Haven Cafe in Christchurch

Service was terrible, had to ask twice to get outside table cleaned and then had to do it myself. Only half our order arrived and after asking twice the kitchen staff and waiting staff could be heard shouting about it. Very uncomfortable. No apologies offered. The one point was for the childrens fish and chips which was very nice even though the waitress huffed and puffed because my 5 year old grandson took 15 seconds to choose beans or peas then changed his mind which apparently warranted a roll of her eyes. We live local so know better value and service is available.

A Disappointing Experience at Haven Café: Rigid Rules Over Common Courtesy Recently visited Haven Café, and despite its name, it was anything but a "haven." My experience was marred by poor customer service and an inflexible adherence to policies that prioritize rules over customer comfort and basic decency. We arrived about10 minutes before opening time (9.30am Friday) on a cold, windy, and rainy morning, hoping to escape the miserable weather. We kindly asked if we could come inside, explaining that we were happy to wait quietly until the official opening time before placing any orders. To our surprise, the staff refused, insisting we stand outside in the cold. What made this situation even more frustrating was that they weren’t getting ready for the day—they were standing behind the counter, chatting. It wasn’t as if they were rushing to prepare the café for customers; they were simply ignoring the uncomfortable situation unfolding outside their door. A little flexibility or compassion for cold, paying customers is not too much to ask. It’s hard to comprehend how a café can be so rigid that they would let potential customers stand in the rain rather than offer them a bit of warmth and respite from the rain. The entire experience certainly made me question Haven Café's approach to customer service. (Note: We ultimatley disregarded the refusal to let us sit inside prior to opening. We went in and sat quielty as one of the party had recently recovered from sinusitus and we didnt need a relaps from the biting wind. Needless to say we were then served by very sulky and dismissive staff for the time we were there. The young man being the worst, calling me a vulgar derogetary term most unbecoming! ) We expected a welcoming atmosphere, but instead, we were met with indifference and a lack of basic hospitality. It’s a shame because a little kindness goes a long way, especially in the service industry. Sadly, Haven Café seems to have forgotten that. Steve... please have a word - as a long time manager of pub and cafe I think you understand the hospitatliy industry. The food was great - good size portion for the price. Coffee was nice. Cafe was clean and has a great view.

Pretty decent coffee. I had GF bread with avocado (which they didn’t scrimp on) and tomato, they forgot the black pepper. My partner had the Haven breakfast. It was ok. Buit the mushrooms looked like they’d been reheated for weeks and the sausages had definitely been refried, they weren’t edible as they were also solid! Such a shame as it’s such a lovely location.

Lovly food, Good full English breakfast and lovly coffe And lovly staff, The dog loved his fuss from other customers, We will be back

It’s a great location to have breakfast but unfortunately the food didn’t match the view. There isn’t a lot that can go wrong with beans on toast and there wasn’t much wrong with the food but it’s not a lot to ask for the beans to be served hot so that they are still warm by the end of the meal. Unfortunately these arrived warm so by the end they were cold (and I am not a slow eater). However, the eggs Benedict were even worse. Both poached eggs had solid yolks and the muffin they were served on was so hard it was difficult to cut with a knife. We won’t be rushing back.

Disappointed. My breakfast was cold. Fried eggs solid yolks. Tomatoes raw. We waited ages for our food. Ran out of the hour car park ticket. Will not be returning.

Not been here for a while so was excited and looking forward to a crab sandwich even though it was £7.95.....well ,what a disappointment ,it arrived in packaging ,like a paste on bread with 2 wilted iceberg lettuce leaves 😔 I was expecting a plate with bread full of crab falling out of it with some shredded lettuce maybe even a tomato 🍅 but no it was something I could pick up from co-op and at those prices it should have been more special ...absolute disgrace to be charging these prices ....oh and maybe get some nice tables and chairs for those sitting outside with their dogs etc they must be 20years old those tables and some are broken ...if you want to charge those prices at least make it comfortable and luxurious cos you're certainly making enough money from one sandwich 🙄

Met with friends lovely coffee very clean and a tasty bacon bap . Noticed all the food being served looked delicious. Was concerned there were some sausage rolls in a wrapper on the side not in the fridge it was warm in the cafe

service was from juvenile teenagers, after passing the food counter with an eccles cake and moving to the coffee section one said very aggressively, you have to pay for that cake implying I was trying to steal it, I said sorry I thought payment was at the end of the counter. So then I said I havnt ordered drinks yet then she said well what do you want, I said coffee and a coke please, the other staff were standing around giggling, really unprofessional. I paid was fuming about the stealing implication and said to the person I have never not paid in my life and resent you implying that I tried to skip she just smiled and passively aggressively said have a nice day, I said you handled that wrong to which she did the classic self entitled smiling narcissists gaslighting line would you mind not shouting at me which I wasn't , she needs to own her own sh#t, a simple real apology for being rude and wrong is all that was required.

