Corfe Castle Model Village in Purbeck

Very pleasant setting and the service was friendly and efficient. We only wanted coffee, which, although very good, was probably the most expensive for miles around. Other items on the menu were also not cheap. We would probably look for better value elsewhere next time.

Five out of five, but would give it six if we could! Had astonishingly good cakes and they have gluten free options too! The apple cake came with clotted cream which was the perfect vibe for this chocolate box place. Perfect

Such a lovely setting with good service on such a busy time of day. We had a lovely lunch in such a lovely place, we love it here.

Called here for a meal and it was fantastic. Well prepared and table serving was excellent. Only thing that spoilt a great day was a dog barking

It was a sunny day so we sat outside in the courtyard of the cafe. I had Victoria sponge but there were some other nice cakes on offer as well. Plus cream tea. The thing that give sit a 4 star rating as opposed to 3 is that they provided a pot of water with my pot of tea. Good to see.

Regretted choosing this place for lunch. £27 for two cheese sandwiches with crisps on the side & 2 cans of pop. Didn't enjoy the food. The overwhelming flavour was margarine as cheese didn't taste like much. Nothing to recommended here apart from being dog friendly.

Delicious breakfast, friendly and good service. We have been there many times now and never disappointed.

Return visit to this delightful tearoom, the owner and his staff even remembered us from our visit last year,and asked how we were. Had a lovely piece of Dorset Apple Cake ,coffee and soft drinks. We sat inside as was very busy in the courtyard. Lovely selection of cakes ,cream teas and sandwiches on offer. A very pleasant experience.

Had a lovely lunch with my daughter. Kids lunch was just perfect. Bread was soft and fresh. I had a cream tea which was spot on. My only negative was the price of the sandwiches which from what I can remember was about £9 which seemed a bit steep. But overall very pleasant

This is a nice cafe and convenient if you need to avoid the rain but £10 for a jacket potato isn’t justified. It’s not the Great Famine … potatoes cost about £3 for a bag and beans cost £3.50 for four even if you’re using Heinz. Cannot see how they can justify these prices even if the cost of living has increased. Based on this and the advertisement of Lavazza coffee but not using lavazza coffee and no gloves on anyone’s hands I wouldn’t return next time I’m in the area.

Dropped in for cake and drinks after visiting the castle. The cakes were delicious and the slices were huge! The Cream Tea was generous with two scones and large helpings of cream and jam. We ate inside and found the cafe to be clean and staff friendly. Would certainly return and recommend to others

We happened upon this cafe when looking for somewhere for a quick lunch in Corfe Castle. The menu offered a good selection of baguettes, sandwiches, cakes etc - all freshly made, delivered quickly and very tasty. The staff were friendly and the service excellent.

Started with a pleasant ham roll with salad in the courtyard, free to enter. Then we visited the model, which is spectacular, then the lush rose gardens. Best of all is the little nook by the Corfe river, as shown in the picture.

We had the most amazing cream tea here. Very generous helpings of everything - scones, jam and cream as well as large pits of tea. Really lovely setting in a shady courtyard out front and super friendly, helpful staff. Not to be missed is the truely stunning garden at the rear which was awash with roses and colourful perennials- a joy to behold. It’s obvious so much love goes into this wonderful garden. The model Corfe village is at the end of the garden and again is beautifully done, replicating the village.

We visited the model village and had an amazing time,before we went in, we had teas all round. We walked around the model village and played the games, the flowers and garden are amazing. Our daughter recommended the model village to us. We decided to have lunch, my husband, daughter and son in law had prawn baguette, my granddaughter had chicken mayo, and our grandson had a child’s chicken mayo and I had egg mayo, it was all delicious and really filling, we would definitely return again.

Top quality tea, coffee and superb sandwiches. The cream teas are to die for. Terrific venue and the model village is fun for youngsters and quirky for adults. We thought it good value too. Our kids and grandkids had use the train from Swanage where they were camping (we drove from home in Bridport) and visited the castle before heading back. A full day for them and a gentle half day out for us.

We were in the area and stopped off for a cream tea. Took advantage of the quiet beautiful gardens and quaint model village. Very friendly service and the menu looked good. Had a peek at another table who ordered baguettes which looked generously filled. We chose coffee which was well made and full of flavour, whilst the scones were large and served with plenty of jam and cream. Really well worth a visit, especially if you sit in the gardens at the back. Recommended.

