Downhouse Farm Cafe in West Dorset

The best garden cafe in the area. Always a delight to visit. Had a splendid Mothers Day lunch-such tasty food and good service. Will be back soon!

Ordered soup of the day it arrived and was like warm, asked for it to be reheated and it arrived back again like warm. Rejected it and ordered a scone instead. Whilst eating what I presume to be the owner approached the table and ranted at me for rejecting the soup for being not hot enough, inferred I was at fault and was very aggressive, certainly will never go there again.

We were aiming for this cafe following reading reviews on Tripadvisor. Our satnav took us to a lengthy single file lane full of pot holes, so bad I would not have taken my car along it. Having transversed the awful lane the Cafe was not clearly marked If you value your car, park and walk the lane.

FANTASTIC HIDDEN GEM! We live in Bridport and decided to go for a local walk from our doorstep. We walked down to Eype Beach and up to Downhouse Café. It's a beautiful walk to the Café but there is also parking available. We were greeted by a very friendly member of staff. There is only outdoor seating but it's very sheltered. They had a decent amount of gf options. I mentioned that I was coeliac and they assured me they'd wipe down the kitchen before preparing my sandwich. The gf bread was tasty and because the slices were thinner than the normal granary bread they compensated with a club sandwich at no extra charge. For dessert I had a freshly baked gluten free chocolate brownie which finished off our lovely lunch. The staff were very helpful, friendly, attentive and fast. We highly recommend this place and we will definitely be back.

Our first trip to this beautiful outdoor gem of a cafe today for myself and my mother. We stopped off for a bite to eat and this included an egg mayo sandwich and an all day vegan breakfast with tea and coffee. I had the small vegan breakfast (I'm not vegan but fancied a change) and this was delicious and just the right portion size for me! The egg mayo sandwich as I am told was equally delicious and very filling! This came with crisps on the side too. There is plenty to choose from on the menu including vegan/vegetarian options. We also opted for the Dorset apple cake with clotted cream and this was delicious, I highly recommend! This is an outdoor cafe so remember to wrap up on those cooler days. The setting is beautiful and a little off track.. a perfect stop if out exploring Eype and the surrounding areas on foot. We came by car and from West Bay/Bridport took around 6/7 minutes. The staff were attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. A lovely outdoor cafe that we will be returning to very soon!

Beautiful location and wonderful food at a great price. I still use some of the recipes that they shared with me to this day.

Just loved this place, quirky, tucked away gem with delicious home made food. All of us had breakfast and it was so yummy that we stayed on for coffee and cake. Friendly and warm service. Walked from Eype Park across the fields and then along the coast path. Oh and dog friendly!

Downhouse farm cafe is an absolute gem -we loved it so much, we went there twice while staying nearby for the week. The staff are very welcoming and could not be more friendly. It is on a working farm. The setting and views are stunning (outdoor seating) and the food delicious-from the hot chocolate to the breakfast baps and cream teas. The menu also includes lots of lunch options too. Easy to find from the coastal path (or about 30mins walk across fields from Eype) or there is some parking at the end of the road/track. Dog and family friendly :-) and v reasonably priced.

Well it was recommended as a place for cream tea but we ended up having brunch as we left our campsite....wow. I don't like bubble and squeak but the food bubble and squeak included was out of this world. It is quirky .... just like I like it.... staff very pleasant. You are missing a trick if you miss it

Went to this place and the narrow little road to get there was the road to hell, full of big holes and the hedges scraping both sides of the vehicle, was hoping for a pot of tea but all they had was a small paper cup of tea for £1.80, there were no proper plates, cups or cutlery just wooden knives & forks and paper containers. Small 40 gram bag of crisps £2, anything expensive. Can't sit inside. Only room to park half a dozen vehicles. slow service, took them 5 minutes to go and get my change

We stopped here on our walk to Seatown for refreshments. Although they were quite busy we got a table and the service was good. We can highly recommend the Dorset Apple Cake.

Mothers Day breakfast - at my favourite local breakfast place. I was so happy Nikki opened up just in time for Mothers Day and I coukd once again have my favourite breakfast in my favourite garden cafe. The bacon and sausages - produced on the farm - are of topmost quality, and Nikki works magic in her tiny kitchen. Am looking forward to a few more Sunday morning visits over the summer. Top notch!!

