Hive Beach Cafe

What a great beach "shack" and I mean that in a very complimentary way! This place is super cute, with some cool products merchandised at the entry, great views, a cozy feel and great food! Oh and the stafff was really friendly as well. We had an awesome lunch here. There were six of us so we were able to taste a lot of dished and all were really tasty. The panko crusted prawns were coated very lightly (yay) and fried just right with a tasty aioli. The fish soup was super rich and full of well-cooked seafood, the fries were great, the mussels as well. And two of our friends had desserts (cheesecake) that were great as well. I wouldn't have thought everything would have been prepared, presented and cooked so well. It's a great time, go!

Another fantastic lunch. We arrived earlier than our booking but were seated straight away. The fish and chips were divine and nothing was too much trouble. The staff all worked incredibly hard on a very busy lunch session. Will definitely be going back.

Stunning views and delicious fresh food. Service was fast and friendly despite our dithering over what to have. We had the seafood platter and the kitchen were kind enough to swap out the cold Lobster and prawns to the hot version (highly recommended if you like garlic sauce). The food is also great value for money. You get a satisfying portion size. We also had a crab sandwich which came with salad and vegetable crisps which was also fresh and tasty.

Visited this Cafe today after coming a cross it whilst walking Our Dog! Was quite busy but got a table straight away, table was off to the side which suited us as Our Dog Kiwi is a little nervous. Water Bowls are dotted around the Patio just for the Dogs! We ordered a Crab Sandwich with coleslaw and a deep fried Squid in a lime sauce with side salad, both were delicious, so much Crab Meat in the Sandwich and lots of deep fried squid! Definately recommend this Place, can imagine it is busy in High season! Reasonably priced for what We got!

Fantastic lunch for 4 adults. We had booked online ahead. We thoroughly enjoyed the food which was all delicious. The staff were lovely with the young chap that was taking our orders and looking after us showing great knowledge on the menu, food and generally information about the restaurant with a lovely, polite manner. Nice relaxed atmosphere. We can't wait to go back again and try more of the menu!

Stopped off here for impromptu lunch today after enjoying that scenic drive with views of Chesil Beach. Friendly welcome, great service. Food good - we had a hake and chips and the salt n pepper squid. A very cold beer and a glass of lovely rose washed it all down a treat. Fantastic views and casual dining. We’ll return with friends and perhaps I’ll get lucky and be a passenger not a driver next time! I’ll be having two big glasses of that rose 😁

We had a fantastic breakfast here on the last day of our trip to Dorset. Our Airbnb host had recommended and we weren’t disappointed. It was a blustery cloudy day so we sat inside, we arrived 20 mins before breakfast stopped serving but ourselves and our 2 dogs were warmly welcomed by the friendly staff. Not knowing what would be available we ordered our breakfast and it was delicious. My only complaint is the lack of an alternative to butter for my toast. I have a severe allergy to dairy but was told by the waiting staff that they have no alternative. A bit backward in this day and age. Next time I’ll bring my own!

Fantastic location and even better food. Our meals and all the others we saw looked amazing, the staff are brilliant too. Good sized portions and fair pricing.

Excellent cafe with stunning views of hive beach, friend and efficient staff, food is excellent and freshly cooked. Great place for breakfast by the sea.

+5

Really lovely lunch. Great food as always. Buzzy atmosphere in a full marquee even on a drizzly March lunchtime. Friendly service. Worth booking! Swim first then come here for a warmup under the heaters.

Another absolutely beautiful breakfast while visiting with family! Best poached eggs I've ever had. Not a fan of Salmon so had Bacon Benedict. Incredible. Thanks girls (perfect service) & the kitchen team. We'll be back

Lovely place with views of the beach. Lovely Hive Beach Breakfast, cooked to perfection.

We arrived at 11.20, just in time to order breakfast. We were lucky to get the table on the edge of the 'tent' overlooking the beach. Despite being quite busy we received very efficient service. The food arrived within 15- 20 min, then our hot drinks. We had 3 x full English and egg Benedict on muffin with bacon. Everyone enjoyed it. The only nuisance were a few wasps but not a lot to spoil our experience.

What a wonderful little beach café!! Came here yesterday and sampled the savoury cream tea while my wife had the ordinary cream tea. Really super! Loved the cream cheese and onion relish! The scones were really cheesy. Stayed so long that we also had the Dorset apple cake, too... !! The staff are absolutely lovely. Today, back for breakfast !! Super! Thank you... x Back, yet again !! We end up coming here quite often (even though we are not local...) and this is our all-time favourite beach café. The savoury cream tea is impressive, and the breakfasts are legendary. We would like to thank all the staff, but especially Leila.

