Cake Room

Cake Room Hastings is a cosy little sugar-and-sandwich haven tucked into the America Ground area, just around the corner from the beach. It's the kind of dog-friendly café where a quick coffee can become cake, lunch, loose-leaf tea, and "well, we're here now" levels of commitment. Dogs are welcome inside, so nobody needs to do the pavement shuffle.

The menu covers much more than cake, although the cake is very much doing its best main-character work. Expect coffee, specialty teas from Bird & Blend, homemade sandwiches, savoury dishes, smoothies, kombucha, cocktails, wines and beers, with a friendly independent feel that fits nicely into this creative corner of Hastings. Open Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Cake Room proudly leans into being super dog-friendly rather than quietly tolerating paws under the table. Water and treats are available too, making it a brilliant Hastings stop for dog owners who want beach-adjacent cake, a proper sit-down, and a dog who suddenly believes they also ordered something.