Bridport and West Dorset Food & Drink
Whatever you bring to Bridport and West Dorset make sure to pack your healthiest appetite – it’s a gourmand’s heaven!
Bridport itself is home to the almost routinely excellent Bull Hotel. Built in 1535 it was the scene of a murder during the ill-fated Monmouth Rebellion and played host to Princess Victoria in 1834, but these days is far more likely to welcome TV and film actors, as well as the many locals and visitors drawn by its superb food.
Simpler but no less tasty fare can be found in the distressed chic of the Soulshine café, or the fascinating foyer lounge of the Electric Palace cinema and theatre, while the Olive Tree offers a new take on classic Italian dishes.
West Bay has witnessed a surge in tourists as hungry for glimpses of the Broadchurch locations as they are for the excellent food on offer by the beach and quayside. Arguably the queen of the scene is Rachel’s seafood shack with its delicious platters, chowder and fish and chips. The two-level Riverside Restaurant is billed as Dorset’s premier seafood restaurant and provides plenty of evidence to back up the claim.
In the old railway station The Station Kitchen has been a huge hit, again with local seafood and quality produce, while Seagulls Restaurant offers quaint, rustic, casual dining at the seaside.On the beach itself is the superb Watch House Café, sister location to the superbly quirky Hive Beach Café at Burton Bradstock – both operate a strict first come first served policy and no advance bookings are taken. The same family has just opened The Club House bungalow restaurant in nearby West Bexington.
Perched on the cliffs above the Hive is the nationally celebrated Seaside Boarding House. Elegant and relaxed it offers a sophisticated but accessible menu made all the more tasty by the uninterrupted views out to sea.
A short drive inland, Beaminster is not only home to the critically acclaimed Brassica restaurant and mercantile owned by Canteen founder Cass Titcombe and his wife Louise Chidgey, but also the winningly simple Cilla and Camilla café with its lunches, teas, coffees and cakes.
Rated by Country Life magazine no less as the nation’s finest manor house, Mapperton is indeed a stunning house and may be familiar to film fans from its starring role in the recent adaptation of Far From the Madding Crowd. A visit is richly rewarded with excellent fare in the Sawmill Café made with free-range and local ingredients… save room for a slice of Dorset Apple Cake!
Take a little time to browse through our selection of holiday cottages in Bridport and it's neighbouring villages. We’re certain you’ll find something just right for a truly special Dorset holiday.
