Watch House Cafe in West Dorset

Booked a table for 7 on Saturday 26th October for Sunday lunch on the 27th. We arrived on time at the booked time of 2.30. Shown to our seats where we waited to be served. 20 minutes later the waitress arrived and said that there was no cauliflower cheese left, oh and no chicken, no beef, no gammon, so we had the choice of pork or nutroast. Very annoying as we had pre booked and could then find no where else to seat 7 for Sunday dinner. Just a tough luck attitude. Very dissapointed.

We had heard rave reviews and were looking forward to our visit. It failed to live up to the reviews. The sardines were over cooked and the fish and chips dry and tough if that is possible. I suspect the meals had been left under a warming light for too long.

Great pizzas and excellent customer care. First time visit, we have been to sister restaurants at burton Bradstock and west bexington and always pleased with the food. Will return

The Watch House Cafe at West Bay, Dorset is a great location to eat, literally on the beach. It’s a more laid back affair, dog friendly and casual dress. We have been here to eat several times and really convenient after a long walk along the coast. The pizzas are cooked in a proper oven and come out nice and bubbly and crisp and the restaurant has a good choice of fish options, we had the Katsu Monkfish. Bathroom facilities have been updated since last visit and is a vast improvement. West Bay is a lovely small resort and the Watch House adds to the character and feel.

Called in on the off chance for a late lunch, not been in here before but it was a pleasant surprise. The staff were friendly, there wasnt a long wait for the food and the food itself was superb.

A welcoming and relaxed vibe as soon as you enter. We all had a delicious lunch, with stand out fish and chips, best I have had for a long time. Crab sandwich was also a bit hit. Friendly and prompt service. Good range of soft drinks and cocktails. A lovely cafe that is in a perfect location right on East beach, that you can see from the cafe.

Lovely food and great service. Both kids loved their meals, my 7 year old said it was the best fish and chips she’d ever had. Hubby and my son both had pizza which was lovely, and I had the prawns. Really great food and not bad value for money.

This place is ideally located on the sea front and has a warm and friendly atmosphere. The pizzas are cooked in the oven in front of the guests, and are amazing. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff Worth a visit - reasonable prices, too

lovely place. cool vibe nice service good food. what more could you want? oh..good beer/wine list too! and cocktails..nice batter on the tasty fish and my daughters king prawns were delicious

I had fish and chips £16. It was the worst fish and chips I’ve ever eaten! The fish was slimy and had a horrible taste and the batter was absolutely the worst batter ever. The flavour was awful and it had a doughy texture. Also the fish was tiny! For £16 I would expect a larger fish. The chips were from frozen and I counted ten chips. The tartare sauce was vile. The peas were dry and tasteless. I couldn’t eat the meal. Never again will I eat there. On the plus side, there was a man singing with a guitar who was good and the girl who attended to us was pleasant.

Sunday lunch roast and a pudding for £20. Really tasty nut roast and pork roast. Could have done with a bit more gravy. Portion sizes were just the right size. Drinks were reasonably priced.

Arrived at the Watch house West Bay for Sunday Lunch 17th March 2024. Was met by very friendly staff. Sunday lunch menu very wide range, both husband and I chose Roast Belly Pork, from choice of 3 meats. The ample sized meal, big thick slice of belly pork, lots of varied veg, and a Yorkshire pud, was beautifully presented tasted absolutely superb. Will definitely go again, very impressed with the whole setup there,even had a live singer playing quietly whilst you ate. Whole atmosphere was very happy and friendly.

Delicious wood fired pizza, great cocktails. Love the outside/inside seating area, lovely views. Dog friendly spot for lunch.

The pizza was lovely, with a great range of toppings, and the staff were excellent. I also love the new toilets; they look great! Plus, having Birra Moretti on tap is a massive pull

Great Sunday roast offering – I just went for chicken as I was alone but the sharing boards which were coming out also looked amazing for bigger groups. Staff are friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about wines and other drinks, will definitely dine again.