We stopped by here today whilst walking to Thornecombe Beacon and enjoyed a super afternoon tea with one of the best plain scones I have ever had. Lashings of strawberry jam and clotted cream washed down with plenty of tasty tea. At £7 a head we thought it was very good value and excellent customer service. Throughly enjoyed.

Brilliant Full English Breakfast, made with fantastic ingredients and well cooked. Service was wonderful and polite so couldn’t fault our experience at all. Some people may consider it expensive but the prices are justified by the quality. Just can’t understand the few negative reviews particularly when relating to the prices. Eager to return for a Cream Tea.

This used to be one of my fave little hidden cafes. Super location, staff and food. But wow it's got expensive. Just paid £7.50 for a cheese sandwich. Good quality ingredients, but £7.50. If you can afford these prices it's lovely..... Sorry but I can't afford to come here again.

We came here for a scrumptious cream tea. We each had a plain scone which was served with lashings of clotted cream and jam. It was truly delicious. They also do lunches, a great array of cakes and different flavours of ice cream. The ladies serving were extremely friendly and it is a lovely place to enjoy a treat.

Took a lovely trip over to Downhouse farm and was really looking forward to it. Was left totally gobsmacked at the prices I know we are in Dorset and except to pay a little more but £3.50 for a can of coke ! And yes it was out of a multipack !!! Will quite simply be walking on by next time.

Went for tea with a highly intelligent elderly friend. I am in my 60's.Its a nice spot.The milk was curdled (but it was a hot day) the meringue was shop bought and it was all very expensive for what is was. But the visit was ruined by the 60 ish who kept interfering with our conversation to talk down to my friend. She told us she also worked in an old peoples home.In fact she also suggested that I was too stupid to read a menu. I am English and currently an Oxford scientist. On the way home we vowed that we would never live in an old peoples home lest we fall into the hands of someone who brought nurse Ratchet in "one flew over the cuckoos nest " to mind- an old film that I saw in my teens. there are plenty of other nice places to sit outside in Dorset and have a bite in nice company and not with over priced cake.

It is difficult to get to Downhouse Cafe, but it is worth the journey whether driving or walking. The hosts are really friendly and the food amazing. We visited for breakfast and it was excellent. We also took away some cakes for later which were also excellent. Well worth a visit.

We found this treasure great place to go if you’re driving narrow lane park in farm car park and it’s opposite. We had afternoon tea lovely scone. Enjoy like we did😋

This was my fourth visit to Downhouse Farm Cafe and it never fails to disappoint. Their cream teas are always amazing, but their main courses are also a must try. The team are lovely and the setting feels incredibly peaceful and private in the garden....

This is a lovely remote place I can imagine walkers stop off, like we did. Why the 2 star review? Well £6 for a small slice of carrot cake, which tasted more like a stick toffee pudding and £6.50 for a bottle of beer to...

Had a small breakfast and a large pot of coffee with my daughter at downhouse farm, as good as ever nikki even added some black pudding as a favour brilliant start to the day

Well what can I say. Back to my fav place for breakfast. Not only does it look good it tastes great there is plenty of it to get your day started . Not only that they have a great variety on there menu. Something for...

Went for Sunday breakfast with my partner and 2 daughters - this remains my favourite breakfast spot for spring and summer (it's closed during the winter, being outside in a garden). 3 large full English breakfasts and one of Nikki's delicious bubble and squeak breakfasts...

Without doubt the best cream tea I have ever had and I have had quite a few over the years. Amazing location, lovely staff. A little oasis tucked away in beautiful Dorset.

Lovely welcome after a walk to the beacon. Excellent breakfast sausage and bacon bap, really good quality local produce, couldn’t fault it. Would highly recommend!

We parked our cars at Eype Beach ready for the hike to the farm for lunch. The sign at this point indicated the cafe is open everyday apart from Mondays, except bank holiday Mondays. After a long slog we arrived at the cafe to find...

Just to help others: we found out after a long walk across fields that the cafe is closed for the winter (16th October). Disappointed that I couldn’t see the the cafe was closed on either the cafe website or Facebook page. It was a lovely...