As always, generous portions with speedy and friendly service. The food is exceptionally fresh and well prepared. Just the ticket after a decent walk along teh beach.

You cannot beat the view over Hive Beach. The café was heaving on a rare sunny day this summer. Note to all, booking recommended. We were seated promptly on arrival and had a beautiful view over the beach to the water. The café has a short menu with a focus on fish, they do a chicken Caesar salad, a steak roll and gnocchi too. Our table had the Fish of the day, Cornish Gunard, the King prawn salad and the Salt and pepper squid. Delicious, healthy portion sizes and great value for money. We’ll be back!

We walked over from highlands end campsite today and built up a great appetite and then had a lovely lunch, me, the better half and bob the dog. We’re both veggie so ordered the halloumi sandwich to share with chips and slaw and drinks to takeaway and sat outside ( alcoholic drinks- it is holiday after all -cheers !! 🥂) So far on holiday we have had chips in west bay and bridport but these were our favourites. The beer was from the piddle brewery which of course had us giggling - when you’re sat outside in the sun having a great time (and not at work) words like piddle seem hugely funny (to us …..?!) the beer was great too, reports on the house white also very favourable. It was very busy for a Tuesday lunch and there is another restaurant in the group in west bay called watchhouse cafe which also looks good and they do Sunday lunch (veggie option) 2 courses £20 which seems very good value in these times we are in - look forward to trying it next time. Added. June 2025 pictures - this amazing salad was the veggie option, a plate full of delicious ingredients. I couldn’t see anything vegan on the menu - not being negative to the restaurant in any way but just for general info - the salad had feta on. Also it was really busy , we hadn’t booked and got the last table for walk ins, booking recommended . If you want to get a bus to/from Bridport I’m pretty sure ( maybe double check) it’s the x52 or x53 Jurassic coaster , the stop is in burton bradstock, then a fairly short walk to hive beach. Walk/bus bus/walk bus/bus walk/walk always worth a visit to hive beach (it’s national trust if you drive and park )

We were dead lucky to get prime seating overlooking the beach. Then the seafood platter came. Wow! This broke the three of us and could easily have fed 6 people. A true and rare delight the platter was a definite highlight of our time on the Jurassic coast.

Superb !! 💗 This place is very busy so be ready to wait a few extra minutes to be seated and served. The staff is so lovely and accommodating and the food is mouthwatering so it’s all worth it. Plus the views! A hidden gem! A place you want to come back to again and again and again 🫶🥰

Huge muscles in a nicely balanced blue cheese cream sauce. The fish chowder was also lovely, great tasting fish and fresh veg. We enjoyed on a wet and windy day, outside seating had heaters which warmed us up nicely. Would recommend after a walk.

Imagine a late afternoon, late summer, the sun goes down behind the cliffs, calm sea, some people still on the beach. The last sunrays lighten your pint. Each table has people and at least one dog. That was our experience. The service is fast and polite. We had fish and chips and grilled sardines. Very tasty. I really can recommend the restaurant.

Visited here again, been couple of times before and the location never fails to impress, especially on a calm sunny day. I had the hive fish soup, and the only reason for 4/5 is that it could have done with more spice (chilli heat would have been great) the bread that came with it was fresh and 4 rectangles of butter (perfect quantity). The coffee was good, and I did have 3 off them. The service would have got 6/5 as the hosts were really welcoming and helpful. Thanks for a great lunch.

Food great but don't make the mistake of ordering a starter and main course at the beginning as they will both come together!!! We did and my mussels were taken away and redone apparently but we're actually just kept warm as they were a bit cold when they arrived!

Lovely dinner by the beach. Fresh lobster and prawns went down a treat. Reasonably priced and a beautiful setting.

We stopped for a lunch with our dog. No reservation ( imagine it gets busy) but they got us a nice table outside. Nice seafood options on menu. Not cheap , but very quick service. Loved the crispy chilli squid with lime - and crab sandwich salad also good. Just off the beach, big national trust car park next door ( £4 for 2 hours I think). National trust guy was great!