Following a promotional email I booked Sunday lunch for 4 at the Watch House Cafe in West Bay, last weekend. This was based on a 2 courses for £20 promotion. We were far from impressed however by the whole experience. Firstly numerous menu items were no longer available which reduced what was already a limited menu to a poor compromise at best. The chicken was over cooked and very dry, the beef, sinewy and smothered in a glutinous oily gravy obviously derived from the lamb option. The other meals, a pork belly and lamb were adequate but again very greasy and poor quality. Desert was limited to Christmas pudding and bread and butter pudding. The Christmas pudding turned up covered in custard but was deep fried in batter?? At no time were we asked if the meal was acceptable or enjoyable, nor earlier if we had any allergies (standard practice surely, these days??). Our waitress, although very pleasant was unaware of menu options and had to refer to other staff. We have previously visited numerous times and returned with friends. This experience will make such future visits doubtful.

Lovely spot near the beach but disinterested service, poor choice of food available and what we did get wasn't great. We couldn't wait to get out if there and almost left before the food arrived

Fantastic visit , we live nearish to westbay and really thought of them as a pizza place , dont be fooled they have a fantastic selection of food . We both had the half a chicken curry , yes HALF a chicken! And at the time of writing this was 15 ponds , bargain. No one wants to be working this close to Christmas, but all the staff were cheerful and very efficient, thanks for a lovely lunch and merry Christmas 🎄

Went along for their Sunday lunch as advertised. Not for us sadly, the quorn roast was something from a supermarket, appeared not to be vegan for our daughter as came with a Yorkshire pudding yet the waitress said it was, well it wasn’t. My husband said he’s had better carveries and I agree. Wont be returning, stick to breakfast and crab sandwiches.

Great location right on the beach, lovely staff, fabulous coffee and the best cake we have had in a long time. We had Dorset Apple cake and a Brownie. Definite Yum and will fo again.

Had a good brunch with the family. We sat in the covered outdoor area. It was comfy enough and had a good ambience. The food was tasty, the menu good, the coffee delicious.

Lovely spot, by the beach, to have delicious woodfire pizza. Different set pizza toppings but it is an option to select your own. Clean tables, friendly service, a good option for couples and families at quieter times.

Just called in for the "Coffee and cake Special " .We were greeted by a very friendly waitress who cheerfully showed us to our table. Another very friendly, yet professional, waitress, Kelly, I think, took our order,waiting very patiently while we decided on which cake to order, from a good selection( Dorset Apple Cake home made -the best ) The latte coffee was the best I have ever had, very creamy and smooth.The atmosphere and ambience is very welcoming and we highly recommend The Watch Cafe Will definitely be going again,maybe for a full meal next time - they look delicious

We went to the Watch house as it was recommended to us by some previous guests and not without good reason. We both had fish of the day which was two red mullet each with chips and salad. Wow what a meal, I normally don’t order whole fish as the whole dealing with the bones thing can be a pain. But when it tastes as fresh, flavoursome and delicious as that. Who cares!! We’re were both wowed! The staff were incredible and service exceptional! If only we lived closer this would definitely become our local go to restaurant. Thanks guys a memorable lunch, No question.

An average breakfast for a large price. The 'full' English breakfast comes without toast .....an extra £2.50 per slice ! This was a reccee visit for a small family group, we won't be visiting again.

Always great food made using local ingredients, best location, great staff, lovely pizzas, nice drinks.

