Name: The Ugly Duckling Cafe
Address: Unit 6, Swans Yard, Shaftesbury SP7 8JQ, Shaftesbury, Shaftesbury, SP7 8JQ, GB
Telephone: +44 7772 327559
Price range: ££
Rating: 4.7

About The Ugly Duckling Cafe

Tucked away in a quiet corner off Shaftesbury High Street, this is the kind of homey little café where the staff genuinely seem pleased to see you — one family turned up after lunch service had finished and were still sorted out with food that arrived fast and hot, which matters when a toddler has run out of patience. Breakfasts are the draw: a proper full English, a vegetarian version, quality tea and good lattes. The cakes are worth a detour and most are gluten free — apple, chocolate and orange, and an avocado and courgette one that eats like carrot cake. Sausage rolls with caramelised onion are a favourite, and the cheddar ploughman's is enormous if you like cheese. There's a covered terrace with a mural of old Shaftesbury, high chairs, a kids' menu and buggy access. It's a popular local meeting spot, so it can fill up.