Afternoon Tea in Dorset: Where to Book

For afternoon tea in Dorset, most people land on four names. The Upwey Wishing Well near Weymouth is the county’s tearoom of the year for 2026. Mortons Manor in Corfe Castle is a 16th-century manor house with two AA rosettes, and the Alexandra in Lyme Regis is a hotel with a sea-view restaurant and conservatory. Sherborne Abbey Tea Rooms is the cheapest full tea, at £19.95. Every entry was checked against the venue’s own site on 28 October 2026.

We have not been to these places for this guide, and nothing here is a review. Each entry sets out what the venue says about its afternoon tea, its published price, how much notice it needs and whether it takes a deposit. Each also gives its Food Standards Agency hygiene rating, and all nine hold the top rating of 5. The guide covers the Dorset Council area; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are not included.

Lyme Regis, the Fleet and Weymouth

The Alexandra, Lyme Regis

The Alexandra is a hotel in the middle of Lyme Regis that says it has a “sea-view restaurant”, and its afternoon tea menu says tea is served daily from 12pm to 5pm. A Dorset cream tea, with plain scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam, costs £17. The Alexandra Tier Tea, with scones, finger sandwiches and homemade cakes, costs £36. The Sparkling Tier Tea, which adds a glass of Dorset Louma Special Cuvée, costs £49. Both tier teas need 24 hours’ notice. Condé Nast Traveller, quoted on the hotel’s site, suggests taking it “in the Conservatory”. Book on 01297 442010. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 12 February 2026). Lyme Regis, DT7 3HZ.

Moonfleet Manor, Fleet

Moonfleet Manor is a family hotel at Fleet, west of Weymouth, run by the Luxury Family Hotels group. Its afternoon tea page says tea is served daily from 12pm until 4.30pm. The classic tea has finger sandwiches, homemade scones with preserve and clotted cream, and sweet treats, with Higgins loose-leaf tea or coffee. It costs £35 for an adult and £15 for a child, and there is a children’s menu. A glass of Hattingley English sparkling wine can be added. Book through the hotel’s page. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 6 February 2025). Fleet Road, Fleet, Weymouth, DT3 4ED.

The Upwey Wishing Well, Upwey

The tea room sits beside the spring known as the Upwey Wishing Well, on the edge of Weymouth, with water gardens along the River Wey. The Dorset Tourism Awards named it cafe or tearoom of the year in 2026, as they did in 2023. The autumn menu lists a high tea of finger sandwiches, mini cakes, savoury treats and a fruit scone with jam and clotted cream at £26.95, served from 2.30pm. It needs 24 hours’ notice and a £10 deposit a head. Its own site says tea starts at 3pm on Sundays. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, there are high chairs and a children’s menu, and the cafe is wheelchair accessible. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 22 May 2025). 161 Church Street, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QE; 01305 814470.

Dorchester, Sherborne and Evershot

The Posh Partridge, Dorchester

The Posh Partridge is a family-run cafe on High East Street, and it describes itself as “cosy” and “dog-friendly”. Its afternoon tea page lists hand-cut sandwiches, homemade cakes and patisserie, and warm scones with clotted cream, jam and fresh strawberries, with a pot of tea. It costs £22 a head, plus £3 for a gluten-free version. Tea is served daily from 2.30pm. Bookings need at least 24 hours’ notice and a £10 deposit per person, paid in the cafe, by card over the phone or by bank transfer. It also sells afternoon tea gift vouchers. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 6 January 2025). 29 High East Street, Dorchester, DT1 1HF; 01305 342024.

Sherborne Abbey Tea Rooms, Sherborne

The Abbey Tea Rooms are in St John’s Almshouse at the entrance to Abbey Close. The Abbey says they run independently of the church, with the profits going to the Abbey Tea Rooms Community Project. The February 2026 menu offers a traditional afternoon tea of sandwiches, a scone with clotted cream and jam, and cake, with tea or coffee, at £19.95 per person, and invites you to book. The tea rooms open 9am to 4pm from Wednesday to Saturday and close at 2.30pm on Monday and Tuesday and 2pm on Sunday. Ring 01935 713781. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 11 April 2025). Half Moon Street, Sherborne, DT9 3LJ.

