John Peel Restaurant in North Dorset

Big thank you for my big breakfast

Absolutely amazing breakfast and staff. We regularly travel in 30 mins just for a breakfast here. Worth it every time.

The John Peel has been our go to local breakfast cafe. We visit regularly. Take a bit of time out when the kids are at school. Always quiet, always chilled. Never had an issue with the food, and staff always polite, friendly and happy to have a conversation. There's a reason why this business has been present on Shaftesbury high street for decades.

This cafe is the one place I could go everyday it’s very welcoming and the staff are all just wonderful and have the best chats with you and will go out of there way to cater for you The decor is warming and the cleanliness is on point it’s always clean and tidy and and the food is the best in Shaftesbury.

Great place,reasonably priced and staff are a good laugh

Nice place to eat in Shaftesbury. Lovely atmosphere and lovely staff you'll feel well taken care of by them. Food is very nice and very well price. Nice local placw to get some breakfast or Lunch.

Has really gone down hill, this place used to be run by a man and is was amazing , a ‘propper greasy fry up’, since being run by the ladies it’s in a bit of a shambles, tables dirty and sticky , food rushed and sausages undercooked , there’s also always a ton of ‘rubbish’ on the table by the kitchen , bags for life,towels, napkins, you name it it’s just dumped on the table next to where all the customers have to eat there ‘food’. Place needs a good clean. It’s a shame as it used to be everyone’s local go-to for a fry up but myself and a lot of my other acquaintances are now boycotting the place as it’s just that bad

Proper cafe. Nice staff. Amazing 60s / 70s glacier / snow cave interior. Booth type seating. Huge area at back. Nice chips.

.o.m.g !! The latte coffee was disgusting! The english breakfast was so bad my good lady felt sick and left it the coca cola was vile!! Dont bother with the " john peel " go to "the salt cellar" instead..

Great place to dine in & good service and atmosphere big 👍👍👍👍👍👍

Lovely traditional cafe Banging breakfast Would fully recommend

Good inexpensive traditional cafe. Lovely staff. Very dog friendly. Good food. Well worth a visit

I come in for breakfast was greeted very well! But that was the only good part when the coffee turned up it was like drinking paint stripper I also hit my head on the moon ceiling this place must be for midgets who like drinking paint stripper the food come out I now understand the stop oil protest they must have soaked it in oil the whole night before it was like eating a soggy flip flop I decided to punch the hash brown and my hand is still dripping with oil 3 hours later I would say it’s a 2 out of 10 and I’ve been on the toilet for the past 30 minutes pooing out the oil so thanks mr peel you have ruined my week! The food cost to much but I understand as oil isn’t cheap

Always a favourite of ours for a cooked breakfast and decent mug of tea.Friendly staff and dog friendly and good value.

Awesome place. The breakfast was fantastic, very reasonably priced and with excellent service. Great music playing too.

Great atmosphere in there will deffo go back

Very nice cafe ran by friendly staff.

A bit disappointing as drinks weren't great and food took a long time to arrive. Decor was lost somewhere between the 1970s and the stone age. But I will say..the staff were very helpful and friendly All said...I'd go elsewhere next time

Delicious breakfast, I recommend it!!!

Very nice meal and friendly service

Great little place if you fancy a nice cooked Breakfast. Can get super busy and wait times are long, but food is always cooked to order and fresh.

Lovely cafe. Came over for the Shaftesbury carnival. Had good service and the lady taking the orders at the till was smashing.👍

Love popping to Shaftesbury plenty of lovely shops we started feeling hungry so popped in to the cafe met with a smile, we found Shaftesbury a lovely friendly place i ordered beans on toast and a fry up for me 2 coffees grate price, the fry up was cooked to perfection the extra black budding was warmed through nicely and tasted amazing, on asking the lady cooking she very kindly gave me the name and three bits of pudding in a box i was really chuffed, but sadly i would say guys be car full the floor is very slippery i had walking shoes on and a stick as my legs aren't good but over all a exalent experience thank you x

Used to live in Shaftesbury as a child so thought I'd return for something to eat purely for nostalgic reasons nostalgic was right the decor and hand made pine tables and woefully small booths were just the same as when it threw its doors open in the late 70's as with the menu cutlery and crockery which both were not clean. In my my opinion and after all this is my opinion the high St is dotted with public houses and hotels which offer you more variety with better value for money. GIVE IT A WIDE BIRTH.