We have been to the Watch House on numerous occasions in the past and have always found the food pretty good. The lure of this place is the location, which is second to none. This visit, however, was not the best. Firstly, this is not a slur on the waitress or Manager ( who was very professional and understanding) but some of the food. The pizzas are decent, as always, and were enjoyed by the kids. We chose our meals and the order went into the kitchen. 1 minute later I saw a specials board that had a Skate dish that my wife wanted. She went up to the kitchen and waitress to ask if she could change but was refused as it 'had gone in'. It was literally a minute!! Ok, we waited for our food. It arrived in good time but my Jerk Chicken burger looked burnt. I gave it the benefit of the doubt as I realise the marinade is black, so left it down to my tastebuds. It was burnt and the chicken was as dry as Ghandi's flipflops. I sent it back and was told that the marinade made it that way and if they were to re-do it it would be the same. No thanks! I then ordered the skate ( now I knew it was on offer). I appreicaite there is a wait for these things but everyone had finished before I recieved it!. I went up to cancel as we had to leave and it was just coming out. We then spoke the manager, who handled things fantastically. I really want to be able to give great reviews but I believe that the standard of the food has depreciated over the last 2 years. You pay a fair whack for a family of 5 so expect VFM. Having eaten at The Hive and The Clubhouse recently I believe all the premesis have dropped their standards from what is used to be. They are are lovely locations, but please bring the food up to the standards the locations deserve.

Perfect seaside holiday dinner with the family. Got a last minute reservation and everything was just perfect- friendly staff, perfectly cooked fish of the day, delicious cold wine and local beer and relaxed atmosphere Great spot on the beach with the evening sun coming through the windows too Finished the meal with ice creams on the beach, our kids loved it too- will definitely be back

For anyone who doesn’t know the Watch House, it’s the first place we visit when returning to West Bay. For those who do know it and are wondering what sort of form it’s in, I would say the best ever. Gone are the limited post-Covid menus and they now have a series of fresh seafood specials which go a long way to replacing the (long closed, high-end) Riverside restaurant. The regular menu has something for everyone and is not too long so everything is done well (try the ribs). Plenty of attentive staff and an iconic location where everyone is welcome (straight from a swim or otherwise). Regular drinks are great and they also offer corkage for anyone who wants to pair their favourite wine with the perfectly cooked lobster. This is not a restaurant where you should give up hope without a reservation. Food service is very quick so always worth seeing if there’s space. They also have a new take away shack right next door, facing onto the beach.

DANGEROUS KITCHEN. Visited with our children for Pizza with a daughter that has a nut allergy. Was given a cheese and tomato pizza with a green oil drizzled over top. Knowing that this might be pesto oil which can contain nuts, we questioned this with the waiter who was unsure and I don’t think fully understood so my wife followed him to the kitchen and bad timing on behalf of the restaurant as when he asked the chef my wife was right behind the chef who said “just give it to them anyway”! We was shocked Anyone who knows someone with a nut allergy will understand how dangerous this is and the chef should know better, I really hope they review their policies on allergies, we will never eat their again can’t take the risk, shame as the food is OK

The food here was incredible. The beers and ciders were local and cocktails looked amazing. The views over the sea and coast were lovely and it had a great atmosphere. The live music was a real hit too.

Tasteless and dry food. Small over-priced portions. Bad service and a total lack of atmosphere. Never again.

Had breakfast here one day wouldn't go back, was expensive for what it was food was overcooked . Much better places to have breakfast in West bay, with much more choices as well.

Trying to make the money stretch you have to think outside the box. 3 kid’s fish and chips (£7)each with chips peas and home made Tatar sauce and 2 adult pizzas 1 spicy pig pizza and mine was a Thai king prawn pizza . Both pizzas had good flavours and generous fillings. Fish and chips were devoured and enjoyed my wife had one child’s fish and chips was a good portion of hake It’s not cheap but quality reigns supreme

Went to the Watch House for bottomless brunch. Service was excellent, staff very attentive. Lovely pizzas. Good range of drinks. Felt there could have been a side dish included in the price.

Amazing find! Great menu choices, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff! We went on Wednesday when they had a live singer, he was brilliant!!! Would definitely recommend.

Visited this cafe on a Sunday lunchtime. It was not busy, yet the staff member who greeted us and took us through made it seem an issue that we had not reserved. Once seated, the waitress who dealt with us was probably one of the...