Beyond Awful - best to just shut ! Overpriced basic offerings, only hot offer was chips , just chips . Prawn Sandwich bought was tasteless , no garnish . I’m ashamed that this is thought of as acceptable….it’s not .

Awful, awful, awful. Overpriced stale bap, poor quality, extremely salty bacon. Staff more interested in chatting about what they were doing at the weekend than serving customers. Won’t be coming here again.

Staff were polite. Food was awful and not as described … and overpriced. Roadside food is much better than here. A place to avoid.

Went on Saturday morning for a quick coffee and bacon roll. Despite all outside tables empty, no one queuing and only a couple of tables in use we were told it would be a half hour wait. When we asked by a very grumpy girl told us "cause we are busy, and it will be AT LEAST halfan hour" and walked off. Ignorant attitude and i not sitting in a practically empty cafe for half an hour waiting for a bacon roll. This place has gone so downhill recently. They also own the pub next door which for the last two evenings has been shut completely, on hot busy summer evenings. Not sure whats happening with management but clearly there are issues.

Popped in here at lunchtime . Busy but not packed as the children were back at school. Ordered smoked bacon baps and coffee. Both delicious. Friendly staff. Clean tables .

Wrong food delivered to table. When asked to put it right staff member returned and basically said we had to have it . Tried again to get the meal right but staff members returned and said the chef wouldn’t change it . The staff were extremely rude considering we had spent over £70 ! In the end we had a refund and after re ordering after a wait got the right meal. Big fuss made out of a minor problem . If the chef has such an attitude the manager needs to train them in manners. As regular visitors to the area we shall take our business elsewhere.

This place is rough, like a truckers roadside cafe, so was astonished at the prices charged. Would expect to pay this for somewhere a bit more special. Older lady that served us was huffy and inpatient while I was ordering and told me we couldn't eat outside at their tables with the food I had ordered. The highly overpriced food wasn't great and the staff were miserable and unhelpful. I do not recommend this cafe.

Like many of the other reviews the coffee is over priced £7.20 for2 coffees and it tasted awful, with not be buying coffees there again, 1 good thing staff were friendly and polite.

After a recent change of ownership, we are glad to tell you that it’s still a great pub, well done to the new owner for not changing it! Worth every penny of every meal we’ve had since coming back to the area, considering its right on the coast it’s fantastic value,good to see the same staff, long may it last, 10/10

Turned away because they were closing at 15:55, I have just checked and they claim on their website to be open until 17:00.

What was meant to be a pleasant lunch with a friend turned out to be a huge disappointment. We both opted for a jacket potato with prawn mayonnaise as everything else seemed very expensive for what it was. We were pleased to see it arrive quickly but the reason for that was that the potato was obviously an old reheated potato. It was not fresh and was partially black, very dry and lukewarm. Very poor! Not to mention that they were carrying out some maintenance and alarm checks in the middle of the lunch service and this made for an unpleasant atmosphere. Lastly, the tables are cramped and people sitting on either side of our table were squashing us in. I’m afraid it’s not somewhere I will go back in a hurry if ever…

Delicious full English breakfasts at The Haven café yesterday. Good service, good value, hot, fab views over Mudeford Run, over to the beach opposite. A delight. Pay parking 20m away, currently opens at 09.30.

Visited today with the family for fish & chips. £11.95 for cod & chips. Half the order had ‘okay’ portions, the others had EIGHT, yes .. eight chips. After asking the ‘boy’ behind the till if we could have a few more chips, I was told unless I paid more that’s all I was getting! So rude & zero customer service skills. He then chucked a portion of chips across the till! £75+ on lunch & we all left still hungry. Food wasn’t great tasting either. Won’t be returning.