Lovely place to visit for a bite to eat. Staff are very friendly and welcoming, tables and restaurant are clean and the food was very good. Will definitely be returning, maybe for the breakfast next time, looks very good

Amazing restaurant, lovely seating and attentive staff! Just wish the breakfast menu had a bit more going on/ the menu doesn’t do the place justice! But would definitely recommend!

Breakfast at the Hive. Lush! Perfect poached eggs and great service. The only downside were the very barky dogs in the restaurant area, owners had no consideration for anyone else!!

+2

Came for a joint birthday dinner for my mum and husband, the wine was nice and the hive lager really tasty! We got a mix of dishes including some specials, had a slight issue with my dish but they were very receptive and polite and sorted it out right away! Brilliant service and all the dishes were delicious. Atmosphere is really nice by the sea, would be nice if the ‘window’ panels on the tent were less cloudy to be able to see the sea when the tent is down but is a small point. Quaint with simple seating but food and service are the star

+3

I really loved my first impromptu visit here 7 years ago. We decided to re-visit for my birthday as a family meal. From what I recall at our original visit, things have changed and expanded a bit since Covid etc and it’s good to see there are takeaway options and an outside terrace option. We spent over £300 on a meal for 2 adults and 2 teenage children which included drinks and desserts. I did feel this was excessive even though we ordered some amazing seafood dishes. If I could improve the experience it would be to have more options on the dinner menu as there weren’t that many and it seemed all were very pricey. I think a lot more attention is needed to address allergies and food intolerances and staff training needs to be more robust here. I have an intolerance to some fruits due to an inflamed bladder lining so I explained to the waitress I can’t do lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange. I also said I am sick if I eat mussels but I’m good with all other seafood and all other fruit. She told me they don’t serve mussels in their dishes. Later, they double checked if the single raspberry placed in my cocktail was ok. It was. However, they didn’t pay any attention or give any warning to the large wedges of lemon served on a seafood platter we’d ordered and I was quite shocked to also find mussels among the platter. I didn’t bother saying anything at the time as I just avoided the areas near the lemon wedges and my husband ate the mussels and I chose other parts of the platter. My intolerances are not that serious and I do it to avoid pain and any sickness. However, some people have serious adversities and I was just surprised this happened. I think I expect somewhere that charges over £300 for dinner to look after me for 100% of the experience. If I had brought this up I think it might have spoiled my birthday dinner out but how would they have backtracked from doing this if I had? Overall, it was a lovely meal and we enjoyed the atmosphere and experience thoroughly.

When the sun is out, this place is really the only cafe on this beach and it gets very busy so I advise you to book in advance. We had a confusion with our bill as the menu nor the waitress informed us it's extra charges for having decaf drinks or non dairy milk. My friend asked for just a scone but they bought out a cream tea scone which is more expensive but the staff insisted it was the right dish we ordered so we didn't argue about it. But when the bill came, they charged us cream scones and a hot drink. So our bill was more than we expected to pay. Just wished this was made very clear from the start so not shocked by hidden charges. Then the scones themselves were quite dry in texture and taste so we wished we ordered something different but there weren't many small lunch dishes available. So all this experience didn't entice us to want to eat here again. Maybe just for drinks as their outdoor seating overlooks the beach. The staff were friendly and efficient but not great at really listening to what the customers are saying to them. I asked for a jug of water, they bought two small glasses, they should have told us they don't have jugs as I would have ordered a different drink. The plus side is a great location, right by 2 carparks, their takeaway section sells really big Mr Whippy icecreams.

I visited this cafe with my family which is situated on Hive Beach. Due to the weather being very hot the cafe was extremely busy. There was no booking system so we had to wait in a queue till a table was available. Whilst waiting it was lovely to see the tables being cleaned thoroughly by all the staff, which included the tables, chairs and all sauces that were on the tables. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Jamie answered any questions we had. Although they did not wear masks, the staff kept their distance and you had to take your drinks off the tray they were served on to limit contact. My husband and I had the seafood platter. The platter was delicious and we fully enjoyed what was included. It was our holiday treat, it was not cheap. My children enjoyed the fish and chips. We were lucky to get a seafront table. This table had enough space to feel safe during Covid-19. At least a metre from other tables. Unfortunately not all tables in the cafe were as spread apart. My advice would be to ask before you are seated if you have any concerns or worries.

