The Retreat in New Forest

Writing as someone who works in hospitality - this place is amazing. Top quality food and drink, served beautifully, with really friendly and helpful staff. We were a table with allergy-sufferers (gluten & dairy), and they went out of their way to serve us a delicious meal even when they were out of stock of their usual allergen-friendly options. The cafe is beautifully decorated and has a really warm atmosphere. Can’t recommend enough!

This cafe provided me with the best scrambled eggs on toast I’ve eaten for years. Lovely staff, great food, fair prices and great mocha coffee too.

Great service, the are also allergy experts and knew exactly what I could have a modified my breakfast just for me. Very friendly family business, I would recommend a visit more than once, fuelled me up for the day 😀

We had breakfast at The Retreat as a family of four - including two hungry teenagers. Although short staffed (as indicated by a sign by the till), we were served quickly. Breakfast was excellent, no complaints at all. Delicious and well presented too. Would definitely come here again.

I escaped from a Spa Hotel nearby for lunch to find this cafe. Better than the exclusive Hotel down the road where the foreign staff were not attentive or timely. The service at this local cafe was very friendly and prompt. The seating area was clean and the interior decor bright with a lovely glass fronted display of home made cakes. The food was served freshly made and timely. So good that i visited again the next day for lunch with my wife.

The best veggie wrap I've eaten in a long time. Excellent food for lunch. Myself and 4 friends went for a late lunch. Good choice for 2 of my friends one of whom is gluten free and one who is gluten and dairy free. Owners very friendly and obliging. cannot recommend highly enough.

Friendly service, spectacular food and dog friendly! What more could you want. Have brought family and friends here and they always love it. And always have treat to hand for the 4 legged friends

Charming little cafe in Brockenhurst that could easily be missed. On entry the team were welcoming and we were greeted immediately and offered a choice of seating. Drinks were offered a couple of minutes after seating, and then food order was taken when the drinks returned. The cafe is spotlessly clean. The food is beautiful, and very reasonably priced - we can highly recommend the Chicken Ceasar and the Coronation Chicken - both in baguettes. The sweet treat selection is very nice too. I would welcome the option of adding a gratuity to either the balance, or the option to add this on the PDQ. Luckily I was carrying some change otherwise I would have felt awful! To sum up: Polite, friendly and attentive team members. Great food. Clean. Well worth a visit!

We eat here every week and it is always top class. Fleur & Paul are always welcoming and their customer service is second to none. Fleur bakes wonderful cakes and pastries and Paul cooks a variety of very tasty meals- all served piping hot. They have a 5 star hygiene rating and every where is spotless. You simply wont find a better place to have a nice meal or have a coffe or cake.

Staff very rude - would not recommend this place. We were made so unwelcome -we asked to sit on a larger table because 2 of our party are disabled but they insisted on moving us to a smaller table. No menu on our table so we borrowed one from an empty table and had it taken out of our hands and told we could not have it!!!! We chose to leave . Half empty on a Saturday lunchtime is an indication that all is not well - what a shame. It shows the impact that someone with poor customer service skills can have on a place.

I love this place and go there regularly! It is run by Fleur and Paul and they are just lovely! The food is delicious - really tasty and fresh. I had the smashed avocado on toast - it's my favourite. Yum! Oh, and the coffee is fab! And the smoothies too! I had the strawberry split, which is strawberry and banana - a superb combination! The service is great as well! Highly recommend popping in. Just try it and you will go back!

We decided to return to The Retreat as we had previously enjoyed a lunch there last summer. We received the same friendly service and tasty food as before and it made a wonderful start to our break in Brockenhurst. I would recommend a visit for lunch or coffee and cake and we will definitely visit again.

Visited three times during our holiday in the New Forest to this fabulous dog friendly cafe. First time for lunch - amazing mocha and sharing Nachos with chilli. Best we have had in a long time. Second time - coffee (mocha again) and fantastic cake. Third time - on our way home for breakfast, again fabulous. Made to feel extremely welcome on all occasions. Highly recommended and will visit when we are in the area again.

Hadn't been here before despite having spent more than 40 summers in Brockenhurst. I have been missing out. Breakfast was beautifully cooked, perfect poached toast on generously buttered toast, crispy bacon and sausage sandwhichees and what I am told was the creamiest chai latte my youngest had ever tasted. Food was piping hot and reasonably priced. the cakes looked delicious, so maynbe next time we will go for a sweet treat.

What a superb small cafe/bistro. Only about 6 tables, breakfast was fantastic, service great hard to find places like this gem

We booked a table for a lunch as we had seen all the very positive reviews by previous customers and it’s dog friendly. What a good decision that was, a delicious homemade lunch in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff. They offer a very good choice on their menu and the food is freshly prepared and cooked and is well presented and extremely tasty. There is also a selection of cakes and tray bakes and the millionaires shortbread is absolutely amazing.We will definitely return when staying in the area again.