My husband and I had take away fish and chips and my daughter had cheesy chips to eat in the car and they came served just in paper that leaked grease all over us. No boxes for the fish and chips. The cheesy chips were in a box but my daughter had to pour the oil out of it whilst eating. For around £32 for this and a coffee and a water it was very expensive! Portion size was not great either. Really disappointed as this could be a great place with the location it’s in.

My husband and I went there this morning to enjoy a hot drink after a very chilly walk. We bought 2 coffees which were hot brown water at best. We have never been served such a revolting drink which was allegedly coffee. I did query whether the machine had run out of coffee but was assured by a grumpy woman this was not the case. Don’t venture in.

Really slow service and terrible coffee - rubbish carrot cake. Sorry but nothing nice to say other than great location. What a missed opportunity- owners really need to up their game,

Over £3 for a large coffee I expected a decent quality coffee bean but got something like instant decaf supermarket brand. Ripoff.

Sadly the worst coffee I think I've ever had. Add in small and expensive I like nice coffee but I'm really not that fussy. I can't actually remember the last one I had that was undrinkable

We arrived soon after the cafe opened. Found the serving staff to be unhelpful, lifeless, no enthusiasm, little knowledge of products, unfriendly - suggest they change career choice- something not involving customer service.

Beautiful location but that's all it had going for it. The cafe offered takeaway and eat in options with 2 separate menus but there didn't seem to be any difference in the food whatever you chose. We sat inside thinking we would be getting table...

This cafe is very expensive, not good for vege/vegan options, no dairy free milk, rude staff, and long waits. This place would be made so much nicer with a good cafe service and decent coffee.

This busy cafe is unnecessarily expensive: 2 crab baguettes, 2 jacket potatoes with Mediterranean veg, 1 large portion of chips and 4 coffees £50.00!!!! Greed is very unattractive!!! Such a shame. If you are visiting Mudeford Quay take your own stuff including brew kit!!!

The staff here are very abrupt and unfriendly and definitely not accommodating. We arrived literally 5 minutes after breakfast and asked the lady if we could please have 2 breakfasts as we had travelled for over an hour and it was my birthday treat, the...

I wish I had read the reviews before cycling all the way here. It is REALLY the worst cafe I have ever been to. The staff are so rude, unhelpful, not trained and not happy in their work. We asked for cutlery to eat our...

Not great, food to overpriced, I asked for a white coffee, got nearly black, staff not to interested, poor service, won't be back soon.

Stopped here for a quick lunch whilst visiting the area. Young disinterested staff, serving average quality & over-priced food. However, given the location, I'm sure there'll be another tourist to mugg-off coming through the door any moment!

Fabulous location with views across to the Isle of Wight and historic Hengistbury Head. Seating with tables inside and out. Entry to the cafe was reminiscent of school refectory days with extremely functional looking food storage/display. Food presentation and availability was uninspiring. This place could...

This place is actually one of the worst eating establishments I’ve ever been too expensive,rude unpleasant staff,awful food I could go on and on,avoid at all costs,such a shame has so much potential with right staff and ownership management,

Two sandwiches and two small hot drinks cost £16.20 customer service not in this place no smiles or thank you Stay away From this cafe bring something from local shop or picnic from home

Miserable, unfriendly and awful place. Clearly reliant on passing trade and don’t need repeat business from locals as could not care less. Pay a bit more (not much more i hasten to add!) and go to the Noisy Lobster just up the beach! You have...

Charged over £11 for a tuna melt Baguette and a small lemonade (charged extra for the cheese that no one put on) didn’t bother to even bake the baguette. Staff looked clueless and couldn’t believe how difficult it was to order a simple tuna melt...

I came down today with my daughter to crab and have lunch as it was a beautiful sunny day. Staff were very friendly and food was amazing. We had the kids fingers and the curry. Only downside was a rude member of the public who...

Crab sandwich for over £5 which was like crab paste in stale bread. No salad or anything on the side. Expensive and tasted terrible! Wish I had read the reviews first..

I came here today with my son and was really looking forward to our first time eating here. Due to there being no vacant tables inside, we chose one of many other numbered tables outside and joined the queue. Having queued up for 20 mins,...

Absolutely disgusting prices, bog standard to poor food, drinks served in cracked cups. Dirty toilets. Will never visit again, totally disappointed by the whole experience. If you can, pack your own sandwiches and a flask, you will save a fortune.

