The Octagon Cafe in West Dorset

This is a hidden gem in Poundbury right next to the Poet Laureate pub. It serves great coffee and great food in a clean and welcoming setting. The team are so welcoming you immediately feel comfortable and I noticed that several groups of friends regularly use the café as their chosen meet up location. I recommend the full Rnhlish breakfast and the omelettes. Highly recommended and popular spot in Poundbury

Mediterranean Night was a tad disappointing - we have written directly to the new owners with our feedback on this occasion

Visited the cafe today and was really impressed. The staff and owners are all so friendly and welcoming. The all day breakfast was absolutely fantastic, all cooked fresh with quality ingredients. The cafe was spotlessly clean and well laid out. Nicest cafe I’ve been in for years and I know I will be back soon.

Brilliant large breakfast. Proper bacon, not the water-filled stuff, no white gunky bits. Deep yellow yolked eggs, baked beans on the plate, not served in a small bowl balanced on the edge of the plate. Thick cut crispy toast (even after buttering).

I visited the Octagon with friends and we pride ourselves on knowing a good breakfast when we see (and taste it!) And this was a great breakfast and fantastic value. We will definitely visit again!

I’ve just read the previous review from Julie A regarding being asked to take her dog off the seat. I’m surprised she found this request unfair. Dogs can carry dirt and germs on their paws, and it's a very reasonable request from the owner to keep the seats clean for all customers. If I saw a dog sitting on the seat I wouldn't go in! Leaving a negative review for such a considerate request seems unwarranted, selfish and arrogant. We had a lovely breakfast there!

Had a breakfast, very sparse. 1 bacon, 1 eggs, 2tiny tomatoes cut in half. 1 undercooked sausage.mushrooms. 2 slices toast with scanty butter in middle of bread. Not impressed.

Went previous saturday and Mark was on duty he was very friendly and fussed over lexy too (Malshi Dog). enjoyed the drink and cakes so decided to go back this saturday for tea and cake, sat on the same sofa lexy jumped up and laid next to us whilst we ordered at the table with lexy quiet no barking at all, we waited for the cake and drinks to arrive and as it was laid on the table Lisa (I presume) came looked at us and said " Paws on floors, I'm afraid" that's our policy!, I put lexy on floor but she wants to be with us so now we are uncomfortable and I have lost my apetite so went to pay, Lisa says that was quick, so I explained why we were leaving and that her partner Mark was fine with it last week, have no idea what the issue is! so very disappointed! Confesses to be dog friendly, it was before! Oh and cake portions are almost half the size they were with previous owners. So don't think you will last long.

We thoroughly enjoy visiting the Octagon Cafe. The new owners, Mark and Lisa, are friendly and welcoming, as are all the staff. My husband loves their sausage sandwiches and their homemade cakes are absolutely delicious. The ginger cake with cream cheese frosting is amazing. Great coffee and tea in comfortable surroundings and they are dog friendly too. Highly recommended.

We thought we would pop in for a light lunch and have look see how things were progressing under the new ownership .. most impressed with the menu which included a dish of the day and various hot and cold offerings together with a selection of cakes and deserts ….. we both opted for the fresh Portland crab cakes cooked to order and served with sweet chilly sauce and salad . .. highly recommended and reasonably priced ! Their Sunday lunch fare also looked tempting and we will no doubt be making a return visit . Also great to see that the cafe continues to be dog friendly. …..Most enjoyable visit. Thanks

We booked Sunday lunch at very short notice as we had not eaten there for sometime. We were not disappointed - the welcome was very warm and the choice of meat was excellent quality, well cooked with plentiful vegetables to accompany it. I was the only one in our group to have dessert - superb! Being able to take one's own wine/beer is a bonus - they even supply the glasses! 5 stars *****

The Octagon Dorchester has just produced a beautiful home cooked Sunday lunch consisting of 2roast chicken,1 beef and 1 gammon all excellent. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and very well presented. The gravy was incredibly tasty,all served together and piping hot. The pudding we selected was homemade cherry pie and was absolutely perfect, beautiful pastry nice and thin with plenty of filling. Thank you Linda for making us so welcome. We will return very soon.

