Hive Beach Cafe in West Dorset - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Always a good place to break ones journey - national trust car park - access to beach - the cafe and toilets.

Lovely food right on the beach. Place katsu was really nice as was the squid. Expensive, especially given the shabby decor/furnishing.

Eat seafood overlooking the beach at sunset. Simply lovely.

We arrived at 11.20, just in time to order breakfast. We were lucky to get the table on the edge of the 'tent' overlooking the beach. Despite being quite busy we received very efficient service. The food arrived within 15- 20 min, then our hot drinks. We had 3 x full English and egg Benedict on muffin with bacon. Everyone enjoyed it. The only nuisance were a few wasps but not a lot to spoil our experience.

Very disappointing meal tonight, experience much below last visit 2 summers ago. Service levels, food appearance/quality and environs all issues. Time of the booking (early evening) should make no difference but felt like all concerned were keen to get off home. Indeed the main area was being dismantled for cleaning as we were leaving after leas than an hour. Won’t be returning.

It's a lovely place with great views and good food but a bit pricey

Great place to visit with superior menu. Staff are friendly and pleasant. Food is professionally prepared and served. Thoroughly recommended.

Came here today, after walking from our campsite at Graston Copse through Burton Bradstock village. A warm welcome by a member of staff & shown to our outside table for 4 with 3 dogs. Our waitress took our drinks order & returned after a few minutes to take our food order. She was very friendly and attentive, giving time for a chat despite being extremely busy. Wait for our food was minimal and when it arrived it was hot, tasty & well presented. Back ground music was pleasant, giving the Mediterranean feeling due to the sunshine. Wouldn't hesitate in returning if we are in the area again .... thank you.

Beautiful location overlooking the sea. Attentive staff , generous helpings and plenty of choice to meet all tastes and pockets

After a long walk on the beach the Hive is just the place to visit. Lovely atmosphere and great food

Very busy but friendly staff and good food. In an ideal location

The food is good but the service has gone down hill. We have been several times over the years as we are local. You can book online for the evening but be careful as it shuts at 8pm but you can book for this time. We booked for 7.15pm which was accepted but then we were asked to pay as they were cashing up before we were even finished. Drinks came way after food and one of our party had to wait a long time for his food so we started as ours was getting cold.

Well I only had coffee and cake but it looked nice inside the cafe. It has got a small shop and the beach is fantastic.

Second time coming back to this place. My wife is an awkward eater, so she normally has to settle for a combination of non-fish sides, whereas I can eat everything on the menu! Lobster and pan and cream dishes a little in the echidna side... but then again they usually are! Great location, great food and a friendly helpful team.

Everything about it is excellent. The cafe, the takeaway and the ice cream shack are all brilliant

Great service and excellent staff!!

Great staff and very understanding about wheelchair access being needed. The food was good but they could do with more vegetarian/vegan options for dinner/lunch.

Views are incredible, food is ok- it’s the position of this cafe that makes it and I feel they ride on that a bit as it’s expensive! I had kippers for Breakfast, could have done with a side dressing and the waitress couldn’t even help with how to get the bones out- I worked it out myself- Not her fault but for a fish place you would think this came as staff training.

We booked for dinner for my wife's birthday and i was very disappointed. We were put up in what seemed to be the overflow marquee on the edge of the site (they obviously didn't want to open the main restaurant due to lack of bookings) It was a very windy nasty day which of course wasn't their fault but we felt unwelcome. Our food arrived without drinks which took quite a while to get resolved for some reason. When leaving we had to search for a staff member to pay the bill. We have had many nice experiences at Hive but this one was supposed to be special for my wife. It wasn't.

Large queues, disinterested staff. How hard can it be when you have a captive audience and no competition? Despite waiting for 20 minutes, when we finally got to the takeaway window we were told that they had stopped serving food 15 minutes ago. Some ideas for improvement: Display your menu in a prominent position Clearly state what times food is available Move the body boards, spades etc out of the way so your customers can actually access the serving hatch without clambering over your stock Train and manage your staff so that they are aware of what the menu is, when it is available and so that they accurately and efficiently serve the customer

In its setting, and if its type, this is a really good place to visit. The food is good and the staff are well trained. Plan a visit.

