The Alcove in West Dorset

Excellent toasties, pastries and coffee and a sausage treat for the dog. Lovely seating area along the promenade with fabulous sea views.

Stopped here today and they catered for all our ice cream wants & needs!! Lovely staff, great value = happy me!!!! Close parking also at the top end of town. Thanks Guys - We will be back! - probably tomorrow 😉🙏😂

The Cod and chips was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before….unfortunately not in a good way. I’m not sure what it was they served me but it certainly wasn’t cod!! It was tough and chewy and I left nearly all of it. As the man behind the counter explained to me “we’re not a fish and chip shop” and how right he was.

We had cod and chips and it was terrible, it was like he had brought the fish and chips from Iceland

Awful service. Ordered two crab sandwiches and a cod&chips and got two prawn baguettes, a bag of chips and a lot of verbal abuse by the rudest staff ever. Baguette was pretty awful too. Avoid at all cost.

Mmm... £2.95 for a portion of chips which look and taste distinctly like the cheap frozen mass produced variety and Heinz ketchup that tastes like anything but !

After getting a crab sandwich we stopped to get a portion of chips from here where the gentleman was telling us how bad our choice was to get our sandwich from his competitor expressing that it wasn’t fresh local crab And demanding to know how much we paid and to look at it so he can judge! After us explaining that we were excited about our food and asking him not to ruin it for us he kept explaining and I quote “I know what fresh crab is and that isn’t it” It’s sad to see such negativity between local shops!

We had our lunch from here and really enjoyed the meal. The place was very clean, Covid compliment and real value for money. Service with a smile from the guy serving there today. So close to town and overlooking the sea, perfect.

It was possibly the good weather. It could have been the beautiful scenery. It may have been simply because I was with my favourite (adult) person but this really was a treat. Fish and chips were perfect and the guy serving couldn't have done more to ensure we had all we wanted. There's scaffolding at the front and it's lacking in kerb appeal but this is well worth a try .... I'm glad we did.

Had great fish and chips.reasonably priced plenty of choice. Defiantly worth a visit, right on sea front.

Became a must visit for us. Top class f & c cooked in rapeseed oil, not the smelly synthetic fat others use. Good chats & mega soft ices, what more do you need? Man in black "the man".

Bacon bap for brunch was delicious. Cooked to order so lovely and fresh. Given a buzzer to let us know when it was ready so we could sit at a nearby table and wait. Coffee was good too. Will definitely visit again when next in Lyme Regis.

Went for brunch with family, great location and good quality and value food. Baguettes were great value and very filling (I had the prawn, loved it!)

If you like the above look no further DAVE serves up Five Fisher baguette, brown or white, lots of fresh salad &! mayo, stunning Paul, Lyme Regis

We had walked all along Marine Parade and finally sat down outside The Alcove. Had a lovely view of the sea and beach. We ordered a Cappuccino and a Mocha, along with a bacon bap, to share. The coffees were great and the amount of bacon was very generous; we were able to share some with our dogs! All very tasty. The prices were in line with other establishments and reasonable. The staff were friendly and chatty. Will definitely be returning in the future.

We stopped here for a cup of tea and after seeing the fish and chips at the next table decided to eat here too. They are the best fish and chips we have eaten at Lyme. They are freshly cooked and the batter is lovely and crispy. We sat overlooking the sea, eating our lunch. It was a decent cup of tea too. We will definitely go to them again.

Have passed the Alcove on many a visit to Lyme Regis but decided today to stop for lunch,we were not disappointed. The food was freshly cooked and although we were given a little gadget to let us know when it was ready it didn't go off as our meals were bought to us.Would definitely recommend and we will return another day.

We stayed for a long weekend and loved the Alcove so kept coming back for more. The tables are all outside with a beautiful view over the sea. We had bacon and egg rolls which were cooked to perfection. Our second visit we had a lovely cream tea with fresh scones that were still warm. To be honest all of the food looked excellent so we would definitely come back next time we are in Lyme Regis.

The buzzer machine to sat when your food was ready was quite different.