Popped in for breakfast on a chilly Saturday morning in Feb. Lovely and light and warm inside this cafe. Only one other table occupied. Friendly lady who seemed to be the only staff member there so I assume they aren't usually busy. Chose full English cooked breakfasts. There was a long wait for it but you could see and hear her cooking it and we weren't in a hurry. It looked lovely when it was brought to the table and was a good price at about a tenner per head. But in fact we were both disappointed with it. The bacon was on the rock hard side of crispy, difficult to cut into with a knife so once you managed to do that you risked your teeth trying to bite into it. If you did manage, then it was very bland anyway. My fried egg was undercooked - snotty and slimy so I didn't eat it. The rest was ok, actually the little bubble and squeak cake was great, but the rest was average. The sausage wasn't inspiring, have had much better quality ones and the same with the eggs - very pale yolks. So overall I feel I have to rate it as average as we have had much better breakfasts for similar prices elsewhere recently.

Great local cafe. Been for Sunday lunch several times. You do not leave hungry!!! Lovely lady, Linda runs the cafe with a welcoming smile…….

Went here with my mother for breakfast/lunch. Was the best panini I've had and I'm not easily pleased. Lovely fresh side salad and friendly staff. Would recommend and can't wait for my next visit

My first visit to the café today. What a little gem. The homemade cake, (Lemon and blueberry) was absolutely fantastic. Alongside a very good coffee and very friendly staff this was a fantastic find. Definitely be coming back to try the other cakes and savouries.

Visited the octagon cafe today for the first time, and we were blown away. Best full English we've had for ages with great ingredients and freshly cooked to order. Dog friendly too and friendly service. Can't recommend highly enough. Our new favourite weekend breakfast place.

Absolutely fabulous, roast beef lunch. Tender Beef, & plenty of fresh vegetables, crispy golden roast potatoes & parsips. Relaxed atmosphere with great service & selection of puds & coffee. Just like home cooked meal but far better & tastier than I could cook!

Been here twice in a couple of weeks could not fault it the new owners deserve to do well the food is excellent my husband had a bacon sandwich freshly sliced bread and ample bacon I had mushrooms on toast loads of mushrooms and plenty of lovely bread all served very promptly and hot. Two vey decent pots of tea all served with a smile. Very competitive prices as well. Give it a go !

Excellent Sunday roast, beautifully cooked with all the trimmings. The desserts were wonderful and the Sundae my Wife chose totally floored her - enormous! Good service, friendly but not overwhelming. Not licensed but will take our own wine next time. They are happy to provide glasses.

I met a friend here and we spent time having a chat over a couple of coffees. Service and covid precautions was exceptional. Very nice hot coffee too. It’s a shame that the cafe itself (like another on Poundbury) is designed with very high octagonal ceilings which in the present climate with open doors makes it on the chilly side at this time of year and likely to get worse as winter progresses.

Called here for an impromptu lunch. Very pleasant ambience - light and airy, and tables well spaced to meet the Covid requirements. Very nicely prepared, and tasty, lunch, but unfortunately a couple with two yappy poodles were allowed to bring them into the Cafe. The waitress made a fuss of the dogs - not very hygienic!

What a lovely evening we had for our works Christmas meal. Food was amazing and the portion size was really good, I've never seen a cheese board like it before WOW. Really relaxing atmosphere with happy friendly staff, well done first class.

We always pop in here after our swim or after my exercise class. We're always pleased because:- always greeted with a welcoming smile, the cuppa's are served in a lovely teapot/cup so it always stays hot, the toilet area is nice and clean, the service is quick and friendly, the toy area for the kiddies keeps them happy and easily observed safely.

Oh my goodness what a hidden gem of a place. Fantastic food and outstanding service. Easy access for people of all abilities and an amazing childrens corner. Parking right outside. Lovely place thank you

Went to the Café last night for a dinner with my son and his wife, we had a steak meal where you cook the steak yourself, it was out of this world fantastic, I could not praise this Café enough, the service was as good as the food there is no way we could fault this place in any way it could not have been more friendly

A group of us decided to cheer up January at the Octagon, we went for the "hot rock steak night". We loved cooking our own steaks, we all wanted them cooked slightly differently! The steaks were delicious as well. Taking our own wine and walking home was a lovely bonus! Thank you to Charlene and team.