Decided to try this cafe for lunch, before looking around the model village. Nice clean cafe with seating inside and out and friendly staff. The food was really tasty and you got a decent amount as well. Will definitely come to this cafe again next time I'm in Corfe.

We went for lunch with a large group of family (7A and 2ch and a dog!) We sat outside in the sunny courtyard and enjoyed a lovely lunch! Sandwiches, a good choice of specials and delicious cake. The coffee was good too. We enjoyed it so much we went back again 2 days later!! You can also sit inside if you prefer!

Most expensive coffee I’ve ever had. Food looked nice but £7.60 for 2 coffees was my limit. There was nothing wrong with the coffee except the price.

My friend and I had homemade tomato and red pepper soup today. It was delicious and served piping hot. We sat outside in a very pleasant area. I would visit again and would highly recommend. It is also dog friendly!! Fantastic place

We stopped in for a cuppa and cake as we only needed a light bite. My husband ordered a second coffee as he said it was so nice. The cakes were lovely and generously sized although it was all a bit on the pricey side....

We visited this cafe to grab a quick bite for lunch. We ended up sharing a sausage sandwich as it was just under £10 for one. You’d think for that price it would be great quality but it was terrible. Horrible thick bread and bland...

Random who was offered a menu...i was left to guess what was available. Very slow to serve then bring out food. It was only about 1pm and there were no baguettes, quiche, scones (so no cream tea) and a few other things missing.

Very friendly welcome and extra helpful with sorting out the gluten free menu for a Coeliac; even to the extent of bringing out the baked bean tin to confirm they were gluten free. Generous portions and a good non gf egg mayo sandwich for my...

Delicious cream tea with 2 good sized tasty scones and generous portions of cream and jam...and lots of tea. Enjoyed this in the cafe on a very wet Saturday afternoon. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Will definitely be going back !

Excellent food and very friendly staff! Set in a lovely sunny courtyard. Amazing cakes. Generous food portions.

Simple, delicious menu served by friendly staff if a gorgeous, peaceful location. The specials board was hidden inside and worthwhile finding!

We visited Corfe Castle model village courtyard on a bright sunny day in August with our daughter and her family. We had arrived from the park & ride at Norden using the Swanage railway and the Courtyard Café is a short walk from the station....

We've been holidaying in the area for 3 of the last 4 summers. Found this place on our first visit and now make a point of returning at least once during our week away. Scones are freshly baked and taste great. Unlimited jam an clotted...

We visited last year and were so impressed we went for lunch today on another visit to corfe , prawn baguettes are the most generously filled with prawns I’ve ever had, my mum had prawn salad which was also very generous with prawns plus a...

What a surprise! We’ve been a few time to Corfe Castle but it was the first time we visited the model village and garden. Ticket last seven days. It is a beautiful garden and a small model village. We had quiche & salad and a...

This has always been our favourite cream tea in Dorset (we live in Dorset) but it seems to have deteriorated. This visit , sadly, was very disappointing with very little cream provided and very dry scones which I was unable to finish.On previous occasions we...

Got of train and called in for Latte.Friendly staff and nice coffee.Courtyard kept very clean with comfy chairs.

Terrible experience here today. Came with our young son (who was due a sleep) trying to find somewhere to sit (inside was completely empty) and a staff member appeared to be making it difficult and even though it was empty advised we could sit by...

We found this little courtyard cafe while wandering around Swanage last week and it was very delightful with all the lovely cake selections. We had an afternoon tea before catching our stream train back to Swanage after a nice walk around the Corfe Castle nearby....

Popped in for cream tea for two. 4 big scones pot of thick cream and jam (not too sickly) & a big pot of tea and a jug of hot water if two cups each wasn't enough! £13.80 About 20 seats inside and more outside...

The model village was absolutely enchanting for both myself and my boys, proper old fashioned fun with lots to see.

Efficient, friendly service. Plenty of outside seating, we thoroughly enjoyed our mid morning break, delicious hot chocolate with all the trimming, the main highlight.

The food was nice enough but poor value for money. Baguettes £9 each for essentially a sausage sandwich. Also ordered the cream tea which said 2 scones and tea but was told we would only get 1 cup with this so we had to pay...

Popped in today for teas and cake with a small group, the tea was only just warm, the tea cake barely cooked. The cakes tasted like very cheap bulk purchase items, just lots of sugar and fat, and no doubt preservatives. It's just another tourist...

Expensive for what we had - a tourist honeypot, and they charge accordingly, low quality bought in scones, jam, for cream tea. National Trust cafe nearby nicer

On visiting this model village we felt more than a little disappointed by the experience. I believe when first opened in 1966 it would have appeared amazing but sadly today it looks a little drab and unloved. On exiting I felt I had strolled around...