Lovely staff a lovely experience to browse and shop. We'll done girls keep up the good work you do . I love the music you I was in your shop this week everyone was singing along to the music.

Definitely worth a visit. Really friendly service. Clean and although we didn’t eat the food looked great.

Had breakfast here today. Given wrong sized drinks, food didn’t arrive for an hour and the staff were defensive and rude when we had to ask twice where the food was. Table covered in bird poo. Tables were not cleared or cleaned regularly. We watched...

This restaurant is very over priced for what it is we went as a family and definitely wouldn't go back sandwiches are pre - packed for you to grab but £5 for a tuna sandwich of which there is no option to even have cucumber....

Small portions Very expensive Staff (youngsters) inside cafe great Lady giving out orders for take away not so great Wouldn’t order take away again

This was a horribly unpleasant experience. We were looking for somewhere nice for a coffee and slice of case. As we entered, we were squirted with sanitiser by a woman who seems to think that you shouldn’t be entering unless you are dressed in a...

Mistake to stop here for nice cake and coffee as is it disgusting. Over the top covid controls by spraying us with sanitiser and who knows what nasty chemicals were in that. Track a trace to get a take away is unacceptable and not a...

Visited 28th June 2021 in the latter half of lunch. Location is great with stunning views. Outdoor seating needs cleaning thoroughly. Everything involves a lot of plastic on an industrial scale. Throw away cups with plastic lids, plastic cutlery, wrapped in plastic, with plastic sachets,...

We decided to have a day trip out to revisit this pretty part of the coast. And part of our plan was to stop off for a nice lunch on the Quay. It was around 12 noon when we decided to call into the Haven...

Great chips, amazing location. Horrified at the use of polystyrene looking containers. Thousands of them being binned daily. Please use paper or cardboard?!!!!

Only popped in for a takeaway coffee. Barked at and made to feel like a criminal for not wearing a mask (I’m exempt) even though my husband was wearing one. At my aghast the lady sarcastically commented “good old Boris!” Just wow! Rude beyond belief....

I can’t explain how horrendous and expensive the food was. In 44 years I have never thrown food away but this was terrible. I ordered a chicken burger and small Coke which came to £11.95! At this price I was expecting a large chicken breast...

Mudeford Quay is a delightful spot to visit at the entrance to Christchurch harbour. Good for watching boats go in and out of the harbour and for access (by short ferry) to the sandy beaches on the headland opposite. There is a pub there, and...

It's a lovely location right on the Quay. The food wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I suppose due to it's location and lack of competition it doesn't have to be. Fine for some chips and a coffee - not sure I would suggest...

It is the only place on the quay which is probably why they are not that good as no competition? £1.40 for a tiny cup of coffee - had to queue for 15 minutes outside as they were so understaffed - when did eventually get...

Lovely experience after a wet a and windy walk, popped in for a hot chocolate and a coffee. Ended up spilling the hot chocolate all over me but they were kind enough to make me another one straight away. Have been in here before and...

Deep fried hell . Cheap food badly prepared and cooked in old oil . Sauces are cheap and horrible and to top it all off the staff are miserable old ladies who look like they are working in a prison canteen . If I could...

Been going for years to this cafe, never experienced a bad meal off bad service. Was there last month. I'm very surprised at the volume of poor reviews and only can urge people to give it a try. My husband and I find the staff...

Decided not to buy anything due to a female staff members’ aggressive and irrational attitude regarding covid…I think she needs to turn off the news if she thinks that walking through a cafe for 10 seconds is somehow dangerous, it’s sad how brainwashed people have...

Being local we have visited several times including the pub, the latter of which was fine. It seems that as the Haven pub and cafe have monopoly on the Quay they think they can be extremely rude to their customers and be as unhelpful as...

Simply rude and unwelcoming. These are tough times and we are all aware of trying to stay safe with the balance of living. No one needs Germanic employees or owners who the second you walk in are dictated to in an unnecessary loud and rude...

Really disappointing: perfect location for a friendly cafe. Unfortunately, we were met with a rude staff member who has clearly taken it upon herself to be a Covid-militant, despite having scanned the track and trace QR and using their sanitiser. Add to this a really...

I would never go there again for food or coffee. Fry up tasted disgusting and very greasy. Service was ok but food was well below average.