Found this restaurant by chance, looking for a late lunch; it was 4pm and we had done a circuit walk at Tarr Steps, earlier in the day…. The sun came out, our Lab fell asleep under the table on our feet and we enjoyed some...

We found this cafe by accident whilst in West Bay. Right on the beach. Lovely layout, atmosphere and great staff. Coffe and cake were pretty good to. Definetely one for the memory bank.

Had a lovely lunch here - crab bagel and halloumi and chilli sauce wrap. Generous portions accompanied by salad and vegetable crisps. Lovely location on the beach, with a sheltered area for overly breezy days or if you want to avoid the seagulls. Dog friendly...

We were warmly welcomed into the Watch House Cafe and given a corner table with our nervous dog which was much appreciated. We ordered coffee and apple cake which was brought to us quickly and was 5* delicious. As it was just starting to rain...

Great pizza and service but whole experience spoilt by too many NOISY barking dogs.,so was not at all peaceful Dogs should not be allowed unless well behaved.

Slightly stubbled upon this café, but it did not disappoint. Lovely outside and also a patio area with an amazing view practically on the beach front. The food itself was incredible, simple but effective brunch foods with good options of larger and smaller dishes. Would...

Exceptional fresh food cooked to order. Could not have wished for more Great Staff, Great food, Great Service and Great drinks

Great service and lovely ambience. Good brunch dishes which we all enjoyed. We are heading back soon!

Service need a lot of improvement!!! Staff totally clueless, no idea what’s on the menu, any knowledge about drinks and I had to ask 3 times to get a finger bowl…. Making me feel a little awkward as I thought it sort of came as...

Regulars here but very disappointed margarita pizza hardly any topping and undercooked mackerel overcooked and small portion chips great as usual

Booked here for lunch, food great. Numerous dogs around us, we love dogs but some on extending leads and right by our table. Maybe guests with dogs could be in a separate area.

Great location on the beach, dog friendly and super friendly waiting staff. The food was amazing - would recommend the seafood pasta and the open crab sandwich - absolutely delicious.

Just had a bottomless lunch. The cocktails were superbly made, and were quickly replenished when necessary, but the food was absolutely amazing. Had the special fish, and the garden burrito. Literally scraped the plate clean. Fantastic quality and amazing value for money. Would highly recommended...

Evening meal … we took the dog which was a bonus. The staff were welcoming, helpful and friendly. A good selection with a kids menu too and they were open to adapting meals for fussy eaters ! The buttermilk chicken burger was huge, served with...

Good position right on the beach, however this is very much a café not a restaurant, with very basic, almost scruffy decor and rather inconsistent service. Don't ask for wine - they do only one "house" red and it's pretty poor, however the food itself...

Could not fault the food was seated quickly and food came out quickly. All 3 meals well presented very friendly staff nice setting.

Great location, friendly staff, interesting menu ... awful crab sandwich. The thinnest layer of red crab meat ( no white meat) between generous slices of brown bread. Bland, and reminiscent of a cheap sandwich spread. Cost: £15. P.S. great coffee.

Overpriced English breakfast and coffees for 2, was told no bacon available but we could have a additional sausage or egg instead. Food was ok but didn't even come with toast or bread and butter. Cost £36 had been overcharged for 2 additional sausages £4!...

We visited the Watch House today for lunch for my birthday. We were promptly seated but then that was it - after ten minutes or so I went to the bar to ask if we should order there and the Manager said, ‘no, we serve...

All 5 of us had a lovely welcome and were shown to a table outside undercover next to the beach. Lovely atmosphere and the food was delicious with a good menu and specials board. I had the mackerel with salad which was from specials and...

Have visited West Bay a few times and always fancied trying this place out. Popped in to see if they had a table for lunch when we first got there, which they did and remembered me when I arrived with my family an hour later....

Disappointing experience. We booked breakfast for 6 at the Watch House having visited the amazing sister cafe at Hive Beach many times in the past. Service was terrible, we waited ages for someone to come and take our order (the place wasn’t even busy) and...

