Cafés

You’re never far from a cosy spot for a cup of coffee or light bite of lunch & cake in Swanage.

There’s a diverse range of cafés in town, all within walking distance of each other, meaning there’s something to suit everyone – from the dog-friendly to somewhere perfect for kids, places for a hearty meal and special spots for a celebratory afternoon tea.

You’ll find a traditional beach-front tearoom serving cream teas and freshly-made sandwiches, along with shore-front establishments right on the beach where you can watch the tide go in and out.

Swanage’s various independent coffee shop all offer something unique to tempt both locals and visitors – from the boho Java Coffee House tucked away down an alleyway that prides itself on its range of vegan options, to Salt Pig Too’s adjoining urban farm shop & butchery, to Love Cake’s delicious homemade cakes and treats.

And if café to you means hot chocolate, served with a complimentary chocolate, with a side of chocolate brownie – look no further than award-winning Chococo…Swanage is proudly this Purbeck chocolate house’s founding home.

Swanage Bakery on Institute Road also has a dine-in café, so you can stop for a cuppa whilst you pick up your daily bread, and if you’re looking for a hot cooked breakfast many coffee shops offer a Full English, with some more specific ‘greasy spoons’.

For authentic Italian coffee coupled with impressive ice cream & gelato flavours, try Fortes café & gelateria (beneath The Mowlem).

There are also a number of larger chains with small premises in the town – sample a little bit of Cornwall while you’re here in Dorset with a pasty from the Cornish Bakery, or visit Gregg’s for a quick familiar favourite.

So whether you’re looking for a hearty lunch after a long beach stroll, a cosy hot chocolate and treat on a winters’ day, or a quick tea or coffee with friends in a lovely seaside setting, there are plenty of coffee shop options to choose from in Swanage.

And if it’s somewhere with a bit of history you’re after, head to Swanage Pier’s 1859 café or Durlston Castle’s SeventhWave café with its incredible views over the sea.

Categories
Cafés Food & Drink

The Cabin

Sign for beach café and bar The Cabin in Swanage
The Cabin café on the beach

The Cabin is a friendly, family-run beach café & bar situated on Swanage Beach, popular with holidaymakers and locals alike.

With views across the bay’s water and golden sands, it’s the perfect spot to have a hearty breakfast, light lunch or just wile away some time with a drink in your hand.

There’s seating on the prom, right by the strand, as well as tables set slightly further back in The Cabin’s tiered seating area, giving panoramic bay views. Sit out and enjoy the sun or take a break in the shade in The Cabin’s booth seating or under a sun umbrella.

Some of The Cabin’s most popular items on the menu include their seafood basket and fresh crab salad.

This busy little café is also fully licensed and stocks a range of wine, gin, beers and ciders. You can also order a refreshing jug of Pimms to share with friends on a warm day.

Note that due to its location The Cabin’s card machine can have a patchy connection, so take some cash just in case.

The Cabin has a hand-sanitising station, so you can wash-up before eating after exploring the beach.

Menus

The Cabin opens at 9am for breakfast each day, where you can choose to go for a Full English or simple egg or bacon bap, or fuel your onward beach walk with a cup of coffee and slice of Dorset apple cake.

Breakfast finishes at 11am, with the main menu starting at 11.30am, which offers a range of options including toasted sandwiches, burgers, seafood and salads.

Sun-beds, beach chairs, windbreaks & parasols for hire from The Cabin
Hire beach seating & parasols from The Cabin

Sun lounger hire

Extend your visit to The Cabin by hiring a sun-bed or beach chair from the café to enjoy on its very own stretch of beach.

Relax to the sound of the waves knowing that delicious food and a refreshing drink is on hand.

You can also hire windbreaks and parasols to provide shade – just ask one of the team at The Cabin.

 

Opening times

The Cabin is open seasonally from 1 April – 30 September.

Breakfast is served daily between 9am – 11am, when the menu changes to its main lunch menu from 11.30am.

British flags flying on Swanage beach outside The Cabin café
The Cabin’s flags mean they’re open

Tables are non-reservable and in peak holiday season there may be a short wait to be seated as it’s a popular place for both locals and visitors.

Naturally, due to the nature of The Cabin’s outdoor location, opening times can be weather-dependent. In the case of heavy rain for example it may be closed.

Closing times may vary according to the weather, but you’ll be able to see at a glance from along the beach whether The Cabin is open as it will have its Union Jack flags flying.

Location & parking

📍 Burlington Rd, Swanage BH19 1LW 

How to find The Cabin

The Cabin is set just below The Grand Hotel and close by to The Pines Hotel, about half way along Swanage Beach.

