Burton Bradstock, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: Two vintage railway carriages near the sea and harbour in the former West Bay station constitute this “delightful” venue. The cooking is sometimes seen as the weakest link (“they try hard, without really hitting the spot”), but most reports are upbeat, citing “above average food” in an “unusual and quirky setting”. Since our annual diners’ poll concluded, change is afoot with a new arrangement introduced in autumn 2022, which sees fine dining from chef Chris Chatfield’s seasonal menu in the newer ‘Beeching’ carriage, and relaxed dining in ‘Brunel’, from the First World War, with both menus available in the dog-friendly ‘Station House’.

Radhika Mohendra’s and Jollyon Carter’s “wonderfully tasty” dishes that combine British and Asian flavours are the attraction at this “cosmopolitan” outfit, “tucked away down a back alley in a little town in West Dorset”. The menu is neatly divided between ‘Dumplings (steamed or fried)’ and ‘Not Dumplings (hot or cold)’; the former are filled with everything from organic curried lamb to Dorset red cheddar.

“Always worth a trip”, this nautical 1930s building in a “wonderful location” right on Dorset’s famed Chesil Beach (there’s a “nice mix of outside dining options” to make the most of the setting) is a sibling to Hive Beach Café in Burton Bradstock and The Watch House in West Bay. In early 2025, they embraced a more relaxed menu and, while seafood remains the star of the show, there are now steaks and small plates on the menu. All reports rate it well.