As the name alcove suggests - the shop itself is not very large - the seating is all outside along the seafront. As well as fish they also have burgers and a reasonably full menu of things of this kind. Rather than wait in the small shop they give you one of those numbered devices that flash lots of red lights and vibrates when your meal is ready - allowing every meal to be freshly cooked to order without the shop filling up.

We primarily chose the Alcove because unlike other f & c shops near the beach in Lyme there was plentiful outdoor seating for us as a family of four. It was at lunchtime before the Saturday rush got going and we got very reasonably priced sausage/scampi/cod and chips all cooked to order. Lovely soft fish in crispy batter, nice chips and friendly, efficient service.

A lovely sunny day, we had recently arrived in town; decided I needed a pastie or such. Having already been acquainted with seagulls, I opted out of chips as I might not be able to eat them all safely ..... The snack was lovely, & I ate the lot.

Determined to have a cream tea before leaving the area, we had walked our legs off so found a table here. Doesn't look the place to do good cream teas (more fish & chips which were obviously very popular) but we ordered anyway. Absolutely wonderful - generous portions, good price and good tea/coffee to go with it. To add to it a busker was playing nearby who was excellent. A very busy little spot - highly recommended.

We always eat at the alcove, especially after an early morning dog walk...best bacon sandwiches in lyme regis, best my hubbys ever had he said!! The crab baguettes are the business and the view isnt bad either!

althou we only had some cappuchino and latte on the walkway/parade of this shop we were pleasantly surpised about the good quality and the low cost. Actually the best price from all restaurants we attenden in England.

Stopped by the Alcove today for light lunch. Husband had bacon and egg bap. I wanted crab sandwich but was told unfortunately no crab but told they had some lovely fresh prawns so opted for that. Glad I did. Lovely prawns with salad baguette absolutely crammed with prawns. Best for a long time. Don't be put off by the cafe appearance. Food is great and two very friendly guys running it.

Stopped off en route home after spending several days in Devon. Only had a coffee, but the food menu looked good. Nice to sit with great views of the beach and sea.

Great view from the small table on the parade. Order at the counter. Had a bacon bap. Delicious, tasty grub and a nice coffee.

The Fish and Chops near our car park was closed till 16:30 so we walked up the promenade for another; how glad we are that the other was shut.

'The Alcove' at Lyme Regis is located overlooking the beach, with great views along the coast and out to sea. It has outdoor seats and tables, with sunshades, so worth stopping for a drink or snack. We had the traditional fish and chips, which were very filling. Please though if you have any leftovers Do Not feed them to the seagulls which will be around. Feeding them is inadvisable, and in my opinion should be illegal, as this makes them very aggressive. While we were there we saw them steal an ice cream from a toddler, and a sandwich from a teenager! Watch them if you sit outside, but if you put the cafe's sun parasols up, this not only gives you shade but prevents the gulls from flying in on your meal.

What a great little place didn't have any food just a cuppa with my son before he went to work . I was pleased it was open at nine am as a lot weren't . Gentlemen that seven is very polite and friendly . Will return for food next time .,

Don't be put off by the small size of this place. The service is great and the food lovely. 4 of us ate here and sat at the tables provided by them on the promenade. The food was cooked to order and the service was excellent. The food was excellent. It is essentially served as a takeaway so don't expect ceramic plates . Highly recommend this for a reasonably priced meal!

My husband and I stopped here for lunch today. My crab sandwich was most excellent, the best I have eaten for a very long time. Thank you so much for such a treat.

We really wanted to sample an afternoon tea on a sunny Sunday at 5.30pm but realised that we'd missed the boat but then came across this little café still open and serving on the esplanade offering a cream tea for £5. Good value for a mug (!) of builder's tea and two scones with jam and clotted cream. Very tasty and filling!

They sell an amazing range of ice cream flavours, all very delicious looking. You can sit at one of the small tables outside and enjoy the most beautiful views while you enjoy your ice cream.

