Places to eat in Bournemouth

With a large variety of cuisines for everyone’s taste buds and prices for every pocket, you won’t be short of restaurants to choose from in Bournemouth. Many of the fantastic locations are very popular and can get busy, so we’d recommend booking somewhere to ensure you’re not disappointed. Here’s our dedicated guide to restaurants in Bournemouth.

Whether you’re looking for a classic afternoon tea, a freshly brewed flat white or a vegetarian feast in the company of some feline friends, we have you covered with our roundup of the best cafés in Bournemouth.

Start your day the right way with the best coffee in town – Café Boscanova has been voted as one of the UK’s top 40 coffee shops by the Independent – and you can see why. Experts of all things coffee-related, they proudly roast a carefully selected variety of top quality beans. They also offer all-day breakfast and dedicated lunch menus, including vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options, but their holy grail is the selection of stacked pancakes. Try the polenta and corn variety, topped with poached egg and chilli jam. Or savour the classic combo of maple syrup and bacon. Their sister café South Coast Roast is another place to catch their great food and drink closer to the centre of town.

A great place for a caffeine fix on the west side of town is quirky independent Espresso Kitchen. It offers a cosy interior with lots of books to read and knowledgeable baristas happy to guide you through their selection of organic and locally roasted fresh coffee. Make sure to also try one of the beautiful homemade cakes alongside your warming brew.

For a classic English experience, try the Steam Vintage Tea Rooms on Poole Hill, just down the road from our West Cliff hotel. It’s a time-travelling tea room (with an afternoon tea to die for!) uniquely decorated as a tribute to the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, with plenty of memorabilia and vintage music to match. Expect fine china plates and delicate cups, overflowing cream cakes and beautiful vintage furniture – even the toilets are stylishly decorated!

If it’s café-style fry-ups and roast dinners (complete with Yorkshire puddings) that you’re looking for, the mum and daughter team at English Rose Café are the ones to visit. Don’t be fooled by its unassuming exterior – it’s the best place in town for fresh, honest food that’s always served with a smile – and with very reasonable prices too. Or for a café experience complete with some affection from a four-legged friend, visit the Pause Cat Café on Old Christchurch Road, just half a mile from our Bournemouth Central hotel. As well as providing a loving home for rescue cats, this ethics-conscious company champion local producers and high-quality vegetarian and vegan food. You’ll be jealous of the cats’ climbing frame, but can still enjoy the calming feline company and delicious veggie food as well as homemade juices and smoothies.

There are two farmers’ markets within easy reach of Bournemouth’s town centre. Westbourne Farmers’ Market runs on Landseer Road on the first Saturday of the month, or catch Winton Farmers’ Market (to the north of the town centre) on the third Saturday of each month. It’s a great chance to sample produce from the best local and artisan producers from Dorset, including fresh fruit and veg, baked goods, cheeses and meats, plants and much more.

For a casual lunch, check out the variety of cuisines on offer at the Street Food Corner, open daily in the Lower Gardens (by the flyover). The selection of street food vans changes regularly, from grilled Bavarian bratwurst, jam-packed pittas, loaded waffles to spicy Asian tapas – you’ll just have to keep going back for more!