It is quite hard nowadays to get served dreadful coffee but the Haven Cafe manages it without any effort. Tasted like dishwater. We were shouted at from a great distance to put a mask on, so customer service leaves quite a bit to be desired...

We visited this place yesterday. Reception was to be barked at by a dark haired lady (we had masks on, were facially distamced and had logged in on Track and Trace. But she wanted us to stand in a particular spot. Totally supportive of current...

Due to the bad weather, we were forced to eat indoors, but still enjoyed views across the harbour to the famous beach huts. Situated by the ferry which takes you to the beach huts. Huge pay car park outside. I enjoyed fish cakes, new potatoes...

Awful Customer Service, some of the staff were very rude and the coffee was awful. Very unpleasant atmosphere. What a shame, I used to love this place 😔.

Appalled by our visit. No signage, no indication of any one way system. Myself and my elderly mother joined the queue, with no direction, advice or keep your distance reminders. No hand sanitiser available. 3 times a member of staff barged past us, not wearing a mask or visor. We watched this staff member clear tables, wipe them with only a damp dirty cloth then go and serve food all without washing her hands. We were getting sandwiches to take away, the self serve cabinet required you to touch and open it, no sanitiser available to clean your hands before or after doing so. The two families in front of us were ordering food before then going to sit down in the restaurant - which given the law in this country at the moment is for cafes and restaurants to operate table service ONLY, this cafe is breaking the law, but clearly does not care about the current pandemic at all! As they were placing a large order with the woman at the food hatch, we walked past them whilst keeping our distance and wearing masks. We approached the bored looking girl (blonde, pink t-shirt, no customer service skills) at the register to pay for our drinks and sandwiches. She looked at us like dirt and snap ‘you shouldn’t have done that, you need to be in a line.’ My mother apologised and pointed out we wanted to pay for the sandwiches and get out their way, as the queue was out the door. This employee spoke to my elderly mother in the most disrespectful tone saying ‘I told you to stay in line’. My mother asked if she wanted us to go back, she didn’t even use words just grunted at us and rolled her eyes .. at which point I intervened and explained that as there was no signage how were we meant to know that. All that the employee kept insisting was that we had to stay in line because of the pandemic. However when I highlight the lack of care or direction this ‘cafe’ had in regards to the pandemic, that they were breaking the law in their service to people, and that their staff were not following guidelines, wearing protection, or maintaining social distancing, I was told ‘it doesn’t matter what we do, We can do what we like, it’s what you do that’s the Problem’.As the manager of a pub, I can say with absolute certainty that this is not true!! And this cafe should not be allowed to stay open, It is a health risk. This girls attitude is one thing - finished perfectly by her asking if we wanted a receipt, us saying no thank you and going to leave, and her shouting at us ‘WAIT’?!? How very rude. but the even bigger concern here is the risk they are posing to the community in difficult times! Places that don’t care enough to follow the guidelines, or train their staff to show basic manners, do not deserve to stay open while other, better, places go under.Don’t waste your money or risk your health at this dire ‘cafe’. Go to The Beach Hut at Friars Cliff, better food, better people, better safety - they deserve your business. This place does not.

Was almost put off by the naysayers. This cafe is an honest beach side cafe and I was delighted by my meal. If you want haute cousine then go somewhere else and pay their prices. My fish and chips was excellent

Went here for lunch (unfortunately) yesterday, got 2 pints of beer, 2 portions of the so called “regular” size fish and chips, 1 OJ and 1 kids tropical drink. The price was a mind boggling £32 !! After finally receiving the food after what felt like a year of waiting, in close proximity to the rest of the world’s population I must add, to just order something, I was extremely disappointed to say the least with what was given to us. Iv seen small size fish and chips in other places dwarf the ones they sell here. The chips were like deep fried lidls frozen and the batter for the fish was soggy. I ultimately left feeling hungry and ripped off!

Had food for four people (2 were kids)...paid £40 to have it in take away boxes even though we were ‘eating in’. Had one mayo & not Heinz ketchup with all food. Asked for more & was told we had to pay for it. Had a ‘plain’ chicken burger - which I thought was just no spice as the other option was a peri peri burger. It came as a grilled chicken breast in a bun. No sauce, salad or anything. They said they served the same food in the pub next door...if they do I’m shocked & saddened such a beautiful location serves such terrible food. It’s a tourist trap for people who know no better.

