Dorset County Museum Tea room in West Dorset

A really delightful place to stop for a coffee, a snack or a light lunch. The room is really beautiful with friendly staff offering table service - much better than a canteen self-service. Coffee is excellent and the snack we had was just perfect. A real find in the centre of Dorchester

This was our 4th visit and now our firm favourite place to eat when we visit Dorchester every couple of months. Excellent menu choices and daily specials board. We really enjoyed the fishcakes this time but everything we have chosen before has also been excellent. Lovely surroundings and a very nice atmosphere with delightful friendly staff. Well done ladies you make us feel welcome. We are delighted to have discovered this little gem and look forward to our next visit, thank you everyone.

What a lovely, unexpected experience. We wanted a quick lunch whilst waiting for family to meet up with us and with many cafes and restaurants closed for Christmas we came across this gem. The waitress greeted us with a smile, handed us menus and said to take a seat as there was table service. The sandwiches, fries and tea we ordered was very quickly served and everything was delicious. The fries were hot and the sandwiches were very fresh and so tasty. We even had to order more fries for my grandson, he enjoyed them so much. The next time we are in Dorchester we will definitely be eating here and will make time to look around the museum as well. Wonderful staff and great food, just what we needed.

Over £20 for two bland plates of porridge with half a banana, and a small cup of coffee for myself and a friend! 😶 Pretty poor value, Taste. I wouldn't have minded so much if the porridge had been a bit more interesting: a drizzle of honey and some toasted chopped hazelnuts or something. But really...half a banana...

Perfect place for family birthday breakfast. Staff so helpful moving tables together and breakfast was delicious as always. Thank you for great start to a birthday

Martin and his team from Taste did an incredible job catering for our wedding in Dorchester at the end of August! The BBQ food (done for 120 guests!) was absolutely amazing quality and cooked to perfection - with various dietary requirements and a tricky seating plan, Martin took everything in his stride and him and his staff made our day even more special! A MASSIVE thank you!! We would highly recommend to anyone wanting some brilliant and tasty food for their wedding or special event! THANK YOU!!

Popped in at lunchtime, saw the full English breakfast and thought I'd have some of that, unfortunately its only served in the morning. The waitress suggested a BLT, which I had with fries and salad. It was brilliant - crispy bacon, great chips and the side salad was sooo tasty. Really friendly service too. Well done Taste - I would definitely recommend.

A friend and I had booked for an event run by the restaurant, but in conjunction with the Dorset County Museum. A tour of the museum was offered followed by a four or five course dinner in the restaurant. My friend and I arrived, our coats were taken, and we were shown to our table. We got comfortable and asked if we would like a non-alcoholic aperitif, accompanied by the most beautiful canape' I think I have ever seen. Being caviar, I gave it a go, but it was too fishy for my taste, but the crispy potato was beautiful. We did the tour led by a lovely lady named Sarah, but was disappointed when we found it didn't include some things we were most looking forward to, but hey. I opted for the carnivorous option, my friend being a pescatarian, and her preferences were catered to without question. An oxtail croquette for me, a leek and potato croquette for her, both absolutely delicious. The most delicate turbot with white asparagus and champagne sauce followed, beautifully presented. At this point we knew the rest of the meal was going to be equally as amazing, and it was. I had venison loin cooked to perfection, and a celeriac puree to die for. I now know I need to go buy celeriac instead of potatoes. My friend had a mushroom pithivier which was just gorgeous too. Tarte Tatin, calvados and homemade vanilla ice cream for desert, coffee and petit fours. To say this meal was just stunning was appropriate, beautifully plated, flavourful, served warmly by lovely, helpful wait staff, on contemporary china and glassware. We had a glass of fruity merlot which completed the whole experience. And how they managed to pull this off for 30+ covers, I don't know. Talking with one of the chefs as we were leaving, I found out that they both worked at a favourite, Michelin starred restaurant in my home town, but that had since closed. He had also completed a stint at Buckingham Palace. We chatted about some foodie technicalities, but he added that a lot of love went into what we had eaten, and it most certainly showed. And the price was so reasonable, especially for what we ended up getting. This meal was at least rosette, if not Michelin star quality, and we would have paid 4x as much elsewhere. I was so pleasantly surprised that this meal, and the whole evening was of such a high quality from start to finish, not that I should be, because I go there quite often for lunch or a snack (read = cake), and it is always spot on. To top it off, one of the exhibitions I had hoped to see, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, was opened especially for our group to peruse after dinner, and it was late, almost 11 pm, but the staff were happy to accommodate us. I cannot recommend this cafe'/restaurant enough, whether just for coffee, breakfast or lunch, and for dinner at events such as this. I can't wait for the next one, which I hope will be in time for Christmas. Definitely Recommend. Just go !