Found by chance, looking for breakfast. Friendly, welcoming staff. Lovely and clean. Wide breakfast selection, well cooked and on nice, warm plates! Will definitely be back.

Didn't order any food so I cannot say but the service and the atmosphere was 5*, friendly staff.

Used to be one of the beast breakfasts going but not anymore it seems. 13 quid now for a not very good breakfast. high price for very, very low quality. Price is ridiculous tbh!

Previous good reviews for this little gem were well founded. En route to the 'New Wine' festival in Shepton Mallet, this was an ideal breakfast stop during our trip from the Sussex coast. We had the good fortune to bump into the daughter of the owner as we walked along the High Street and we were war ly invited in by her Mum. We were the first visitors of the day, but there was a steady stream of locals popping in for what appeared to be their 'usuals' - always a good sign. Plenty of options for breakfast and we settled for the standard breakfast, and an excellent standard it was too. My wife enjoyed a gargantuan hot chocolate, and was barely able to finish her plate. Very good value for money and tasty grub. The place was clean, including the toilets. Our host was friendly and attentive. Back again next year methinks.

Good value fried English breakfasts. Love the retro decor and staff are always friendly. A little bit of a wait for food to arrive, but it was Sunday morning so peak time I guess.

Yummy breakfast and a great service !

Loud music, the women working in there were shouting and dancing. One woman swept the floor while we were eating. That could have waited. Food was poor.

What a wonderful place to have breakfast. The service, food and price is fantastic. Love this place. Will definitely come back. Very reasonably priced.

Pop in when in the area, friendly staff and good food. What more could you want.

The food and prices are very good, but I’m sorry, I do NOT think dogs should be allowed anywhere where people are eating, they never used to be, why and when did this rule change ? It’s not hygienic at all

completly been turned around great food and updated from last review! often come here now

Came here today with my daughter both had a standard breakfast free drink included at £7,50 what a bargain . Plentifull and cooked to perfection a great traditional fry up . I have eaten in many places but never have i ever felt so relaxed and welcomed as i did here , the staff are brilliant , especially the lovely lady who took our orders . If only i was a local , this would be my daily stop for a lovely warm friendly cuppa 😊

It is certainly a place to eat an authentic English breakfast, very good, very fast and the staff is lovely. We ordered the peel breakfast to share and we really liked it. Highly recommended.

Amazing love this cafe use on a almost daily basis staff super friendly quick service and food is amazing

Love this place, have been coming here for years with my family and friends since I was a child, they are always polite and the food is good portions for the money! Love that the decoration in there hasn't changed they still have the old diner type benches and the weird roof at the back that feels all cave like, it's just different and I love that.

Been going here for the 2 yrs we have lived local.. Can take a bit of time for food to come out, but it's edible and value for money everytime.. So old classic 80s decor up the top section... Like mood Rock ceiling.. 🪨

This place looks good at first, but I must note that there is no room for 5 or more people and we had to sit at two tables. The first thing that caught my eye when we sat down was that the cutlery was not clean, the service was not very long, but for five people. I advise you not to take nuggets

Excellent cafe … very dog friendly. Food was very tasty and well cooked at an extremely reasonable price. Had the Standard breakfast which was bacon, egg, hash browns, sausage, beans and toast. All for £7.50. Would definitely recommend. There were 5 of us with 4 dogs and the owner made a fuss of the dogs and gave them a sausage to share between them. Others had brunch, sausage baps and omelette. All well cooked and well presented. Will be back

Mmmm yummy scummy in my tummy. I liked the drinks and full english

Top notch English breakfast with lots of other options.