We are now very regular locals to this superb, friendly cafe. The full breakfast is excellent, using the best quality ingredients, locally sourced where possible. The scones for cream teas are delicious & baked on the premises daily. There is a wide choice of sandwiches...

Freshly prepared food, good service and very clean place. Staff very friendly and helpful. We certainly will recommend it to our friends.

Lovely setting with good shade on a sunny day, delicious soup and the prawn baguettes were excellent - very generous filling - the most prawns I’ve ever seen in a sandwich. Excellent coffee

Been going here for years and been recommending it. However went there recently for breakfast and only 1 choice compared to previous large breakfast menu. So went for 3 x breakfasts at £9.90 each. Ingredients were poor quality and cheap. Beans were inedible as so...

Delicious and fresh light lunch, good service and very clean place. I highly recommend it if you come to Corfe Castle.

Beautiful courtyard but very busy. We came here by 2pm it was very busy with a queue to the counter but the service is very good so it didn’t take too long to get there. The cream tea was the best we had with fresh...

Beautiful English courtyard with a Mediterranean touch. Very clean and staff very polite. The toilet was out of order we had to use the National Trust one. Food excellent, staff very efficient and helpful so we felt very welcome. A small gift shop with a...

Delicious crab salad and a prawn baguette all fresh and well presented. We finished sharing a Dorset apple cake with clotted cream. Staff friendly with a very warm welcome. We will be back in October and certainly we will stop here again.

Everything looked lovely and as such we made allowances for the prices. Sadly you can’t judge a book by its cover, and you can’t judge a cake by its appearance or a milk shake by its price. £4.20 for something more resembling a Nesquik home...

All very Covid secure which meant a little queuing and waiting but the staff were very friendly and helpful. The shop sells a number of local items but we decided against the Model Village. The Cafe's licence only allows it to sell with food, a...

Left us sat at a table without any idea that it was not table service like it is everywhere else lately, no sign anywhere or any mention from any of the staff that customers had to approach the counter to order. All a bit surly...

Lovely courtyard atmosphere, with old cobbled walls lots of flowers and greenery and cute little birds darting about. The food was fabulous. Oven cooked jacket potato, with a generous portion of homemade coronation chicken which was the best I'd ever had, plus coleslaw and dressed...

We stopped of here for coffee and were very well treated and the fare excellent and of course the village very interesting.

Stopped here after a brief visit to the model village. We ordered a cheese Sandwich and a cream tea which was very nice and filling , probably a little bit pricier than other places we ate at whilst on our hols but expected that as...

Having a lovely large piece of gluten free millionaires shortcake at the Corfe model village cafe. Very tasty

This was a spur of the moment visit to the courtyard. Tables have enough space between them to be socially distanced. The courtyard is very nice and sheltered with big umbrellas should the weather change. The staff promptly organised a superb cream tea. The scones...

Excellent breakfast, set us up for the walk from Corfe to Swanage. Excellent service, felt very safe and nice to see it busy despite the current situation.

Stopped in for tea and cake as the queue for the National trust place was quite long. So glad we did. Really beautiful little courtyard seating area. Good cuppa and lovely apple cake.

Something we always do when holiday in Swanage is to visit the wonderful model village in Corfe - and also to visit the adjoining tea room too. You can simply visit here without having to visit the model village itself if you wish - but...

Friendly staff, very nice food and good portions! On the pricier side for a lunch (£22 for sandwich, jacket potato, 2 cappuccino’s & bottle of water) however I always expect prices to be higher when close to an attraction. I wouldn’t hesitate to return and...

Have been here again this year and it never fails to amaze me the beautiful gardens and Model Village. The fairy garden is a delight for children too. We had the High Tea which was amazing. The lovely sandwiches and scones and the gorgeous selection...

I have been visiting the cafe and adjacent model village since 1979 and though it is less charming under its present operators it is still very good. We visited here in August and thus it is impacted by COVID with SD conditions in place as it was since our last visit in 2014 the menu has lost some unique aspects but the predominant standard items are still there. We had a cream tea but found the scones quite tasteless and low quality. The experience wasn't helped by us and all other dinners being attacked by wasps. There were wasp catchers in place but our jam was more attractive. Seating was available in the model village garden too but unclear how this works in terms of the fee you have to pay to access the said gardens. Will visit again post covid and hopefully it will have regained some of its unique charm.

