The Gathering Place at Nappers Mite in West Dorset

Always loved this place, and always went there when on holiday in the area. Was a little shocked and saddened to pop by there to find it has (seemingly) gone out of business. While we couldn't eat there today, I'm still going to leave a 5/5 score for the many delicious meals we've had there in the past.

Very friendly staff, could sit inside or out. Food was delicious and a larger selection to chose from of the menu and not to long to wait. Good size portion.

Went here for a bite to eat as location is great, arrived and ordered 2 Panini's -.. they asked us if we wanted coleslaw or salad with them, we chose the salad, the meal arrived with a handful of crisps on the side no salad, and we we're told that the chef had run out of salad - (wish they had told us before we paid) the order was wrong, I had Halloumi but ordered Mozzarella, the coffees were small even though we ordered large and served in plastic cups, they refused to give me a receipt which is legal requirement as no one knew how to work the till. By this time we were so disappointed we just wanted to eat and go. The fresh cream Victoria sponge looked like artificial cream and wasn't great. The toilets were closed to customers, which again I am sure is a legal requirement if you have more than 10 tables you are serving, the portions are SMALL. overall, dreadful service, food and atmosphere when it could be an amazing place to eat if they cared to out some effort in.

Popped into the store for a milkshake, ice cream and cake. Was absolutely LOVELY!! Unbelievable Jeff.. The staff are amicable, cordial and friendly they even offered us seconds for free! Of course we obliged… absolute no - brainer! Will be going back again soon

Passing through I just needed a quick sandwich to takeaway. When I asked if they do sandwiches or panini's I was told in a sarcastic tone that due to Covid staffing shortages the Chef wasn't in. It didn't appear to be busy and there wasn't a queue, so at that point I just went and spent my money somewhere else. A simple "no" or "not today sorry", would've sufficed. I don't know if the man was the Owner and he thought he was being funny, but the sarcastic/condescending vibe didn't work for me.

Slow attendance at till had to ring bell a couple times with the last attempt being persistent.Person taking the order at till was also bringing items to the tables, the place was not busy, but did think maybe more staff would have been advisable.We had a latte coffee and banana milkshake, the coffee was extremely bland with no taste of coffee but was hot, the grass underneath our bench seat hopefully benefited from the cup being poured onto it.The milkshake at first suck through the straw did taste of banana, the second attempt similar to vanilla and another drink from the cup through the straw I am really not sure what it was.I am not particularly environmentally friendly but the good thing about our drinks wasn’t the items, but the cups and straw were recyclable.About 10 minutes after leaving the premises I was sick.. could have been anything, but the milkshake was the only thing I had that morning. We do not intend returning because Dorchester is now overrun with coffee shops so has plenty of alternatives.

Don’t go here!! The manager is a horrible person, treats both his staff and customers with no respect. The coffee was awful, couldn’t even finish it.Highly confused how a place like this is still open.

Stopped by here on a Sunday...most of the town was closed but it was a lovely day and we had lunch out the back...very attentive staff and food was very nice (paninos and fries).

We were encouraged to go here by the lovely female worker and the coffee was good but one if the cakes tasted quite dry - due to current issues with COVID - all was on paper and we had to clear our own table

Looking for a light lunch while on a walking and history searching holiday in the area, the surroundings and setting of The Gathering Place looked perfect, how wrong were we? Having ordered through a sensible and strictly enforced method, we awaited our food and drinks enthusiastically. The menu offered baguettes and other bread based mains accompanied by a crispy salad and crisps; they were a tad pricey but we thought we'd be getting a good portion. Instead I got strange tasting food, which I wondered whether it was alright to eat the others food was ok, but NONE of the meals had salad, when questioned we were told that the menu was WRONG and there was no salad! The simplest thing in the World to produce was not available. We noticed that other customers were having similar problems with their food orders and we got the gruffest 'sorry' when we challenged the man who appeared to be the manager. This is simply one of the worst food experiences I have ever had and being ill the next day, I'm certain my food was not fresh.

Visited in sept 20, ordered tea and scone,, served by surly youngster and after one bite of the scone I turned it over to discover it was quite mouldy, on returning it to the counter I was told “ O yes it was one left from yesterday” as though this event was quite normal, no apology , and just handed another similar looking specimen . Very disappointing , beware.

I can see bad other reviews about management/staff on here.On Saturday my partner and I stepped inside the door to ask if they were serving food and there was a lady at the till and we were stood by the door over 2m away. I really didn't realise only one of us was allowed in and hadn't seen the sign and the manager (presumably) came out and made me jump by shouting at both of us and telling me to get out and he had a go at me which really upset me. We were by the door and it was an honest mistake, I didn't know. I ran outside because he had shouted at me and made me jump and asked my partner if we could leave because I was so upset. A simple "Please could one of you wait outside" would have been the professional option and I honestly don't think anyone has ever spoken to me like that when I have gone in to spend my money at their establishment. A man coming out and shouting at a young girl and her partner is so unprofessional, not to mention rude. I would never speak to someone like that in my life, let alone if I was trying to run a business and they were my customer! Since other people have mentioned the manager in bad reviews I feel less upset because he's clearly just not very nice in general and it wasn't specifically aimed at me. I don't want to spend my money here ever again knowing how that man speaks to other human beings

The coffee was cold froth and the hot chocolates were tepid frothy milk with a sprinkle of chocolate powder. Also exceptionally expensive. 4 drinks and 4 cakes for 33.80....