The Cabin café below the Grand Hotel in Swanage
The Cabin

If you’re spending the day at the seaside, or visiting town for the day or on holiday, you simply need to walk along the beach or promenade from the town centre till you reach The Cabin. It’s easy to spot, situated just past the stretch of colourful beach huts beyond Ocean Bay Watersports.

Parking

Parking on the nearby residential roads may be tricky as these are used by locals and residents of The Grand Hotel, but you can park in town and walk up the beach or via the roads – there are two pathways down to the beach from Burlington Road (both with steps).

Step-free access is via the promenade.

North Beach Car Park is the closest long-stay car park to The Cabin.

Contact details

Keep up-to-date with The Cabin by following them on Facebook, or call for any enquiries:

Categories
Butchers Cafés Farm shops Food & Drink Restaurants

The Salt Pig Too

Outside The Salt Pig Too, Swanage, with takeaway coffee
Grab a takeaway coffee

Salt Pig Too is a thriving independent café & restaurant, butchery and urban farm shop in the heart of Swanage town centre and just a short stroll from the beach.

The sister business of The Salt Pig in Wareham, which opened its doors in 2010, Swanage’s very own Salt Pig opened its doors in 2018.

Serving seasonally-inspired dishes, Swanage’s Salt Pig restaurant can seat 50 people and all ingredients are locally-sourced where possible.

(all images courtesy of The Salt Pig’s Instagram)

With a strong commitment to animal welfare, provenance and responsible rearing practices, The Salt Pig proudly sources all its pork, lamb and beef within 8 miles of both premises, and fresh fish and shellfish are delivered daily.

The Salt Pig’s own family of rare breed Mangalista & Berkshire pigs are kept on local heathland and woodland and have famously appeared on the BBC’s Countryfile programme.

Butcher & meat boxes are also available via The Salt Pig’s butchery and can be ordered online ready for collection from either farm shop.

(pictures credit: The Salt Pig)

Opening hours & contact

Opening times

The Salt Pig logo

The farm shop and restaurant in Swanage is open as follows:

  • Monday – Wednesday – 8am – 6pm
  • Thursday – Saturday –  8am – 11pm
  • Sunday – 8am- 4pm

Contact details

Call to book a table or follow The Salt Pig’s social media for their latest news and updates:

Location in town

📍7A Station Road Postcode: BH19 1AB

Centrally-located on Station Road, Salt Pig Too is a stone’s throw from the beach, The Mowlem theatre & cinema, and all of Swanage’s main shops and amenities.

There is a small amount of short-stay on-street parking on Station Road itself, which is handy if you’re popping in to collect your butcher’s box or visit the urban farm shop.

There are two short-stay car parks a short stroll from the café (Mermond Place & Co-Op) and two long-stay car parks within a five-minute walk of Salt Pig Too (Broad Road & Main Beach car parks) if you’re staying for a quick coffee, lazy brunch or hearty dinner.

The Salt Pig Too lotion in Swanage (credit: Google Maps)

Catering

The Salt Pig team can cater for your wedding or event at any location across Purbeck.

Event catering (picture credit: The Salt Pig)

They’ll work with you to come up with your perfect menu, whether that’s a hog roast at a big family BBQ, canapés at a work meeting or even a private party.

Weddings will be given an extra special touch with a dedicated food & drinks wedding planner.

No menu design is too big or too small – you can request a special afternoon tea, rustic outdoor buffet or full sit-down dinner.

The Salt Pig regularly caters for businesses in the area including the RSPB and the National Trust.

For catering enquiries, visit The Salt Pig’s website: www.thesaltpig.co.uk/outdoor-catering/

The Sandy Salt Pig

The Sandy Salt Pig, Studland
Sandy Salt Pig

The Sandy Salt Pig is a new mobile food trailer based at Middle Beach in Studland – the perfect accompaniment to a seaside stroll.

Warm up after your walk with a breakfast butty & hot drink on a crisp winter day or stay a while and brunch by the beach on a warm afternoon.

Sandy Salt Pig opening times: Daily, 9am -4pm

Salt Pig pop-ups

The Forgotten Salt Pig

Salt Pig mobile catering at Tyneham village
The Forgotten Salt Pig mobile snack van at Tyneham

This mobile catering van can often be at Tyneham, where facilities are otherwise limited.

Typically, Tyneham hosts the Forgotten Salt Pig through the summer, serving hot & cold drinks, and light bites such as sausage rolls and sweet treats.

(Note that at Tyneham it’s cash-only payments due to there being no signal in the abandoned village.)

The Artful Pig

You’ll find this pop-up at artist collective & gallery Sandy Hill Arts in Corfe Castle.

Stop for a snack here as you browse the art and craft at The Boilerhouse Gallery or visit Corfe Castle Railway Station.

