Nicola's Guidebook - places to eat & drink
Food scene
From breakfast classics to tasty brunch choices, the menu here is bursting with options for everyone. Open 7am - 3pm everyday.
Burnt Toast - Café & Catering
From breakfast classics to tasty brunch choices, the menu here is bursting with options for everyone. Open 7am - 3pm everyday.
The Purbeck Plaza
Quirky veggie/vegan cafe with lush homemade brunchables, cakes and soups. Open 8am - 3.30pm Mon-Sat.
28 locals recommend
Java Independent Coffee House
Unit 3 Commercial RdQuirky veggie/vegan cafe with lush homemade brunchables, cakes and soups. Open 8am - 3.30pm Mon-Sat.
Superb home cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner served here in their dining area along with a fresh meat butchery counter and deli selling local cheeses, takeaway salads etc. Their range of locally sourced, organic food is not only delicious, but very reasonably priced too, given the quality of it. The service is always friendly, and efficient. Definitely need to book ahead for lunch/dinner.
The Salt Pig Too
Superb home cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner served here in their dining area along with a fresh meat butchery counter and deli selling local cheeses, takeaway salads etc. Their range of locally sourced, organic food is not only delicious, but very reasonably priced too, given the quality of it. The service is always friendly, and efficient. Definitely need to book ahead for lunch/dinner.
Carve Coffee are the only coffee roasters in Swanage and they produce and serve THE best coffee in Swanage!
They serve their coffees and sell bags of freshly roasted beans from the brew bar at their HQ:
Check their socials for current Roastery Brew Bar Opening Hours. They are a 15 minute stroll from the cottage:
Unit 16 Anvil Centre, Prospect Business Park, Prospect Way, Swanage, BH19 1EJ
Carve Coffee Roasters
Carve Coffee are the only coffee roasters in Swanage and they produce and serve THE best coffee in Swanage!
They serve their coffees and sell bags of freshly roasted beans from the brew bar at their HQ:
Check their socials for current Roastery Brew Bar Opening Hours. They are a 15 minute stroll from the cottage:
Unit 16 Anvil Centre, Prospect Business Park, Prospect Way, Swanage, BH19 1EJ
Best pub food in Swanage. All freshly prepared and cooked by amazing French chef/owner. Booking highly recommended as this place fills up quickly.
Top tip: book a table in the rear beer garden rather than inside as it’s a lovely pretty area and has cover if it’s too hot & sunny (or wet!) Or if you’re just having drinks in the evening sit at at table outside the front of the pub and watch the sunset down the High Street.
37 locals recommend
Black Swan Inn
159 High StreetBest pub food in Swanage. All freshly prepared and cooked by amazing French chef/owner. Booking highly recommended as this place fills up quickly.
Top tip: book a table in the rear beer garden rather than inside as it’s a lovely pretty area and has cover if it’s too hot & sunny (or wet!) Or if you’re just having drinks in the evening sit at at table outside the front of the pub and watch the sunset down the High Street.
Good choice of home cooked meals on the menu with fab views. Perfect for dinner on a warm evening as you’ll be able to watch the sunset from here - booking advised.
19 locals recommend
The 1859 Pier Cafe & Bistro
Swanage PierGood choice of home cooked meals on the menu with fab views. Perfect for dinner on a warm evening as you’ll be able to watch the sunset from here - booking advised.
The freshest local seafood with stunning views. Right next to the ferry on Studland beach.
92 locals recommend
Shell Bay Seafood Restaurant
Ferry RoadThe freshest local seafood with stunning views. Right next to the ferry on Studland beach.
Fabulous for lunch or dinner but we prefer lunch as you get to see the stunning sea views in daylight! Ask for a table outside if the weather is good enough as the views will be so much better. Check their website as they often have a pop up wood fired pizza oven option for lunch in the garden. Their cocktails are amazing too!
165 locals recommend
The Pig on the Beach
Manor RoadFabulous for lunch or dinner but we prefer lunch as you get to see the stunning sea views in daylight! Ask for a table outside if the weather is good enough as the views will be so much better. Check their website as they often have a pop up wood fired pizza oven option for lunch in the garden. Their cocktails are amazing too!
