Hive Beach Cafe in West Dorset

A wonderful Location, great staff, great food, superb, will visit again

Lovely location which we visited at a very busy time, hence the slightly lower scores. I had hake and chips which I enjoyed but was a little over priced imo. My wife had crab sandwiches which were lovely until she found a price of shell which put her off. Service could have been a little swifter, and we waited for at least 40 minutes for the food after we had ordered. We will definitely return, maybe at a slightly less busy time.

We came for a breakfast and it was amazing! They have plenty of inside and outside seating available, and the service was efficient and very friendly. The breakfasts and drinks were delicious, would definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

No vegetarian food and overpriced.

What a fantastic place to eat. The food is incredible, and the view is amazing. Service was a bit slow. However, this was probably down to the fact that it's so popular. Would definitely visit again !!!

Good location for food and drink and plenty of parking, we didn't have food just drink.

Lovely clean beach on the south coast. Toilets and a cafe are right next to the beach, and so is the large National Trust carpark.

Went for lunch and the food was very good, recommend you book. Service was good.

Had takeaway and £11 for a salad smaller than a side salad is outrageous. I had less that a level teaspoon of feta in mine - the only protein in the meal. Won't bother to buy here again

Hive Beach Cafe sits right next to the beach and the national trust car park. Stopped for breakfast which was delicious. We returned later in the week for ice creams which were andsum!

The food was delicious, the service was great.

We are a young Muslim family of professionals who stopped here during a road trip. We had a few unkind encounters and then were served by Edward at the Hive Beach cafe. Edward was so very kind and far out of his way to make us feel comfortable. It is much appreciated and his kindness deserves every promotion.

A hidden gem of a busy cafe, staff really efficient especially as they were busy. Food looked well presented. We only stopped for a cream tea which was excellent

Breakfast at the Hive. Lush! Perfect poached eggs and great service. The only downside were the very barky dogs in the restaurant area, owners had no consideration for anyone else!!

Superb location. If eating, you need to reserve because a national paper has made this place a go-to location. The sea food looked amazing. Wednesdays seem to be a special lobster night.

A real treat.....get there early on a sunny day.....

Amazing spot, bit of a tourist trap, but where else would you go? Good food and drink, ice creams etc all there, but as expeias you'd imagine..

Great beach cafe with lovely food

Amazing restaurant, lovely seating and attentive staff! Just wish the breakfast menu had a bit more going on/ the menu doesn’t do the place justice! But would definitely recommend!

Had such a good time at the hive, made a good trip into a great one. Milly was the best waitress ever, was so attentive and made the visit so wholesome. The food was perfect and can’t wait to come back

We visited yesterday for lunch and were disappointed to find the café overrun with noisy dogs and owners who showed little consideration for other diners. I understand that this is a café and not a fine dining establishment, but the weather was beautiful, and we wanted to enjoy the tranquil setting at Hive Beach. If you’re allowing dog owners to let their pets continuously howl while others are trying to enjoy their meals and pleasant springtime conversations, why not seat them outside, away from those who prefer a quieter dining experience? I realise this is probably a one-off occurrence, but it discourages us from returning, especially since it’s a good hour’s drive from our home in North Dorset.

There are always ways for improvement. However, our experience was very good, friendly staff, a little expensive and the electric charging point was out of action. Overall, we would visit again.

Not as good as it was, food ok not brilliant. Lovely staff and hard to beat location,

Great location just above beach... Food excellent but service slow although it was incredibly busy .

We had Breakfast here good food and service great location

I visited the Hive Beach Cafe this morning, and was shocked by the poor quality of fish on display in the cold cabinet in the restaurant. As a fisherman myself, I could see the fish was shockingly stale and in my view no longer fit for human consumption. I hope the fish that is served to customers does not come from that cabinet. The mackerel, John Dory and red mullet were discoloured, shrunken with sunken eyes and evidently long past being suitable for cooking. For an establishment proclaiming to serve “fresh seafood every day” this was surprising to say the least.

Lovely place to sit outside and enjoy fresh fish, a glass of something and a view of the beach.

Fresh fish, chips & peas by the beach, on a lovely sunny day.

Great spot, good food, service very good - just a little bit pricey, but I guess you pay for the location.

Lovely place to visit for a bite to eat. Staff are very friendly and welcoming, tables and restaurant are clean and the food was very good. Will definitely be returning, maybe for the breakfast next time, looks very good

Maybe we visited on an off day. But the food laid heavy in our stomachs, wasn’t well made and outrageously expensive. However, you can’t knock the view on a sunny day

Great for a visit with friends & pets! Views beautiful, walking if you want it & just a great place to be!