We chose this place after reading the good reviews and we were not disappointed. It's the perfect location for a cuppa and a bacon bap and the staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly.

A spot on location, overlooking the beach. We just had a coffee, which was ok, but prices were very reasonable and the service prompt and very friendly.

Best bacon sarnie for miles with great service and fantastic views. Wide range of food on offer, served quickly.

I am very surprised by the other review next to this one. Had fish and chips regular from this cafe. I'm very surprised by the common. the food here is always very good and to a high standard. So very shocked to hear about this. Please do not judge this cafe on the previous review try it for yourself and trust me you will be very happy.

This little cafe on Marine Parade in the picture perfect sea side of Lyme Regis is so convenient to sit and eat overlooking the sensational view, advertising fresh cooked fish and chips we could not resist. How I wish we had! The fish was shaped like a large frozen fish finger and the chips must have been refried so many times as you could not get the fork into them and even the sea gulls trying to steal one off the floor could not pierce it with his beak, leaving it on the floor!!

We use this takeaway most times we are down on Lyme Regis beach. The food is basic but good value. Rolls are made fresh so can't be much better. The pasties are probably the best in town. Overall a great food stop and value

I'd definitely recommend this little restaurant! They serve up freshly cooked fish and chips which are very tasty! They even have a few tables & chairs so if you're lucky you'll be able to enjoy the sea views from the side walk, but be aware lots of people are walking past. Although to be fair it adds to the beach atmosphereIt does get busy but they have a good ordering system that lets you know when your food's ready.Good value for money too and the portions aren't small either with all of us leaving some chips!

Had a quick tea and coffee here, as always the staff were very friendly. The tea and coffee were served to our table and the coffee far nicer than from other coffee shops in the town.

On our way to Dartmoor, wanted a stop on the way, and found The Alcove. Great sat right on the beach, service was great and the baps did what they say on the menu. Bacon was amazing!!

stopped here in the morning for coffee, bacon sandwich and ice cream for the other half just loved it staff were great food and coffee hit the spot. fast efficient service great value.

First time visiting here, and we certainly weren't disappointed. Really great tasting food all cooked fresh. Highly recommended

They do all sorts here from fish and chips to sandwiches to pasties.Good value for money there is limited seating outside on the prom.Helpful and friendly staff.Great views as well.

We had looked for a takeaway chippy, but seemed very overpriced. We were just going to get a cream tea from here (wish we had done that too now I've read the reviews), but saw the fish and chips they were serving and decided to order. When they say made to order they mean it. Order taken (no picking cod, haddock etc, its fish and chips). Given a timer which will sound when the order is ready. We were sat near the café and could see the guys cooking it fresh for us. No need to collect, before the timer went off the order was brought straight to the table. I usually find the smell and thought of fish and chips never live up to reality. Not in this case. Lovely dry crisp chips and battered fish. I usually pick the batter off (gosh I'm fussy), but not this one, both thin and crisp - infact I could hear it crunch. Fish that tasted like fish and not water. Gorgeous. Couldn't eat all the chips, and luckily the parasols kept the seagulls off (unlike the icecream I nearly had later) Would highly recommend. Fish and chips the way they should be and at £6 a head a bargain.

Top cream tea, scones warm and soft and a lovely waiter who went out of his way to make us all welcome. Tea was hot and lovely.

Love the fantastic ultimate burger always very good , the owners and staff are always friendly and nice , best ice cream in Lyme Regis especially the duo flavoured whippy , keep up the good work boys and girls .

We stayed in the apartment directly above the alcove so we used them for breakfast/lunch fairly frequently! Lovely full english and toasties and the ice cream was great too! Staff friendly and would even bring the food up to us when ready! Would definitely recommend

We were tired after a busy day so decided to get a fish and chips takeaway. It was the worst fish and chips we had ever tasted! Chips were obviously frozen ones, not fresh, and the fish was rubbery and grey and the batter was chewy. Cannot believe a seaside establishment would serve such poor quality fish. Avoid like the plague.