An incredibly atmospheric location. I got cold after riding several dozen miles on a motorcycle at 0 degrees Celsius. A delightful hot breakfast at The John Peel revived me.” 👍👍👍

Lovely fry-ups with good quality ingredients. You may wait 25 mins or so to get your food if they are busy but it's worth it for freshly cooked honest fare. Staff are helpful and prices mid-range. Over all they provide a consistent and valuable service in keeping the local people fed and watered. Good stuff!

Now up to speed, food is excellent, especially for the price, and some meals, included a tea or coffee

A proper English cafe - friendly staff, good service, and proper cafe food.

Friendly staff with classic British food

I Had breakfast today in the John Peel in Shaftesbury, Ham,Egg and Chips. After a half hour wait my foot arrived and i decided to put some vinegar on my chips, I wasn't quite looking at where the vinegar was going as i was also reading a text i had just received. When i stoped and looked at my food it was covered in eight dead flies which came out the vinegar bottle. I reported this to the lady at the till who didn't seem to interested, I picked the flies out and put them on my napkin ate two chips and left feeling very disgusted in the whole thing. Don't thing i will be going back there Alan

Ordered a portion of chips, very small. Used to go here often but disappointed overall this time. Salad was not of good quality and tasted like it wasn’t very fresh. Fizzy drinks quite expensive and glass not overly clean. Toilets very basic

Friendly, helpful staff, lovely atmosphere, great food, quick service. We will be back...with the dog!

Amazing breakfast and lovely staff!

Popped in for breakfast 😋 and wasn't disappointed at all, it was delicious 😋 good portion size too, we had the peel breakfast and couldn't finish it, eyes bigger than our bellys. Tea is refilled as well for no extra cost, bargain.The staff were very friendly and helpful the premises were clean and the toilets were spotlessly clean too with free sanitary products, amazing touch. Thankyou for a good experience all round, highly recommended.

Great place but since the new manager has taken over it has gone down hill. Waited for over an hour and still had not received my food . I decided to ask for my money back . The two women that were in there were rushed off their feet and lovely as always . 10 customs walked out whilst I was waiting as no one came to serve them . What has happened to all the staff?

Great food, freshly made and the staff were SOOOOO friendly too. Spotlessly clean. Great prices. Very highly recommended

Spiffy breakfast x2 really hit the spot 😋 Well worth the price. Had to stop ourselves from locking the plates 🤣🤣

Good quality food, nicely presented in this relaxed cafe in Shaftesbury. Really well worth a visit. Lovely breakfast and very good price

Excellent food and great service

Great breakfast, great prices!! Will definitely have a return visit when next near Shaftesbury...

Great breakfast . quick polite service

Good food, good price, great staff ... What more could you ask for

Brilliant cafe, good honest food and value for money

Cheap and cheerful. Dont expect high class (my cutllery wasn't clean) but you will get value for money and a friendly atmosphere. Very fast service, tasty cooked breaky, suitable portion, all with a coffee for under £7 (June 2023). Will go again!

Probably the worst breakfast I have ever had. The toast was burnt. The sausage just tasted of pepper. And why!! Cheap tomatoe sauce.??

Cheap and cheerful in the best possible way, we have enjoyed food here several times and always rate it good value for money. The food is mainly “cafe food”, such as an all day breakfast and variants. It is our go to cafe when in Shaftesbury.

Great breakfast after our ride out

Cooks should probably learn to prep their section a little better and they wouldn't fall behind so easily. Also, why on earth are they running cutlery? How about the person on the till taking your order puts it on the tray?

Got the big. Fair price. Brilliant taste. Bread well buttered. Proper sausages. Proper bacon. Proper establishment .

Very very good a yesyes very very very good eat here or u miss out on yumdelicious food A yes yes very very good num num

Not the same now not for me anyway

Too slow took them our whole 30 min break to even put the food on

Very polite been lot's of times all ways good

Nice cafe with plenty of seating. Clean, friendly staff, nice breakfast and some interesting decor.

