The Salt Cellar in North Dorset

Friendly service and a fabulous breakfast.

My wife and I, Visited Shaftesbury on Saturday. To do some shopping and check out Gold Hill (Featured in the Hovis advert from the 70's) when we got to the top of Gold Hill we came apon this lovely restaurant. All the staff were lovely. So lovely my wife and I cried. Xx. We have had a lot going on recently. Jo was very kind. The food was amazing. We went for the tuna ciabatta. Lovely.. And then there's the view. Amazing.. Well worth a visit and popping in for something to eat. Xx. Thank you again xxx yours sincerely Steve and Annie and Luna xx

A beautiful place,nice food and we bought a whole cake to take home. Excellent view

Popped in for a coffee and some cake - lovely but wouldn’t necessarily come again for elevenses. The cakes were good but quite a small/basic selection which has never changed, one of us ordered a pain au chocolat which came very overdone, and the vanilla latte I ordered came in a cappuccino cup and was small and extremely sweet as a result! Savoury food has a better selection so I’d recommend it as a lunch spot. Service was great (very welcoming to a small child and baby in pushchair which was lovely) and very prompt!

Great little cafe / diner; great location, excellent food and excellent service.

The best location but sadly not the best experience! Very underwhelming place no attention to detail with decor/ crockery etc a bit tatty Scones very average , cream was spoiled and had a cheesy tang so inedible . Staff were nice and gave us another portion of cream but it was still unedible and no body came back to recheck . This place needs an update and some vision .

Managed to get a table looking down Gold Hill. The food, for a cafe, was really good quality, plenty of it and very reasonably priced. We had the pies, very light pastry, a huge baked potato and panini all served with either veg or salad. Staff were very friendly and service great. Two of our party find walking difficult and just outside the cafe is quite slopy (it's on a hill!) So be careful.

Great that you can take your dog in. Food was really good & service was great

When we arrived we explained that we hadn’t booked but wondered if they had a free table for 2 adults and a child. They were busy but there some empty tables, a couple with reserved notices for at least an hour later in the day. The person who ‘greeted’ us treated us like we were scum off the street and were putting him to far too much trouble. I actually wanted to walk straight out again because of his bad attitude. However we stayed as it had been highly recommended for their dairy/gluten free choices and I can say that the food was absolutely delicious and the waitress was attentive and pleasant, just a shame that we were made to feel so unwelcome by someone who very clearly had a huge sense of his own self importance.

This place is located at the top of Gold Hill with beautiful views over the valley. It was a beautiful day so we sat on the benches outside to soak in the beautiful views. The staff were friendly and the service was quick. The menu had plenty of of options and the food was really tasty. If you’re a tourist looking for the feel of England, then definitely come here!

Great food, service and prices. Excellent view too.

Always go there when my family or friends visit . Best view in town and lovely food .

It's OK. Bit scruffy and staff a bit abrupt. But good location . Food and drinks ok

Went with a large group for morning coffee. All the drinks were well done and various cakes were reported good, the scone came with good portions of cream and jam (not those annoying little jars) Only downside was the steps that were hard for one of our group as he had a buggy and had to get out which wasn’t ideal. Really needs a removable ramp

We visited Shaftesbury the other day and stopped for lunch at the Salt Cellar. We've been before and once again were not disappointed. It's a lovely spot overlooking Gold Hill and the food is very good. Thank you.

Great place to eat and veiw sat outside had lunch few problems with wasps. Thanks

This gem did not disappoint yet again! Even if not on the menu, you can still get an amazing omelette here! Great after cycling up Gold Hill :)

We stopped here for coffee and a cake and also had lunch. The lunch was very tasty and good value. The service was good. It is at the top of gold hill and it is tucked underneath the town hall so don't miss it.

Lovely light bites and hot drinks with superb views of Gold Hill and beyond.

The staff was very helpful my daughter did not know what to have and lady ask her what would you like she said chicken lady ask ok would you like salad my daughter said no would you like new potatoes said yes

Really love this place. It has the best views in North Dorset. The food is freshly cooked and service is always excellent. A range of lunches and more bigger lunches too. Definitely worth a visit. It's often busy so wise to book !

We chose a table outside looking down gold hill, the restaurant inside was rammed and didn’t have any tables spare and had bookings all afternoon. It started to pour with rain. I spoke to a lovely lady called Jo. She sorted out everything for us and we ended up sitting inside. They couldn’t have done anymore. Excellent service , excellent food and best location! Thank you 😊

Popped in for lunch and we ordered a roasted vegetable panini and a beef steak panini both absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend 😋. Great service and beautiful setting.

