
Location: Wimborne
Great for: Brunch & coffee
Burnt Toast
Location: Swanage
Great for: French Toast
Amid Giants & Idols
Location: Lyme Regis
Great for: Coffee & cake
Almo's
Location: Hengistbury Head
Great for: Coffee & cookies
The Paddle
Location: Highcliffe
Great for: Brunch & coffee
A quick note: Cafés change their menus, prices and opening hours regularly, so I’d always recommend checking directly with the café before making a special journey.
Where to find the Best Breakfast in Dorset
Dorset is a fairly large area to cover; so I’ve plotted all 12 recommendations on the map below to make it easier to find somewhere close to wherever you’re exploring.
The Thirsty Bird
Address: 3 East St, Wimborne, BH21 1DS
What to order: Avocado Toast or Pancakes
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
First up is The Thirsty Bird in Wimborne, although don’t read anything into the number, as these 12 recommendations are in no particular order!
Wimborne is known for having some great places to eat, and I’m yet to try them all. However, The Thirsty Bird is such a lovely venue, with beautiful decor and really friendly staff. If downstairs looks full when you pop your head in, have no fear – they also have an upstairs.
This is one of our favourite spots, their cinnamon muffin pancakes are to die for, and their avo toast is pretty incredible too. They serve Bad Hand Coffee and the oat flat white packs a punch – just the way I like it.
Located on East Street, it’s also an easy one to combine with a wander around Wimborne, making it a great option if you’re spending a morning exploring this part of Dorset.
The Hutch
Address: 62 Seamoor Rd, Westbourne, Bournemouth, BH4 9AS
What to order: The Hutch Avo or a cake
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you’re looking for breakfast or brunch around Bournemouth, The Hutch in Westbourne is another of my favourites. It’s another location with cosy and chic interiors, and warm and welcoming staff. There’s even an outside seating area for those sunnier days.
They serve a small but mighty breakfast menu. The Hutch Avo is a unique blend of sourdough toast, grated egg, parmesan and chilli (though I opted for no chilli). If that’s not your cup of tea, I would highly recommend their great selection of cakes.
Westbourne itself is worth a wander too, with plenty of independent businesses along the high street, and you’re not far from the coast if you fancy walking off your breakfast afterwards.
The Cowshed
Address: Huntick Rd, Lytchett Minster, Poole, BH16 6BA
What to order: Full English
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
For something a little more rural, The Cowshed in Lytchett Minster offers a very different setting to some of the town-centre cafés on this list. It’s always busy and perhaps the only reason I don’t visit more often is because they don’t accept reservations.
All of their food is incredible and once again, the setting feels incredibly calm, despite how busy it gets. The staff really care about the quality of the food and they always check everything is OK. If you pay The Cowshed a visit, I recommend getting there early, ideally for opening. Make sure you visit the independent shops in the courtyard too!
It’s a handy option if you’re exploring this part of Dorset and want to escape the busier coastal towns for breakfast or brunch. Though we actually visit here when heading out for a walk along the Jurassic Coast as it’s a handy location en route from Bournemouth.
Goose & Badger Café
Address: 35 South St, Bridport, DT6 3NY
What to order: Cinnamon bun!
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Heading west, Goose & Badger Café in Bridport is one to keep in mind when you’re exploring West Dorset and the Jurassic Coast.
They roast their own coffee and you can tell they take pride in serving up the perfect cup. We only popped in for a quick pick-me-up, and chose one of their cinnamon buns each. Believe me when I say we both thought it was the best cinnamon bun we’d ever eaten (and we’ve eaten a lot)! We had sat in the window and about a dozen people must’ve come in after seeing what was in front of us – unlucky for them that we had nabbed the last two.
Bridport makes a brilliant stop in its own right, while West Bay and the Jurassic Coast are just down the road – so this is an easy breakfast or brunch stop to build into a wider Dorset day out.
Cherries Abbey Farm
Address: Church St, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, DT3 4JJ
What to order: Full English
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cherries Abbey Farm is in one of my favourite areas for a Dorset day out: Abbotsbury.
We started our day at Cherries Abbey Farm in need of a big breakfast to fuel us up for our long hike ahead. They use local produce and make their own baked beans, the fried bread wedge that came with our fry up was massive!
This is another recommendation I’d combine with exploring the surrounding area. Abbotsbury sits close to the Jurassic Coast and there’s plenty to see nearby, including the Swannery and Subtropical Gardens.
Cafe D'Urberville
Address: 90 Cheap St, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ
What to order: Breakfast or lunch, great food all day – including cakes!
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cafe D’Urberville takes us north to the beautiful market town of Sherborne and adds another part of Dorset to this list.