Summer Lodge, Evershot

Summer Lodge is a five-star country house hotel in Evershot, 12 miles from Dorchester. Its dining page offers “a traditional Dorset afternoon tea served in the Drawing Room or Conservatory”. The hotel’s own site publishes no price or serving times for it. A listing on afternoontea.co.uk, a booking site, gave £40 a head in 2025, so ring before you go. Booking is by phone on 01935 482000. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 27 May 2026). 9 Fore Street, Evershot, DT2 0JR.

Purbeck

Mortons Manor, Corfe Castle

Mortons Manor calls itself “a 16th Century manor house hotel” in Corfe Castle village; the building, Morton’s House on East Street, is Grade II listed. Its restaurant holds two AA rosettes. Its afternoon tea menu is served from 2pm to 5pm. A Dorset cream tea with two scones costs £13.75. The full afternoon tea, with scones, cakes and finger sandwiches, costs £31.50. So does a savoury version with cheddar and mustard scones, pork pie and Scotch egg. Both full teas are by advance booking only, and a 10% discretionary service charge is added. The Terrace Bar is the dog-friendly room. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 26 March 2026). 45 East Street, Corfe Castle, BH20 5EE.

Clavells, Kimmeridge

Clavells calls itself “a traditional restaurant” with its own courtyard and garden in the middle of Kimmeridge village. Its 2026 afternoon tea has four kinds of sandwich, savouries including chicken liver parfait on brioche, and scones with Dorset clotted cream. It costs £32.50 a head, or £40 with a glass of Champagne. Booking is essential, with a £5 deposit per person, and gluten-free options are available on request. It is closed from 2 to 17 November, then opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, until 16 December, according to its opening hours page. Dogs are welcome indoors and out, and there is a dog menu. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 22 September 2025). Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PE; 01929 480701.

The Grand Hotel, Swanage

The Grand Hotel calls itself a “classic Victorian seaside hotel” and has a conservatory restaurant looking over Swanage Bay. Its afternoon tea page describes finger sandwiches, sultana scones and mini cakes with clotted cream and strawberry jam. The menu lists a cream tea at £8.95 a head and a traditional high tea for two at £39. A celebration high tea for two, with a glass of prosecco each, costs £49. Teas are served between 3pm and 4pm, and high teas must be booked 24 hours ahead. Book on 01929 423353. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 12 June 2025). Burlington Road, Swanage, BH19 1LU.

How we chose

We started with venues that publish a proper afternoon tea, with a menu and a price, rather than a cake counter. We weighted the list towards those with a public record: the Dorset Tourism Awards, AA rosettes, a listed building or an abbey almshouse. We spread it across the county, from Lyme Regis to Swanage and up to Sherborne. Each one was checked against its own website or menu on 28 October 2026 for prices, notice, deposits and closures. Hygiene ratings come from the Food Standards Agency register, and we left out anywhere rated below 3. We also left out The Eastbury in Sherborne, which is closed for refurbishment until spring 2027. Prices are the venues’ own and can change. Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@dorsetpost.co.uk.

For more to do, see things to do in Dorset and what’s on in Dorset this month. For coffee and cake without the cake stand, read our guide to Dorset cafes and tearooms. For a full meal, try Dorset restaurants, brunch in Dorset or Sunday roasts in Dorset. Every cafe in our directory is in the local business directory.

Frequently asked questions

How much is afternoon tea in Dorset?

At the nine places in this guide a full afternoon tea costs between £19.50 and £36 a head, going by their own menus in October 2026. The Grand Hotel in Swanage charges £39 for two, Sherborne Abbey Tea Rooms £19.95 and The Posh Partridge in Dorchester £22. At the top end are Moonfleet Manor at £35 and the Alexandra in Lyme Regis at £36. A cream tea alone costs from £8.95.

Do I need to book afternoon tea in Dorset?

Usually, yes. The Posh Partridge, the Upwey Wishing Well, the Alexandra’s tier teas and the Grand Hotel’s high teas all ask for 24 hours’ notice. Mortons Manor takes full afternoon teas by advance booking only, and Clavells says booking is essential. Several take a deposit: £5 a head at Clavells, £10 a head at The Posh Partridge and the Wishing Well.

Where can I take my dog for afternoon tea in Dorset?

The Upwey Wishing Well welcomes well-behaved dogs and provides water bowls. The Posh Partridge in Dorchester calls itself a dog-friendly cafe. Clavells at Kimmeridge welcomes dogs indoors and out and has a dog menu. At Mortons Manor in Corfe Castle the Terrace Bar is the dog-friendly room.