The Secret Garden Cafe
Wholesome flavours,
made fresh every day!
Step into The Secret Garden Cafe, a relaxed, welcoming spot in Dorchester where great food comes first. Our menu is built around fresh ingredients, bold flavours and plenty of choice, with something for gluten-free, veggie and vegan guests, alongside a few carefully chosen meat options so mixed groups can feel more welcome than ever.
From laid-back breakfasts to satisfying lunches, everything is made with care and served without fuss. Our gluten-free waffles remain a firm favourite, alongside freshly baked cakes, hearty classics and a few signature dishes that have become part of the Secret Garden experience.
Whether you’re meeting friends, grabbing a coffee or settling in for a proper bite to eat, The Secret Garden Cafe is a place to slow down, relax and enjoy good food done properly.
“Happiness is finding out there are Vegan & Gluten-Free options”
Our Menus
A whole lot of YES!
Our menus are built around choice, flavour and food that feels worth sitting down for. From relaxed breakfasts to satisfying lunches, everything is prepared fresh and served without fuss.
You will find familiar favourites, a few bold newcomers and plenty of options designed to work for mixed groups. Whether you are after something light, something hearty or just a good coffee and a bite on the side, there is always something to suit the moment.
Whatever you fancy, there is a good chance you will find it here.
It's not all about the food...
Freshly ground coffee & gloriously delicious loose leaf tea
Great food deserves a proper brew. Our coffee is freshly ground to order, while our loose leaf tea range offers something a little more relaxed, with plenty to explore beyond the usual.
From a rich, aromatic espresso to a comforting pot of tea, every cup is served with the same care as the food. If you fancy something different, our bold Builders Brew delivers a proper pick-me-up, while Jasmine Poached Pear brings a softer, more delicate option when you want to slow things down.
Short on time? Everything is available to take away, so you can grab your favourite and be on your way without missing out.
What They Say...
- Katie Greenslade15 Jun 2026I only had a coffee (which was delicious and the staff were lovely and friendly) and wish I had taken a picture of the outside space that has been newly decorated with flowers and some lovely planter! So happy as it was looking quite sad and has really made a difference to that area! Enjoy!read moreread less×
Katie Greenslade15 Jun 2026I only had a coffee (which was delicious and the staff were lovely and friendly) and wish I had taken a picture of the outside space that has been newly decorated with flowers and some lovely planter! So happy as it was looking quite sad and has really made a difference to that area! Enjoy!David Moss07 Jun 2026Great coffee. We have tried many Dorset apple cakes across Dorset. The one we had yesterday was 5 star one of the best. When we have one we always have it warm with ice-cream. Excellent with good ice-cream as well . A must.
Thank you
Davidread moreread less - delvo7623 May 2026Walking through the town with our dog and when the staff saw him they all rushed out to say hello. So lovely. We came back the following morning for a delicious and reasonably priced brekkie. The staff not only remembered our pup but were all so enthusiastic and lovely to me, my wife and the dog. Beautiful garden, square and cafe to choose from. Absolutely perfect.read moreread less×
delvo7623 May 2026Walking through the town with our dog and when the staff saw him they all rushed out to say hello. So lovely. We came back the following morning for a delicious and reasonably priced brekkie. The staff not only remembered our pup but were all so enthusiastic and lovely to me, my wife and the dog. Beautiful garden, square and cafe to choose from. Absolutely perfect.Mzazi09 May 2026Really good friendly attentive service, with the food options and dietary options all fully explained along with selection of what sort of bread you’d like, gluten free etc
Really well presented nice indoor and outdoor area to sit in
The food was excellent !
We had vegetarian breakfast and poached eggs on toast
The vegetarian breakfast just looked fantastic and was to a excellent standard
I noticed there’s a small selection of toys to keep your small children occupied while you eat, so great option for a family
I really highly recommend you choose this cafe for breakfast or lunch when visiting Dorchester, after our great experience in this cafe, we will now make it our first choice to eat when we visit Dorchester
Well above and beyond expectations, so much better than your usual coffee with a piece of cake experience in the national chain cafes !read moreread less×
Mzazi09 May 2026Really good friendly attentive service, with the food options and dietary options all fully explained along with selection of what sort of bread you’d like, gluten free etc
Really well presented nice indoor and outdoor area to sit in
The food was excellent !