We’ve been here a couple of times and love the quirky setting inside an emporium and gallery. This is another great option for a quick coffee and cake stop, or for a larger meal. The staff are always friendly and the coffee is always exactly what we need.
Its location makes it particularly handy if you’re visiting Sherborne for the day, so I’d be tempted to make this one part of a morning exploring the town rather than simply driving there just for breakfast. You could combine your visit with some shopping on market day, or admiring the beautiful Sherborne Abbey.
Velo Domestique
Address: 176-180 Seabourne Rd, Southbourne, Bournemouth, BH5 2JB
What to order: Avocado Toast or Pancakes
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Velo Domestique is one of the quirkier coffee spots on my list and a great option if you’re looking for brunch in Bournemouth or Southbourne. It shares the unit space with their bike store, and as a result you’ll see plenty of cycling memorabilia used as decor.
The brunch menu is small but perfectly formed, although it’s the coffee that really stands out for me. My oat flat white was perfectly made – exactly the sort of coffee that has me contemplating ordering a second (and I have, on multiple occasions).
Southbourne is also a lovely area to explore afterwards, and you’re only a short walk from the beach if you fancy some sea air after brunch.
BEAR
Address: 71 High St, Wimborne, BH21 1HS
What to order: Pancakes or full English
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
BEAR in Wimborne is a regular go-to for us and one that has never disappointed.
This is one of the stronger options on the list if you’re after a proper breakfast rather than simply coffee and cake. We’ve tried everything from the full English to the pancakes, and the food is just as good as the coffee.
It’s somewhere we find ourselves returning to rather than simply ticking off once – which is probably one of the best recommendations I can give.
They have an evening offering too, which is still on our list to go back and try.
Burnt Toast
Address: 8 Kings Rd East, Swanage, BH19 1ES
What to order: French Toast (hands down)
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Despite the name, Burnt Toast in Swanage serves anything but burnt food!
Their French toast is some of the best I’ve had outside New Zealand – and trust me, given how highly I rate New Zealand’s brunch scene, that’s a difficult standard to follow.
This is a particularly good one to save if you’re planning a day in Swanage or exploring the Isle of Purbeck. Grab brunch first and you’ve got plenty of beautiful Dorset coastline to explore afterwards.
Amid Giants & Idols
Address: 59 Silver St, Lyme Regis, DT7 3HR
What to order: Dorset Apple Cake
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Amid Giants & Idols was actually more of a coffee-and-cake stop for us than a full brunch – but it deserves its place on this list.
We popped in for a giant slice of Dorset apple cake and a coffee, and I loved the decor. More importantly, the coffee set us up perfectly for a full day exploring beautiful Lyme Regis.
If you’re heading to the Jurassic Coast and want somewhere for good coffee and cake before exploring Lyme Regis, this is one I’d happily return to.
Almo's
Address: 108 Broadway, Southbourne, Bournemouth, BH6 4EH
What to order: Full English (and a cookie)
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Almo’s is another firm favourite of ours and one that fits particularly well into a day exploring the Bournemouth coastline.
We love popping in before or after one of our favourite local walks around Hengistbury Head – although there’s always one additional challenge: getting there while they still have plenty of their amazing cookies left!
Good coffee, great cookies and one of my favourite Dorset walks nearby is a pretty convincing combination.
The Paddle
Address: 397 Waterford Rd, Highcliffe, Christchurch, BH23 5JN
What to order: Full English or lemon meringue French Toast
Coffee verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Right on the eastern edge of the county, The Paddle in Highcliffe just squeaks onto my Dorset list.
The team has sister cafés over the border in the New Forest, but the Highcliffe location is a popular choice with locals and serves the combination I’m always looking for: good brunch and properly made coffee.
It can get busy, so this is one where I’d recommend booking ahead rather than simply hoping for a table at peak brunch time.
Which is the Best Breakfast in Dorset?
Asking me to choose the best breakfast in Dorset is a bit like asking me to choose my favourite coffee – I’m not sure I can!
It really depends on what you’re looking for. BEAR in Wimborne is one of my favourites for a proper breakfast or pancakes, while Burnt Toast in Swanage gets my vote for French toast. If coffee is the priority, Velo Domestique or The Paddle are particularly memorable, while Almo’s is one of my favourite stops to combine with a coastal walk.
And that’s really the point of this list: these aren’t places I’ve ranked based on reviews online. They’re independent Dorset cafés I’ve actually visited and would recommend from my own experience.
Know somewhere else we should try?
If you know a café you think we should consider adding to our Dorset breakfast, brunch and coffee guide, email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to drop by soon!
You can also follow me on socials to see where I visit next and what I think of the coffee…
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