Ice cream here is the best, blackcurrant and cream or salted caramel. Looks like any other ice cream but the taste is streets ahead of the rest. Ended up having two, completely unheard of by me, I'm a fussy ice cream eater. Highly recommend.

Had a crab Baguette from here on Sunday it was very full of fresh crab very tasty and a very good price. was served by a very friendly Genteman. What deafly come back for another. Later returned for an ice cream highly recommended good View of Lyme Bay.

Lovely little cafe on the sea front. Pleasant and tasty snacks/meals at far more reasonable prices than some of the other eateries. Friendly staff and because of the outside eating area dogs are welcome. If you are walking from the Cobb along the promenade then please stop here and don't go to the cafe on the last corner, it sells the same food at twice the price with the most miserable, unwelcoming woman behind the counter.

We called for a by the sea snack in lovely sunshine and had the snack of our lives which "hit the mark". Staff so nice too. Many thanks.

Would highly recommend the Devon cream tea.. Lovely, warm, fresh, soft scones with lashings of fresh cream and jam... Yummy.Always friendly and welcoming and lovely to sit on the sea front and watch the coming and goings in the sunshine...Best place on the front on a lovely day

After walking from Charmouth to Lyme Regis we arrived at Alcove for something to eat. We ordered the Fish n Chips & a pasty. Both were so delicious - the fish was probably the best I've ever had. The ambience of sitting on the beach front made the meal unforgettable. Bonus is the owner gave us an extra takeaway tray so we could feed the pooch her dinner as well ☺️

Visited here on Good Friday, sat outside in glorious sunshine, eating the most delicious piping hot fish & chips, all cooked freshly for us. On ordering, we were given a little timer, which sounded when our meal was ready, in about ten minutes. Excellent !Staff were friendly & efficient. Will definitely eat there again on next visit.

My mum & I enjoyed a lovely lunch here today, Good Friday. We both ordered fish & chips, which were freshly cooked to order. We managed to get a seat at one of the tables just outside, overlooking the beach, which was perfect. The service was friendly & I would definitely eat here again.

We visited this little fish and chip shop twice in the same week as it had seating outside and been pregnant I didn't want to sit on the beach and eat! We had the most succulent fish I think I have ever had with chips that were fried so dry and crispy we just had to go back later in the week!! Can't wait to bring the little one down next year! Owner was very friendly, offering us the newspaper whilst we waited to be served!

Having driven down to Lyme Regis with no plane we needed to eat as the kids were getting aggravated. So as the weather was nice and the breakfast 6.25 with a cup of tea we want for it. Great breakfast the fried bread was perfect and the guys could not be more friendly !!!Looks like a future holiday to Lyme Regis is in the offing and a revisit to the Alcove will defiantly be on the cards.

Great place in good weather to sit in the sun above the beach with a cup of tea. Food looked good. Staff are friendly.

we popped in here for some quick take away chips, the man was extremely friendly and the chips were lovely.

Enjoyed some well filled sandwiches and some excellent service today. Dairy cones are big and delicious.

Been to Lyme dozens of times but never had anything from The Alcove, but will again!On a very busy day the two guys running the show (presumably the boss and an employee) were friendly, relaxed and helpful. I had a tuna baguette and the Mrs a tea cake. A short 5-8 minute wait sat at a clean table on the beachfront resulted in a perfectlyPrepared baguette and a tasty moist tea cake. Cannot fault, clean, tidy, good food and great service.

Having arrived in Lyme and wanting food we happened upon the Alcove. All food freshly made and delicious. Well presented and good value for money. All on the seafront. Set the standard for the week.

you cant beat the view from the alcove, perfect location! and its wonderful to be served by such a friendly team of staff. quick service and good pricing ! cant go wrong. will be back !

