918 Coffee Shop in North Dorset

I popped in for a coffee and was pleasantly surprised by the service and great coffee. Would definitely go back.

I had planned to meet my daughter and granddaughter for lunch here and when we arrived there were quite a few people and nowhere to sit. We ordered hot drinks but had to ask what food they had as there was no board displaying food. Once ordered a sausage roll and a panini we had a long wait when we finally got it after about 45 minutes I had to leave to return back to work! I ended up eating the sausage roll in my car. I really think the owner could do with some help if he is going to continue to serve food as well as hot drinks.

The best coffee and specialty tea experience in town. I always try and make time before catching a train to grab a cuppa. Really nice staff and I know from having chatted with the proprietor that there is a strong ethical vibe about the business. Really nice to see somebody thinking about doing all they can do to help the environment. So not the cheapest brew, but the nicest.

There was one customer having coffee. She wasn’t surprised when I walked out after being ignored. What else do you want me to say?

Nice place to take a coffe break I would recomend it to have a nice time Also it is place to dribk and to relax

Good location with easy parking. A nice place to spend 10-20 minutes over coffee. Decent atmosphere and friendly staff. Good all-round.

This doesn't appear on google maps but I stumbled upon it. area. A real find, it wouldn't be out of place in shoreditch. Relaxed ambience, lots of good magazines/papers to read, friendly owner, who takes pride in serving great coffee and tea.

Had a quick lunch here with my wife. Coffee, hot chocolate, pork and apple pasty and veggie sausage roll. All very delicious and very friendly staff. A very pleasurable lunch.

this place is moving in the right way, coffee is nice, well priced and now you can have some snacks as well

Popped in here whilst waiting for a friend, had a nice lamb and mint pasty and a great coffee, the guy working was very friendly and welcoming, would definitely recommend to anyone, a million times better than costa up the road. Also right next to a bike shop, what more could you want?

Chuffed to bits, great find and very welcoming to a bunch of damp cyclists from Bruton!! Will pop back again!

The staff were fantastic, offering to fill our water bottles and add electrolytes before we had even ordered! Great coffee and cake and a nice atmosphere. What a fab place to stop on our way down to Shaftesbury from Bristol.

Dropped in on a recommendation. It's next to a bike shop on a busy road junction, so expectations were low. However, the really helpful barista made fantastic coffees and we had some excellent cake. Not many tables, it really is a pretty intimate experience, you find yourself talking to other customers, all very different to London. We're moving nearby next year and this will be a regular haunt. The barista even plays vinyl in the shop and suggested we bring ours along next time. Superb!

It is always great to go in here for a fantstic coffee with a lovely atmosphere. A shame that they don't have a larger car park.

I'd heard of the planet friendly way they produce their coffee and wanted to try it so stopped in on my way to the gym. Hm. They had no whole milk, and no cream. I had an espresso which was good, but had been hoping for a full fat latte.

They managed to turn the coffee around in 2 mins for me. Good coffee; not quite London hipster standard yet but I'll pop in again based on that experience. Very friendly welcome.

What a great place modern outlook, great coffee, good service .Compare the offering to from this place to the places in Mere and I know we will be making an extra 3 mile detour for our coffee stops on the way to The West Country

Be aware that this place is quite small so if you are planning to visit on a rainy day you might not get a seat, but it's certainly excellent quality and feels very friendly. I like coffee but I don't know a huge amount beyond home experiments with a grinder and moka pot. Their staff really seem to know their stuff and the price knocks Costa completely out of the ballpark. On a sunny day the tables outside are a nice place to watch the world go by. Recommended.

Nice little coffee shop. Excellent coffee. Good for the station, several people came in for take away, while we were having our coffee. Does not serve food, just cakes and biscuits.

Lovely coffee shop on the way to the train station. Well worth a stop as the coffee is superb and the service was given with a smile. What these don't know about coffee isn't worth knowing.