Really tasty, freshly made sandwiches including one gluten free, perfectly dressed tomato and red onion salad and a cheeky side of fries for today’s lunch at this conveniently located town centre cafe.

We had an excellent cream tea. Not my first visit here and definitely not my last. Great customer service, delicious food and friendly staff.

Pleasant greeting on arrival. Shown available seating. MENUs delivered to table promptly. Not a huge choice for Lunch. However ordered the Ham, free range Eggs and Chips. Drinks arrived as requested and shortly after Lunch. The food was well presented. More important it was delicious. Service Excellent. Would Recommend.

Beautifully decorated café with a delicious- sounding menu! I had a sandwich and little one had sausage, beans and chips. We were both very happy with our selection. The atmosphere was wonderful, the food was tasty and staff were helpful. Would return.

We had food here as we were visiting the museum and it was convenient. We had two lunches that were substantial in size and extremely tasty. There were good healthy choices. Staff were very informative and friendly It is expensive for a lunch venue although there are cheaper options on the menu that compares to other venues.

We visited today without planning to but are very glad we did! The staff were very friendly and accommodating. They happily accepted a request to change an item on the menu. The food was delicious and well worth the money. The establishment is clean, staff lovely and food excellent!

Really fresh, tasty, homecooked food. Specials are really good. Pot of green tea was made with loose leaves rather than a tea bag. Even the salad garnish was worth eating with fresh leaves and well dressed. Friendly staff

We were visiting the museum and while we were there decided we would like a snack. We went into the Taste Cafe (which we have since learnt is independent and nothing to do with the museum - just situated within the same building). A very pleasant member of staff asked if we intended to sit in. We told her we would not as we only wanted snacks. There were no obvious signs and no explanation at all that this cafe is a 'waitress service' establishment. We entered from an inside door from the museum and nothing told us what type of service to expect. I ordered a cheese scone and the lady behind the till (white lady, ginger hair and glasses with black frames) asked if I wanted it heated. I did so she put it on a plate and took it to the kitchen. This led me to believe that she expected me to sit in as she had placed the scone on a plate. My friend sat at a table which the woman behind the till noticed. She asked if we were now sitting in. I asked was that ok. She walked off towards the kitchen with the scone on a plate shaking her head and audibly huffing - indicating her displeasure in us for whatever reason..... and making sure I heard and saw her do so. She returned and I asked if there was a problem. She told me it was a waitress service cafe and we had said we were not sitting in. I assured her at that point we would not be sitting in but clearly I was unable to take the scone on a plate! She produced it in a paper bag and we left the cafe. Her manner was very rude and dismissive. If I hadn't already paid I would have walked out without purchasing anything. When chatting to museum staff about the experience which spoilt our overall enjoyment of our visit, we were told the cafe is nothing to do with the museum. In fact the staff member we spoke to guessed immediately which cafe staff member had been rude to us - a clear indication that this was not a one-off and she has a rude manner about her as a routine. The food was not cheap (no more expensive than elsewhere possibly) but I am not willing to put my money into a business that does not welcome and appreciate the custom.

The cafe was short-staffed today (18/01) and 2 young ladies were running it alone over lunch. They were clearly rushed off their feet but went above and beyond to make sure everyone was looked after and did it all with a smile and professionalism . We only went there for a light bite but the customer service was so uncommonly good I felt I had to leave a review 😊

Had a full English breakfast which was perfect, delicious coffee and always super friendly and professional service in a lovely bright restaurant

We had our Christmas Party at the Dorchester Museum and Taste provided a three course dinner. The food was excellent and to a very high standard and I have had so many wonderful comments from everyone about the food. The service was excellent and all the staff from Taste were helpful and friendly and nothing was too much trouble, we are grateful to everyone at Taste for making our Christmas party a big success - A big thank you from Nantes Solicitors.

