Best Coffee Shops in Winchester for Coffee and Cake

On a quest to find the best coffee shops around the world, travel blogger Naomi Sophia (@fabulous_boutique_adventures) was determined to find the best coffee shops in Winchester for coffee and cake. Check out her absolute favourite places to go, including some dog-friendly options too!

As a coffee and cake lover, I was excited to find the best coffee shops in Winchester, and was not disappointed! Dragging my boyfriend, and our neighbour’s dog along too, here are our favourite coffee shops in Winchester.

The Winchester Orangery

Recommended by my friend, the manager at Kudos Coffee, I was excited to try The Winchester Orangery for coffee and cake.

If you are lucky enough to nab one of the tables out front, do it! This place is often busy so take advantage of quieter periods earlier in the morning. There are tables inside too but it is quite dark so better suited for cosy winter days.

Although this place has a large food offering, the cakes are limited. However they are definitely worth it.

The only sweet treats available when I visited were brownies or pain au chocolat. There are three types of brownie: Regular, Chocolate Orange, and Biscoff. I went for Biscoff and it was one of the best brownies I have ever eaten! Rich and decadent, you have the option to team this with ice cream but it tastes superb on its own with coffee.

The coffee was delicious too with a choice of alternative milk. I opted for an oat milk latte. They also do a range of smoothies and cocktails, depending on your preference! Or the time of day!

Great place to catch up with close friends over a decadent sweet treat and enjoy quality coffee.

Reeve - The Baker

Okay, so Reeve - The Baker is one of the few coffee shops in Winchester which doesn’t currently have much seating. We usually take it away and sit in the local park. But it has the best cakes so I have to mention them in this blog.

You know this place is good from the long queue which often lines the bakery window. Not only are the cakes so tasty, but they are really great value too. Most of the cakes are made fresh and delivered each morning to the bakery. And you can really taste it.

Our favourite is the range of doughnuts. From custard, traditional jam-filled, to the seasonal option which can be Oreo, Biscoff, or my absolute fave, the Easter Egg Nest! These doughnuts are the only doughnuts I have eaten in the UK that rival the tastiness of Slovenian doughnuts! The dough is superb, light and fluffy, and not too sweet.

Check out their range of bread and pastries too. The Almond Croissant is the best! 

Coffee Lab, Winchester

Coffee Lab

I can’t write a blog on the best coffee shops in Winchester without mentioning Coffee Lab.

Well known in the local area for its superb coffee and chilled vibes, this is one of my favourite coffee shops in the area. As you will see from my Instagram!

Owned by six-year UK Latte Art Champion, Dhan Tamang, this place is known for its excellent coffee. I usually go to the Stockbridge shop weekly and have perfect lattes every single time!

There are two shops in Winchester. The Square which has a more chilled vibe. Tables sit neatly in the small courtyard where entrepreneurs feast on healthy brunches and catch up on their latest business ventures.

Little Minster Street attracts a younger crowd with its darkened interior and trendy bar feel. The perfect place for students to hang out after late-night partying. Or grab a takeaway coffee to get started on that looming essay deadline.

Their selection of cakes is also really tasty. Choose from brownies, pastries, as well as round cakes which change weekly. Try their Carrot Cake, it’s the best! For something different, check out their Bailey’s Cake, also delicious! 

The Handlebar Cafe, Winchester is great on a sunny day

The Handlebar Cafe

Having spotted The Handlebar Cafe shortly after moving to the Winchester area. I have been waiting for a sunny day to visit.

With a cosy, treehouse feel. And situated on the outskirts of Winchester near St Catherine’s Hill and St Cross. The Handlebar Cafe is the perfect spot to catch up with friends after a fun hike uphill. It’s even dog-friendly, so it's an ideal spot to take pampered pooches or not-so-pampered pooches!

With tables and chairs sat neatly under the shade of the trees, perched upon the wooden terrace, this cafe has a relaxed feel with lovely views over the river.

On colder days, there is some seating inside too. Next to the window so you can feel cosy sipping your hot beverage of choice.

They have a lot of food and drink options. From hot chocolate to tea, a range of coffees with alternative milk and sweet syrups, as well as chai lattes and a dirty chai latte. Not sure what that one is!

Food is also aplenty with a large range of paninis and toasties, as well as breakfast options of toast, teacakes, and porridge. And a large selection of cakes. Both traybakes and slices of round cakes.

I opted for a soya latte and slice of carrot cake, with a mozzarella, pesto, and sun-dried tomato panini, which was really yummy, and came with a small side salad which was a nice surprise.

The prices for food and drink are very affordable, especially for Winchester. My latte wasn’t quite as beautiful as the lattes served in the trendy coffee shops in Winchester city centre but tasted nice.

The panini and carrot cake were both really lovely. And the fact I could bring our neighbour’s dog was an added bonus. Plus one of the lovely waitresses offered him a dog treat free of charge, which he gladfully ate. And Rocky is quite particular about what he eats. I was just explaining that to the waitress when he gulped it down in one!

Overall The Handlebar Cafe is a really great all-rounder cafe with plenty of food and drink options to suit all tastes! A perfect place for anyone looking for some tranquility out of the city after a good hike with their dog. 