Nothing bad to say , excellent all round

We visited last night for a family meal . We love the style and atmosphere of The Hive and were seated in the top marquee with a good view of the beach and sunset. Between us we had very good fish and chips with excellent tartare sauce, lobster, squid rings and a steak sandwich. All fresh, light and delicious. Desserts included a chocolate brownie sundae, a caramel bar and Biscoff cheesecake. A large jug of Pimms was very good value. During dinner we were treated to the sight of 20+ dolphins traveling along the coast and leaping in the air. Magical!

Overpriced, slow service, terrible crab sandwich. The “crab” sandwich comprised huge doorstops of not very fresh bread and a thin scrape of crab paste. Brown meat only. No white. A disappointing rip off.

Lovely food and great location. 💥

I was taken here for the best crab sandwich. And it was the best I have ever tasted. Fresh and delicious. I will certainly go back again.

We attended as a party of 18 and found Hive Beach Cafe to be very accommodating. The walk down onto the beach was fantastic, and the location is 10/10. The atmosphere was bustling with the sound of chatter, seagulls and the sea. You can't beat a seafront eatery if you really want those holiday vibes. The young servers were friendly and attentive and brought everything we needed. There was a slight mix up with one of our orders, but only because we had a couple of fussy children with us asking for bits to be added or taken out of their meal. This was resolved really quickly and without any hassle whatsoever. Our entire party enjoyed their food, although I personally felt my own meal was overpriced for what I had. £37.50 for half lobster and chips. It was tasty, but not exceptional. We sampled the Hive Cider, and a couple of cocktails which were all really nice. Cocktails seemed to take a while to come to the table, but this was only noticeable because others in the party were well into their pints when our cocktails came out. Probably not an issue for some people, but enough for me to mention; I found the metal chairs to be uncomfortable on the back of my bare legs. Most people are likely to be in shorts/short dresses during the warmer months, so take something to sit on like a blanket or towel. Overall, we really liked it here and we'll definitely come back. There is so much more on the menu that we really want to try!

A lively cafe in beautiful position overlooking the sea. Staff were very efficient and friendly. Food was amazing. It was quite expensive but really good quality. We had crab sandwiches - the best ever tasted . Lovely bread, tasty crab and accompanying salad. I would suggest booking as really popular all year round.

The crispy squid was absolutely out of this world, on another level from the usual squid rings you get, the accompanying sauce was amazing!

Excellent sun, sea, sand, great food, location and service..the closest I could get to the med without getting on a plane. I will be back!

Excellent coffee and service. Even on a sunny Sunday at peak time they got through the queue amazingly efficiently.

Beautiful beach, refreshments available, ample parking, fantastic views. Did not eat at eatery just visited for view.

Arrived just after 1000 opening time on a windy summer day and and the cafe soon filled up to capacity although there was more room outside for those who wanted to brave the elements. Dogs are welcome inside and out, but be aware the tables are close together should your dog require a little more space. The young staff members were cheerful and polite. We ordered two hive cooked breakfasts with toast and a coffee (both additional), and the cost was £18 each which does seem a little excessive. The food however was very tasty with a hash brown, 2 sausages, bacon, tomato, large flat mushroom, and an egg all freshly prepared. The location is obviously lovely so that is where the premium price probably comes from but still a little out of sync to others. I doubt we will return for a breakfast due to the excessive costs but would always pop in for a coffee if space allowed.

Stopped by breakfast. Very good quality food. Despite being extremely busy, the largely young crew did amazing and the service was brilliant.

We visited on a Wednesday at lunch time on a dull, windy day. This did not deter the many visitors. Those who hadn't booked had to form a queue and wait for a table. The service was good and the food excellent. I was amazed that the chefs could produce so many brilliant meals for so many people. However.....there were many dogs. One yapped all through our meal. A woman, directly behind us struggled to control hers as it was far too powerful for her to manage. There was no way you could hold a conversation as it was so noisy. It was a joy to leave. A word of advice....check your seat. When I stood up to leave I saw that I had been sitting in the remains of a previous meal.

