Updated 2023
If you are planning on walking the South Downs Way, then it’s important to know all the essential places where you can get some food en route to keep you fuelled! While we have walked the South Downs Way and would recommend bringing food with you, there are times when you might want a coffee or cake to keep you going and it’s useful to know where these are available!
We also have a full guide for tips and advice for walking the South Downs Way, so check this out if you are wanting to know how to split the route up into sections and if you need some more information.
Our list of cafes on the South Downs Way is listed in order from west to east i.e. from Winchester to Eastbourne. It is worth noting, you can also find places to eat further from the trail if you wish to drive or use public transport and they will offer more substantial food i.e. pubs and restaurants. Everything listed below is a nice walking distance from the trail or situated on the South Downs Way (SDW) itself.
Queen Elizabeth Park Cafe
The cafe at Queen Elizabeth park serves locally sourced food, cakes and drinks and the SDW passes directly outside the cafe, just after you have descended from Butser Hill. There is also a visitor centre here as well as toilets and a large car park.
Address: Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Gravel Hill, Waterlooville, PO8 0QE
Cadence Cycle Club Cocking
Cadence Cycle Club Cocking can be found directly on the SDW route, just as you approach Cocking and right by the Cocking Hill car park which makes it a very handy place to get lunch. Check out their website for their menu and they have water refills and bike charging points too!
Address: The Old Dairy, Hilltop, Cocking, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 0HT
Amberley Tea Rooms, Amberley
Amberley Village Tea Rooms can be found nearby the SDW and is just a short walk down the main road (B2139). You can get delicious cake and tea/coffee here in a lovely quaint setting and in the peaceful and pretty village of Amberley, which is definitely worth walking around as there are lots of cute cottages.
Address: The Square, Amberley, Arundel BN18 9SR
The Cafe at the Old Workshop, Washington
The Cafe at the Old Workshop is just a short walk from the main trail, near St Mary’s Church and they serve delicious homemade food in a lovely 16th-century barn. The main barn and the outside space are dog friendly and there is a great atmosphere here with friendly staff!
Address: Sullington Manor Farm, Sullington Ln, Storrington RH20 4AE
The South Downs Fodder Box, Upper Beeding
The South Downs Fodder Box is a converted horsebox directly on the South Downs Way, just outside Upper Beeding. You can get all your refreshments here including drinks, cakes, sausage rolls, ice cream and cheese straws!
Cadence Cycle Club, Various Locations
These cyclists have a passion to make cycling more accessible and fun for everyone and their hubs provide the perfect meeting place for cyclists to come together as a community. They have a number of hubs dotted along the SDW including at Cocking, Upwaltham and Eastbourne.
The Coffee Mill, Jack and Jill Windmills
The Coffee Mill is located at the Jack and Jill Windmills (right on the SDW) selling coffee and cake from a converted horsebox. See their Facebook page for their opening days.
Address: Mill Ln, Clayton, Hassocks BN6 9PG
The Wildflour Cafe, Saddlescombe
You can find the Wildflour Cafe at Saddlescombe Farm, which is a National Trust farm, and you can grab everything here from breakfast to lunch to cakes and everything is made on site.
Address: Saddlescombe Farm, Saddlescombe Road, Brighton BN45 7DE
If we have missed you off our list, do email us and let us know 🙂
