Short answer: For breakfast in Looe, Dotty's and the Cornish Bakery on Fore Street in East Looe are the usual early stops, with Tasty Corner Cafe by the Millpool car park in West Looe and the Marine Drive kiosks for sea views. Millpool parking is free until 9am all year, then charged by the hour.
Looe is cut in two by its river, and breakfast here starts with a choice: which side of the bridge do you want to eat on? East Looe has the bakeries and the harbour, West Looe has the big car park and one very useful cafe by the bus stop, and the Marine Drive stretch round towards Hannafore Point has the places with a sea view. Opening times shift with the season, so use this as a map of who does what rather than a timetable, and check opening times before you set off.
Very few places open early, which is the first thing to know. The earliest openers are on or just off Fore Street in East Looe, and visitors usually find them open from around 8am.
4.6 from 812 Google reviews, and the best-rated early sit-down breakfast in East Looe. Reviewers describe the full English as "a real platefull", and a couple of vegetarians and vegans single out the meat-free breakfasts. It is also known for big homemade scones, so a cream tea tends to fill the tables by late morning. People have reported needing to reserve at busy times, so ask when you arrive if you have a larger group.
4.5 from 427 Google reviews. Reviewers rate the barista coffee and the pastries, and one couple came back two mornings running for a shakshuka croissant. Seating is cosy rather than roomy. One reviewer found the toilet out of order and was pointed to the public ones, so do not rely on it.
4.1 from 227 Google reviews. Another bakery on the same street, handy if you want a pasty or a pastry rather than a full breakfast. Reviewers are enthusiastic about the Cornish pasties.
Dotty's is the safe answer. If you are on the west side, Tasty Corner Cafe sits on Quay Road next to the car park and the bus stop. It has 4.3 from 371 Google reviews, and one reviewer praised perfectly poached eggs and hot coffee. Reviewers also say it is dog friendly with a water bowl and that it has no toilet of its own, so you use the public ones across the road.
For something lighter, La Piccola at Bridgend on Fore Street (4.9 from 49 Google reviews) is a small Italian cafe with pastries brought in from Italy and focaccia sandwiches. It is a young place with fewer reviews than the bigger names, but the reviewers we read all praise the coffee and sandwiches.
Drive or walk out along Marine Drive towards Hannafore Point and you reach Island View Cafe (4.6 from 727 Google reviews). A reviewer who ate poached eggs with chilli flakes and fruit French toast described a view across the water in the sun, and several mention how many gluten free options there are. Visit Looe describes it as a seasonal cafe, so check that it is open before you walk out.
Nearby on the same stretch, the Beach Kiosk (4.5 from 103 Google reviews) does bacon baps, pasties and coffee with views to Looe Island, and reviewers say dogs are welcome. It is a kiosk, so you eat on a bench or a wall. Hannafore Kiosk (4.7 from 712 Google reviews) is the better known of the pair. Visit Looe says it serves refreshments all year, though its reputation is for crab sandwiches and pasties at lunch rather than breakfast. There is free roadside parking behind Hannafore beach, according to Visit Looe, and the beach has toilets near the Coastguard Station, including disabled toilets.
The Lookout on the Quay (4.6 from 382 Google reviews) opens mid-morning, which is late for breakfast. One reviewer called its bacon butty "proper" (thick slices, bread, butter, no fuss), and another watched a whole room order the hevva cake when it came out of the oven. Reviewers say it is dog friendly inside and out, with harbour views.
Lammana (5.0 from 124 Google reviews) is tucked into the Old Harbour Office on Buller Quay, down the little alley between Fore Street and the Quay. Specialty coffee, a caramel miso cookie that a reviewer singled out, and a dog-friendly welcome that stretches to a "pupchino".
Yes. Dotty's has vegetarian and vegan breakfasts, according to reviewers, and Island View Cafe is repeatedly praised for gluten free choices. The Courtyard on Fore Street (4.6 from 482 Google reviews) serves vegetarian and vegan food in a garden courtyard, and HappyCow lists a kitchen that opens at 10:30am, so it suits a late breakfast rather than an early one. If you have an allergy, tell the staff when you order.
The Cornwall Council car park at Millpool in West Looe has 964 spaces and is open 24 hours. It is free between midnight and 9am in summer (1 April to 31 October) and between 4pm and 9am in winter (1 November to 31 March), so an early start costs nothing until the tariff begins at 9am.
The pay station takes coins, cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and you can use the JustPark app. The council says several of its car parks go cashless from 1 August 2026, so bring a card or phone. For overflow options and summer rules, see our Looe parking guide.
Choice shrinks outside the summer, and some cafes shorten their days or close for a break, so it is worth checking the day you plan to go. Island View is seasonal, while Hannafore Kiosk serves refreshments all year. We keep a running list in what's open in Looe in winter. If breakfast is the start of a longer day, the Looe day out for £50 or less shows how to build one around it, and the Looe town guide has the rest.
If Looe is shut or full, Polperro is a short drive west along the coast and has its own mornings. See where to get breakfast in Polperro. For pasties at lunch rather than breakfast, our Looe pasty guide covers the options.
Dotty's and the Cornish Bakery on Fore Street in East Looe are the usual early stops, from around 8am. Tasty Corner Cafe on Quay Road is the main option in West Looe, and Island View Cafe and the kiosks on Marine Drive have the sea views.
Reviewers say Dotty's, Tasty Corner Cafe (water bowl provided), The Lookout, Lammana and the Beach Kiosk all welcome dogs. Ask about seating when you arrive.
Island View Cafe is repeatedly praised by reviewers for its gluten free choices, and Dotty's has vegetarian and vegan breakfasts. The Courtyard on Fore Street serves vegetarian and vegan food from late morning.
At Cornwall Council's Millpool car park in West Looe it is free until 9am all year. After that, summer prices start at £2.50 for an hour and winter prices (1 November to 31 March) at £1.30 for an hour.
Some do, with shorter hours. Island View Cafe is seasonal, while Hannafore Kiosk serves refreshments all year, so check before you go.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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