Homemade café on the High Street
A homemade café on Ventnor's High Street — famous sausage rolls, cream teas and afternoon tea, run by husband-and-wife team Shelly & Glyn.
On Ventnor's High Street sits a pretty white-fronted building with shell motifs everywhere — even on the toilet seat. Inside, Shelly bakes and Glyn welcomes.
Proper coffee, homemade sausage rolls with buttery flaky pastry, loaded potato dippers, coronation chicken — and cream teas with scones baked that morning.
Shells Cafe opened in 2024 when Shelly and Glyn Cumberlidge turned a High Street shop into Ventnor's most talked-about tearoom — and within two years it was TripAdvisor's #2 restaurant in town.
The coffee is island-roasted and the food is genuinely homemade — prepared and cooked on the premises by Shelly. Waffles with bacon and maple syrup, homemade quiche, ham and cheese croissants.
But the legend is the sausage roll: the ploughman's and the red onion chutney varieties, with generous fillings and pastry one regular called "buttery and flakey, absolutely perfect".
"The best sausage roll I think I've ever eaten."
— TripAdvisor reviewSit in the window seat and watch the High Street go by, or take five cream teas for the ferry home. That's Shells Cafe.
A family-run café on the High Street with homemade cakes, famous sausage rolls and the island's best-loved afternoon tea.
The white-fronted building on the High Street is hard to miss. In 2024 it became a café — white frontage outside, blue chairs and seaside touches inside.
Spotlessly clean, dog friendly, and the welcome is warm and genuine — "more like a guest in their home than a customer", as one reviewer put it.
Everything is made on the premises: sausage rolls, quiches, coronation chicken, cakes and scones. The "Smiling Cake" got its name the moment customers saw it.
Gluten-free scones, vegetarian and vegan options — and every hot meal temperature-probed before it leaves the kitchen.
The afternoon tea stand is the heart of the place — sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and Shelly's cakes, all made that morning.
One family came for cream tea on Monday, then ordered five takeaway cream teas for the ferry home on Friday.
"One of the best flat whites he's ever had — and that's not something he says often."
— Google reviewPloughman's and red onion chutney varieties — "the best sausage roll I've ever eaten", say reviewers.
"Truly the best on the island" — tiered stands of sandwiches, scones and Shelly's cakes.
Dogs get treats and a warm welcome — the spaniels approve, and so do their humans.
Island-roasted coffee's on and Shelly's scones are out of the oven. Four days a week, Tue–Thu closed.
Sausage rolls, loaded potato dippers, coronation chicken — the regulars' hour.
Afternoon means scones, clotted cream and a proper pot of tea.
Doors close at four. Back Thursday — or Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Everything made on the premises by Shelly — here's a taste. Ask in store for today's full list.
11 High Street — the pretty white-fronted building with shell motifs, an easy stroll from Ventnor seafront.
Sausage rolls, quiches, cakes and scones — everything homemade on the premises
"An absolute gem. Every bite feels like it has been made just for you."
— Google reviewsClosed Tue–Thu. Hours as listed on Google.