Brilliant place, gets super busy so take away time was 50 minutes, bare this in mind when ordering

Couldn't fault it. There was a large group of us and we were all catered for perfectly. The food was amazing (I had scallops) and the staff were all brilliant.

Too expensive overpriced. Had to wait too long just for cappacinos .eould visit again

Delicious meal in relaxed atmosphere and fantastic weather

Live locally and have come here a number of times post dog walking. Hive Beach cafe is all about the location, and if you enjoy slow service (as the past few visits have been), expensive for what it is food, then this is the place for you.

It was our first visit and I can’t fault the experience from food to great staff and what a location. Sea food at its freshest & best.

Jen had an alcohol free “Mocktail” she said was delicious, and enjoyed her scallops. My “Mackerel on creamy chowder” was overcooked, over salted and dry, and not on creamy chowder but some burnt chorizo chunks with a smear of sauce and two pieces of corn in the cob. Poor. At least National Trust members park for free with NT card but the machines difficult to see in bright sunshine.

Love this place. The food is amazing and so fresh

Great food, definitely recommend the squid!! STEVEN APPROVED.

Lovely, best fish and chips ever!

We have visited several times for fish and chips when out and about in the area. The food is regularly of a good standard. The service is quick, and friendly even when busy. Location is a plus point too. I cannot find how to add a second review? So, this review from here is a year later. The location is great and the service is quick and friendly. The food isn't quite what it was, but still very good. The fish was excellent. The chips, although they were very, very nice, they are not chip shop style chips, more like pub triple cooked chips. This is disappointing, we prefer softer, chippy style chips with fish. The portions are adequate, not huge, not small. Prices are rising everywhere, fair enough, but for 2 x fish n chips, a zero Guinness, and a soft drink, £48 + a voluntary 10% service charge = £52 and change, those chips need to change to tempt us back. (As nice as they were.) Oh, add £4 for 2 hours parking, a drink and fish n chips isn't the cheap meal it once was. So, a years difference, increased prices, still good food, still good service, still great location.

Lovely little spot overlooking the beach. Always great friendly service .lots of smiles and food to die for will be back

Walked into the cafe and took a seat as no signs or people around to say otherwise. Upon sitting down we were approached and told that we should have waited to be seated very rudely and rather aggressively. It would be ok to say that if they had a sign saying so on the entrance we came in which they didn’t. The way they said this got my back up instantly and if not for having a young child I would have used a few choice words. The order was taken incorrectly so we had to make sure at the end we had been charged correctly. The food and drinks are nice but we just didn’t have a good experience with the service.

Visited the takeaway at The Hive today. Asked for some hot food, told they had stopped doing hot food 5 mins ago. Only choice was sausage rolls, opted for two and asked if it could be heated up. Told very sternly that due to ‘health and safety’ they couldn’t heat it up in microwave!!! Couid be such an amazing place if they didn’t have such miserable staff offering sub standard food at over inflated prices! Never again! Think I’ll bring my own flask of f tea next time!

Our first visit to the Hive - taken by friends who have been there several times - and we were very impressed. Lovely , friendly and efficient, servers and top notch food. We will come back.

Great food and overall good service

The cafe has become a victim of it's own success! A very disappointing lunch experience. We were taken here by our son who had eaten here before. Sadly the quality of food was mediocre and expensive. The monkfish in the monkfish curry still had membrane on it, making it tough, and the samphire advertised on the ingredients list was omitted. The crab sandwich was made with brown meat, not white, and there was a lot of shell in it Additionally the side order of chips did not arrive yet was included in the bill.

Fantastic staff and the food is unbelievable .

It’s Easter and we’re in Dorset got to The Hive suns doing its best . It’s breakfast time I’m have the crab hash o/h having bacon and pancakes swilled down with tea. Portions are generous and prices are fair. The hive does have it’s ups and downs today is an up We love the location the generally the food and service. We have just observed a table of 3 order three drinks then proceed unwrap their own picnic what a cheek unbelievable. Give the Hive a go

Fantastic location great atmosphere friendly and helpful staff we will definitely come back in the near future!

Lovely food in a great location. Survice was slick and all staff friendly. Definitely visit again when next in the area.

Great location, good food and reasonably priced

Excellent. Service was efficient and polite. Food was well prepared and fresh. Our group had a range from the menu and all were equally appealing, These included the hake and squid. Dessert was lovely.

