Cafe Obscura in Bournemouth

I was very disappointed with my visit to Cafe Obscura only just half a hour ago. When I asked if they had gluten-free options, I received a curt “no” without any further assistance or alternatives suggested. The staff member was reluctant to even check when I asked. The staff were generally rude and dismissive, which made the entire experience unpleasant. It’s clear that they don’t prioritise customer service or accommodate dietary needs. I won’t be returning and wouldn’t recommend this place, especially to those with food allergies or specific dietary requirements

LGBTQ phobic ……..do not go here if this applies to u. Manager is somewhat antiquated….such a shame. Was hoping for acceptance in this day and age

I've been coming to cafe obscura for years! David has helped me choose my last 3 cameras, with plenty more purchased as gifts, and I've pretty much exclusively purchased my film from him as well. I now live 3hrs away and I still wait till I visit Sudbury again because I'm not interested in having anyone else develop my film! I've never waited longer than 3 days for my film to be developed - most recently he got 5 rolls developed and back to me within 48hrs!! I'm always impressed with the service and I love love to visit and get advice and learn from David. A local business I will forever support as long as I can.

I found a disposable camera from 2014. If course it had to be expired 😅 but I'm so happy he did them anyway!! The film is back when my boyfriend was working out of town. I was like 10 years younger lol. Always nice to have pics from that long ago!! Thank you!! :)

The owner of this business is a gem! I’m new to film and he is so helpful everytime I come in with any questions. Much appreciated :)

Made to feel totally unwelcome after sitting down outside by member of staff, not the way to attract customers.

The staff were disgustingly rude, you wouldn’t believe they wanted you to eat there. It was unwelcoming, unclean and frankly an awful experience.

Went for morning coffee. We struggled to find anywhere that looked nice, we stumbled across this cafe and decided it was the better of the ones we had seen. Service was pleasant and friendly, we only had drinks which were ok. However the toilets were fairly unpleasant, very tired and not at all clean.

Extremely rude staff, terrible service! Will never be returning. The people who run this business clearly have no idea about customer service.

The owner of the shop, David, I believe his name is, is great. He's very informaptive when it comes to all things photography, whether it's DSLR, SLR, WET Plate, Dry Plate, this is the place to come if you need ANY information on equiptment you have and or want to get, plus he sells lots of equipment with loads of pavailables available. Not to mention, David also delvopes disposable, 35 and 120 film, and offers print and scan, options, for affordable prices, Stay local and get your film developed intown! When I first went into this store to talk about the camera I had just purchased, I was greeted with a friendly face and was welcomed into the store nicely, I dropped off the roll i needed to get developed and once things were all said and done I had my images delivered right into my email within 5 days, not to mention you are given the opportunity to get your negatives back which is a plus. I highly recommend this store and hope it stays around for a long time. David, i'll be seeing you. Images taken from CaféObscura Instagram.

Best place for film in town, film cameras, developing, scanning and general photo assistance

Passionate about old-school photography? Cafe Obscura is a gem ... and owner Dave is a wealth of knowledge and experience.

great development, competitive prices, turnaround time to get pictures developed is very quickly. The owner is very kind and knowledgeable!

Terrible food Great spot Poor cold breakfast Bad Coffee Prime spot and shouldnt be open Totally badly run. Poor quality and old and tired

I used the photo developing and scanning service when I first got into film photography. The service was friendly and helpful, and the results I got have lead to my obsession with the hobby. Absolutely cannot recommend enough. Attached are some shots I had developed and scanned from here!

Really positive atmosphere. Great people, great photography. 11/10 for sure.

I can't recommend the Obscura Cafe. Our order was delivered to the wrong table. One tea was forgotten altogether. The food was all delivered in take away boxes with plastic cutlery so it was hard to eat. The butter was in with the hot food so had to be poured onto the toast!

Stay away overpriced coffee, that is not hot or nice to drink. I don’t mind paying £3.30 for a decent coffee, but this coffee is cheap and was warm at the best! Well I would recommend stay with the BIG branded companies like Starbucks, Cafe Nero or Costa then you won’t be disappointed!!!!Plus toilets smell disgusted!!!!