The cafe was bright and airy, with good sandwiches and drinks, and a welcoming service. It is situated conveniently not only for the museum but for immediate access to the town centre. Prices are good.

On our occasional trips to Dorchester this is now our regular stop for a mid morning coffee. The restaurant is light and airy and the service prompt and friendly. Nice to be served by people who smile a lot! Excellent coffee and cake.

We were glad we arrived at 12 for lunch as the cafe area is quite small. It was very busy but the service was very swift and efficient. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. Our food was served promptly and was very good, The cafe is at the entrance to the museum so independent of it, This was our first visit to taste in its new premises and the standard is the same as before, After our meals we joined the museum and found the local connections to famous people interesting

My husband and I got married at Dorset Museum in June 2023 and our catering was done by Taste. Having been there previously for brunch many times, we are always impressed with the food and our wedding catering was no different. We had multiple guests commenting on the fact that it was the best food they’d had at a wedding and how friendly and helpful the waiting staff were. Todd was incredibly organised throughout the planning process and catered to multiple dietary requirements without any fuss, which us and our guests were incredibly grateful for. 10/10 all round and we wouldn’t hesitate to go back to the cafe or use for any catering again!

Todd and the team at Taste did the most amazing catering for our Dorset Museum Wedding. We didn’t want a traditional plated meal and so Todd worked with us to create a delicious bespoke menu, within our budget, that catered perfectly for what we wanted on our special day. We had a mezzo board for each table to start followed by confit chicken two ways with potatoes and salad. The cheese board in the evening went down a treat and I LOVED the homemade piccalilli. The food was all delicious, served by a lovely and efficient team and everything went without a hitch. Our guests have all commented how yummy everything was. Big thanks to Todd and all his team on the day!

The Two Dorchester Rotary Clubs held a joint Presidents night at the Dorset Museum for 90 people with a Black tie sit down dinner. Taste provided all the catering, both food and service. Without exception every person attending the event had a fantastic 3 course meal, efficiently and promptly served with no fuss at all. Would completely recommend Taste to provide the catering.

Todd did the Wedding Breakfast and evening buffet at our wedding . The food and service was without doubt of the highest standard. Would recommend Todd whether for catering at your special occasion or eating at the Café .

We wanted a quick lunch, and couldn't make our minds up, eventually, as a history teacher, plumping for the Dorset Museum and Taste. Inspired choice. Great food, really good atmosphere and, best of all, the ever-attentive service. Nothing was too much. Already planning our next visit, when we might even look round the museum and the dinosaurs. But only after lunch!

The food is excellent and wholesome. Alongside the superb service, this is an ideal place to stop off for a drink and/or food. What a brilliant place!

Delicious! Warm, cosy atmosphere. Friendly, attentive staff and the most delicious, generously portioned veggie club sandwich. Highly recommend this cafe.

A lovely cafe, with very tasty homemade food and cakes. The staff are also very friendly and welcoming. Would definitely recommend!

Three of us had the sparkling afternoon tea: it was delicious; freshly made and plentiful. The staff were friendly, professional and helpful. The environment was clean and had interesting photographs on the walls.

Really lovely lunch at Taste. Staff were excellent, in particular Rebekah, welcoming and non intrusive at the same time as being attentive. Will visit again.

We had lunch here on Friday during half term. It was so incredibly busy, we were lucky enough to get the last free table and we were glad that we did! The food was great, I had the goats cheese and veg frittata which was...

We enjoyed lunch in the cafe today January 22nd 2023. The standard of service was excellent and the food was delicious and was served very quickly in spite of the cafe being full and very busy. The young lad (sorry I didn’t get his name)...

Popped in for lunch on Friday 16th December with my daughter, we were both a bit stressed and looking for somewhere to eat, Taste was a calm, stress free environment. The manager was amazing, he offered to make my daughter a sausage sandwich as there...

We had a lovely lunch at Taste. Great choices on the menu, good vegetarian options. The staff were very efficient and helpful.

Popped in here with my daughter, one table left, really nice vibe and very tastefully decorated for Christmas. Ordered a full English breakfast without beans but they gave me extra bacon. Very friendly staff and customers! Order arrived promptly and was delicious. The flavour of...

Staff were so friendly and helpful . We visited several times for tea and cake and a couple of times for breakfast . Lovely vegetarian and gluten-free options. The building has a really good atmosphere and historic features . Frequented by many locals which is...