Great place. Excellent food, fabulous view. Lovely beach.

We stopped for a lunch with our dog. No reservation ( imagine it gets busy) but they got us a nice table outside. Nice seafood options on menu. Not cheap , but very quick service. Loved the crispy chilli squid with lime - and crab sandwich salad also good. Just off the beach, big national trust car park next door ( £4 for 2 hours I think). National trust guy was great!

Did not have to wait for a table. Staff friendly. Once we had ordered, we had a little wait for our meal. But considering how busy they were,it was not very long. Really enjoyed our meals. Look forward to coming again.

The first and last time the food was terrible the heat was so unbearable like eating in a greenhouse had to wait an hour for food loads of dogs fighting not very clean then at the end they ask you for a 5 pounds tip then went to the outside shed for ice cream it was so watered down unbelievable only thing nice is the beach take a pack lunch unless it can be a 100 pound day out

Excellent place to eat fish meals

Great cafe that sits just above the beach. Indoor and outdoor seating. Quick ordering and service, we had two cream teas, each had two large fresh scones, a small pot of strawberry jam and a pot of Rodda's cream. Absolutely delicious and washed down with two pots of tea, all for £15.00. Top notch.

We've been to the Hive lots of times but found the number of barking dogs in the restaurant impacted negativity on our experience.

Although busy, staff were very friendly and accomodating. Food was delicious, particularly considering the location.

Food was tasty and hot , expensive for a breakfast at £14.95 and a bit small, Egg wasn't runny, no beans "not even a choice" hash brown should of been homemade at the price.

This is one of my favourite places to eat Fish & Chips and the place is always been busy. But lately I’ve had a few gripes. Firstly the food is always excellent. What I didn’t appreciate is the large increase in prices (more than 15% on the price of say fish & chips) plus the additional charge for peas (mushy or garden) which h used to be included. So shrinkflation at its worst is operating there. Also whilst I admire hiring teenagers to work serving and waiting tables, it would good to train them. Half of them didn’t know who’s order was who’s, three times they came to one table with different orders which h the table didn’t order and twice they dropped food and had to get a new plate. Come on guys get your act together. You have a good thing going here and good clientele. Don’t piss them off with dodgy service and over inflationary increases!

This little place has a bunch of things going for it. The location is awesome, the staff - whom are quite young did a great job. The food, was nice yet lacked a little refinement to reflect the price. It is worth a visit as I hope my experience was not 5 stars because the kitchen was under the pump. Some great menu ideas!.

Great food And sevice its just a wonderfull place to watch the sea and relax in the sun

Went for a breakfast with family, and had to listen to the manager fire one of the servers on the table in front of us at 11.15AM. A very awkward and unprofessional situation that ruined the atmosphere and vibe of our visit, only to then have slow service (unsurprisingly, as they fired the server?!), drinks were messed up, and the food was really substandard considering the “London” prices commanded. Overall, very relieved at the thought of never returning to this establishment, the management seem to be cruel, and have no issue with customers witnessing this?? Absurd, dystopian, and sickening.

A beautiful place to visit and eat

Great cafe with a fabulous location.

This is a fabulous place for an informal lunch, a romantic liaison or a very special breakfast. The food is superb and the service is excellent. The view out over the sea is beautiful whatever the weather is doing.

Brill service friendly staff i have been many times

I live in Dorset and have been to Hive Beach Cafe many times over the past 12 years. Always loved it, especially the Lobster. But sadly the last couple of visits have been very disappointing. The food is not to the standard I have previously experienced. I went yesterday with a friend who’s never been and we both ordered the crab sandwich. It was served in super quick time which we were both very surprised as it was busy. The first thing I noticed was the coleslaw was not made by them but was cheap shop bought processed food! Yuk. And the sandwich was worst.The bread had either been sat out for too long or it was not fresh as it was dry and fell apart when I picked it up to eat it. The crab was not good either. All the brown meat not white and all lumpy like it had just been taken out of a can and put in the bread. We sent the sandwiches back and just ate the chips. If they didn’t have the location that they do they would have to consider what is coming out of the kitchen. The location keeps them busy in my opinion not the quality of the food,

Had a great breakfast on a windy cold morning. Food was great and staff were friendly

What a find! We chanced upon this place whilst visiting Hive Beach. The food was both delicious and generous portion size. We had the hake, and the squid, and the squid is the best I have eaten anywhere in the world (yes, really!). Cooked to perfection, it melted in the mouth. Our server was absolutely delightful, friendly and full of smiles. The location and views are just breathtaking. I really cannot recommend it enough!