A real gem in beautiful Eype. We never miss an opportunity to stop and enjoy lunch at this location. Very friendly and welcoming and the food is lovely. A must visit without a doubt.

We have visited this cafe before last year after the lock down whereby the prices were reasonable. This year it was £6 for two teas and a cream tea was £7.95 for plain scones and if you wanted fruit scones it was £9.95 an extra...

What a gorgeous location to enjoy a superb breakfast. We were made very welcome and our requests were fully met, by the most hospitable staff. With a very comprehensive Breakfast Menu, there was something for all tastes and appetites.

We had researched cafes in the area before attending and this certainly lived up to the previous reviews! Good friendly service and quality hearty food. We ordered a sandwich for our lunch which was served on door step granary bread which was lovely! We also...

We were on the hunt for a proper farmhouse breakfast and landed on the Downhouse cafe after covering much of dorset. I must admit we couldn’t really find many pictures of the full English online, but from the reviews which were glowing, the pictures of...

Set in a lovely location , near Thorncombe Beacon, we’ve been coming here for the last 20 years. Used to be a bastion for the legions of poor souls who used to slog it up the steep hill in search of a great cream tea....

This was an incredible cream tea. We were lucky as the people after us were not so lucky as scones had run out. Portions were immense and scones were so light and fluffy and warm. Would definitely visit again.

We have visited Downhouse for many years sometimes during a weeks holiday or because of how much we love the place sometimes for just the day which is a 3 hour drive for us. We visited again a couple of weeks ago during a holiday...

We visited this amazing find twice on hols…what a hook to get the kids to yomp over the beacon from Seatown! We were all simply knocked out by the setting and then the incredible home cooked fayre - this will brighten everyone’s day even if...

What an amazing full english breakfast, the best in Dorset. Two sausages, plenty of bacon all their own meat. A full plate. Proper toast from a bakery. Absolutely perfect

What a gem Downhouse Farm cafe is, we have been coming here for over 20 years and it never disappoints. We were lucky to be squeezed in today for Lunch as we hadn’t booked ( but we weren’t aware you could). The sandwiches are served...

We used to come here some years ago when my parents lived locally and our kids were babies. We wanted to come back and reminisce. We were not disappointed! Lovely atmosphere. And the food! Huge portions and totally delicious. We brought friends here and they...

A lovely little cafe off the beaten track. Great for walkers but also with parking if you're prepared to brave the single track roads! Friendly staff and a surprisingly varied menu made from local produce in a beautiful garden setting. Was quite busy, so booking...

Wow, food is just amazing, the place itself is a hidden, quaint country cottagy cafe …highly recommend

They accommodated us for lunch even though they were busy and we hadn’t booked. Delicious food, unusual quirky venue, generous portions. Recommended

We stopped here en route to Ashburton and it was delightful. We were welcomed with a smile and sat in the lovely shelter. We both had the crab bap, which was so nice and a huge portion! The summer fruit crumble was amazing! Would highly...

we were really impressed with the way customers were being handled in these times we are in. trying so hard to keep us all safe whilst delivering lovely food to the table. a lady at the front was welcoming people, taking orders and sorting out...

This is probably our 5th or 6th summer visiting Downhouse Farm Cafe and it never fails to disappoint. The menu is so varied and with great choice (including substantial specials bird with lots of local produce). We always wish our stomachs could have more, but...

What a wonderful place to stop and have tea and scones wow they were the best I had ever tasted. We will return again asap. Lovely setting and friendly service.

We came here for breakfast on a Sunday and it was absolutely lovely! Great service with a smile and the breakfast was to die for, the sausages particularly. Beautiful setting, couldn't have asked for better Thank you, we shall be back

Breakfast with visiting family. The Large Farmhouse breakfasts hungrily devoured by all of us were fantastic, as they always are. Excellent quality local produce cooked perfectly, and served by polite young waiting staff (I'd like to say "served with a smile" but it's difficult to...

Dropped in on Wednesday morning we had a beautifully cooked breakfast with a cafetiere for two and a pot of tea for one, very friendly staff great atmosphere beautiful surroundings, all prices very reasonable. We will be back.