Our Favourite Pubs
The best pub in the World (in our opinion). Stunning location and views and a simple no frills old school pub which serves locally brewed cask ale, cider (wine/spirits) from a hatch. The food menu is pasties, and that’s it! The pasties are hand made on-site and delicious (they do vegan too!)
Visit here and you’ll see why we call this the best pub in the world! Perched on the top of a hill in Worth Matravers the sea views from here are stunning. It’s a ‘proper’ pub that serves up to 6 local ales gravity fed straight from the casks and several delicious ciders made by the pub owner Charlie Newman. The only food available is pies, pasties, sausage rolls, all served on paper plates!
The best way to get here from the cottage is by walking along the Priest’s Way public footpath (accessible from the top of Benlease Way). It’s about a 5km - 1 hour walk with beautiful views along the way.
92 locals recommend
The Square and Compass
Worth MatraversVisit here and you’ll see why we call this the best pub in the world! Perched on the top of a hill in Worth Matravers the sea views from here are stunning. It’s a ‘proper’ pub that serves up to 6 local ales gravity fed straight from the casks and several delicious ciders made by the pub owner Charlie Newman. The only food available is pies, pasties, sausage rolls, all served on paper plates!
The best way to get here from the cottage is by walking along the Priest’s Way public footpath (accessible from the top of Benlease Way). It’s about a 5km - 1 hour walk with beautiful views along the way.
Walkable from the cottage. Usually has several local draught beers. Good home cooked menu. Great beer garden which has a outside garden bar and pizza oven during summer. It also runs the local village shop inside the pub - search Trevor’s Deli on social media for shop opening hours.
The Kings Arms
Walkable from the cottage. Usually has several local draught beers. Good home cooked menu. Great beer garden which has a outside garden bar and pizza oven during summer. It also runs the local village shop inside the pub - search Trevor’s Deli on social media for shop opening hours.
Not the best of interiors but this bar does have stunning views of Swanage bay and serves delicious beers on tap from the award winning Eight Arch Brew Co. (based nearby in Wimborne). Try the West Coast IPA Corbel 5.5% if it’s on, it’s our favourite!
The Showbar Taproom & Bar
Not the best of interiors but this bar does have stunning views of Swanage bay and serves delicious beers on tap from the award winning Eight Arch Brew Co. (based nearby in Wimborne). Try the West Coast IPA Corbel 5.5% if it’s on, it’s our favourite!
Sit in the left hand ‘snug’ side of this pub if you just want a cosy quiet beer, the right hand side is mostly laid out for eating. The beer garden is the best bit about this pub, it gets the sun all day long. Occasional live music, which is outside in Summer.
9 locals recommend
Red Lion Swanage
63 High StSit in the left hand ‘snug’ side of this pub if you just want a cosy quiet beer, the right hand side is mostly laid out for eating. The beer garden is the best bit about this pub, it gets the sun all day long. Occasional live music, which is outside in Summer.
Walkable from Deal Cottage, The Globe has a great beer garden and often has Coastal Crust wood fired pizza truck in the rear car park/garden on Thursday evenings (but check first). Often has live music, check their social media page for info.
The Globe Inn
3 Bell StWalkable from Deal Cottage, The Globe has a great beer garden and often has Coastal Crust wood fired pizza truck in the rear car park/garden on Thursday evenings (but check first). Often has live music, check their social media page for info.
The nearest pub to the cottage, it’ll take less than a minute to walk to it!Lovely friendly chatty landlady Rachel will make you feel very welcome when you pop in for a drink or 2. Beautiful beer garden out the back of the pub if it’s a sunny day/evening.
The Royal Oak
The nearest pub to the cottage, it’ll take less than a minute to walk to it!Lovely friendly chatty landlady Rachel will make you feel very welcome when you pop in for a drink or 2. Beautiful beer garden out the back of the pub if it’s a sunny day/evening.