Fab breakfast at a reasonable price. The young workers where rushed off their feet yesterday but where so polite and attentive. Tea unfortunately was cold, think they had a problem with the water heating up quickly enough. I have kids running around and they didn’t batter an eye lid.

Don't like new opening hours as when you go there at 1 o'clock shut not good at all

Relaxing atmosphere, danged good food, good prices, friendly staff and Derek (the boss man) is one of the nicest blokes you could wish to meet.

Massive breakfast for a great price. Staff are friendly. Fun place to do some people watching.

Quirky decor belies an amazing and traditional English cafe with stunning fried food and breakfasts...

I have been in here a few times with my daughter and grandkids. We went in on Saturday and it was really busy. We did have about 45 minute wait as they were behind. They had to shut the door to other customers.1 of the lads working on Saturday should have been sent home to either change his shirt or iron the 1 he had on. It didn't look good and he looked very scruffy. I 1st ordered fish and chips, after about 5 minutes someone came over and said they didn't have any fish, so i then ordered bacon and coleslaw and about 10 minutes before our food arrived they came over and said they didn't have any coleslaw (at lunchtime) the garnish was just lots of dripping wet lettuce and some tomatoes. Nothing else so very disappointed but I understand lot of cafes get really busy etc. I will go in for coffee when I'm visiting my daughter and grandkids. Overall it is nice place with plenty of seating. It does need a good clean(cobwebs everywhere) maybe a revamp. There is only 1 toilet for female's. It smells very damp. There should be more toilets for the establishment especially when it's really busy. There isn't any wheelchair accessible for toilet.

Great breakfast...Great service

Our first visit, but family with us had been before. We were not disappointed and everything was excellent from the staff to the food. The interior is very retro 70's and needs to stay that way! Amazingly odd ceiling in the upper section and mind your head in places. Will return when with our Dorset family again.

Lovely cafe with the quality of food and service above the prices on the menu. Lots of tables for small groups and a fair few for larger gatherings, too.

Always spoken to as if well known

Loved the food and staff were welcoming, everytime am in Shaftesbury will definitely go there again😉👍

stopped in here by chance when driving to the great dorset steam fair. Wow best breakfast I have had anywhere...full stop.

Good for Sunday morning breakfast just what you need after a Saturday night out well cooked and good portion meal very enjoyable

Brilliant even let me charge my phone 😋

Great place to stop for breakfast on the way to Cornwall, Devon or Dorset. Have done for the last few years en route from Suffolk. Fantastic breakfast and staff however the sosig game has room for improvement. The sausages remind me of the ones you got in primary school. It would be nice next year to see if the sausages are any better after the owners see my review. Other than that the breakfast is great. Many thanks 😉

Odd little place, bigger on the inside and funky ceiling. Initially worried, as we were told there was a 30min wait on food, but there wasn't and food arrived after a reasonable time. Food was good and well priced. Not sure they are used to getting larger groups walk in, hence the panic on food but there really wasn't any problems and it was good. Thanks

Proper dirty breakfast. Massive portions. Go to spot for a hangover cure 👌 Lovely staff

Beautifully cooked breakfast and plenty of it. My husband had the vegetarian John Peel and said the sausage was the best veggie sausage he had had on a breakfast.

Great breakfast and very friendly people. Will definitely come back.

I did a detour, purposely, on my way from Portsmouth to Cornwall, glad to say, I wasn't disappointed, without a doubt, the most amazing full English breakfast I have ever tasted, everything was cooked completely fresh.

Excellent value for money & service the breakfast is well good.

Had a great tasty breakfast here, the food was cooked well and the staff were very helpful will eat here again when at Shaftsbury.

Fantastic food at a great value price. Family run cafe lovely people. We got 2 burgers with everything and two drinks for £12.00 excellent value.

Great breakfast so compliments due, but the young waiting staff seemed to have higher priorities chatting to each other than serving customers. The fixed booths seem to have seats too close to tables.

Lovely size breakfast, nicely done, served. Very nice place.

A very nice place to eat. Love and have been a few times now. 😃👍