Stopped for mid morning meal and we both had a breakfast option which were well cooked although eggs were pale in colour perhaps not free range. Coffee was nice but service from 2 younger staff not terribly good or helpful it was quiet so perhaps a bit bored

Ordered burger and chips and a macaroni cheese. We sent the burger back because you could not cut the burger with a knife because it was hard. We received a refund. The macaroni cheese tasted very strange not quite sure what the cheese sauce was made of!! Such a shame as this used to be such a lovely place to visit. Also the staff seemed as if they couldn't be bothered. Not going back again

Visited several times on market days. Always a chunk of Dorset Apple Cake and a flat white. Service good. Good selection of papers, only problem is that occasionally papers are out of date!

Looks like a lovely little place, but paying £10 for a few leaves (a salad??) and a tomato is a disgrace! I asked for a vegan option - the staff just told me to take off the cheese (which we did) but there was nothing else left. Staff were not friendly, and not helpful. We always waited 20 minutes those 3 leaves. I DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Arrived and had a lovely round of teas and soft drinks. Enjoyed the surrounding so much decided to stay for lunch. Ordered 4 meals. 3 arrived. We waited and waited but no 4th meal arrived. 10

We were visiting Dorset and remembered this cafe being excellent from many years ago but we were sadly disappointed. The tea was served as two mugs with just hot water in them and two tea bags on a small saucer! This meant the water wasn’t piping hot and you had to dip the tea bag in the mug and then add the milk. I prefer my milk first and a proper teapot. The egg tarts tasted too eggy in our opinion so the entire experience was astonishing in such a pleasant setting. Also, we moved tables to outside as the fire or smoke alarm kept making a loud bleep every few minutes but we could still irritatingly hear it outside in the courtyard but why not do something about it please? And buy some teapots and stronger teabags please?

We stumbled across The Gathering Place after parking in the car park. The courtyard was very busy which we took to be a good omen. Inside there were some seats available and on checking the menu decided on quiche with salad and slaw, one with new potatoes and one with chips. Both meals were delicious, very generous portions and the chips were good - not the common skinny ones with hardly and potato inside.

Lovely busy cafe, we sat out in the garden it is a great spot. Coffee was good, everyone enjoyed there meals and the service was good too.

Helpful staff, lovely coffee & cake Really organised & welcoming And really good value too £10.60 2 coffees & 2 cakes

Its a very cute little place to have a coffee and a bite to eat. What lets it down entirely is the owner and how he treats his staff like nothing more than dirt on the ground! Disgusting! He was yelling at them and belittling them in front of customers which is HIGHLY unprofessional....his staff are much more polite and professional than the owner is!

visited for a coffee and custard tart, the coffee was good as was the custard tart, what i witnessed while i was there put me off going back again.

Cutest little place in the courtyard. Quite happy for us to share and provided extra plate!! Wonderful bread and all so fresh!! Will definitely come again!!

Have visited this venue many times over the years, both since these owners took over recently (changing the name from Nappers Mite) and in previous two ownerships. I have to say the food is excellent whether for breakfast brunch or lunch. We always sit in the garden because of our dog. Today not only did the waitress bring him a bowl of water but a gentleman (who I think might be the owner) came over to make a fuss of him and gave him 3 dog treats. How kind and thoughtful!

Loved happening across this place on our road trip between Dawlish and Brighton. Well worth the stop to refuel on sunshine, great food and environment. Many thanks to Mike for the hospitality! My bro is also a Mike and so I had to get a shot of them together in 'Mike's Garden'. Brilliant!

The gathering place was our chosen venue for our Leonard Cheshire volunteers thank you tea party during volunteers week. The manager very kindly put on this amazing spread of delicious tea and a variety of cakes for a lovely volunteers that help at our locally base services in Dorchester, Weymouth, Wareham and our Dorchester Cheshire Box charity shop in Dorchester. We had private use of their newly refurbished room, which will be now used for their new dessert area. The staff were very friendly, polite and helpful. Thank you so much for making the afternoon great.