Ate here this afternoon with my children and friend who was visiting from London. I was was embarrassed that this was where I bought them for lunch. We ordered two chicken burgers and some children's meals. One burger was discribed as plain as in no spice but this came with no sauce, no salad and drier than a sand sandwich. The peri burger was a pound more expensive and there was no spice but at least came with a splodge of mayo. We had once sachet of condiment per person and when we asked for additional they tried to charge us 10p for an off brand ketchup. The kids meals were basic but not good value for the £5.50 price tag. I can only assume this cafe survives on tourists alone but its such a shame as in this location it should be incredible. One star is too many.

We came as a family to visit mudeford and we had a meal in this café. I asked the Staff member about gluten free food and she rolled her eyes at me as to say i don't know. It is important to me because I am celiac and if i get it wrong I get ill. Also it is important to keep things hygienic because of Covid 19 and one of the staff members was cleaning the table with a dirty dish cloth and my mum asked for the table to be cleaned properly and got told that not everyone is hot on hygiene you want to get a life. then continued to spray the table and got spray all over my mum. When asked for the manager he came and just said sorry and that was all. this is not acceptable.

I approached the empty counter to order and was then expected to move away for another customer who was not queuing, so they could order drinks! Then they didn’t even order.£8.50 for very low quality fish and chips served in a carrier bag - yes a carrier bag!£5.50 for a prepackaged crab sandwich using stale bread.It was raining and water poured through a speaker in the ceiling onto our table - staff were completely uninterested and did nothing about it. We left.Will never go back and strongly suggest no one else waste their time or money.Serious improvements are needed urgently.

We thought we'd try the cafe for our first eat out to help out after shielding for five months. We checked on the door that they were part of the scheme and they said yes. The arrangements with hand cleansing and masks and social distancing were great. We thought we'd have hot drinks and a cake. At 4pm there were no cakes or biscuits but we chose hot drinks anyway. We got to the till to pay and were told they aren't including hot drinks in their eat out to help out scheme. My husband questioned them again but the manager said they've decided not to include hot drinks in the scheme. There were no signs saying this and our understanding of the scheme is that all soft drinks and food consumed on the premises should be included. Very disappointed by this situation.

Over the years we have often visited the Haven Cafe and enjoyed the lovely cooked full english breakfast. Now they only serve bacon or sausage baps. On our visit today after travelling for 150 miles, at the entrance we were greeted by the Gestapo and were made to feel like 2nd class citizens.We chose to eat inside. The food eventually arrived at the table in a white carrier bag and was promptly literally thrown at me. Just as if I had the plague.Very disappointing to say the least.

After visiting the disappointing WestBeach Fish Restaurant in Bournemouth the night before we had a lunchtime snack here. We had whitebait and chips with a couple of drinks. It tasted excellent and was delivered as a 'takeaway' in a carrier bag with plastic cutlery, napkins and a variety of sauces. we could sit at a table outside the cafe and had a thoroughly enjoyable twenty minutes.

It was Ok. Lady on the door was friendly and helpful ensuring a very rigid social distancing. We went for the Seafood basket to share which was fine - fish was nice as were the chips, other items felt like they'd come from the freezer. Curious arrangements for collection of food and out door seating but I suspect that will be resolved shortly.

It's a beach cafe at Costa coffee prices, the place seemed clean enough but it is what it is, ok to use if nothing else is open

This place should be fantastic...like the Beach Hut Cafe a little way down the coast. But, the over priced food and drink and the grumpy service mean that it simply isn’t. I’d go as far as to say it gives a poor impression of Mudeford. We popped back today to give it a chance and sadly nothing has changed. Don’t waste your cash....

£8 a head for coffee and pre-packed sandwiches out of the fridge is overpriced, especially when you have to ask for a plate off the uncovered pile.

You look at the menu and think "cheese and bacon panini - that Looks good". Then you go to the counter and realise that all the food is cling filmed and looks really poor. Milk for your tea comes in a disposable plastic shot glass. A heated panini has no salad or crisps so looks pretty stark on a plate. Coffee out a machine is grim. They could really do with some competition - so if you're a good vendor and can sell good food and coffee with a van - get down there! This place is expensive, hugely wasteful of plastic, slow service and poor quality food.

Clean, service reasonably quick even during busy periods. Choice of food good and reasonably priced.