The steak, mozzarella, horseradish and onion chutney panini is to die for!!!

Lovely restaurant at the top of gold Hill,beautiful view too! Was good to see that they catered for coeliacs,we had their delicious scones,thankyou! The staff were lovely and friendly,will definitely visit again.

Went for a walk down the iconic lane. Worth the stop!

A great place with lovely views.

Went to see golden hill. Had a coffee at the top. Quite a few quaint shops there. A great start to our day out.

The food was amazing! Really friendly staff and amazing prices. The view was incredible too. I would highly recommend!

Excellent food and delicious scones 😇

Visited today for the first time and can't recommend this place highly enough. The food was beautiful. I had a chicken bacon and avocado salad and my partner had a prawn and avocado jacket potato and both were so so good and great portions too. The location is simply perfect and the cherry on top was fantastic service. Really liked the guy that served us, super friendly and smiley a real asset to the place. Highly recommend 💞

Lovely location with fabulous views. Ideal spot for a lunch or coffee. Good friendly service.

My recent visit to Shaftesbury was partly inspired by the Bill Hicks routine from his album “Arizona Bay,” specifically the track “Hooligans,” so I kept repeating in my head as I walked around: “No one knows what it’s like, to be a dustbin, in Shaftesbury with Hooligans.” I was not aware before I arrived that Ridley Scott, the director of some of my favourite films, had directed a bread ad in Shaftesbury in 1973. I learned that while observing the hill used in the ad, and turned to see a cafe called “The Salt Cellar”, it not only offers an amazing view but also delicious food that enhances the scenic beauty, and allows it to be even more enjoyable. I went with family, so had the pleasure of trying a few of their homemade pies, the risotto, and a sandwich. Each dish was a delight, with the pies standing out due to their fantastic pastry, the risotto being perfectly cooked, and the sandwich was excellent. The side salads with the pies, which seemed unusual at first, turned out to be a delicious surprise combo. The range of food and drink options looks extensive and impressive, it was refreshing to find a place with a stunning view that doesn’t rely solely on the scenery to attract customers—the food here is genuinely worth the visit. The service provided by a young gentleman was great, he had a lovely manner, and our food arrived quickly. The excellent service and food was also great because the bill didn’t sting at the end, The Salt Cellar is great value for money. The view alone is worth the look, but I highly recommend making The Salt Cellar your lunch destination if you’re visiting Shaftesbury.

Lovely food and great service with an amazingly nostalgic views

Really enjoyed our lunch for a reasonable price, service was lovely too, with a nice atmosphere. We'd happily visit again! Only critique would be that it was possibly a rather tired interior, could do with a lick of paint and some TLC, which probably wouldn't have lured us in if it hadn't been for a recommendation from a friend.

Excellent cake, their Dorset Apple cake is flavoursome and moist, prompt and friendly service from their waiting staff, good coffee too. Well worth a visit if you're taking a stroll down and up the famous Gold Hill.

Great food and service from the waiter he was so caring and attentive

Adorable little place overlooking Gold Hill. Prompt and friendly service, lovely food & coffee and doesn't break the bank!! Will be back.

What a beautiful place!! My partner and I had a wonderful breakfast here, great views and the service was fantastic. We will definitely be coming again. Thank you :)

Popped in for a hot chocolate, after a walk up Gold Hill!!

Fantastic food & service, lovely atmosphere. Book ahead.

Beautiful setting, nice staff food was fab.

Superb breakfast i enjoyed.really was a nice place with nice atmosphere and of course you have the wonderful gold hill view .The coffee was not the best ive had in Shaftesbury though .Staff were heloful and friendly .This place can get packed it is wise to reserve a table at peak times

Listed as a good option for dog friendly and vegan and overlooking the ‘Hovis’ street. Scaffolding all across the front of the building and only a couple of tables with windows that would let you view the street anyway. Snotty attitude of staff when we walked in - maybe because of its tourist attraction location opposite Golden Hill or just because that’s who they are? Not welcoming. Didn’t stay to eat.

A lovely, friendly cafe with superb food and excellent VFM. I've had the soup of the day on 2 occasions and they have both been absolutely delicious. The sandwiches etc are lovely too. Highly recommended.

Stopped by after a walk. Served quickly and by friendly waitress. Delicious food

Its wonderful. Book before you go. No disabled access.

Breakfast was good with all the things you would expect, unless you want sausages…..these will cost you extra. On the plus side, the food was good as was the price.