This model village is a delight. The gardens in the model village are very colourful with lovely scents from the flowers.great little fairy garden to enchant the younger generation. Plenty of things to look at and loads of places to sit. Paid several visits to...

Went to the model village for an afternoon tea with my friends and was amazing, staff very friendly and welcoming the garden is absolutely stunning so beautiful 😍

Entry to the gardens is optional, but the courtyard is not very big and more tables are available in the gardens. We chose to pay the entrance and found the gardens and model village charming. More importantly, the cream teas were excellent, the service was also excellent and the staff were very friendly.

We were able to get a car parking space in the village square, which is a stone's throw away from the cafe - just under the arch and adjacent to the model village (although there's no obligation to visit the attraction!) Outside there is courtyard seating, but as it was raining on the day we visited, we were lucky to find a table inside - it's a popular cafe.There is an extensive menu, but once you've made your decision, orders are placed at the counter. The staff were friendly and helpful and soon brought over our milkshake and pot of tea for one, which was nicely presented. There was a little wait for our food, but this wasn't an issue, as it's all freshly prepared. I had a (very generous!) jacket potato with cheese and coleslaw and my mum opted for the gammon ham baguette. Both were served with a plentiful side salad, which even featured slices of melon and orange! Everything was delicious and moreish and I'm keen to return to try more of the menu! Our lunch came to £19.50, which, given the size and quality, seemed fair.

Fantastic hospitality from the team at the cafe. Had tea and a scone, which was fresh and served with jam and cream - can honestly say it was the nicest I’ve ever tasted. We turned up late afternoon on a grey and dull day and was welcomed by everyone- we got some tips on where to go and what to see locally. A very friendly place and would definitely go back when next in the area.

Even at only £9 for a family, the village is awful value for money. The village is no replica of Corfe itself and what is there is of poor quality. No idea of the quality of the cafe as we didn’t eat but suggest they invest any profits in the village or just allow people a free walk around what is really just a big model of the castle in their back garden.

We come here every year when we visit Corfe Castle. There is always a meal to suit everyone and it's a great setting. Would highly recommend.

Order at the counter and use the inside or the outside seating. Your food and drinks are taken to your table. A pleasant outside area with plenty of seating and tweeting but shy sparrows. Good price and a relaxing place to spend some time before exploring Corfe Castle, etc.

Nice tea rooms situated at the entrance to the model village. We had a pot of tea to share, and a slab of the fruit cake, really dark and full of fruit. Well worth the £3.20 I paid for it.

Out for the day with my Elderly Mother. Stopped off at the Model Village, as we had heard that the food was good. We were not disappointed. The cheese scone was large, and beautifully cooked, and the prawn sandwich that was delivered to mee was huge - well filled and served with fresh salad and garnishes. The only downside was that the staff seemed to misplace our order, so we had a long wait. Lost a star but otherwise, this place is very good for a tasty and well- presented lunch.

So nothing near Corfe Castle is cheap and I was initially a bit discouraged by the price of the jacket potatoes but this was an absolutely fantastic lunch for the whole family. The jacket potatoes are generally sized, cooked beautifully with lovely fillings and a really nice salad and coleslaw, it's a proper meal. My Dad loved the breakfast he'd ordered (for lunch) and the mini ploughman's we ordered for my daughter was so stunning that I actually took a photo, which I never do. It had a fantastic array of fresh fruit and veg, and even though I loved my meal, it made me sort of wish I had ordered the adult version. We sat in the gorgeous sunny courtyard and thoroughly enjoyed our lunch together. Great, simple meals done really well.

We had heard that the cafe had been taken over, and are pleased to say that the food and the service are still good. The owner was very welcoming and friendly. The coffee was good, and the homemade dorset apple cake served warm with ice cream was delicious.

Initially called in for a coffee and ended up calling back for the full English breakfast (for lunch) and again for coffee and cake. We had the carrot and the coffee and walnut cake, both large slices and tasted great.Great food and the staff were pleasant and quick service.If we had had chance to call again we would have had the cream tea which looked nice.

We were visiting Corfe last week and only wanted coffee/tea and cake! As I have coeliac disease it’s great to find somewhere that serves gluten free food! I had a delicious gf scone with my cuppa and thoroughly enjoyed!

Interesting and informative. Friendly and welcoming staff. Cheaper than visiting the castle itself and, having read the reviews of the castle, it was great to get a little bit of background into the history of the castle, church and village. Lovely cafe with some eclectic drink options and an extra pot of water to make the tea last longer

Wow! What a place! I’m so glad we found the Model Village, because it was exactly what we needed. A really filling and delicious meal, and decent prices too.