Lovely little cafe on your way into Gil from the train station.Walked in, friendly staff served me quickly, everything as requested.Sat on a sofa with no problems and the staff are quite happy to leave you alone. I think I had two teas in about 2 and a half hours and I wasn't hassled or interrupted once, which makes a lovely change.Looking forward to going back soon!

Really good coffee. Handy for railway station. Best product award winner apparently but it is not clear what the "product" is.

Very good coffee close to the railway station. Cheery staff. Cakes look good to. If only they did railway parking too.....

Lovely, independent, friendly and accommodating staff and a great range of freshly ground coffee at very reasonable prices. They deserve to do well. Food is limited to cakes, but that's all we needed.

The staff are so friendly and helpful. I was so glad we found this amazing little haven. There are comfy sofas inside with delicious cakes and coffees. It is definitely a place I would return to and take my family and friends. The coffee is the best I have had for a very long time. I look forward to returning soon.

The 918 is quite a haven. Located very near to the main-line station, it is an ideal place to meet friends arriving in Gillingham - or to have a coffee and a sit-down if you're early for your train. Also a great place to meet up with friends; nothing like the usual franchise places. The staff are friendly and human, the coffee and cakes delicious. And we were told there is a gluten-free range coming soon! You leave this place with a smile on your face.

Not only does this place do seriously fab coffee but the people here are really lovely, super friendly and care about their coffee. I always find an excuse to pop in for a coffee and a bit of banter. If you are a true coffee lover this is the place for you, far better than a boring chain place. I also recommend the 918 filter coffee it is all we drink at home.

Popped in for a quick lunch and coffee. Very quiet apart from one person, who liked the sound of her own voice! Needed to have some background music on we think. Coffee is good, bacon sandwich was ok. Found the menu quite confusing - and you need to order as you enter.

Simple seating, but excellent coffee. I tried 2 different coffees and ended up buying some beans from them. They all know their coffees and were very good with their recommendations.

Likes:+ Friendly staff+ Good range and quality of coffee+ Reasonable prices+ Handy for Gillingham train stationDislikes: - Zero in the way of any atmosphere; needs perhaps some music playing in the background to remind people they are not in a patients' waiting room.- Not much in the way of snacks to accompany coffee (no sandwiches, paninis, toasties, pizza etc)- Not many seats to sit down on- Limited parking area (spaces shared with cycle shop next door)- Service could get quite slow if a large number of people turn up

Popped in today (Wed 7th May) to give 911 a chance. Was greeted with a friendly welcome and the cafe was well kept. Had a cappuccino. Too much milk (typical problem of overheated milk = no foam) but tasted OK if I close my eyes and imagine I ordered a latte. Coffee (espresso) part was fine. Maybe just one shot though rather than the now-standard two?Having moved recently from long-term London I'm very aware of how good good coffee is. It's fashionable to think that small independent coffee shops can do far better than chains. In London they typically can. In many cases this is fanciful. 911 seems to be one of those cases. The Barista was new and not aiming for great coffee (in my opinion). Would advise the owners to send their staff on the train to London Bridge Monmouth coffee for the eye-opening experience.I'll keep going to Costa on the high street. Would rather pay £2.15 for a good cap rather than £2.50 for a lacklustre one. Shame; I really wanted to like 911 !

The coffee here is the best. Added to the coffee, the cakes or other things to eat and you have a wonderful place to meet up, or just chill. Two minutes from the railway station on foot.

A friend recommended this for good coffee but as I don't drink coffee I thought I would try the hot chocolate (take away). Sadly it was sickly sweet and almost undrinkable. Shame as there looked to be a delicious selection of cakes and pastries available.

- spotty service, depending on who is serving you. But worth suffering this in order to drink the best espresso this side of Milan.

I returned after the last disappointment and this time the experience was a whole lot better. Different barista and coffee quite simply in a different league. Delicious flavour and well textured milk. Cakes looked great as well so I'm sure I'll be back.