We had vegetarian breakfast and poached eggs on toast
The vegetarian breakfast just looked fantastic and was to a excellent standard
I noticed there’s a small selection of toys to keep your small children occupied while you eat, so great option for a family
I really highly recommend you choose this cafe for breakfast or lunch when visiting Dorchester, after our great experience in this cafe, we will now make it our first choice to eat when we visit Dorchester
Well above and beyond expectations, so much better than your usual coffee with a piece of cake experience in the national chain cafes !Matt Wheeler02 May 2026We visited today and the service was spot on. The food was perfect and the burger I ordered was fresh and one of the best.
Many thanks for our stop in lunch. We will visit again.read moreread less - Jennifer Ramirez21 Apr 2026This is an incredibly lovely space with a large menu. They were very accommodating for gluten free needs. I had the tofu scramble that was good but overloaded with pine nuts. I will return for other food that looks amazing!read moreread lessSarah Moody04 Apr 2026No longer vegan, had really good full English here and then found out that they just started serving meat. Cakes looked epic but breakfast beat me!read moreread less
- darinsydenham
27 Mar 2026Excellent cafe. The best cafe in Dorchester just got even better. The new menu is great and welcoming for all. Lovely old building and wonderful, professional and happy staff all combine for a fantastic dining experience. I highly recommend, 10/10.read moreread lessJoanna T
27 Mar 2026Hearty Breakfast in Heart Of County Town We popped in 2 try the new menu. We are always greeted warmly by the staff who are accommodating and professional. Both the Early Riser & Hungry Gardener breakfasts were served quickly & really delicious, the care and attention given to each element shines through on the plate. A hearty, hot, tasty Breakfast accompanied by an excellent Barista Coffee at a good price point is hard to beat.read moreread less×
Joanna T
27 Mar 2026Hearty Breakfast in Heart Of County Town We popped in 2 try the new menu. We are always greeted warmly by the staff who are accommodating and professional. Both the Early Riser & Hungry Gardener breakfasts were served quickly & really delicious, the care and attention given to each element shines through on the plate. A hearty, hot, tasty Breakfast accompanied by an excellent Barista Coffee at a good price point is hard to beat.s bown25 Mar 2026Popped in to try the new menu, I’ve just had a fabulous English breakfast. Absolutely loved it, sausages were fantastic not over herby ones just proper pork sausages. Actually decent value aswell at about £12. Highly recommend. I’m sure you will get some backlash from the vegan community but let’s face it……if there were enough of them and they ate more food…you could make a business model work……. But facts are facts and cafes and restaurants ts etc are hard enough to survive, you can’t cater for one community unless they wanna pay £20 for a toastie as that’s only way ends could surly meet. But for me, No issues at all with these meat additions to the menu, it means I can now have somewhere else to go with veggie and vegan mates where we can all enjoy something as the veg options are still plentiful, but now I can actually enjoy something with bacon aswell. I shall be back! 100% quality breakfastread moreread less×
s bown25 Mar 2026Popped in to try the new menu, I’ve just had a fabulous English breakfast. Absolutely loved it, sausages were fantastic not over herby ones just proper pork sausages. Actually decent value aswell at about £12. Highly recommend. I’m sure you will get some backlash from the vegan community but let’s face it……if there were enough of them and they ate more food…you could make a business model work……. But facts are facts and cafes and restaurants ts etc are hard enough to survive, you can’t cater for one community unless they wanna pay £20 for a toastie as that’s only way ends could surly meet. But for me, No issues at all with these meat additions to the menu, it means I can now have somewhere else to go with veggie and vegan mates where we can all enjoy something as the veg options are still plentiful, but now I can actually enjoy something with bacon aswell. I shall be back! 100% quality breakfast