We have to admit 2025 as others The price of some food is over priced Especially when in my country you can get a good lobster for £25 and over £100 here does not make sense However the breakfast is good and not bad price friendly staff like to please We do enjoy it even we have a campervan

We went on a really sunny day and couldn't sit at the front because it was too bright and hot. They need to get some blinds to pull down. Everyone who was seated at the front asked to be moved. Food was OK but the veg were really greasy and I couldn't get through them. I've always been told how good this place is but I have to say I was disappointed. Also be aware that it is an NT car park which cost me £4 to park for 2 hours. Won't rush back. On the plus side the location is gorgeous with lovely beach/sea views. Staff were super helpful and friendly.

The chef today was excellent.Sometimes not as good as today.However exceptional quality and portions.

We walked along the river from Graston Copse and decided to stop off for a spot of lunch before doing the return journey. Was expecting a beach cafe, however this is more like a restaurant on the beach. Mostly seafood. However, what we had was lovely but very expensive for a spot of lunch! Can't argue with the super quick & and friendly service though. Would have preferred it if they had some other light bite options. Staff were very friendly and the place was dog friendly too.

We are regulars at the Hive Beach Cafe. Sadly today the paella was sub par. Not much flavour and completely missing the promised prawns. Concerns raised with a clearly inexperienced waitress were simply met with the reply 'I will let the kitchen know'. Not their usual standard. Hopefully, just an off day.

I live in Dorset and have been to Hive Beach Cafe many times over the past 12 years. Always loved it, especially the Lobster. But sadly the last couple of visits have been very disappointing. The food is not to the standard I have previously experienced. I went yesterday with a friend who’s never been and we both ordered the crab sandwich. It was served in super quick time which we were both very surprised as it was busy. The first thing I noticed was the coleslaw was not made by them but was cheap shop bought processed food! Yuk. And the sandwich was worst.The bread had either been sat out for too long or it was not fresh as it was dry and fell apart when I picked it up to eat it. The crab was not good either. All the brown meat not white and all lumpy like it had just been taken out of a can and put in the bread. We sent the sandwiches back and just ate the chips. If they didn’t have the location that they do they would have to consider what is coming out of the kitchen. The location keeps them busy in my opinion not the quality of the food,

Having been a hive customer for years, wow how it has gone down hill and is over capacity (greedy). Food was not good, scallops and chips. The scallop were totally overcooked and all you could taste was the burnt breadcrumbs/butter. Service wasn't good, menu were dirty, missing drink pages and staff were just rushed off their feet. Shared feedback and was offered a free drink or pudding, or replacement food but the vibe just wasn't worth the wait. Such a shame, hive used to be our favorite seafood restaurant and it's just over booked and lost the quality! Won't be back.

Perhaps it was because we booked an hour before closing perhaps it is January and the slow season, but the food was substandard. I ordered the fish soup which came with an oil layer on top, phenomenal amount of breadcrumbs in the middle and 2 very small pieces of fish. The broth was riddled with large chunks of celery and the flavour was of tired fish broth. It felt very much like the kitchen has scraped all pots and emptied it on the plate. The soup came initially with a knife and fork and a spoon and promised bred had to be requested. The bread was cold and a bit dry. The staff noticed our disappointment and also appeared perplexed when observing the soup. The staff did go back to the kitchen for another portion or “ more fish” as it was offered. 10 minutes later a new soup- which bore zero resemblance to the first was produced. This time it was a tomato broth with a few more fish chunks in and again, the pile of soggy bread crumbs. It bore very little resemblance to the first portion and was served lukewarm. It was better effort than the first but still way below par for any fish restaurant. My companion ordered the fish and chips which were just okay. The fish batter was a bit soggy and oily but the chips were hot and fresh and the tartar sauce is good. Nothing to get excited about though. Serving staff were friendly and we were offered a free coffee which we accepted.

So disappointed with our visit yesterday. We have visited this cafe for years but never has it been so disappointing. We were shown to our table at 12.20pm. We ordered almost immediately...fish soup and bread, fish and chips and a bottle of water. The water came out...40 minutes later our food started to come out. First my soup came....no spoon . 5 minutes later my husbands meal came out. The chips were cold, but also served on a cold plate. Once my spoon came I tried the soup..also tepid. Both sent back . When they came out again I had to ask for butter for my bread. For the cost of nearly £50 the food was mediocre. Certainly fish soup was different to when I'd had it before. Then when we asked for Bill, they had cheek to ask us if we wanted to give a tip!!!, It was busy but not going to long before it won't be. Not rushing to go back sadly. Also saw several little dogs on the tables yesterday....not restaurants fault I know but have some sort of policy please.