Called for a spot of lunch whilst visiting Dorchester. Lovely friendly staff, sat in the garden with our dog. 4 adults and twin toddlers all very satisfied with the food. 1 child's meal bought and shared between the twins and there way plenty. Paninis bought, jacket potato and gourmet fish finger baguette. All empty plates including the kids sausage and chips. Definitely recommend to anyone passing and needing a bite to eat or just a rest. Lovely looking cakes inside too. No photos as too delicious too leave. Empty plate is always a good sign

Called in whilst visiting Dorchester,good character,friendly staff,even bought us out bowl of water for our Dog! Good food and drink..

Lovely cafe/restaurant we come here every time we are in Dorchester good selection of really fresh food, which is nicely presented and the staff are very friendly and helpful, especially the boss 😃and it’s very good value for money.

Quirky little cafe with great footfall as you can cut through from the car park. Young staff are helpful and friendly but the manager lets the place down. He is arrogant and rude and his young members of staff are much more professional than he is. Food and drinks are ok and the service is good. Won't use the cafe again due to the way he treats his staff.

I called into this cafe yesterday for coffee and cake whilst shopping in Dorchester. It is dog friendly which was a bonus as I have my Jack Russell with me. There was a good choice of cakes, and the coffee was good, being served very quickly. I returned later for lunch, having a bacon, cheese and brie toasted baguette which was served with a generous salad and crisps. The staff were friendly and the place was busy with many people enjoying the sunshine in the courtyard and garden.

This is an historic building that’s been given a very successful revamp. It now looks really inviting from the street. We enjoyed excellent coffee with a very wide choice of newspapers and were impressed by the interesting, affordable menu. Service was great too. We’ll be back to try some of those tempting breakfast dishes soon.

We had a quick lunch here whilst shopping - nothing special, but nothing to complain about either. If we were passing again & needed somewhere, we'd drop in again.

Popped in to get out of the rain, and what a great little place this is.

Situated in a small courtyard off the main shopping pedestrianised shopping street, is this quiet haven with some outside tables, plus a coffee shop and restaurant.

A very pleasant place to eat and drink...good atmosphere and service and our meals were very good. Our only regret was that we did not have room for any of the superb cakes and cheesecakes on display. Service and value very good.

It's been a few years since I was in Dorchester and I didn't realise this place was open again. Its makeover looks good and from speaking to the owner he finally seems to have a good balance of staff after months of trying to achieve that.

Shame still doing the cleaning at approx 9.30ish wasn't sure if open coffee was very good eggs benedict very tasty muffin a little small but overall good

Only popped in for a coffee, but the food smelled SOOOOOOOO good that we had to have something. Opted for the Eggs Benedict, and was not disappointed. Cooked to absolute perfection, and clearly used some good quality eggs and some nice tasty bacon.

Just spotted in passing and they were happy to accommodate our dogs in the garden/courtyard and even found them a treat. Scampi and sausage and mash pretty good. Desserts/cakes not brilliant though. If we ever return to Dorchester, would be happy to eat here again. The waitresses were exceptionally pleasant.

From the outside ideal little watering hole. Even though the staff tried to do there best it was the owner doesn't give a dam. He's untrust worthy. Forgot to mention saw a little mouse scamper in the court yard

Nice venue, a lovely old building in the centre of town. Small rooms off a little courtyard. Just here for tea and coffee which at £4.25 was reasonably priced.

Nothing gluten free and very rude owner when questioned about it. Was told they would only cater for the majority.

just passing through Dorchester and not easy to find an independent coffee outlet, eventually stumbled across this place, not very clearly signposted outside. Nice area to sit, good iced coffee, nice panini. Service rather slow and erratic - husband served ages before me - but staff pleasant and food good.

Just stopped here with my husband during a first visit to the city. Only had coffee and cake but both were excellent and the service was really friendly and efficient. The place was looking busy and popular. Lovely little court yard. Clean loo is always an important bonus too! Would recommend.

This does look like a nice establishment but after popping in for a quick cold drink and finding lipstick on my glass I’ve changed my mind. It really isn’t hard to wash up properly.

This is such a great location with a lot of footfall and it is so nice to see this lovely building and courtyard up and running. Place your order at the counter & collect a spoon with a number so your order can be brought to your table. The food was very good everything from quiches to panini's, omlettes, sandwiches etc, not forgetting delicious cakes. There were a few teething problems, tea arrived without milk, no cutlery but Servers were quick to get us what was needed. You can now get breakfast here or on a hot day ice-creams. All in all wishing the new owners good luck.

We were very disappointed with our visit to this restaurant. It took 45minutes for the food to arrive and when it Came my wife's was inedible. She had quiche which that hard you could not even cut it with a knife. Then they questioned what was wrong when we returned it. Not a place we will be returning to.

Had lunch here today, great to see a much loved Dorchester historic gem open again. Having eaten many times in the former Napers Mite the menu is smaller but just as good as before. My daughters had sandwiches and I had Scampi and chips with salad instead of peas. Friendly, attentive staff, my only wish is it is they no longer offer complete table service but do agree it is better for them if customers pay when ordering. Good luck to the new owners, we will continue to eat there.