We had been three times a couple of years ago so hopes were high. This time it all seemed a bit so so and they had run out of plain scones too. Hey ho.....

Great cream tea, generous portions, lovely venue, quietly away from the castle crowds. Didn’t get a five because the single toilet is so small two people cant get past each other.

Our private tour guide had arranged for us to have "cream tea" mid afternoon on the terrace of this little restaurant. We enjoyed delicious tea and scones (served with clotted cream and preserves) and mouthwatering cakes in a beautiful garden setting. The surprise was the incredibly detailed model village of the castle and village (with the real Corfe Castle on a mount in the distance) that is housed in the lower part of the garden, along with croquet and games to entertain children and adults alike. Truly a hidden gem. Do visit!

This is a little haven in the middle of Corfe Castle village. The village itself is small compared to some others, but is well observed, featuring the castle itself in its heyday. It is set in beautiful gardens with seating, and an outdoor games area for families. Although some people were enjoying a picnic in the gardens, there is also a tea room with courtyard and garden seating where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Admission was reasonable, though we had booked a joint ticket with the Swanage steam railway which gave a further discount.

We took two of our grandchildren to the Model Village. Our first impressions were favourable as the lady on the ticket counter couldn't have been more helpful.

Popped in for tea and scones and I was not disappointed. My friend had a sandwich and slice of cake and just about managed to finish them. Nice staff, would recommend the cafe (did not visit the actual village).

We had a lovely dorset cream tea which was very reasonably priced and sat outside in the beautiful gardens in glorious sunshine, frequented by lots of different birds none of which were being intrusive. Other visitors meals looked yummy and prices on the menu looked very reasonable for what is a tourist attraction approx 50 yrds from corfe castle itself. Highly recommended whether you visit the gardens or not as its open to all.

The food in the cafe was very good. Himself had a tuna sandwich, and I had the cream tea. Sandwich filling was very generous. The scones were very good.

Visited as a group and were frankly quite shocked at the price being charged for a small cup of coffee. It's one shot with added water for £2.80.

This was always a highlight of visiting family in Dorset and we would come here 4-5 times a year for a cream tea but after not visiting for a while (circa 12months) I wonder if it has new owners. Gone have the friendly staff who would offer you as much cream and jam as you could possibly eat before passing out! And replaced with little personality and very little interaction. Whilst sat at a table as a family of four extra tables were dragged inside the already cramped space to allow more bums on seats and money in the till, however it felt like we were being barricaded in and made it very awkward asking two groups of people to let us out.

I’m only writing about the cafe as I didn’t explore the model village. But you absolutely must try their Dorset Apple Cake. Not only is it moist and flavorful but they serve a huge wedge with clotted cream to boot. I’ve taken American friends here just so they can try it whilst sitting in the cute courtyard - it never disappoints. In fact it’s so filling I have just the cake and a pot of tea for a lunch serving, very naughty and very nice!

We got this 'included' in the railway tickets, so popped in.

Brilliant day out.... Lovely looking around the model village..... Excellent food...... Really nice day out

i agree with some of the other travelers,not as good as it was about 5 years ago.its good for children but lacks something in the food menu.and a little bit dear,with what you get elsewhere.shame but that's what we feel at todays venues.

We were are the Model Village, so stopped here for a cup of tea.

We have been coming here for some years now - usually for a snack and cream tea. Whilst the site is the same, the menu has been dramatically reduced which is a shame. The cream tea was nice enough but the sausage baguette my wife and I shared was not that good. My wife even got a bit of hard gristle or bone in her half which shows the quality of the ingredients is not so good.

Lugar bucólico e lindo de se ver no inverno, imagina no verão! Vale a pena a visita! Existem lugares para compra de souvenir nos arredores e tomar um cream tea delicioso com scones artesanais. Só faltou vossa Majestade a Rainha Elizabeth II para completar a tarde.

Family ticket for the model village very reasonably priced and could be used for our weeks stay. Not just the model village but a fairy garden a croquet lawn and outdoor games the children loved it. Food was delicious, staff and service excellent

We had lunch here before exploring the model village. Lunch was superb - the GF dorset cream tea was the best I have had, and the other food served up was equally as good. The model village was beautiful. We visited in spring on a sunny day so the flowers were at their best and the garden was magical. Definitely worth a visit.