Disgusting fish and chips !!!! Very misleading cooked to order !!!! Frozen fish and frozen chips absolutely horrible. AVOID

Brilliant service, fast and friendly with good quality food and good value for money, the people on here just like to act like food critics

ordered 2 fish and chips which was cooked to order and mushy peas and 2 proper strong mugs of tea very friendly staff and bought out a big bowl of water for the dog we will be returning again soon

A huge disappointment. A seaside cafe selling 'cooked to order fish and chips'. They omit to tell you this fish is not fresh but the cheapest form of formed fish in batter they could get hold of. None of us could finish this greasy revolting meal and hurried away trying to forget this dismal experience.DO NOT EAT HERE IF YOU WANT FRESH FISH YOU WILL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED.

must say had a lovely breakfast fantastic staff and very friendly,ice creams were delicious,seating on the promenade is a nice touch with lovely views of the Jurassic coast and the cobb..

Wonderful friendly staff, so lovely, made us feel like regulars! Not had such lovely fish and chips for a long time, very generous mushy pea portion, cup of tea in a real mug and self serve salt and vinegar. I'm seriously surprised at the bad reviews on here. Had lovely ice cream too, massive portion and more great banter with the staff. Great price, location, taste and presentation

We come here several times when we holiday in Lyme to get a pasty before going on fishing trips. Friendly staff and not too pricey.

We were in Lyme Regis today on a gorgeous sunny day, and fancied an ice cream. Alcove, which has a perfect location right on the seafront had an excellent range of flavours, so we dived in. We had the chocolate fudge brownie, and strawberries in clotted cream flavours, and they were just heavenly !! Super-rich dairy ice cream, and both flavours were absolutely gorgeous. I consider myself an ice cream connoisseur, and the ice cream at Alcove is as good as anywhere in the UK. Very highly recommended, especially on a lovely sunny day like today where you can cross over to the beach and eat this superb ice cream by the sea.

We stopped by twice to have coffee and a snack, a real friendly guy and food and drinks were served quickly, very good value for money and a nice view

Enjoying a family day out in Lyme Regis we decided to sit on the sea front and have some lunch together and The Alcove seemed to be the right place to be. We ordered our food and went out to sit on one of there tables where we were given a number for our food order. After some time had passed this really rude obnoxious man appeared at our table shouting at us because we had not heard him call our number, being at the very end of his row of table and chairs and in a very noisy spot we were expected to hear him, yeah right! We were extremely shocked at his reaction he was disgusting and rude and we would never eat there again. Disgusting way to treat your customers.

What a fabulous shop. Sandwiches freshly made to order, cheesy chips to die for and great service. We'll done guys

Really lovely place to sit by the sea! Food was fantastic value for money and as was the ice cream, topped off by lovely service by the northern man (sorry didn't catch his name).Fantastic, certainly worth sitting along there when you visit Lyme Regis!Will certainly be coming back again!

Large range of delicious creamy ice cream for a good price- I would definitely recommend buying ice creams here! The flavoured Whippies were gorgeous and the staff are always friendly

Took my mum for an ice cream which she really enjoyed. I had an interesting 2 flavoured Whippy. Soft melted and fell off the cone. Young student & first shift. Forgivable but at £2 an ice cream not good! Visitors from South Africa were patrons. Wife asked me where WiFi was available. Told her Costa. Lyme WiFi. Owner shouted at her to get off his chair! She was so shocked. They ended up at a for a coffee just along. Sat under a canopy and enjoyed the view.

I'm not a avid review writer but as I sat in the sunshine eating themost delicious fish an chips I have eaten for a long time...I felt compelledto advertise the delights before me. The fish was fresh crisp and very tastythe chips cooked as we waited were piping hot the smell divine...The staffwere genuinely helpful and very accommodating. I cannot wait to return with my family and in the meantime encouraging anyone who visitsLyme....Do not miss out on this treat !! Its Yummie and very good value formoney..IN FACT CHEAP AS CHIPS

A large choice of flavours in all ice creams, fantastic take away fish and chips, great shop for souvenirs! Always very clean, lovely friendly staff always greeted with a smile thank you very much! Love this place

I live in Lyme Regis & this is the only ice cream parlor I visit! The whippy ice creams are so colourful with so many different flavours which you don't get anywhere else in Lyme Regis! & all the scoop ice creams are amazing! & for the take away, perfection.. All the food I have ever eaten from there has beaten any take away along the seafront!