First class latte and memorable moist lemon drizzle cake. A warm welcome from the staff. A light, uncluttered space with books, magazines, and a play area for youngsters.

Short visit today before heading home nice to see the same friendly staff there great cup of coffee and tuna sandwich will be returning

Lovely children’s family play area, staff welcoming and polite. Coffee not the best, food ok for price you pay

This is a budget cafe, with a simple menu and lovely, willing staff. It has an amateurish feel, which I found rather endearing! The food is basic, the coffee weak, unless you insist. The setting is great. Easy parking and relaxed atmosphere.

Enjoyed a coffee stop here. Lovely flat white coffee. Lots of Menu items and special dishes. Great service. Clean and tidy. Kids sitting/quiet corner with toys. Book shelf to read/buy second hand books. 4 hours free parking in Pummery Square.Worth diverting off the A35 if you need sustenance and easy parking.

Very nice family run cafe. Tasty tuna baguette,quick service. Good value too. Next time we’ll try the fish & chips!

Returned again with just my partner we had beer batterd cod and chips and pulled pork roll very large portions great value for money will defiantly be returning now parents are living near. Staff very helpfull and friendly

Had a fantastic meal yesterday Staff very friendly nice to see a wider range of hot meals being served now it’s under new management exerlant portions the fish and chips was fantastic will definitely be returning

I haven't been here for years, but remember it as being a fantastic place to meet friends and have excellent coffee. Unfortunately I was very disappointed on my recent visit as it seems to be aimed at families, with a children's play area and meal deals for children, all day breakfast etc. The selection of cakes was very poor, just a few odd slices obviously left from the day before with no new ones available, and the staff were polite but served without a smile, so we did not stay long, just drank our unimpressive coffee and left. I wont be going back.

Had a lovely lunch, jacket potato was a good size with plenty of filling. Very clean cafe with friendly staff. Looking forward to my next visit.

Came across this great little cafe while visiting The food was outstanding Full English Breakfast great value for money husband had a pennini that was also Excerlant the children loved the play area and staff was so friendly and helpfull will defiantly go again on our next visit to Dorset in a few weeks

Had a panini and coffee.. left the coffee as was not good at all, cappuccino with no froth.. panini was cheese and ham, couldn't taste cheese at all and bread was really hard :/

Was looking forward to going to the cafe today with friends and kids. Turned up at 9.45 to find the cafe closed. Opening times say 9.30. Was really disappointed children's very upset. Will not be recommending this place to friends.

Popped into the Octagon back in September for a drink and a slice of cake whilst meeting someone. Pleasant service, prices are just about where you'd expect them to be. Can't complain really!

We dropped in as we haven't been there for a couple of years, glad to see that the echoing problem has been resolved. We only had tea and cake which were good.

... to stop off on a journey through Dorchester. Friendly, rural and delicious. What's not to like? Do come.

Poundbury es un lugar encantador y un cambio agradable de la locura de la A35. El Octagon encaja bien con la relativa calma. Muy bien situado, las mesas afuera son calentadas por el sol de la mañana y disfrutamos de nuestra 30 minutos allí. Buena gente corriendo. Excelente té y café. Utilizan té birchalls - que sólo he visto en otro lugar. Revistas gratis para leer todo, limpia wc - bueno. No tome tarjetas - no es un problema, hay un cajero automático cerca.

Una luz que nos atrajo, café en ventilado Pero, la comida era de muy mala calidad. Pedí una piña y cheddar sandwichera 2 pero fue simplemente piezas de pan tostado con un poco de la evidente insertado. No toque. Caro para lo que era, pero lo peor de todo, muy aburrida.

Cuando este café abierto fue bajo la administración de diferentes y francamente no vale la pena una visita. Sin embargo, por más de un año he estado frecuentando esta Cafetería para desayunos y almuerzos tanto solo, con amigos y mi hijo. La comida es de gran calidad y económico. El servicio es profesional y amable. Esto, junto con el entorno resultados en un ambiente muy agradable en el que pasar unas horas ya sea para el almuerzo o la conexión wifi y tomar un café.