The full English breakfast was very poorly cooked. Very expensive given the disappointing food. The staff were friendly but the food is too pretentious for me.

after walking in the rain over the cliff tops of West Dorset it was most welcoming to have decent cup of tea and big slice of Dorset Apple cake in the open air cafe to warm us up. The staff were supper friendly and helpful...

We thoroughly enjoyed our delicious lunch in the pretty courtyard garden. The quality of the food and the warm welcome explains why this place is so often fully booked despite its somewhat remote location. We particularly enjoyed the Garlic Mushrooms with Blue Cheese and the...

Definitely recommend after or before a long walk in the area. I have two kids 10 and 8 and they loved the scones, clotted cream and jam. And we had proper carrot cake. This place should be put on a list to be preserved forever....

We had planned to stop here on the off chance during our coastal walk, we were unaware that bookings were required and although they were busy with upcoming lunches and reservations they managed to accommodate us. We chose sandwiches (which were fabulous) and gorgeous scones...

It must be very stressful running any hospitality business at the moment, but you wouldn’t know it from the warm welcome we received at Downhouse Farm. The food was delicious. I had the bubble and squeak with egg and mushrooms and my husband had a...

Single track road but worth the effort - quant tea room in the middle of nowhere - scones and apple cake were winners but the bubble and squeak patty with a fried egg on top and bacon was an unusual delight - well worth a...

We discovered the signs for the cafe whilst walking along the cliff edge. The signs were a little confusing and we nearly gave up but I am glad we kept going as finally around the corner was a gem! Fab menu and delightful setting. Great...

We had walked across from Eype for elevenses - very covid aware and the cafe felt very organised, efficient and with very friendly staff. This tea garden is just perfect with large umbrellas to shelter from the sun and the Dorset Apple cake with clotted...

We have been struggling a bit with Dorset eateries; having hit a bit a lot of poor quality so far. Having walked over to Eype to Seatown we wouldn’t really find anywhere for lunch. Despite signs saying Downhouse was only open thurs to sun I...

Visited this cafe for many years. In a beautiful spot, a great destination for walkers. Used to go for the best cream tea anywhere we have been. Huge warm scones and plenty of cream and jam,plenty enough tea to drink with them, Have found scones...

3 of us dropped in for tea and cake while out for walk. It is advisable to book at the moment because of Covid distancing rules but they were able to accommodate us. It was a place I have been meaning to go to for...

Despite all the covid restrictions we once again really enjoyed our visit. Everyone enjoyed the cream teas.

Found by mistake but definitely one to add to the list for breakfast, lunch or tea. The apple cake was divine and the rustic charm of the alfresco terrace, stuffed with greenery was charming. Appreciating the Covid challenges but my only negative comment was the...

What a lovely setting and very welcome tea and apple cake. The tea garden is lovely, quite small but full of plants, bird life and interesting decor and paraphernalia.

Beautiful garden and seating area. So relaxing to sit there with all the wildlife the garden attracts. Food is very good, all homemade and you can taste the quality of the ingredients. Friendly staff and great location (10 min walk to the coastal path)

We stopped here for afternoon tea on a long hilly Dorset walk. Very friendly and efficient service, good sized menu with plenty of savory and cake choices. We had scones and tea for two. Home made and absolutely delicious.

Lovely tucked away cafe - gorgeous sitting outside in the sunshine enjoying the fresh air with our two toddlers. Fabulous homemade food with good portion sizes, warm welcome and friendly staff, couldn’t ask for more.

The paths around these parts are dire at the moment, so we did our walk and then drove to this wonderful spot. Warning: you won’t find much in the way of parking and the lane is very narrow. We got such a warm welcome from all of the staff and had some delicious food: Bubble & Squeak, Butternut Soup and a shared cream tea. All were excellent. The scones are huge, there is no way I could have eaten two in my own. For such a small place there is a pretty big menu of hot and cold food, with plenty of veggie options when we visited.There is only outside seating, but it is covered so will shelter you from rain but could be chilly on a cold day.

