Eat & Drink
11 recommendations
Bar & Restaurant
Rockwater
A beachside destination unlike anything else on the Dorset coast. Rockwater sits right on Branksome Chine beach with a stunning glass-fronted restaurant, rooftop terrace, and a food-to-go shack on the sand. Great for long lazy lunches, sunset cocktails, or weekend brunch. Also hosts yoga, sea swims, and live music events throughout the year.
Restaurant
The Ivy
The Bournemouth branch of the iconic national brand, situated in the town square. All-day dining with the trademark Ivy glamour — great for a celebratory lunch, afternoon tea, or a pre-theatre dinner. The Sunday roasts are reliably excellent and the cocktail menu doesn't disappoint.
Steakhouse
Westbourne Grill House
Rated Bournemouth's number one steakhouse for seven consecutive years — and for good reason. An intimate, family-run restaurant tucked away in Westbourne with just 30 covers, serving grass-fed cuts dry-aged for 36 days in seaweed salt chambers. Book well in advance. Adults only (over 11s).
Steakhouse
Bournemouth Steakhouse
A proper old-school steakhouse with a traditional décor that hasn't changed much in years — and that's entirely the point. Classic, no-nonsense steak cooking of genuinely high quality. The kind of place where the food does all the talking and the atmosphere feels warm and unpretentious. A solid choice if you want a great steak in a relaxed, traditional setting without the formality of a fine dining room.
Fine Dining
NEO Restaurant
A standout dining destination right on the seafront with sweeping views across Bournemouth pier and the bay. Contemporary British menu with a strong focus on local, seasonal ingredients. The glass-fronted restaurant is ideal for a special occasion dinner, while the brasserie does a brilliant Sunday roast with bottomless trimmings and 2-for-1 cocktails at happy hour.
Brunch
Cosy Club
One of our favourite breakfast and brunch spots in Bournemouth. The Cosy Club has a warm, eclectically decorated interior and a menu that covers everything from proper full breakfasts to eggs benedict and smashed avocado. Relaxed atmosphere and reliable quality — exactly what a weekend morning calls for.
Caribbean
Turtle Bay
Casual Caribbean food and serious rum cocktails in a vibrant, colourful setting. Great for groups and ideal if you're after something a bit different — jerk chicken, rice and peas, plantain. The cocktail menu is a highlight and the lunchtime deals are excellent value.
Café
Bosconova
A well-loved independent breakfast and brunch café in Boscombe with a loyal local following. Excellent coffee, proper homemade food, and a relaxed neighbourhood feel. The kind of place that makes you glad you got up early. Perfect for a morning before a walk along the beach.
Café
Urban Garden
Nestled right inside the town's beautiful Lower Gardens, Urban Garden is a lovely spot for breakfast or a leisurely lunch surrounded by greenery. Light, modern food with good vegetarian and vegan options. The setting is hard to beat on a sunny day — eat outside and you'll feel miles away from the town centre buzz just a few minutes' walk away.
Restaurant
The Cliff
A stylish all-day restaurant in the desirable Canford Cliffs area, close to the sea. Classic British dishes with a modern edge, a vibrant bar, and several private dining spaces. The terrace is lovely in summer and the brunch is among the best in the area. A slightly more grown-up crowd — ideal for a relaxed lunch or evening meal.
Pub & Restaurant
The Sanford
A relaxed pub-restaurant near The Cliff, ideal if you want something a bit more casual without sacrificing quality. Good hearty food, a proper pub atmosphere, and a friendly local crowd. A solid option if you want a chilled evening meal or a Sunday lunch without the formality.
Village
Westbourne Village
Westbourne is a charming village suburb of Bournemouth with an independent café and restaurant scene worth exploring on foot. Excellent coffee shops, neighbourhood restaurants, wine bars, and delis line the pretty streets. Perfect for a morning or afternoon wander — the kind of place where you'll always find somewhere new to try.
Coffee worth seeking out
9 spots across Bournemouth & Poole
Speciality Coffee
Ounce Coffee
The best coffee in Westbourne, full stop. Rated 4.9 on Google and 5.0 on Tripadvisor, Ounce is a small, characterful independent serving beans from exceptional roasters including Bad Hand. The kind of place where the baristas genuinely know their craft. Brilliant for takeaway — the smoothie bowls and avo toast are excellent too. A real community hub with bags of personality.