Metimos con amigos para un almuerzo rápido ligero pero tuvimos que esperar más de 30 minutos para dos platos de queso en pan tostado y un plato de sopa. El queso en la tostada era dos rodajas de pan blanco en rodajas medianas con algunos no tan sabroso queso distribuidas en la parte superior y a la parrilla con moderación hasta que se evapora, aunque no lo suficiente para que vaya bien y champán. Eso era todo: No, cortada en rodajas, no sólo dos placas centellantes plaza en un plato. La sopa estaba un poco mejor, aunque el crostini que vino con inedibly dura. Té y café? Bien, pero no tan bueno como el que te producen para usted en su propia cocina. En general, no había orgullo en la comida ni en su presentación al cliente. Nos dio vergüenza haber introducido nuestros amigos a una experiencia tan miserables. Solía ser mucho mejores, y por ese motivo vinimos aquí; no habrá otra visita. Y aquí está una interesante: justo como lo habíamos acabado de comer, una mujer emergió de detrás del mostrador, me senté en una mesa y abrió una caja de almuerzo desde que comió su comida pic. Si el personal no quiere comer allí….

Si quieres un sándwich o chaqueta, pannini spud con queso, huevos con jamón o atún, estarás bien. Un menú muy limitado. Especial fue de hoy, creo, una chaqueta de patata con atún y queso. Que sería el mismo abundante así como en todo lo demás, pero con una patata. Opciones vegetarianas son huevos o queso. El queso no tiene gusto por desgracia, así que vaya con huevo, pero sólo si te gusta mucho la mayonesa. Tomó un largo tiempo para que desmesuradamente unos sándwiches. Camareras de buena cocina, lento.

Fuimos a la Octagon esta mañana con los miembros de la familia, el lugar está muy bien amueblado, muy limpio y con ventanas por todas partes muy bien iluminado, el menú, aunque el almuerzo, antes fue breve para decir lo menos, pero había varios elementos en que pescar el ojo.

Tucked away in the corner next to the Poet Laureate pub, with tables outside for a warm day, The Octagon is ideal for morning coffee, light lunch or afternoon tea. Friendly staff and a bonus is the selection of books available to purchase with the proceeds going to charity so you have an excuse for another drink as you browse.

Found while lost looking for somewhere else. Great find, good drinks, nice polite staff. All round good clean cafe.

The 'rosti' at £6.95 consisted of a few salad leaves, 1/2 baby tomato, approx 1/4 red pepper, thin slice of goats cheese, and a single potato cake, similar to ones available frozen 10 for £1. My friend and I told the waitress and manager we considered it overpriced. No apology or attempt at restitution was made. A disappointing response, unsuited to a professional catering establishment. I would not visit again.

In the area so popped in for lunch not the fastest service but the food is worth waiting for freshly cooked & tasty , & a good hot cuppa aswell will definitely return when next in the area x

We enjoyed an excellent breakfast here, a full English is a simple meal but when it is done well it really hits the spot and that was the case here, add to that a lovely location, calm and attentive staff and a lovely café atmosphere and you have the perfect Saturday morning meal

We were feeling like breakfast out and arrived just before 11.30am.I had a white bap with bacon and fried egg and my wife had American pancakes and bacon. It was nice to see that they are using really hot plates for the breakfast as a cold plate spoils a cooked breakfast.We really enjoyed it!Have the large coffee!

Had some spare time today, so my daughters and I thought we would go for breakfast. We decided on the cafe octagon. We had a lovely breakfast and the staff are wonderful. Cannot fault the cafe octagon at all. Would definitely return again.

ordered two coffees, one bacon sandwich and one toasted tea cake. the coffees came luke warm and 10 miniutes before the food. the bacon sandwich was possibly the worst I have had, two small pieces of hard bacon on what must have yesterdays bread, no offer of any sauce. the butter that came with the tea cake was so hard it was impossible to spread. Ordered a second as the first was tasteless and warm I mentioned to the person who served us about the first coffee and asked that the next coffee be correct, no offer of a free coffee. I had every intention of making a verbal complaint, but my wife suggested we do on tripadvisor. Its a shame that it had to come to this as we have made several visits before, when the previous owner's ran itStay away.