I can only imagine that their prime location on Mudeford Quay keeps the Haven Cafe in business because it can't possibly be the food or service. Think of a 1970's motorway service canteen, with food to match.When we visited for lunch the food on display at the counter all looked rather unappealing but my partner and I were hungry so we both settled on Paninis, which when heated and presented to us were meanly filled and stale....the bread consistency was brittle, like a super heated "Pop Tart".The coffee, dispensed from a vending machine, was undrinkable.

My husband and I were staying in near by hotel, but choose to eat out meals in cafe, good food, good prices, staff friendly and helpful, but also good views plenty to watch.

A great location to watch the wild sea on a very stormy, windy day. Friendly staff, nice coffee, lovely cake BUT the place reeks of wet dog (even though there were no dogs in there). We ended up leaving as the smell was overpowering. Too many places seem to be dog friendly but this spoils it for those of us with allergies to dogs. Such a shame as we would have loved to stay for more coffee but it was unpleasant.

It's a self-service cafe, but laboriously slow the day I went, which was in late September. I was gasping for a coffee, but there were about 15 people inching along in the queue so slowly that a while after I'd been served my coffee I started drinking it lest it get cold. And it was more than half gone by the time I came to pay. The lady taking the money appeared to be seriously struggling with an internet connection on her card device thing, and this was causing a bottleneck at that end of the queue. I felt sorry for her, as, despite her clear desperation, no one was helping her out. Another staff member on hand there could have speeded the queue up by calling for cash customers to come through.So that wasn't much fun.Afterwards, I walked around the building, and it seemed to incorporate a pub round the back. Though it was midday, this section was very much less busy. You mightn't have a view of the sea round there, but I'd suggest you'd get quicker service by a mile, for probably the same food and drink. And the rear patio is more sheltered from the wind, which was stiff when I was there.

Visited here for coffee/tea and cream tea on a visit to Mudeford Quay. The service was prompt and efficient and the prices reasonable with a nice selection of cakes and pastries available.

We have occasionally visited this place for tea/coffee/hot chocolate, and always realised that although it had its limitations on quality of drinks and service, it does indeed have a top spot to take a break at after a brisk walk along the sea front during the colder months.

A great place to sit and relax and watch the boats go by with a cup of coffee and a cake. If you fancy something more filling, the main meals and the breakfasts (9.30-11.30) are freshly cooked and of generous size. This place is brilliant, friendly staff, great food, great atmosphere and well worthy of 5 stars. A fabulous find.

We like to stop here for a coffee, the cafe does get very busy in the summer, there is plenty of parking, we like to sit and watch the world go by, and enjoy the quay, Kids love to go '' crabbing'' and its so nice to sit and watch them all having some fun.

This cafe is an utter delight. Found it completely by chance visiting Christchurch with a friend for the day. Having walked along from Avon beach we discovered this utter gem. A beach cafe of the traditional kind from my childhood. Excellent fish and seafood choices and other old favourites. Cooked and presented beautifully, generous portions, a lot of local sourcing. Beautiful late lunch before hitting the bank holiday traffic. I cannot recommend enough, anywhere near, so worth a visit.

This waterside cafe was right on the quay at Mudeford and well situated for people and passing boat watching. We had perfectly acceptable coffee and tea and would revisit this again for this location.

Stopped here on a Friday morning to be told in a rude manner 'We dont open till 8:30'. Went back shortly after to buy a couple of things and asked for some coins in my change for the parking to be again told in a rude manner 'we don't give coins for parking'. Okay, I can understand this, but there are nicer ways to speak to customers. Won't be back ever.

Rude staff, poor customer service, and shabby place. Needs a change of ownership who could better exploit this prime location with a friendly customer oriented place, better opening hours, and a well presented range of offerings.

Visited the Haven cafe yesterday with friends and we were very satisfied with our visit we didn't seem to wait long for our food and 2 members if staff bought it all out at same time there were 5 of us 3had the fish and chips which were a good size and lovely batter and fresh couldn't complain at all the side salad was lovely . One of our party had a pie only fault was pastry was probably a bit too flaky lol the other meal.ordwred was a child's chicken goujons no complaints there either, we visited on a very busy Sunday place was packed we were lucky to get a table. It wasn't until food bought out to us that plates etc cleared away from.previous occupants they prob could do with more staff when likely to be so busy. We would visit again prices to us were pretty reasonable compared to prices of some places in locality, and we all loved our food and happy with service