I visited the Beech Cafe as part of a family and friends camping trip, a booking of 20 people. First thing to say is that it is expensive, and initial impressions are ‘too expensive’ for a low key crab shack! But that’s kind of what they are going for, and if you buy into this (which we did) it’s actually fair priced and a really nice experience! The lobster @ £70 seemed about the right price and when my daughter and asked for ours plain with garlic butter, rather than the specified Thermidor it was accommodated with pleasure. It was actually the best lobster I’ve had in some time, and I eat a lot of lobster! Staff were friendly, attentive and efficient, with one exception, which is the only reason this review is not a 5/5. I was barked at by a man who I understand to be the executive manager? I acknowledged and even apologised to him for an isolated cheer (when learning of a football result!😂) , took the time to go see him to apologise and convey my disappointment at the way he handled a situation (that actually wasn’t really a situation and didn’t need handling) and was met with even more more contempt than our initial encounter. This was all before we went to our table and identified ourselves as a dining party of 20, so maybe he thought we were a just a rabble who’d rocked up for drinks? Our perhaps he’s just someone with no idea how to communicate politely and effectively with other human beings, let alone paying customers?!

The food was average (fish and chips), a modest portion size, lots of hard small bits of chips, expensive for what it was ( £19)£7.50 for a very average eton mess. Management at the entrance very welcoming big smile.Pleasant staff.

We have eaten here regularly over many years but recently feel the food and service is deteriorating and over priced . We had a family member that is vegetarian and they would not change the menu to accommodate … not even a Caesar salad to a cheese salad ? We won’t go back to The Hive but will use local pubs instead after our walks .

Very popular spot and we had to queue to get in but service was excellent and food was great!

The most expensive fish and chips meal at £19 per head but it was cooked to perfection and very tasty, crispy cod and batter just right. The pot of tea was excellent also. We come here a few times a year and it's good to see the food standard consistently excellent. The views are pretty good outside too. Update- Back again and just as good as previous visits but being a sunny day it was rammed, they coped well though.

Brilliant meal and great service. Fresh seafood platter that tasted so gooooood. Poppy was great waitress and works extremely hard.

Beautiful location on the seafront. Excellent cream tea.

Food was reasonably priced despite having no competition.

Very lovely café on the side of the beach with yummy apple cake

£16 for a miserable box with less than a handful of chips and a pathetically sized portion of fish. They are rinsing their customers. Absolute rip off. Bring your own food!

An excellent time, delicious breakfast and very friendly upbeat staff! Thank you vary much!

Excellent place in a gorgeous setting

Had a steak sandwich which was very good. Great food and fantastic views. Seating indoors and outside.

Fantastic service from the second we walked in, told the hostess I was a fussy eater and was very accomadating! All the servers were friendly, service was extremely quick, and gorgeous view of the beach - what more could you ask for!!

Fantastic food , right on beach, lovely

Perfect location right next to the beach. Dog friendly in the cafe. And a dog friendly area of the beach about 100m away. Food was excellent.

On a poor day weatherwise we ate indoors and were fortunate to get a table directly facing the sea which was nice. The food was good once again although the lobster was a little chewy so I suspect overcookkng but service was prompt and efficient. We have eaten there before and will do so again.

My friend had the dorset apple cake and said it was very dry and almost inedible; seemed like it was defrosted? However, service was great, and they offer a range of gluten free options from Baked to Taste.

Good café/restaurant serving some interesting plates. Location is great as it's next to a beach and a National Trust car park. The car park is free for members. Service was efficient and staff friendly. It does get busy.

Food is great. Staff are great. Prices are off the charts.

Always an amazing dayvwhennspent here. Amazing beach. Amazing cafe and amazing staff .