From good fish and chips and an amazing selection of local and "flavoured" whippy ice creams to holiday trinkets and beach necessities this shop has it all... Good all round prices and friendly staff the Alcove is definitely worth a visit!

Started with lunch, had delicious fish and chips. We then tried the flavoured whippy ice creams (loads to chose from) which were fab! Size really does matter. Highly recommend.

Had cod and chips ,,, not what I expected, chips were just about passable , but the cod resembled a typical frozen triangular fish portion which you would associate with a low cost supermarket... Will give this place a miss in the future .....

The pasties are great, the staff are helpful and friendly and it's all topped off by the stunning sea views. Would definitely go back here if I return again!

A spur of the moment to leave the A35 and have supper in Lyme. Lovely sunny evening and fish and chips overlooking the beach. Not the best fish and chops ever but reasonably priced, friendly service and lovely setting.

We used to get three big Cornish pasties for under a tenner and they were always perfect temperature and delicious Great spot to watch the sea

Had the set big breakfast standard double sausage, bacon, egg etc...served with a lovely cup of coffee. Well worth the £6.50 and with a view overlooking the beach.

Later in the day passed this takeaway on the sea front and after seeing one of the staff carry a portion of chips to a customer sat outside, they looked nice and crispy.So ordered fish & chips with mushy peas for a takeaway at £6.Now whilst all cooked to order the chips and peas were average, however the fish was below par.I personally will be trying some where else the next time in town.

A fav stoping point for a softy ice cream and a pasty or just a cuppa, the staff are always happy to help and very dog friendly. A great little spot - I plan to trya breakfast roll asap!!

We were looking for some fish and chips one sunny bank holiday and decided to try this place. Decision was made solely on the fact that they served them in boxes, as we wanted to walk along to the far beach and f & chips in paper go soggy quicker! The fish and chips are cooked to order and were good value, you even get complimentary ketchup and tartare sauce which was a nice touch I thought. Service was friendly, and there were a few table and chairs overlooking the sea, but the promenade was busy so we ate ours on the beach. The chips seemed to be made of frozen chips, but despite this they were quite nice, though hubby and children enjoyed them more than me. The fish looked to be also of the pre-formed frozen type, so I wasn't expecting much, but it was very nice. The fish tasted lovely and fresh and the batter was very crispy. Hubby said it was the crispiest batter he had ever had. Even the kiddies liked the fish, which was unusual for them. I would say it was very 'kiddie friendly' fish and chips!

We wandered into the Alcove for pasties as a way of experiencing the local fare. The pastry was excellent and the portions were good size. Freshly prepared chips added to the quality of the meal. Cheese and onion, vegetable and steak pasties all proved to be good and very reasonably priced. If one enjoys ice-creams (which we definitely do) the specials in the hatch next door were definitely worth a try. The current flavor from the local dairy farm- stem-ginger may not be everyone's favorite but it is one of the most unique desserts that I have had. Wasn't quite sure of the softy ice quality. Attached to the alcove is a shop for keepsakes that are reasonably priced with friendly staff in all three sections.

We heard from a local about good cornish pasties in the area so decided to explore and came across this place. Had choice of Steak, cheese and onion and vegetable pasties. Between us we tried all of them. Pasties were really good and would recommend trying it.There is plenty of seating outside looking at the beach, no indoor seating. They do have choices of sandwiches, baguettes etc.

Really good food, served very quickly. Amazing seat right on the sea front. Watch out for the seagulls though, they will have that delicious pasty away! Good chips, and crab sandwich, freshly made to order. Happy staff, what a shame it is not a full restaurant!

We have visited The Alcove three times, it is a small place on the sea front, you can have take-away or sit overlooking the sea. We really enjoyed their pasties and the best chips I've had for ages. Very clean, the staff are very friendly and make sure your food is piping hot, nothing is too much trouble. If you want a snack, tea, ice cream or lunch this is an excellent place.