Horse With Red Umbrella
Cafes and Snack Bars in Dorchester
10 High West Street
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 1UJ
Contact Numbers
Reviews
Nasty
Avoid this place. I had to give it 'one star' because this system won't allow me to give none (or minus ratings). It's a horrible cafe.
Michael Davies - 25/01/2017 | report this review
A follow up
With reference to Charles D's review of The Horse with the Red Umbrella. It would appear from your review that you are convinced that I have written my review as an interested party; that is, as an owner? I would like to make it clear that I have only ever been a customer over the many years that I have eaten there. I have never worked in the catering industry in ANY capacity. I do not even know the name/s of the owner/s of THWTRU. Therefore your reference to my 'gushing' is presumptive-I simply wrote my review according to how I experienced it. I do not even live in Dorchester (as plainly stated in my review) and in fact live totally on the other side of Dorset. Please feel free to read my other reviews and from them you will clearly see that I-as a born and bred Dorset resident-do not enjoy 'pretension' in any form. As it would appear that you are in London, it is more than likely that you will not appreciate the more rural, less pretentious establishment. The fact that you state Cafe Nero or Starbucks as serious alternatives in Dorchester really say it all. It is, of course, your prerogative to dislike any place, as indeed it is mine to enjoy it. But you are wrong to believe that I am in some way financially connected to THWTRU. And yes I WILL still continue to visit THWTRU every time I visit Dorchester and I have no doubt that I will continue to enjoy good food and a charming service from them, as always.
Carly D - 16/10/2009 | report this review
To be fair...
Not to put too fine a point on it Charles, not everyone has high expectations of such a small business! I'm sure if there were a 5 star kitchen with a Michelin chef then the circumstances would be much different, and complaining about a slice of cake!?! Come on, the manager can do whatever he darn well pleases, after all it is his establishment! But yes, I agree with Carly, it is a lovely little place that is quite quaint. The service is always friendly and I have never had any problems. A nice thumbs up is due.
Samantha Ramsay - 13/10/2009 | report this review
Dreadful place
In the interest of fairness, I feel I should respond to the gushing review from ‘Carly'. We had the misfortune to eat at the ‘Horse with the Red Umbrella' recently, and were extremely disappointed. We ordered a slice of cake, which was the thinnest, meanest slice of cake I've ever seen. The only ‘amazing' thing about it was its smallness. Perhaps the manager of the establishment didn't want to give too much away, as he was stuffing a much larger piece into his own mouth (whilst serving!). We also ordered the ‘traditional' cream tea. The cream wasn't merely off; it was rancid, and we had to wait an extra minute or two while the scone was ‘traditionally' micro-waved! I can't vouch for the cleanliness of the premises, but I'd be surprised if the hundreds of whimsies and knick-knacks are regularly dusted, however, as Carly says, ‘it's something to look at' while the microwave warms up the food. Much more interesting to look at is the blackboard that lists the food on offer. We enjoyed the spelling mistakes far more than the food, and I'm not altogether sure that ‘pizza' is ‘traditional English fayre' either. Sadly, we didn't get the sense that the “boss was nice to work for†Carly, as I say, he had his mouth full of cake for the duration of our visit to your, sorry, their café, and our complaints were met with surly indifference from him. Check your bill too. It seems that if you order the ‘cream tea', the cup of tea that comes with it is extra! If you find yourself in Dorchester, and I sincerely hope you do, please don't bother with this place. There is another café called ‘Chai', only 5 minutes away, there's a Café Nero 6 minutes away or heaven forbid a Starbucks close by too. Just don't squander your money in this wretched, ungrateful, cluttered little caff.
Charles Dee - 16/09/2009 | report this review
Fantastic place
We always visit 'The Horse with The Red Umbrella' every time we visit Dorchester. Serving quality and delicious home-cooked food, it's always a pleasure to eat there. Their cakes are amazing! The premises are clean and interestingly decorated...an eclectic mix of items inside the cafe means you're never bored while you're waiting for your food to arrive! The atmosphere is incredibly friendly..you get a real sense that the boss is nice to work for because the banter amongst him and the staff makes it feel very welcoming. Great position too...right in the middle of High West Street makes it perfect for people-watching! Love it there and it never fails to please.
Carly D - 30/04/2009 | report this review
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