Absolute rip off 8.50 for a small oily breakfast in a cardboard box with a plastic fork, I’ve had enough I just want spoons back

Brought two teas and two toasties. Came to £15.60. Tables not clean, dirty inside. Should of gone to one of the kiosks in the park which are much better value with a nicer setting. Do not visit waste of money!

Nice quiet coffee shop. Well lit.

Ordered 3 lunches and a coffee but when I asked for a glass of water they refused to give me one! I believe this is against the law in a licensed premises! Despite my protest they completely refused to serve me a glass of water!!

The owner is friendly and funny, the snacks are good, the coffee is great, the photography expertise and other staff are wonderful. Fun little local nook!

Solo nos detuvimos aquí para tomar algo, pero el clima estaba bien y pudimos sentarnos en una de las mesas de dinero afuera. El café tiene una ubicación céntrica y atrae a músicos callejeros.Este es un gran lugar para sentarse y tomar un refrigerio y ver pasar el mundo.Está enfrente de Debenhams y de muchas otras grandes tiendas, por lo que también es ideal para ir de compras. 6. 50 por jugo de naranja y media cerveza.

Breakfast , excellent location, staff ok, prices average and food ok . Portions quite small. Probably would not rush back.

Lovely place to watch the world go by. Big choice of good & snacks. Service generally good & professional. Food tastes good & I make of point of visiting here everytime I come to Bournemouth.

El personal con el que nos encontramos fue amable y profesional, pero el edificio no ha tenido mantenimiento desde que fue construido. Los muebles son muy viejos y sucios. Las sillas en particular están visiblemente sucias.Gran ejemplo de una empresa propiedad del ayuntamiento de Bournemouth. Las imagenes lo dicen todo. Evite o lleve su propia silla tapizada y anti-bac.

Cafe ObscuraAwesome service and a great place to find cameras, film, developing advice and obviously coffee

had a refreshing shandy each ,,and a tasty toasted cheese and ham sandwich ,come with crisps and a salad ,it was very tasty ,,the staff were all polite and efficient at reasonable price for the location

Such a cool place with great coffee and snacks

Such a cool spot! I LOVE the atmosphere and love being able to get back into the darkroom! Quickly becoming my favourite hangout!

Popped in for a coffee while my wife in Debenhams opposite. £3.10 for an americano ! At that price expected something special ... it wasn't. Not surprised that place almost empty. Wont be going back.

A lovely stop along a road most travelled. I get absolutely lost in the throwback elements of the cafe, all while enjoying a great drink and a snack. 👌

Vinimos aquí para tomar un café por la tarde.Las bebidas estaban bien. Me decepcionó que casi ninguno de los pasteles y pasteles enumerados en el menú estuviera disponible, y solo unas pocas galletas.El lugar parece un poco frío y descuidado.¡Notamos en nuestro recibo que nos habían cobrado por las siguientes mesas de agua embotellada!Nos reembolsaron después de que les llamaran la atención.Es una pena que este café no sea mejor, dada su excelente ubicación.Estaba debatiendo si dar un dos o tres estrellas para este lugar. Así terminó siendo generoso con un tres.

Great coffee, amazing owner. One of my favourite haunts.

Good coffee, great cameras and prices. Fun place to go look at film cameras, get film developed and grab a coffee. :)

I had intended writing an email to the Manager of The Obscura Café, but I can't seem to find a working website or an email address anywhere.My partner and I stopped for a hot chocolate each on Saturday 16th November. To start with we had to sit at a table covered in old, used serviettes with sugar sprinkled all over.The young waiter eventually came over to us and took our order. We had to ask to have the table cleaned and because he didn't have a cloth with him, he returned a few minutes later.Whilst waiting for our warm hot chocolates, we then looked around....the ground was covered in empty biscuit wrappers (theirs) and receipts. Empty tables were still full of cups and plates.We even noticed that people were buying hog roast baps and hot food from the vendors round and about, and were sitting in the cafe to eat them! The many waiters and waitresses said nothing to move them on. Surely wasted revenue for the café? My conclusion? The manager has taken his/her finger off the button, left his/her staff to do their own thing, and standards have severely dropped. The staff just don't care.We will definitely not be eating or drinking there again, and that's a shame because it used to be such a lovely place to sit and "people watch".My advice? Walk up to The Cosy Club (next to Beales) - the food, drinks and ambience are fabulous - and the staff attentive.

