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A nostalgic cuppa - at the Dome Café

Morning coffee or afternoon tea in the good old days was more than just a drink – it was an occasion. With smart waitress service, china cups, sugar lumps in a bowl and a traditional teapot, cafes and tearooms at the beginning of the last century really knew how to do things properly. And now, with the opening of the new Dome Café, there’s a chance to relive all the elegance and gentility of a bygone era, without having to don your wing collar or whalebone corset.

The newly designed café is part of a massive refurbishment plan for the Dome complex –although the cinema has been up and running for several months, Worthing has had to wait until 2008 for the cafe on its elegant frontage to open its doors. Café owner Mark Flatman has done some meticulous research on period detail to achieve exactly the right look.

“The furniture we’ve chosen, together with the pictures and mirrors are all in Raffles style, so it’s like stepping back into the 1920s,” he explains. “After such a long wait, we want to give this building back to the local community. And despite the authentic look, everything behind the scenes is state of the art – so, when it comes to equipment, we’re very 21st century.”

The Dome Café serves only Fair Trade coffees and teas - with nine different types of original leaf teas to choose from. All the pastries and cakes are handmade, and you can enjoy light snacks, including sandwiches and baguettes at lunchtime. There’s a fully licensed bar, too.

“We want to make the whole experience enjoyable and accessible to everyone,” says Mark. “Until I looked around properly for the first time I never realised what an amazing building this is. The Edwardian/Twenties era never really grabbed me before, but now I’m completely inspired. It’s a building that ignites passion in everybody who works here, and every time I walk through the doors I can honestly say I fall a bit more in love with it.”


The Dome Café is open every day for coffee, tea and light lunches. Pop in soon and enjoy a little nostalgia.

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