Coffee, breakfast, and Bournemouth's best people-watching, right in The Square.
Obscura Café is the round pavilion at the centre of Bournemouth town centre, built on the site of the old clock tower that once stood over The Square — its distinctive tower still carries the original clock, and once housed a working camera obscura.
An independent café inside a Bournemouth landmark
Obscura Café is an independently run café-bar occupying one of Bournemouth's most recognisable buildings — a circular, two-storey pavilion facing south across The Square towards the Lower Gardens. It serves coffee, breakfasts, sandwiches, wraps, paninis and burgers through the day, with beers and ciders available from the licensed bar.
The ground floor seats around 68 with further standing room, the first floor around 48 more with panoramic views back across the Gardens, and the surrounding terrace — under the canopy and out across The Square — seats several hundred more, making it one of the largest outdoor café terraces in the town centre.
The café has also served as the regional audition venue for televised talent shows including The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.
Read the building's history →Good to know
- Table service on the terrace and inside
- Licensed bar — beers, ciders & hot drinks
- Step-free access to the ground floor
- Dog-friendly outdoor seating
- Live music & seasonal events, including Bournemouth's Christmas Market period
Explore
Menu
What's typically on offer — breakfasts, sandwiches, paninis, burgers and drinks.
View the menu →History & the clock tower
From an 1925 tram shelter clock to the camera obscura at the top of today's café.
Read the story →