Delicious, very obviously fresh seafood. Great location. A good lunch.

Nice friendly service here. Had local cinnamon and apple cake with clotted cream which was exceptionally light and delicious.

Wonderful friendly service. Dog friendly too.

Been a few times and remember it being so nice. Came today and had the hake and chips. Plate was cold. Chips were cold. So over priced. Don’t think we will be coming back we were quite disappointed

We arrived at 3:03, just three minutes past closing time for the kitchen at 3:00. They refused to serve us any food or take away.

Really friendly staff and great selection of snacks & main meals to take away. All reasonably priced and some hood coffee too.

Gorgeous place for fish served with a smile. Lunch starts at 12. Go early, it gets busy!!!

Great food and service in a beautiful setting.

Appalling!! As great as ever! This is what I wrote in my original review, mot now though. We have been coming here for many years. However, we came last Friday, my husband ordered his favourite, hake and chips. Wow!!! An appalling piece of fish, hardly any fish in it. Incredibly expensive, my tart was ok but not worth the money they charged. We will no longer be coming back

This wld be lovely if yr dressed appropriately. Knew it was in a marquee type place but it was very cold in there . Had a jacket on but needed a warm jumper too. My breakfast was lovely...crab hash Benedict...only downside was muffin wasn't toasted. My husband asked for eggs Benedict which normally comes with ham and was asked if he wanted bacon or salmon or spinach with his breakfast so he said ooh bacon wld be lovely... thinking he was getting a couple of extra slices of bacon in the side aswell as ham underneath but that wasn't the case...his eggs were a bit overcooked but they did give us 10%discount because of this. Very nice hot chocolate and a nice flat white

This is a nice place with a real beach vibe and excellent food. I am taking a star off because if you are calling yourself a café, you should offer something at lunchtime which is not £15+. However, I should also add that much of their food is available as a takeaway at considerably reduced prices, so you are paying to sit down.

Haven't been for a while so decided to pop in on a lovely sunny Saturday morning for breakfast. Expected it to be full but it wasn't. Ordered a full English. £13.50 No toast, no beans, no tea, half a tomato, a small mushroom, one egg, two tiny sausages, a hash brown, some bacon. It looked lost on the plate. Very very poor. The only good thing about this place now is the staff. Breakfast is a rip off.

The crab meat was dry and bright orange and the bread was old / stale. Very disappointing. Price not short of £15. We’ve been 3 times in total and there is no consistency regarding the crab sandwiches (first time they were adequate (not a lot of crab meat), second time they were better).

Great location. My food was cold quickly as the tables are metal, so the coldness from the table quickly made the food cold. Glad we experienced it though.

We have been eating here for a number of years and were looking forward to a decent lunch of fish and chips . We were sadly disappointed as the food was dry and tasteless. When asked how our meal had been, we told two members of staff that we were not happy. One said she would tell the chef and another said more or less the same but then took our money. We expected some reaction ,or an apology even , but none came. It’s a great pity as we have really enjoyed eating here in the past . Now we will probably not go again.

Cafe open all year round serving a well deserved bacon butty and coffee for those winter dog walks in all weather's!

Our first visit was on the 29th of December 2025 and we were dead impressed with the Hive Beach Cafe. We will return this year, for sure. The staff was on the ball, and the food was quick to the table and delicious. We highly recommend the Hive Cafe. Gary, Poole, Dorset.

Amazing restaurant, food is ridiculously good!!! Can get busy but the staff are great, always keeping you updated and cheerful. Would highly recommend

Food OK but expensive for what it is. Service not good as another table were arguing with the waiter that they didn't order or eat some items on their bill. When our bill arrived we had the exact same problem. About 3 extra breakfasts that we didn't order were on our bill. How many customers pay these fake bills without checking?

Great view and beautiful seafood like being on the Mediterranean

Only had a coffee but lovely setting and views.

Wonderful crab sandwich. The warmest welcome too.

Always very good. Slightly pricey for those on a budget, but well worth it.

Beautiful food (fish soup was amazing), staff friendly and efficient on a busy day, and you can't beat sitting outside with a sea view. On the pricey side, but worth it.

The cafe used to be one our favourites, always having the half lobster meal. The lobster now is served like an overcooked semi cold mess served alongside overcooked mushy prawns. Wondering if the lobster was previously frozen. Upside: the chips were good. Very disappointed and sadly will give it a miss in the future as they are now clearly catering for the unsuspecting one visit tourist.