Stopped in and had a tasty Pork Hock & Apple shortcrust pie with sautéed Mediterranean vegetables... Really delicious and reasonable-decor a little quaint, but views stunning!.. M

Lovely atmosphere, view and food.

Great service by Dean, Magnificant Paninis, Great location. Will certainly visit again

Delicious food. Brilliant thoughtful service. Fun to see chefs at work. Always busy.

Nice atmosphere, I really recomend!

Lovely breakfast , the mushrooms were especially delicious. Also catered for Gluten Free. The staff were great too.

We popped in for a quick lunch whilst visiting Shaftesbury, really enjoyable with a view of Gold Hill and beyond. We were a bit surprised that there were no chips on the menu but having said that, the steak panini and turkey/brie festive ciabatta were very filling and very nice. We have a notebook of great eating places that we visit and the Salt Cellar is definitely going in it!

Absolutely fabulous steak and kidney pie, and the venison casserole beautiful, both served with a full mix of fresh veg and half a big baked potato filled with cheese. Tea for two lovely as well. A very popular place and rightly so. The view is a bous.

Great food/service with a great view, I'll be going back 👍

We found this little gem at the top of Gold Hill some years ago when we were visiting Shaftesbury. We were served then probably the best pies we’d ever tasted so visiting the picturesque town again we had to see if the Salt Cellar was as we remembered it. We again sampled their pies and they were just as delicious and as good value as we remembered. We found the staff friendly and helpful too so if you prefer your food fresh, beautifully prepared and presented (rather than generic chain cafe fare) then pay this cafe a visit, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Nice atmosphere. Quick service. Jo is brilliant. Good food, big choice of pies and cakes, very tasty pecan pie. We had French onion soup and fish duo, all was good.

Lovely cream tea and sandwich. Coleslaw was delicious. Friendly staff and service. Great views over Gold Hill.

This place is lovely - right at the top of Gold Hill with something for everyone and loads of vegan and gluten free options. The staff are lovely and so helpful and friendly and the food amazing - the breakfasts are huge and excellent value for money.

Excellent!!!! We stumbled across this homely little restaurant whilst waiting for the carnival. We had a prawn salad, two pork loin with peppercorn sauce and a steak and kidney pie. All four of us loved what we had. The peppercorn sauce was wonderful and the salad was so so delicious. The staff were friendly and efficient. Beautiful puddings yum yum

A year on from our last visit we tried to have lunch today 28 Sept 2023. No better than last time and in fact worse. We were assigned a table when the "waitress" pointed to a table. Chose from the menu and waited for the waitress to return to take our order. We waited and waited and waited and after 15 minutes with all the staff busy talking to each other and not taking any notice of potential customers we left. Location was 5 star but the restaurant only warranted 3 stars, it was OK but nothing about it, including the food, was memorable

Utterly delicious, both the pork and apple pie as well as the pork tenderloin

Lovely lunch choice. Great service and dog friendly Worth a visit. Friendly atmosphere. Top location.

Lovely atmosphere and food! The food was fresh, local ingredients and delicious. The staff were very friendly and helpful! Love local art work on the walls were lovely too!

Dog friendly in and out. Food exceptional, service the same. Can’t rate them highly enough. A** #teddystouringtales.

Really busy but everything was lovely. Really nice food too.

Decent food. Good value for money. Lovely service. Will definitely return

Friendly and efficient service. Been several times and the food has always been good quality. Has a nice busy atmosphere.

A prima vista potrebbe sembrare un ristorante per turisti vista la fortunata posizione alla sommità della famosa Gold Hill, invece no. Accoglienza cordiale. Ottimo il filetto di maiale brasato, con verdure e patata al burro. Buono il vino ( Merlot rosso). Prezzi giusti.

Really friendly welcoming staff, could see they accommodated seating requests for a good view with such kindness! Food was delicious, we just had a bite to eat but it was very good and filled us up for the rest of the day! Sadly they missed the meat off my panini BUT as soon as I mentioned it they brought me a side dish with the missing ingredients on so I could eat it all together! Great place for a spot of lunch or something more substantial - good varied menu! The reason this is not 5/5 is because the cleanliness of the toilets surprised me, I think this could be improved.

Food was good and a good place to visit

Out for some well earned R&R just stopped in to admire the view and thought we would have a spot of Lunch… Staff were attentive and helpful. Service was brilliant and lunch from the specials menu was excellent. Keep up the great work thank you.