Good menu with stone fired pizzas, pastas and seafood specials. Lovely beach side open dining area and atmosphere was lovely! Service was a little slow but not unbearable.

I spent some time attempting to get the reservation tab working on the web site to no avail, so in frustration I rang the restaurant to be told that they were short of staff and to busy to take a reservation. Sounds a bit like...

Food very average, 1 pizza was good the other was undercooked and unappetising. Crab linguine was just not accurately described on the menu, ‘crab with garlic and chilli butter’ was actually was full of tomatoes and spring onions and undercooked garlic which was overwhelming. Service...

Thought we would try this knowing it's owned by Hive Beach Cafe and they have a decent reputation. Initially enquired about gluten free pizza to be told they have a gluten free pizza base but it goes straight in the wood burning oven like the...

Jonny provided superb service this afternoon, highly competent and lovely manners. And the emergency take out espresso martini at 2pm really hit the spot and fortified me for another few hours with 8 year old twins. Thanks

Had a really lovely main course, pizzas and fish and chips. However, my grandson ordered cream tea for pud. There was no cream, but no reduction in price. Then we discovered what looked like grey paper (2 bits) in the scone. This was pointed out...

Food and service wonderful. But on Friday my sister in law felt very ill and almost fainted. Jacob and the other staff were on hand to help immediately. They were extremely attentive and understanding as my sister in law had her head on the table...

We have been regular customers over the years, but had not been for a while. We returned for breakfast today. The location is wonderful, and the ambience good. The menu seemed fine, and well presented. The welcome was not great: we were placed on a...

Went for lunch yesterday, service was great and the crab linguine I had was possibly the best I have ever had! It was worth booking as we got seated immediately.

My wife and I visited the Cafe this morning with two friends in order to celebrate one of the friends birthday. We had booked a table on-line the week before and received a nice email asking if we would confirm our booking two days ago....

Was feeling a bit .. yknow .. on Sunday morning after a night out binge drinking with my cricket team. I went for a swim at West Bay then felt hungry as all I'd had for dinner the previous evening was beer. I went to...

We stopped for an early dinner at the Watch House cafe. We had booked but there were plenty of free tables. Our order was taken quickly and our food arrived in good time. We ordered three adult pizzas, a kids pizza, a side of chips...

I am not one for writing a review on Ice Cream parlours as a rule but so pleasantly surprised on our recent visit to West Bay that I really wanted to share the Love. We fancied an ice cream and watch the world go by...

Had the breakfast didn’t include toast that was £2.50 extra for cold and over cooked toast. No beans basic and dry really nothing special. The coffee was nice. The service was fairly slow. Also £13 for the said breakfast. Poor show!.

We've holidayed in Dorset for four years on the trot, and every time have visited the Watch House and thoroughly enjoyed the food. Much better vegetarian options this year and the specials menu was very appetising. This place is a safe bet!

I tried out the newly refurbished Watch house cafe and my first impressions were good. In fact I couldn’t fault the service or the staff. My problem was the quality of my crab sandwich. It arrived promptly which seemed too good to be true considering...

Lovely and inviting cafe by the beach. Delicious freshly cooked pizzas, the sardines on the special board were delicious too. Craft ale really tasty. Great service.

We visited the Watch House Cafe for our first meal on arrival in West Bay. I ordered fish and chips and my partner opted for the sardine offerpriced at £18 on the specials board. Both meals very disappointing for different reasons. My fish (Hake) was...

We were on holiday travelling around the Jurassic Coast and visited the cafe in West Bay for the second time (originally visited pre-covid) The food and coffee was delightful and the staff made this visit a real treat and it wasn't too busy either.

On a family trip to Dorset, we stopped here for lunch. We stopped here for the free parking by the beach. Lunch here was fine, my family and I were pleased. Service was quick and friendly and the prices reasonable. We would happily stop here...