Newly opened, homemade soups, vegan baking and velvet couches.

I was here food a lunch break , prices expensive ,food passable , but my concern was the homeless far to many and causing a nuisance ,why don't the establishment report them ? It puts people off .

Coffee, cameras, and David? SAY NO MORE! Nice atmosphere, coffee, and people. And hey, you might learn something about shooting film.

This cafe is ideally situated right on Bournemouth square. Lovely cafe to sit down have a drink etc and just watch the World go by. We like the young waitress Charlene. Very pleasant and friendly and when which is not very often likes to chat. To us that we s great customer service. For me the cappuccino is great also their liqueur coffee's are good. My wife loves their Mr. Whippy ice-cream. Place lovely and clean. Great place to sit down and chill out

Nice location but overpriced,mediocre food and no personality amongst staff. Good for people watching if you sit outside.

Great spot for coffee and cameras. also film developing, shame they're not open on evenings though

Great coffee. Love the interior and all of the old cameras. This guy sells and develops film!

The location of this cafe in the centre of Bournemouth's shopping district enables you to enjoy a coffee or cider whilst you watch the world go by.I like Bournemouth but it certainly has interesting locals, most of who pass through this area. There is almost always a busker in close vicinity, sometimes that is not as pleasant as it seems but it can be funny.My wife and I enjoyed some sandwiches and drinks here. I found the service fine, the staff pleasant. I think the prices are fair.

This is an odd place. It's in a prime location but service is confusing. It doesn't make clear if you order inside at the counter, or wait at the table. I went by early evening, mid-week when it was quiet and I quite enjoyed my lasagne and salad for ten pounds. The buskers in the square provide the visual "entertainment".

Came here on Sunday last. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a great table for people watching. Unfortunately, at £6.60 for a bland tasting warm latte (I asked for hot) and a dried up small Danish pastry this is just way too expensive!!

Just tried a scone from your coffe place Blueberry very fresh & very GOOD.acually FABLOUS product will now consider trying more thank u for who serves it & who made it .😋

Coffee was poor taste , & very expensive, i would rather have gone to Starbucks , but i like to support local , not next time !

A lovely café with a cozy vibe which also has an excellent selection of film cameras and developing services. Food is great, and turnaround times are short.

We sat down and were ignored by several waiting staff. After quite a while I asked if we go inside to order. Her answer was it's full table service. I said we need a menu. She got us one then walked off. Another ten minutes later noone had come back so I asked if we could order. She went and found someone else?! We ordered after a good twenty minutes of waiting, just drinks and scones. Drinks came quickly, we kept waiting for the scones. After another twenty minutes or so I asked where it was to be told that there was a wait as they were busy (possibly understaffed, but actually felt like badly managed, no processes and completely indifferent to serving well). I said that we had been there over half an hour and I would rather have my money back than wait. Miraculously within two minutes it was there.

Grandchildren aged 5 and 7 decided they wanted to eat here on last day of holiday as a treat. Staff really helpful with grandsons allergies and worked out a meal that he could have. Thought that they would not eat all on their plate as it seamed alot. They really enjoyed it and ate the lot and asked for puddding as well. Staff great, service great, price great and food great. Would recommend to friends and would definitely come back again to eat and I am a fussy eater.

It was a lovely meet up with friends from Ireland. The weather was perfect for eating outside. Staff tried hard to bring the food after a long time but the food was great and entertainment from a busker was great

Should have read the reviews before I sat down, shame as the location is great in the good weather! Expensive cafe latte coming in at £3.50 for what I would class as a small!!!! Very weak flavour. I will not return! With so many cafes in the area they need to reconsider their prices! I felt ripped off ☹️

We were in Bournemouth for the first time ever and needed a coffee. Chose this place because it had plenty of outside seating and was in a great location on the Square.