Hoxton Bakehouse

Hoxton Bakehouse is well-known for its excellent bread but I wanted to see if they were a contender for my top coffee shops in Winchester.

There are a few Hoxton Bakehouses in Hampshire, one in Stockbridge, Southampton, and Winchester. Although limited seating in Winchester and Stockbridge shops, they do not disappoint with their selection of bread, cakes, and pastries.

Most of their cakes are bread-based so I opted for their Passionfruit Bun although there were a few I wanted to try! The Passionfruit Bun was delicious! Decorated with icing and chocolate flakes, and a sweet passionfruit curd through the middle, this bun was delicious! More bread-like than cakey but definitely worth a try!

The coffee was also really lovely. I went for an oat milk latte and the coffee had a lovely taste. They use River coffee, the same as The Winchester Orangery, and quite a few local coffee shops in Winchester.

Everything comes in takeaway packaging so this is a great place to grab a coffee and bun to go.

Forte Kitchen - The Hatch

Nestled down one of the side streets in Winchester city centre, Forte Kitchen is one of the coffee shops in Winchester I have often passed and been eager to visit. Spying the delicate lattes on the courtyard tables.

Today I had the perfect excuse to try them out! And it was unusually quiet outside, perhaps due to the colder September day.

We took our neighbour’s dog along too so I can confirm well-behaved dogs can easily sit outside. Well-behaved as there is not much space between the tables and the passers-by. So your dog would need to not be easily distracted! Luckily Rocky is an older dog who is very chilled out and happy to sit while we order coffee and cake.

The Hatch at Forte Kitchen specialises in simple yet sophisticated breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. However, I had seen the well-designed coffees from walking by so many times that I was eager to try them for coffee and cake.

The selection of cake was very minimal when I visited however there was a Hampshire Apple Cake that looked divine! So I opted for that with a coconut latte.

The cake was as delicious as it looked. Soft and sweet with a hint of cinnamon and creamy layers. It was a nice size too, not too large a slice, just right.

Now the coffee was actually one of my absolute favourite coffees in Winchester!

Firstly I know from working as a barista that creating a latte with coconut milk that looks presentable is pretty tricky. The milk is typically more watery than oat or soya so it’s very hard to create a silky finish. But the barista at Forte Kitchen managed it! It was so good, I would definitely go back for a takeaway coffee.

There is also lots of seating inside. Downstairs is quite dark and moody but upstairs is bright and spacious. A great little spot to escape the city crowds and cosy up with a coffee and cake. Especially on cold winter days. I will be back! 

The Dispensary Kitchen

Having spotted some neat little tables outside on a quieter street close to the cathedral. I was eager to try The Dispensary Kitchen on my quest to find the best coffee shops in Winchester.

The Dispensary Kitchen is more well-known for its food but I had heard that their coffee was excellent too. So I wanted to try it out.

It was late in the afternoon, they open from 12noon so save this coffee shop for later in the day. I opted for a decaf latte with soya milk and a slice of their plum and raspberry cake.

Firstly the latte had a really lovely creamy consistency. And the coffee, although decaf, tasted bright and warm. Sometimes decaf coffee can taste quite bitter but this latte was just as good as any caffeinated latte I usually have.

In terms of cake selection, they keep it simple at The Dispensary Kitchen. When I visited there were only 2 cakes available but both were beautifully presented and very tasty! Plum and Raspberry with figs and lots of cream! Or a Carrot Cake with strawberries and cream. They looked divine! And were soft, full of fresh fruit, with a homemade feel to them.

It seems like they change their cake selection daily so you may want to check in advance which cakes are on offer that day.

There is plenty of seating outside, and due to being tucked away down a quieter street, it is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

We managed to go on one of the hot summer days in September so it felt as if we were somewhere in the Mediterranean with gorgeous sunshine and music from the nearby street artists. There are a number of eateries with outside seating in this area so you are in good company.

Perfect spot to go to on a sunny afternoon to catch up with friends over coffee and cake. Check out their burger menu too with options for vegetarians!

Josie’s

I have been eager to visit Josie’s since I moved to the Winchester area. It has so many good reviews, appearing on many best coffee shops in Winchester blogs!

So on a rainy day, it was the perfect excuse to snuggle inside with pancakes and a coffee at Josie’s.

We arrived fairly early on a Tuesday morning and were lucky enough to get a seat. This coffee shop is usually packed! So come earlier to avoid a long wait. Plus the best seats are the comfy booth-style which line the windows.

We opted for Banoffee Pancakes, a coconut latte, and a croissant. The pancakes were amazing! You can choose your stack size, I opted for just the one and that was plenty with all the decadent toppings. But feel free to go for the full 3-stack!

The latte was deliciously smooth and silky. The milk had been steamed to perfection and gave a creamy finish to the coffee. A perfect combination with sweet pancakes. The croissant was served warm with jam and butter. Making a lovely simple breakfast.

These are just some of our favourite coffee shops in Winchester, there are so many to choose from! What are your favourite coffee shops in Winchester?

Blog provided by Travel Blogger, Naomi Sophia - head over to instagram and find her: @fabulous_boutique_adventures
Alternatively, visit her travel blog: Fabulous Boutique of Curious Adventures