Helpful staff, coffee good and excellent cakes. And also an excellent museum - well worth visiting if you are in the area.

Stingy size medium cappuccino! More like a small but cost £3. One croissant and jam also £3. Rip off! Suppose the company has to pay for the plush interior but this is Dorset not London! Won’t be visiting again, better value at Costa.

Stopped for Flat Whites & shared a delicious lemon almond pastry. Young man who waited on us was just delightful. Loved the room & seat by the window.

This place just gets better. Having visited a few times before for coffee and cake we visited over the bank holiday weekend for a meal and we were not disappointed. We ordered the fish platter which included Thai fish cakes and mackerel pate - both...

Friendly, happy and welcoming staff, all looking to provide excellent customer service. Imaginative menu choices. The food has real 'taste' - with fresh ingredients and attention to detail. My first visit, and I shall certainly return.

Friendly and helpful staff and a great location make the light and airy cafe a regular visit for breakfast or just a coffee.

So pleased to go to this cafe on a regular basis. Great selection of fresh good tasting dishes. Good for veggies and fish/ meat as well. Excellent service as the staff go to a lot of trouble to make your visit special. Can thoroughly recommend...

What a little gem, a stunningly cool cafe, a great menu, cool interiors, spacious, airy, above all the nicest team. I am GF & Vegan nothing was too much. Super friendly, and excellent food. Thank you

Interesting and slightly unusual menu (in a really good way) - lots of veggie and vegan options - in a lovely room, with helpful staff. Have been twice and enjoyed it both times. Thank you!

What a beautiful setting for a bite to eat; the decor is fresh, modern & airy and the high ceiling gives a real feeling of Ritz-like grandeur and elegance! The stained glass windows and photo gallery on the walls are also a contrasting nod to...

I have visited the cafe numerous times and always enjoyed a good cup of coffee and friendly efficient service from the staff. On this occasion we decided to stop for lunch and ordered a ploughmans and hummus with roasted vegetable sandwich, along with a side...

Lovely airy cafe. Coffee was very tasty but a little expensive for the size of cup. Staff very helpful and friendly. Table service.

Beautiful room with plenty of light and a view of the street. Very easy to visit with a wheelchair. Nice staff, simple, fairly quick fresh food. Got busy at lunchtime so if you need proper food come early. They do cake etc all day.

Food was tasty and fresh- really enjoyed it. Coffee was good too. The café itself is a lovely bright and spacious space. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The food came quickly and was a good portion. Some great vegan options too. Highly recommend.

From Todd and Louise Moffat the couple behind Taste Brasserie also in Dorchester (2004) and Taste Cafe on Chesil Beach cones Taste Cafe in a prominent position at the front of the Dorset Museum. It’s a light airy space with photographs from the museum’s collection...

Very enjoyable meal and the staff were friendly. If you've tramped around the museum then the cafe is very convenient. Fine for someone on their own.

Lovely venue with delicious tea and lunch menu. Wide range of choices, reasonably priced. Efficient, exceptionally polite, personable staff.

We had a very tasty lunch here. After a weekend overindulging in cake and chocolate, I opted for a couple of side salads, and steered clear of any bread, but the rest of the family had no such restraints. Very friendly service.

I come here quite regularly as the staff are always great and the food is second to none. The service is always amazing despite quite often being full. Would definitely recommend even if you’re not going into the museum

Delicious coffee and cake. Really friendly welcoming staff. Loved the interior - was the former library of the Museum. Great place to sit and ponder!

We have visited here twice since the museum has reopened , the first time after visiting Elmer with our grandson for lunch, the second again with grandson for Brunch. both meals were efficiently served by attentive staff, immaculately clean tables and surroundings. Don't miss scrambled...

My first visit to the Taste Cafe at the Dorset Museum and I was not left disappointed. Having been to Taste Cafe on Portland Beach Road before I had high expectations and I was not disappointed. A warm welcome on arrival in a really light, modern cafe and even better you can tour the museum after or before your visit. The food (BLT and cakes) were made from local produce and homemade. I’ll be back again.

Stopped off after our trip to museum , really glad we did . Bright clean cafe . Celebrating Dorchester history . Staff were attentive and friendly . Had afternoon tea . Amazing fresh food and the staff did their best to adjust the set tea to my daughters taste . ( cheeses scones instead of fruit scones) . High chairs available and again the staff were accommodating to baby’s needs . Earl Grey was lovely & strong which makes a change as normally used to it being served weak in other cafes. The sandwiches were thick and tasty and the cakes were varied . All in all very pleasant . We will be returning !