Ordered a Spicy Tiger pizza, chips to share along with 2 Hive lagers. Excellent food & lager coupled great & friendly service from John.

We stopped for lunch at 12.00. Ordered crab sandwich two pizzas, gluten free pasta and Childs fish and chips. At 1250 the pizzas had not arrived- apparently the pizza oven wS not working properly but noone had the courtesy to inform us. We persevered and...

I went for a meal with my partner and was truly disappointed with the whole experience, especially the service. For me to feel the need to write about it on here says alot.

It is such a shame that this cafe has decided to make pizzas. They could focus on everything else, and they would excel. Great service, great staff, great cakes, mains and puddings. I cannot complain about anything else, spot on. However, then we ordered a...

Sadly, this once super beach-side eatery has gone badly downhill. I ordered the veggie breakfast which looked good but had to be returned as the mushroom was stone cold and the tomato not much better. My companions had the full English and parts of these...

It’s a great location just before West Bay’s beach. An informal sort of place with food served both in the restaurant proper and where we sat under an awning to the side of the open plan kitchen. But this does not mean any lack of...

Very good experience at this cafe virtually on the beach. Sea views in semi outside space but sensibly well protected from the elements of an English summer. Busy but service was friendly and relaxed. The guy front of house was very helpful, telling us about...

A great little cafe on the beach, which offers indoors and fully covered seating for the winter months. A fine selection of cakes and a great place to stop for a snack.

Great find. Friendly staff and excellent food. Would recommend. Why, oh why do Tripadvisor insist on 100 characters???

We were first in at 10am on Easter Sunday. The service, food and coffees were all great. There are cheaper places to eat in West Bay but I think the Watch House is worth the extra money. Really dog friendly too, they bought out free...

Coffee good, service good, food average, ordered sausage and egg bagel - bagel was dry and food did not look fresh - bus station cafe quality! From this type of establishment/location you would expect local/organic produce and for it to look of that appearance. Cakes...

£75 for two fish and chip meals which were nice but the brisket sandwich had a hair in and the crab sandwich barely had any crab in, just a basic salad on the side and a vinegary coleslaw and had huge chunks of shell which...

All you want to do is feel that you matter and are important. We were lucky that we got in as they are having developments done and down to 1/2 capacity. The staff are excellent, they just need more. The food is excellent worth the...

We were served by a woman who made us feel as if we were bothering her just being there. Didn't smile once, didn't check how our food was, walked past us when we were leaving without eye contact - we felt most unwelcome. The food...

Arrived at 11.24 for breakfast and they squeezed us in before the 11.30 cut off time. Good quality food well presented. Very friendly and helpful staff. Nice seating area for a cold winter’s morning. The sides come off and I bet it will be really...

I visited the watch in west bay for a brief bite to eat. First off the food is excellent and there is a good range of food to choice from. The location is stunning. It is honestly so nice to sit there by the sea...

Really friendly and efficient staff. The menu and food has really gone downhill. Gone are the interesting and seasonal fish dishes, in are the adequate but uninteresting pizzas. I think what bothered me most was that one staff member was assembling pizza with very long...

Menu to suit all ages and times of day. Staff cheerful and venue cosy even on bad days in winter. Love the fish curry, the pizzas and many other choices.

Perfect location, actually on the beach, the main room has a roof but is open on the sides, so great view and fresh sea air. I had salami pizza and a hive cider, my partner the Margherita, both really enjoyed them, tastes were perfect, bake...

Was really looking forward to breakfast on the beach. We were taken to the side extension which was nice if but a little cold. There were horrible plastic red chairs to sit on. However we ordered full English breakfasts and we didn't enjoy them. £12.00...

Went for lunch & left feeling disappointed overall. Firstly, I should say that all the staff we encountered were friendly & welcoming. Unfortunately, the food was very underwhelming. My Mum had the fish pie which was very generously portioned but didn’t taste of much. My...