JUst read mijbo review of a flat white he/she had in a local cafe, they need to get a better understanding of coffe drinks, perhaps they go to Costa where you do not get a proper flat white. A flat white, which originated in Australia is a single shot of espresso filled with micro foamed milk, it should not have steamed milk in it. By the sound of it that is what they had in 918.

Quick visit, cafe selected because of the expertise billing so what a disappointment. Probably a double ristretto but then the rest of the cup was filled with froth, just that, froth! I expected a bit more care and skill given the range of coffees and equipment on sale.

Found one of the best coffee shops I've ever been in and it's local! The coffee is truly outstanding with a wide range of coffee beans to choose from. Excellent food as well. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Disturbed to read last review re 918 closing, I use the 918 in Lower Station Road close by Gillingham train station, and it is certainly still running. The closure was their coffee shop at The Riversmeet centre.

Sadly 918 appears to have closed down. We went to Riversmeet this morning, called in to get a coffee and discovered that 918 ceased trading on 4th May. Very sad. This means there's nowhere in Gillingham now that does a decent cup of coffee. Waitrose is always packed out, and doesn't provide a relaxing atmosphere.

918 cafe (Rivermeet) is now a tuck shop for students from 9-4 weekdays. It is overcrowded with students leaving nowhere for other members of the public to sit down. This has become a no go area for others.The owners have shifted their emphasis to the students by offering them rewards such as raffle tickets (not to other public). Also whist being served there was a lot of chit chat between the owners and students forgetting about the customer who was paying. Often chairs are left in the wrong place. Be prepared despite this being a healthier choice cafe to inhale the vast amount of tobacco from the students as are smoking near the cafe and enter the cafe soon afterwards. Also be prepared for the students to enter the kitchen preparation area. The staff and owners seem to lack basic awareness when treating disable people. There seem to be no accessible format for blind people or loop for the deaf. It is in inaccessible by wheelchair if chairs are left in the wrong places. be also prepared to eat junk food despite being advertised as the healthier choice.Also expect warm not hot chocolate. this cafe is ideal for students but not for others.

Slightly hidden away on the way to the railway station is the place for Gillingham's best cup of coffee by far. Excellent service and coffee made just the way you like it (choose the blend and strength to suit your taste). They really care about coffee ... Give it a try.

I am a regular at 918 and I agree their coffee is the best, I don't agree with the review re the chiller. They are a coffee shop and not a cafe and as such offer bites you would expect to see in a coffee shop, don't suppose they can do much about the colour if chocolate. Chocolate brownies, rocky roads etcThey do however offer a very comprehensive menu of items made fresh to order - their New York Deli baguette is to die for!!Their primary business is coffee they offer every single origin coffee in the world, with the majority on the shelf or being roasted around the corner in their roastery. I go there regularly, Saturdays are their busiest day, so you need to choose your time so that you can get through the door!It's busy and popular, not due to 'no completion' as there are two sandwich bars in town, waitrose and orchard park close by, they are busy because their service is excellent, they go out of their way to be helpful and I have never had anything but a positive experience. Other company's could do with following what they do at 918 - they're brilliant!!!

First visit on Saturday 5th January 2013 around 11am. Instant impression.....confusion behind the counter. The food display lacked colour, bland in appearance, and just ordinary. I ordered a pain au chocolat and americano. The coffee was excellent, however the 'pain' was not in the same league. No enquiry was made as to whether I wished it heated or cold. I ate it cold. The pastry gave me the impression of having been made the previous day but this may have been a by product of chilling. But for the coffee, the shop reminded me of what we expected in the 1970's. I wonder did anyone come around from behind the counter and actually look at the display before the doors were opened to the paying public? Empty spaces, just a hotchpotch of biscuity bites and the like. Brown and tan were the predominant colours. They seem to be busy enough at present but is that due to no competition (disregarding Waitrose whose display was excellent)? The owners need to sharpen up their act before additional coffee shops open.