Great food and great service, we all thoroughly enjoyed our visit today. Just wish I bought some of the cakes and scones to take home!

Only tea advised. The museum is due to close for complete refurbishment and redevelopment and reopen in 2020 entrance is now half price for the next four weeks or so and the tea room did not have anything suitable for lunch except a cheese scone scone. Good choice of cakes for afternoon tea and specialist teas. Unsure whether you have to pay to access the tearoom as it is through the shop past the main entrance desk. MuseumStill quite interesting although many exhibits and the library have been packed up for relocation but able to view the archaeological dig prior to redevelopment and some fascinating room settings. Part of Roman road revealed during excavations.

This museum was a surprise to us having seen it on tv we went along to visit. It is packed with all sorts of things from around the county we all loved top floor with its look at poets and writers from the area beautiful water colours by emma hardy well worth a visit tea room cosy staff friendly and up on allergies the museum has toilets and is very child friendly

we came to view Dippy,found stairs a problem as have MS,also rather crowded.have visited before as family from the area

After popping in to see Dippy we needed a cup of tea and a sit down. The cafe was just the job. There was a good selection opf snacks and drinks and the staff were friendly and helpful.

A small & pleasant facility to enjoy a coffee and/or lunch ( only light lunches). Very clean and most friendly staff.

Really poor quality coffee and tea. Must be supermarket instant coffee and value tea, pastry stale. This could be a major drawing card but is let down by the amateur way it is run.

Este pequeño salón de té está situado justo al lado de la entrada al museo y, como la tienda, está abierto a todos. No tienes que visitar el museo a utilizar el salón de té. El servicio es amable y educado y, a pesar de que no pongan el té y el café es bueno y los pasteles son deliciosos y el tamaño de las porciones son generosas.Yo bufé de almuerzo de la Curadora bollo caliente de queso, mantequilla, queso cheddar pareja y ale chutney, además de un té o café, todo por 3 libras. 20.Probablemente le gustaría volver la próxima vez que esté en la ciudad.

... and the wangiest red jam in a bit of Bakewell you're ever likely to taste. Staff friendly and hospitable. Just the place for a bit of a bresk having spent a couple of hours in the museum.

No es una experiencia especialmente edificante. Pedimos dos tazas de chocolate caliente y cálida, húmeda y chocolate con sabor ligeramente. Eso es todo lo que puedo decir en su defensa. En el siglo 21, cuando hay tanto muy bueno chocolate caliente, es raro que se sirve algo tan mediocre. Las tazas eran bastante divertido, con palabras de dialecto de Dorset. De lo contrario, no es nada que comentar aquí.

Se llama al museo Dorchester de ver la colección de plata de la iglesia recientemente expuesto . Museo no es muy bueno de hecho bastante cansados y un poco cara a 7 libras cada uno. Dijo que en la casa de té de la casa era muy confortable con una fantástica selección de comida y bebidas a precios muy razonables. El servicio era un poco pomposo y la situación más bien como un armario pero sin embargo vale la pena una visita.

You don't have to pay to go round the museum (although I did) to use the Tea Room. If you're tiring a bit by mid-afternoon after starting at the bottom of the hill looking at the Maumbury Rings and taking in the Terracotta Warriors Museum, and spent time in some of the very good shops in the pedestrian precinct, then this is the place to refresh yourself with a decent pot of tea and some great cakes before (and maybe afterwards too!) going round the museum.

A good sized museum with a wonderful array of exhibits, that would be of interest to all ages. Well priced too. An afternoon well spent!

had a nice pot of tea and a cream scone - would have been nice if they had light lunch options such as soup and a roll

Disfrutamos de nuestra visita en familia al museo y fue una gran manera de descansar nuestros pies por tener un bocadillo en el Museo Cafe.

I just popped in to have a coffee as I didn't have time to revisit the excellent museum. The ladies serving were very welcoming, so much so that I returned later and had a pot of tea. The coffee which was served in a cafetiere was good value as was the pot of tea. There were cakes and scones which looked delicious but I had already decided to eat something while I undertook my walking tour of the town and its environs.