You cannot beat the view over Hive Beach. The café was heaving on a rare sunny day this summer. Note to all, booking recommended. We were seated promptly on arrival and had a beautiful view over the beach to the water. The café has a short menu with a focus on fish, they do a chicken Caesar salad, a steak roll and gnocchi too. Our table had the Fish of the day, Cornish Gunard, the King prawn salad and the Salt and pepper squid. Delicious, healthy portion sizes and great value for money. We’ll be back!

Professional customer service. Best seafood ever. Highly recommended place. A********

Pretty location but they closed at 4pm! The website said 9pm so was rather confused. Food OK when you can get it... Update... returned to have another go - we were given a table and the menus, but the food was so expensive, we left and went to West Bay. Their prices, in my opinion, are restaurant not cafe.... It explains why we were able to get a table without waiting though. The beach was very busy but the cafe wasn't. Also, the chairs were very uncomfortable. I like the beach but I'll not go for the cafe again.

Just stopped for a cup of tea as walking by on the Southwest Coast Path.

Excellent seafood, well presented with lovely veggies. Very busy at lunchtime, but informal. Great bottled beer and cider.

Great fresh fish, friendly and helpful staff with easy access from the car park and close to the beach.

If you love fresh fish and good food you'll love this place. Food tastes amazing and overlooks beach. What more could you want. Oh beer and beer is local and good too including cocktail. Dog friendly too. The restaurant wheelchair accessible but toilets accessed over gravel which chair struggled to get over.

Great location right next to the beach. Great menu, friendly staff and absolutely superb food. A fish lovers paradise. No complaints. .

One of the best places I’ve eaten seafood in Europe in the last 15 years…so fresh it’s beaten all the restaurants I’ve eaten at…thanks for having me and my little boy and to your chef for making it such a lovely meal x

Went here for a nice meal while on holiday, the food was very nice, but for the price I'd have expected more, waited nearly an hour for food, while people who came in after us got theres sooner. We order 4 desert 2 came out then we had to wait 5 mibs for the other 2. We ordered drinks they didn't come all together, 1 came then another then anther, then we waited 10 mins for the other 2 no one cleared our empty glasses of the table. All in all the service was very poor.

The Take-Away cafe part is terrible for gluten free and coeliac! The staff were ill informed and didn't understand what coeliac disease or gluten is.

A fabulous spot! A casual and not uncomfortable atmosphere. A team of young waiters have a lot to do, they are cheerful but lack training. Our pudding was served, for example, with a spoon each both dropped beside my husband’s pud, landing upside down with a clatter! There were long waits between courses and we had to ask for our first course plates to be removed after our mains were delivered. Casual - to go with the atmosphere and our two foot square table. But the prices do not reflect the quality nor the ambience, I treated myself to half a lobster Thermidor, which was a very poor choice. The very small amount of sauce was not Thermidor sauce. The lobster meat was chewy and dry. The coleslaw unsubtle with lots of raw onion. The prawns not only tasted twice cooked but I had to devein the very evident black intestinal tract too. My husband’s choice was better (halibut) but the sauce was cold (intentional) while the fish was warm - not described on the menu, so a surprise. Overall a big expensive disappointment. Pity as we don’t live far away and feel very disinclined to recommend to our friends, family, guests and our holiday cottage visitors.

Fish and ambiance very good again.

Lovely fish and chips. Fish was 😋

When the sun is out, this place is really the only cafe on this beach and it gets very busy so I advise you to book in advance. We had a confusion with our bill as the menu nor the waitress informed us it's extra charges for having decaf drinks or non dairy milk. My friend asked for just a scone but they bought out a cream tea scone which is more expensive but the staff insisted it was the right dish we ordered so we didn't argue about it. But when the bill came, they charged us cream scones and a hot drink. So our bill was more than we expected to pay. Just wished this was made very clear from the start so not shocked by hidden charges. Then the scones themselves were quite dry in texture and taste so we wished we ordered something different but there weren't many small lunch dishes available. So all this experience didn't entice us to want to eat here again. Maybe just for drinks as their outdoor seating overlooks the beach. The staff were friendly and efficient but not great at really listening to what the customers are saying to them. I asked for a jug of water, they bought two small glasses, they should have told us they don't have jugs as I would have ordered a different drink. The plus side is a great location, right by 2 carparks, their takeaway section sells really big Mr Whippy icecreams.