As the weather was so nice today we walked from Seatown to the cafe and back again. Lovely selection of food available for the young and old. I had one of the specials, a sausage cassoulet which was delicious. Everyone enjoyed the food, mushrooms in sauce, scones both fruit and savoury. And beans on toast for my daughter. It’s a lovely little spot hidden away of the track and well worth finding out. They have seating inside, outside and outside under cover. It must be quite the refuge if you get caught out in the rain on a walk.

Just had super lunch. Slightly off the beaten track but so worth it. Welsh rarebit to die for! Lovely people will definitely be back.

This place certainly is tucked away off the beaten track but plenty of signs from every direction. The location just adds to the charm.I had a scone and jam and cream and am pleased to say that it lived up to the expectation. There was plenty of jam and cream and the fruit scone was delicious! My husband opted for the Welsh rarebit and it was also delicious (hence the photo of it being half eaten as he was enjoying it so much!) Staff were attentive, friendly and informative. It was definitely worth the detour from our coastal walk!

It’s a little hard to find if coming off the hills as it’s not signed posted. When you get down towards a gate you have to turn left through a gate. There’s no sign post to tell you this. Luckily we saw someone who has been before. Now we have been we will know for next time. Once you’re there it’s lovely. Really lovely. Menu was great.

Stopped here during a walk with our dog. Fabulous bacon sandwich and local cider in the garden cafe. Lovely friendly staff too.

We came across this cafe while walking with our dog. It was a great find, they were so friendly and happy to accept dogs. We ordered 1 cream tea with an extra tea as the cream tea comes with 2 wonderful fruit scones, clotted cream and homemade jam. The tea and scones were so great. Highly recommend.

Decided on a visit on a wet Sunday morning despite not knowing exact location! Drove all the way there thru narrow lanes and parked opposite cafe without really noticing it!Ordered farmhouse breakfast and bubble & squeak and both were outstanding ...clearly good quality produce well cook and presentedThoroughly recommended

I have been to the Downhouse Farm cafe on several occasions when visiting the local area. Each time it does not disappoint, such lovely home produced cooked food, price is reasonable and always service with a smile. This time I had a cream tea, such amazing scones just out of the oven served with local clotted cream and strawberry jam. Very generous portions and served with a lovely pot of tea. I left feeling very satisfied!

Best sausages in the world (of those I have tasted of course) great value full english breakfast and a huge pot of tea. Great service too. Secluded spot down a narrow lane not well sign posted but people are finding it and enjoying it, says a lot really.

We dropped in here for a cup of tea and although it is not the easiest place to find it’s worth persevering. Tucked away on a narrow lane there is no inside seating although some is under cover. We ordered a slice of cake each (Dorset apple cake and fruit cake) which were the most enormous hunks of cake I’ve ever seen! My fruit cake was the best fruit cake I’ve ever had! Friendly staff too and information on each table about how the cafe started and where their ingredients come from (mostly their own farm) which was nice to know. Highly recommended.

We found this lovely cafe we had the full English, sausage and bacon produced on the farm it was all very tasty. Lovely pot of tea and the staff are very friendly and welcoming.

Visited with elderly folks and elderly folks friend. Sun dappled courtyard resounds to the sound of birds chirping away happily. Views across the Ypres hills to the coast and a great sweep of beach. Charming, smiling, efficient young staff and a menu and specials board you'll want to spend a little time over. Gluten free options were varied and thoughtful with my lentil dahl being one of the most tasty I had eaten in some time, washed down with a wonderfully refreshing (home made ?) Ginger and apple punch. ! Old folks were delighted with welsh rarebit and mug served coffees. Desserts were a thing of wonder and again the GF option was so fresh and tasty. All the while the setting added to the charm, nothing fancy or overly fussy, and the young staff kept everything coming to the table in good time. First time here and now we just want to go back. Idyllic location, delightful, simple and fabulously presented food, lovely staff and busy, chatty little sparrows, utterly charming.

We lest West Bay and made our way to Thorncombe Beacon, having reached it there was a sign pointing inland to "Downhouse Cafe" half a mile away. when we got there it was a tea garden with plenty of seating, (Also inside seating) we had crab salad baps and 2 ice cold Elderflower drinks which came in pint glasses and they were absolutely wonderful along with the baps. Staff were lovely and the price was way below what you would pay in town.