Had to write this out of pure frustration & disappointment!.Had intentions to take my mother to the place opposite but as it was shut after 3pm & we were both hungry we opted to eat here.The business wasn't busy but for 3 or 4 customers & looked clean & tidy.Even tho it was mid afternoon my mother fancied a FRYED breakfast so i opted for the same & Lattes for each of us which was a nice coffee just a shame we'd drunk them before the arrival of the so called breakfasts.After 15-20 mins & a lot of pings coming from the microwave & no smells of fried food in the air our food was brought to us by a friendly young staff member.I might be wrong but the sausages seemed to be the microwave variety & i couldn't say about the bacon but there were no signs of it being in a frying pan & the mushrooms were cold but the most annoying thing was it all lacked any flavor or taste which for 6.95 not including the coffee i would of half expected!?.Had the manager been there i would have pointed these things out to him/her but as there was just the 2 young girls there i didn't want to go upsetting them so let it lie.It'll be the first & last time me or my mother will hand over a twenty pound note in there & being a local if friends ask about the place i'll be just as honest as what i have been here!......Ps,if the owners would like to comment i'd like to hear your views & if after talking to the girls you hear one plate was empty bar some toast & the other plate left 3 pieces of toast & a mashed up snooty egg with a few zapped beans & mushrooms but no bacon or sausages it's because i took them home & feed them my dog!..

I went to this café recently for a breakfast. I could not fault the quality or the service. Definitely worth a visit.

Popped in for a light lunch and was very pleased at the standard of the food. Apparently the young owners have just taken over and have a new menu and different staff. Well worth a visit for good affordable food. I will certainly be recommending this cafe to all my friends.

I had some time to spare before an appointment and decided to try the Octagon. I have tried other similar places on Poundbury and not been impressed.This is a lovely place. Very friendly staff, a nice selection of hot and cold drinks and cakes. A few tables outside on a sunny day made this perfect for my second visit in 2 weeks.Shame I don't live on Poundbury or I'd be a regular for breakfast I think.

Jane and her team are so friendly and welcoming.Food is so delicious and well presented.Well chosen wines.Such a varied menu.I take a train regularly from London to savour the daily delights on offer and then wander around Dorchester and come back for afternoon tea before returning home.I have so many favourites,but toasted bacon sandwiches or fried egg sandwiches for breakfast.Delicious soups for lunch followed by a wide range,maybe prawns with crispy leaves and mayo dressing or stilton with warm bacon and walnuts.So many cakes sandwiches and drinks to choose from for the afternoon or anytime during the day.Highly recommended.

I like my bacon well done, my coffee extra hot and I like to sit outside. They got it all spot on, one of the best toasted bacon sandwiches this year!

Love octagon best coffee teacakesStaff are so friendly and always willing to help Always greeted with a smile and service is excellentWill always go to octagon for coffee and food yummy

We looked in for coffee on a Saturday morning, and were horrified to the state of this cafe. There were uncleared tables, food on the floor, and general mayhem ensuing. We left and visited one of the many other cafes in the locality. We won,t try it again.

In Poundbury, Pummery Square. Toasted bacon sandwich is my favourite in the morning. An outstanding curry on the specials last month.

Just down from where I live so visit often lAlways have good food and drinks Excellent service too?Fresh water always available for visiting dogs outside Always make visits personal to your taste The staff a very friendly will do anything they can to help always happy to offer alternatives to

Had lunch here with an old friend a few weeks ago, have been unhappy with the Octagon in the past but decided to persevere and give them one more chance as the parking is easy and my friend is elderly. We ordered fish with parsley sauce served separately as requested and goats cheese with peppers and rosti..... unfortunately I saw the chefs face when the waiter asked for separate sauce, hmmmm not pretty!! The rosti, allegedly homemade, was a greasy mess and the dish expensive. The fish was fine as was the veg but the sauce was very odd and watery looking, made with cornflour?? All in all not a great success. In fairness the young dark haired guy who served us was lovely. The whole place looks tired, it's overpriced and clearly 'run' by the 'cook' rather than the owner, the menu never seems to change.