Friendly enough and the waiting staff doing their best. Had simple fish and chips, and while the fish was freshly cooked and hot, the chips and mashed up peas were cold, as of they had been plated and waiting for 15 mins. Was replaced but not with any apology. Ironically, after the cold main course, the sundae was not cold enough. Did not feel like complaining about liquid ice cream.

A really great spot right on the seafront. Staff were excellent, and food pretty decent too.

Great food, Amazing service and great value, would definitely recommend and dog friendly too ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Very good restaurant taste food and calming place

Nice view to enjoy your food with Service was fast and pleasant

Had some really nice food and a quick bevvi. Bit pricey but worth it.

Possibly the best fish & chips ever, phenomenal batter. Crab sandwich was massive. Really enjoy eating here, especially when weather is nice although even when it it wet & windy the food makes up for it.

Really like it here I went years ago when I was on holiday and couldn't wait to return. We had a nice walk along the beach and went to the cafe for hot drinks and puddings. Staff were so pleasant and chatty and the dorset apple cake was de-lish!!

First class dining, lovely walks, very nice place.

We only stopped for a coffee as we were walking the South West Coastal Path. We weren't made to feel too welcome, I felt, rightly or wrongly that this was because we weren't eating. The staff were not exactly rude, but they weren't the rays of sunshine that this stunning position and view deserve.

Good value takeaway lunch to eat whilst sitting on the beach, generous portions, tasty, food was ready fairly quickly after ordering.

first time visit & loved it. only negative was lack of availability of the options on the dog menu but still got some dog biscuits 👌🏼

Lovely cream tea on a wet afternoon by the seaside, lovely cheerful and helpful staff

A beautiful dining experience - fresh local seafood served just back from the beach.

Lack lustre soggy salad and undercooked chips. Cheese scones apologetic. Overpriced. Have eaten there many times over the years but it's become a victim.of it's own success and position on the beach.

Popular beach cafe serving food food, Ample parking on site.

Fantastic fresh seafood in a beautiful setting.

Great food, all served in a decent box to take and sit in the beach to eat.

Popped in for coffee and light lunch. The staff are brilliant - attentive, cheerful and chatty. The cakes were amazing. Highly recommended!

Very good beach side fish restaurant. Food is good and prices very reasonable.

Thank you for making our anniversary so special today. The manager and Rose were fantastic, you know what you did! The food once again was fantastic especially the lobster. Always such a dream being with you guys😋

A friend recommended Hive beach (a National Trust area) as a convenient stopping place to relax during a drive to visit him. Just after midday, I was feeling peckish and delighted to see this café was open. I cannot remember the last time that I had a meal, of any description, when there was no aspect I felt could be improved. Congratulations to the management and staff at Hive Beach Cafe.

Really lovely staff, wonderful views of the beach, well priced and with a good selection of seafood.

Stunning area. Lovely coffee in the cafe

Popped in for some lunch, brilliant efficient service, great food!

Great breakfast overlooking beach 🏖️☀️🙌

This is a well loved beach cafe which has beautiful scenic views, it is very popular and rightly so. The menu is mainly fish and seafood dishes. However, they do a smashing full English breakfast up to 11.30 am. I will post pics. This dog friendly beach cafe has a carpark close by, but if you choose to walk along the cliff top path or the lower paths, you will walk within the most beautiful scenery. This is a totally table service venue, so once you are seated, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the view. Prices are reasonable.

I love this place, will be visiting again soon!!!

Stopped here for a drink and afternoon tea a few times, but this is first time we have dined in here. Atmosphere is similar to their other branches, it’s like a marquee, but light and airy, so pleasant enough. Service is OK, a little slow but friendly, food was very good, it daily/fresh specials a bit on the pricey side. Main menu is decent value. Would definitely go again, but stick to the main menu which is well cooked and well presented. Deserts were disappointing, not much choice or creativity and over sweet.