We drove to Downhouse Farm and found the road to have been repaired although the approach roads are very narrow with passing places.

A regular haunt as this is a lovely cafe which serves great scones and cakes. The other food is a bit hit and miss but never bad. Would avoid the crab sandwiches as you can get much better in west bay. The soup is ok but the amount of bread was mean for the price and almost on a par with the bread hoarding as sladers yard

What a great place, fantastic setting, real home made food and a lovely atmosphere. The staff were very good, thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back

The Down house cafe is a beautiful and charming cafe, perfect for a refreshment and bite to eat. All the food is locally sourced from the farm nearby and all tastes fantastic! The environment is cosy in a beautiful quiet garden away from any busy roads. The staff are friendly and are very helpful with whatever you need.

We walked through beautiful fields to find this hidden gem, from the car park in Eype. It was worth it, the food was great and delicious and we ended it with a cream tea- very generous on the jam and cream!

While you can drive here , it is a brilliant lunch stop on a coastal walk to and from West Bay for instance. A good choice of healthy food . However it is not a big cafe and do check opening times.

Charming little countryside tea room. Well off the beaten track but definitely worth finding! We shared a cream tea with homemade scones and jam and local cream. Stunning.

Finding this place is easy if you’re patient. You follow the map. Then when you think you’ve gone too far, go a bit further and there it is. The road is single track and a bit hairy due to cars going too fast for conditions. When you arrive, there’s a farmyard area that you can park in (which isn’t immediately clear). There’s outdoor seating and a small undercover area. Tried sandwiches, a lentil dish and scones. All good, fresh and tasty. Will come back to sample some other food when back over this way. If you’re on the way down to Devon it would make a worthy lunchtime stop.

Have been here a few times. Breakfast is always a treat, as is lunch. eating is outdoors, with a covered area if it rains. All food, apparently, comes form the farm and locally sourced for veg. What you eat (meatwise) is grazing over the hills.

We stayed in the little Cabin for 1 night, it was beautiful, clean, tidy and tranquil!

Here is is tables service only, with one person giving out the menus and then taking the orders. We waited over half an hour to place an order. It was a busy day, but people who arrived long after us were served before us. We did politely ask if we could place an order after waiting for 20 minutes but were ignored for a further 15 minutes. On taking our order the waitress just said she was too busy, and the cafe operated on a first come, first served basis, but as others had placed orders within minutes of arriving, and as we had asked once explaining we had been waiting longer than others she had served, this was clearly untrue. Having placed the orders the food arrived promptly. The food was ok, but not outstanding. The position is lovely.

Walked from Chideock via Seatown, over the hills and fields east along Coastal Path, so we could get an excellent late breakfast (bacon sandwich, or full bacon, sausage & egg sandwich). Don't miss the ginger and apple punch ! "Mug of coffee" was instant & no where near as nice as Americano smaller cup.

We walked fromthe nearby village of Eype to this lovely cafe for a light lunch, my wife had a lovely home cooked ham sandwich with salad and I had a Greek salad with feta cheese....both delicicious ...We had soft drinks ....All served by a young bit enthusiastic staff in delightful surroundings in the courtyard of the framhouse

We visited the downhouse farm cafe today. We had to clear plates etc to the end of a table to make room for ourselves to sit down and go into the house to find a menu, then the waitress came to take our order and left without clearing the used plates. We had ordered 3 pieces of cake, 3 coffees and a tea. We waited 45 minutes for our order to come and the table was not cleared from the people before us untill we had finished our drinks and cakes and were leaving.

We always have tea here when we stay in the area, the cream tea is a meal in itself and absolutely perfect!

Stopped here on the way back from Golden Cap for a much needed cup of tea.

We didn't realise quite what an adventure we were letting ourselves in for when we needed cake and coffee to break up our drive and chose this one from the online reviews. We doubted ourselves at one point as we drove down narrow single track roads but find it we did. Whether walking or driving do take the trouble to get here. They cater for a Coeliac and the gluten free flapjack is really moist. Our first visit was for coffee and cake. We decided to return next day to have a lunch as part of a coastal circular walk taking in this café and West Bay but it chucked it down with rain for two days so a second visit is temporarily postponed.