Mobile Coffee
Little Green Coffee Box
Bournemouth's best-kept secret — a converted horsebox parked at the Asda side of Bournemouth train station, serving locally roasted coffee with milk from their own dairy farm in Weymouth. Rated among the best coffee in Bournemouth. Perfect if you're passing through or want a quick grab-and-go — free parking right by the station makes it an easy stop. Properly exceptional coffee in a genuinely unusual setting.
Independent Café
South Coast Coffee
A Bournemouth independent institution — originally part of the Boscanova family since 2008, South Coast Coffee was founded by proper coffee obsessives who wanted locally roasted craft coffee far from the chains. All food made to order from scratch using locally sourced produce. The philosophy here is refreshingly simple: great coffee, great food, and a space where you can actually switch off. Close to Bournemouth Square.
Coffee Shop
Fika
A small, warm-hearted coffee shop close to Bournemouth's beautiful Lower Gardens — ideal if you want to pick up a coffee before a walk. Known for exceptional espresso and legendary cinnamon buns. "Small coffee shop. Big heart" is their motto and it genuinely captures the place. The staff are famously friendly and the quality is consistently excellent. A proper local favourite with a very loyal crowd.
Coffee & Brunch
Blend on the Hill
A bright, airy independent café close to the Square with high ceilings, large windows, plenty of plants, and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. Excellent coffee, a solid food menu catering to all dietary needs, and enough space to settle in with a laptop. Dog-friendly, reliably good matcha, and the kind of place that feels like an antidote to chain coffee shops. A hidden gem that deserves more attention.
French Patisserie
Petit Prince
A French patisserie and café in the heart of Westbourne with an in-house bakery producing freshly baked artisan breads, breakfast pastries, quiches, and soups daily. The perfect Westbourne morning stop — grab a croissant, a proper coffee, and sit and watch the village go by. A step up from the typical café experience, with distinctly French quality and charm.
Coffee & Light Bites
Coffee #1
A reliable, well-loved coffee chain with a strong independent feel — two local branches in Southbourne (a short walk from the beach) and Ashley Cross. Great for a sit-down coffee and light bites, with outside seating when the sun is out. The artisan toasties and pastries are consistently good. A solid, unhurried spot whether you're heading to the beach or browsing Ashley Cross.
Shopping
2 areasBournemouth Town Centre
The town centre offers a good mix of high-street favourites, independent boutiques, and the recently regenerated BH2 leisure complex. The Triangle area has more independent and eclectic shopping, and the surrounding streets are worth exploring for coffee shops, gift shops, and independent retailers. Easy to spend a full morning browsing.
Castle Point Shopping Centre
A well-stocked retail park less than ten minutes' drive from the town centre, housing larger stores including M&S, Next, and a wide range of household and fashion brands. Better for practical shopping and bigger purchases. Free parking and easy to navigate — a good option if you need a dedicated shopping day.
Bournemouth Beaches
4 highlights
Beach
Bournemouth Beach
One of England's best-loved beaches — seven miles of golden sand stretching from Hengistbury Head to Sandbanks. The central beach near the pier is the busiest, with lifeguards in summer, beach huts for hire, and the pier itself offering amusements and a café. The beach gets quieter as you move east toward Boscombe or west toward Alum Chine.
Beach
Branksome Beach
A gorgeous stretch of beach between Bournemouth and Sandbanks — arguably the best of both worlds. Wide golden sands, slightly quieter than the central beach, with direct access to Rockwater Branksome right on the seafront. Branksome Chine runs down through beautiful wooded gardens to the beach, making for a genuinely lovely approach on a warm day.
Beach
The Chines
Bournemouth's chines are the hidden routes down to the sea — wooded ravines cut through the cliffs that give the coastline a lush, almost tropical feel in summer. Alum Chine at the Westbourne end and Southbourne Chine to the east are both lovely approaches to the beach, quieter than the central seafront and popular with locals. A proper Bournemouth experience.