Sandy Hill Arts holds regular live music and arts events, including a range of workshops for both adults and children. Find out more online: sandyhillarts.co.uk

The Salt Pig, Wareham

Find the original Salt Pig on North Street in Wareham:

  • 📍6 North Street, BH20 4AF
  • 📞 01929 550673
  • 📥 wareham.saltpig@gmail.com
Categories
Cafés Food & Drink Shopping Shops

Chococo

'Chococo - the Purbeck Chocolate Co.' cup
Hot chocolate at Chococo

Tucked away down a little Swanage side-street you’ll find award-winning Chococo – a family-run, handmade chocolate company that began life right here in town.

Swanage is the home of Chococo’s first chocolate house, which has now expanded into a shop & café, with further premises in Winchester, Exeter and Horsham.

It’s the perfect place to stop for a hot chocolate and brownie on a chilly afternoon, a refreshing gelato on a summer’s day, or to purchase a special chocolate-themed gift.

There’s seating both downstairs and upstairs in the café next to the adjoining chocolate shop, as well as a small amount of seating in the lane outside. Upstairs you’ll also find a small children’s area with colouring activities.

In addition to Chococo’s signature chocolatey baked goods and specialty drinks, there’s also a range of other items on the menu, including local Dorset tea, scones and toasties.

As well as the Purbeck chocolate company’s firm favourites, such as their beautifully handmade chocolate bars & slabs and delicately decorated boxed chocolates, Chococo also creates seasonal and occasion products. Gifts can also be personalised for the recipient.

Can’t choose between your favourites? Why not put a hamper together, or buy a subscription as an unusual gift for a foodie friend?

Chococo also often holds fun chocolate lolly-making workshops in the holidays – keep an eye on Chococo’s Facebook page for updates, or pop into the shop to find out about any upcoming events.

(Pictures all courtesy of Chococo)

Chococo has won over 100 national and international awards over the years since its inception in 2002 and boasts a tempting range of flavours from traditional favourites like Dorset sea salt caramel to its award-winning gin collection.

Popular chocolates include ginger, honeycomb, raspberry and bandanna & cinnamon, along with various novelty chocolates for the perfect edible gift.

Many of Chococo’s chocolate products are naturally vegan, but there are is also a special vegan-friendly range of chocolates available made using oat milk.

Opening hours

  • Monday – Friday – 9.30am to 5pm
  • Saturday – 9.30am – 5.30pm
  • Sunday – 10am – 5pm

Location in town

📍 Commercial Road, Swanage, BH19 1DF

Commercial Road is pedestrianised and accessible both from Institute Road (the alleyway opposite The Mowlem) and from High Street via the passageway between JJ Moore’s butchers and Swanage Library.

It’s also a stone’s throw from the beach as well as all of Swanage’s central shops and other amenities.

Contact details

Explore Chococo’s products and other chocolate houses on their website, or call to place an order for collection.

Categories
Cafés Food & Drink

Love Cake

Outside Love Cake Cafe in Swanage
Street-side seating

This busy little, family-run café on Swanage’s High Street is a popular spot for everything from celebration afternoon teas to hearty breakfasts, from light lunches to main meals – and of course: cake.

It’s a short stroll from Swanage Beach and all the town’s main shops and amenities – perfect for a bite to eat after a swim or to grab a takeaway coffee and cake to take on your beach walk.

The fully-licensed café uses locally-produced Dorset ingredients and suppliers where possible and even has a little in-store deli where you can pick up local chutneys, biscuits, chocolate and more – or ask them to put together a hamper for you or as a gift.

Love Cake’s in-house bakery can also create bespoke cakes for your special occasion – simply get in touch with your requirements.

The café often holds special themed and seasonal evenings – keep an eye on their social media pages for the latest.

And you may see them and get a chance to sample special menus at certain local events, such as at Rollington Barn for Purbeck Art Weeks.

Opening hours

Love Cake is open every day between 9am & 5pm.

Time may differ at certain times of the year, with special evening openings, for example, for seasonal special nights.

Check in online on their website or socials for the latest updates.

Contact details

Raspberry and macaroon dark chocolate tarts by Lovel Cake catering at PAW
Takeaway chocolate tart with macaroons

Booking a table here in advance is advised, especially during busy seasons.

There may be parking on the one-way street outside (max one hour), but if not the café is almost equidistant to Co-Op and Mermond Road car parks, as well as long-stay Broad Road car park.

The Bear

Check out Love Cake’s sister business in Wareham – a cosy, stylish refurbished 18th Century coaching inn –

It’s a hotel, restaurant, café and function venue.

The Bears’ 11 bedrooms are charmingly named after famous bears -including Paddington, Pooh and Rupert.

Function rooms include an intimate library setting for up to 14, or main function room which can seat 40+.

Find out more on The Bear’s website: www.thebearwareham.co.uk

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