We had a great cooked breakfast at The Retreat this morning. The coffee was highly rated by my coffee loving husband. Our dog was welcomed and made a fuss of and given some treats too. Thank you for welcoming the 3 of us.

We are regulars here at this fantastic cafe- Fleur & Paul are great hosts who serve superb food and coffee. All the meals are freshly prepared by Paul who is a very experienced chef and Fleur bakes an impressive array of cakes etc. 5 Star hygiene and everywhere is spotless- this cafe is run on a very professional basis and a joy to visit.

Stopped for lunch at this lovely cafe. Food is divine, home made and delicious. Owners very friendly and service excellent. Breakfast looks superb and we wished we hadn’t booked breakfast at our hotel! Highly recommended.

We stay in Brockenhurst every year and we always make sure we visit here at least twice on our trip with our bassett hounds! The breakfasts are delicious and all cooked fresh to order, great coffee and as always the staff are lovely! The dogs love popping in too as they get a little bowl of treats! Will be trying the sausage rolls next time! You must pop in if you are visiting Brockenhurst! 5* everytime! See you in December!

Its our annual trip to the New Forest , found this place last year, review listed in July 2022, same excellent food and service from the team and a warm welcome. See you on our next trip. Cakes and Sausage Rolls are a must have with your coffee but plenty of other choices.

We visited The Retreat because of the great reviews and we weren't disappointed! Lovely brunch........scrambled eggs & smoked salmon and bacon & mushroom bap and great coffee! And dog friendly too 😊

Amazing service, lovely food, home made cakes .. so reasonable amazing little place.. eggs where perfection.. cakes fabulous

Fleur & Paul really do know how make a great breakfast with a wide variety, not just the regular ‘Full English’ and super cakes too! A definite ‘must’ for us every time we visit The New Forest.

Doesn’t look much from outside, however when you walk in there is an amazing welcome, table service and fabulous coffee and cakes!

The nicest,most friendly cafe I have ever been in . Food was delicious and the service was fantastic. Very impressed with my visit.

Lovely place to eat, friendly and welcoming staff, very clean and tidy , fantastic homemade food. We visited for lunch while staying in Brockenhurst for the weekend. My wife chose the ham and cheese toasty and I had the Beef chilli nachos. Both dishes tasted...

Superb little eatery, by far the best in Brockenhurst. Really friendly, lovely staff, a real gem in the Forest. The coffee beans are genuine Italian and the staff know how to make a proper cappuccino. The cakes are delicious, with gluten free options available. Stopped...

Fantastic food and lovely staff! If you are ever in Brockenhusrt pop in for a bite to eat. We came here on our trip last year and had the breakfast which was fantastic! And as we were staying in Brockenhurst again we went back to...

What an excellent stop for breakfast. Friendly atmosphere, staff and food were second to non. We stopped for a breakfast, and it was the best selection and quality we've ever had. 5 stars well done.

So often, premises claiming to be Vegetarian Friendly are just paying lip service. Not so at The Retreat... An excellent range of imaginative vegetarian snacks and lunches. And delicious cakes as well. Thank you ❤️

My friend and I met in this gorgeous little cafe on a rainy morning for breakfast. A truly great experience from start to finish. The cafe is inviting, clean, comfortable and cosy and the lady and gentleman who served us were so lovely. There was...

We were looking for a cosy venue with personality and charm, serving a smashing breakfast. Found it. First impressions were of people that cared about their customers, humble and polite yet professional. Coffee was beautifully made. Breakfast was hot, tasty and plentiful. A shame we...

We stopped here on a hot day and were made welcome. Two of my companions had coffee which they said was lovely (and in proper cups) I had a smoothie which was lovely and cooled me down on a hot day. The cakes and sausage...

Great food, great atmosphere. We were seen to straight away by a very attentive young lady, very patient with our orders and very flexible with preferences too. The eggs were poached magnificently and my partner's egg Benedict was marvelous I'm told. All in all I...

Every year we have a break in the New Forest, went twice during our trip, very good service and warm welcome, great for breakfast, lunch or just coffee, lovely toasted sandwiches and home made sausage rolls, see you on our trip next year. Great job...

I arrived for a light lunch, i had a soup and and a salad, young lady who served us was very nice and attentive, the food was great, the presentation superb and i chatted with the owners afterwards who have done a great job tith...

Been here many times and always top Class. Food always served piping hot and presented well. Owners are very easy to talk to and run a very professional business. Home made cakes always on offer. All in all a top Class cafe.

Excellent little place! We popped in for breakfast with our two dogs after reading the reviews about this place and it didn't disappoint! Very friendly staff and the food is cooked fresh and you get a good portion of food. It was so good that...

Came here on our lunch break from collage and I was greeted with a smile at the door by the lovely staff , the food was very reasonably price and presentation was incredible honesty astounding , left the cafe very happy with our belly’s full!