Good food with view of Gold (Hovis) Hill

I live in Shaftesbury. Went out for a coffee and pannini 4pm, staff unfriendly didnt smile and felt like we were imposing ! . Coffee bitter, cheese wasn't melted in the pannini , thick pieces of tomato in it . Dissapointed as its such an iconic spot for a restaurant... Will never go back there ! Would definitely recommend Costa as food , service and atmosphere so much nicer . Hope one of the chain restaurants takes over this one day .

Lovely and amenable place. Small, but always great atmosphere. My experience, the best eating place in shaftesbury.

Stopped off for a coffee and pastry whilst waiting for the neighbouring museum to open. I’m glad I did. Lovely staff and excellent coffee.

Stumbled across this cafe and very pleased we did. Friendly staff, and the food was lovely. Never had a jacket potato that was so tasty! Prices were good too. Definitely, recommend.

Came here for lunch with family. Food was excellent but have to say service was awful. Waited 20 minutes to get drinks and food was a 55 minute wait. The waitress was very abrupt when I asked to get served after waiting 20 minutes seated at our table. And to cap it all off my wife found 2 hairs in her lunch. Won’t be back😡

We love this place for lunch. The jacket potato with prawns avocado and lemon mayonnaise is excellent. Always service with a smile even when they’re busy

Delicious cream teas available right at the top of Gold Hill

Visited the Salt Cellar after not being in for few years and can honestly say the same good service and food. We were shown to a table looking down Gold Hill which was bonus. The food arrived looking so delicious and it really was. Two had chicken, bacon and mushroom pie with one filled potato (cheesy)and veg, one had the same pie with jacket potato and homemade coleslaw and one had the pork and apple pie with filled potato and veg. All three of us enjoyed our lunch enormously. We had a pudding of pecan pie and honeycomb ice cream, which we all dipped into. Was so delicious. The lady who waited at our table was so friendly, as were the rest of the staff. We will definitely be back but not leave it so long next time.

As usual, you get more with your meal than on the menu - ordered a cheese and ham panini and it came with a small dressed side salad with a healthy dollop of coleslaw - I know I should always double check due to my severe egg allergy... Otherwise, a lovely, popular café - the panini was tasty and great coffee...

Great food great staff highly recommend

We visited on a Saturday morning for breakfast and received a warm welcome. The food was excellent with plenty of choice

Popped in here out of the rain on a wet October morning. Directed to a table and served by a lovely young man, who was courteous and polite. Order was taken after a few minutes. I had a lovely spiced tea cake and my husband...

A group of friends needing a refreshment whilst wandering around Shaftesbury found the perfect place to sit down and enjoy Gold Hill in all its splendour. Good service and lovely food too.

Great place, beautiful views and such good value for money. The staff are lovely aswell

Right in the historic part of Shaftesbury, at the top of famous Gold Hill, a much-photographed steep, ancient street. Busy cafe with good food. In a great old building. Fun place to eat, plus interesting shops close by, a scenic promenade, a historic garden, &...

Had a lovely lunch with friends sitting outside. Views were stunning, staff are really friendly and the food is delicious. Definitely visit this place if you go to Shaftesbury, I will go again

Delicious food with a fabulous view!! I had the bacon ciabatta and it was fantastic. The bacon was so tasty and the bread was absolutely AMAZING! Plus the tomato and salad garnish was delicious too! Great service and a friendly staff. Absolutely recommend.

Nice views with lovely food at a reasonable price.

My favorite place to eat in the uk. The meals are cooked fresh to order,absolutely delicious 😋 lovely location we can’t recommend it enough,staff are so friendly and polite 😊

5 Stars because….. staff….excellent, friendly. Food… could not fault the breakfast…. Reasonably priced and top quality. View….. top of Gold Hill…. Say no more. Also, it was only a few minute walk from our cottage..

Plentiful brunch. Great service with accommodating, attentive staff. popular venue so you may need to book esp during busy periods

Another lovely lunch. We both had the Bacon, Avocado and Brie Panini's, which came with a small side salad and was delicious. It took about 15 minutes to come, which is fine. The staff were very friendly. This is always our favourite place to have...

This is a lovely cafe/resteraunt, we've visited shaftsbury 3 times now, and everytime ate here, located at the top of gold Hill with great views.

We had a great lunch here the food was excellent cooked and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND... It is advisable to book ahead when visiting this popular eatery, and believe me it's worth the effort. We were lucky and got a table just before the lunch time rush. My husband ordered the English breakfast with scrambled eggs, and insisted it was the best he'd had in a long time. I chose the roast vegetable panini, which was delicious. The staff were polite, professional and friendly. The service was swift and efficient yet we were not made to feel rushed.