I regularly pop in for lunch and coffee. Always friendly and quick service. Lunches are freshly made and really tasty. The cakes are a treat with different ones to try each week. Great value too.

Visited Saturday and enjoyed the food and drinks. It was great to have a lovely chat with the owner!

Fantastic food place , a massive variety of sandwiches ,baps,baguettes Very friendly staff and amazing cakes !! What more could you want ,would definitely come again

Fabulous brunch/lunch cafe. Very well decorated and cosy, lovely staff. We ordered drinks and brunch and it was delicious! Cakes were amazing as well. Will return when we are back in the new forest

We stopped for breakfast at this lovely cafe and were really impressed. Incredibly friendly and efficient service, a great breakfast menu and very high level smoothies! So pleased to have found a great place for when we are passing through the New Forest and would...

After a walk around Brockenhurst, we chanced upon The Retreat cafe while looking for some lunch with a gluten-free, dairy-free option for my wife. The welcome was warm and friendly. We both chose a salad and agreed it was one of the best we had...

Been meaning to leave a review for months now. We pop in here most weekends to get our takeaway caramel lattes. Really lovely staff, and before we even walk in, she’s already making our drinks! Delicious cakes & baguettes. Also I’d say the best lattes...

What a lovely little cafe for coffee cakes and lunches etc. we had lunch and it was really lovely. The lady who owns it was so nice to chat to, she has made it her own and it is really clean with little personal touches.

Friendly staff. Tasty food, had a lush chocolate and peanut butter cookie. Also had a delicious eggs Benedict. My mother loved her full English breakfast with a lovely flat white coffee. Loved the fresh flowers in the toilet. Very clean. Would definitely recommend it here.

A lovely find whilst on holiday in the area. The cakes and tea were delightful and everything was super clean and efficiently run. A bonus - it is dog friendly

The Retreat is a little gem. It is a family run business and you must give them a try. You will not be disappointed. We popped in by chance on our way back to London. We had gone on a long walk in gale force...

The Retreat cafe is amazing the food is excellent local and fresh! The staff are very friendly I would recommend it to everyone thank you for a lovely breakfast. Very clean and friendly atmosphere.

We popped in for breakfast on day 2 of our 3 day stay. Excellent menu and enjoyed it so much we went back the next day. Good coffee and all served with a smile 😊

We popped in here when walking around Brockenhurst. Lovely coffee- toasted sandwich and a wrap. Very well presented and the small amount of salad bits showed very good knife skills. 5 star hygiene-nice polite staff-all around a very good cafe with lovely coffee and excellent...

They do great coffee, with a discount for students. Milk alternatives available and treat customers excellently. Take away also available which is very handy when in a rush as they’re fast. Definitely recommend

We stopped off for sandwiches and coffee during a walk in the New Forest today. We found the Retreat by chance and were so glad that we did. Both the sandwiches and coffees were delicious. It was obvious they were made with the freshest ingredients....

Having ‘waited to be seated’ as requested we were then shown to a table for two in a passageway leading towards the rear of the café, probably because we were a couple, and were offered a table alongside another which was already occupied. The remainder...

Our favourite café to come and visit in the New Forest. The owners, Fleur and Paul, and the other staff are wonderful, polite and really attentive, even when extremely busy! The food is delicious, beautiful (highly recommend a sharing nachos between a few of you...

We chanced on The Retreat when were were looking for refreshment on the way back to London. We saw many smart restaurants and pubs, all crowded. Then we found The Retreat. It has a modest appearance, but, trust me, you wouldn't get a brilliant lemon...

We stopped by on our way to IofW and so glad we did - the ‘sausage’ rolls were amazing - unfair of us to call it a sausage roll as it was BBQ pulled pork I think. Warmed up - the best fresh sausage roll...

Stopped briefly for a hot drink last week with my niece and could see very tasting looking food being served so popped back today for a late breakfast with the rest of the family. Very clean, good service, value for money and the best cooked...

We stopped off at The Retreat completely by chance yesterday on our way to catch the IOW ferry from Lymington. The food was absolutely delicious & beautifully presented . The staff were really helpful & friendly . We wish you every success with this business...

Had to pop to Brock and stopped off here for a coffee on the way home. Never actually visited before, pretty decent coffee and the millionaire shortbread was tasty. Nice friendly staff too. We will definitely have to visit for breakfast or lunch sometime as...

What a great place to come for an informal breakfast. We're staying at one of the bigger hotels in Brockenhurst where the food is indifferent and service no better. Discovered The Retreat on the main road and came here instead during our stay. The food...

Came here with the family today,we live in the new forest and like to try new places We arrived and it was full ,although it meant we couldn’t sit inside it was a good sign the food would be nice We were greeted politely and...

After visiting Strawberry fields on Sunday found this place for Breakfast. Great food cooked to order and loads of choice. The sausage rolls were amazing so took some for lunch and finished up with an ice cream!