I expect to pay more for location and this eatery is handy being in the main square at the end of the winter gardens. However food quality is poor and the service is unbelievably poor. Summer Saturday half the covers taken and waited 45 minutes for the food. Chased twice and received attitude. If you want the continental style then you need continental customer service. Avoid!!!!!!! Useless.

Nice cafe in the square. Friendly staff quick service. Good iced coffee outside seating not rushed when finished. Nice view of the gardens

A perfectly reasonable hot chocolate and cappuccino. Reasonable value and very pleasant surroundings.

Over priced! The staff were pleasant enough but not got the personal touch. Ridiculously expensive over £7 for pot of black tea and an expresso. Will definitely NOT be visiting again!

Hmmm. I hate reviewing badly but I just have no positives. Well only one being is they have a lot of staff on and my latte was nice. We were trying to find a nice place for breakfast and came across this. Saw that people were eating full English too, so took a look. We were not greeted, so sat down ourselves. Then the waiter came over to take our order and quickly fed a line about you can have extras or swap at an extra charge. Ordered a little English breakfast, asked to swap my beans for mushrooms and that was 50p for the privilege. To add item it is £1.30. I’ve never known anywhere to charge to swap. Anyway, my friend ordered a full English and a mug of tea, I got a latte. He took the order and then went away, then came back to take the payment before we had even got anything. £22....wow! Hoping this would then be the best breakfast ever, what was placed in front of me looked, okay. Picture shows you. The bacon was cold, egg and toast were nice, sausage awful that we both left them, no idea what they were meant to be, can only describe them as cheap wholesale nonsense, which when your paying so much you would expect high quality ingredients. I do not recommend this place, unless you just want a coffee. A mug of tea is £3.50 or something close to that. For a 20p teabag and water. Laughable.

We visit Bournemouth a couple of times a year and always go to this cafe as it's lovely, clean and the staff are very professional however we visited again today to find the prices extortionate. 2 Cuppachinos, 1 fruitshoot, a tropical smoothie and two packets of Salt and Vinegar Crisps = £17.85 !!!! £1.50 for each packet of crisps. Needless to say we won't be visiting there again. The coffees were warm and I could hear the table next to us complaining too. Sorry I understand you have to cover your rent but how do you justify £1.50 for a packet of crisps?

My self and my partner went here for a lunch. The staff were very attentive and our food and drinks were served very quickly. The food was lovely and very reasonably priced. They all seemed very friendly and was all round a lovely place.

Great staff and fantastic customer service

The most important thing was that I had a good cappuccino and I love coffee tending to be quite fussy. I enjoyed my coffee in pleasant surroundings.

Advice for tourists - please avoid. We contemplated going to the Golden Arches for a coffee and a tea whilst waiting to do some family activities. Deciding to pop in to a cafe would be nicer.

stopped off whilst it was pouring down for a latte and a pint, great service and lovely views if you sit by the window and people watch. worth going to especially if the wife is off shopping- where better to sneak off to

Just stopped here for cappuccino which was delicious. The staff are wonderful. Not too busy as Christmas Market was on.

Hace unos dias nos sentamos mi mujer y yo afuera, pedimos dos cervezas pagamos con un billete de 10 libras y tardaron 50 minutos en traer el cambio despues de haberlo pedido varias veces.

2 mulled wines and a hot chocolate - £12.30 - you expect that sort of price in the centre of town, but we waited and waited for our change and eventually had to ask for it! They couldn’t even get that right as was 70p short. Not a lot I grant you but when I queried it, was told “oh sorry my maths is poor “ !!

I think all other reviews have said it all.. been there during the xmas tree event, at the end of lunch service so was getting quieter, went to the bar to order, was told to sit down but was asked what I wanted and was told someone would bring it, waited 10 min, a waiter asked if we ordered, once explained he said no order, he then took the order, waited another 10 mins, then asked for the bill, once they took te money I had to ask twice for the change as this was apparently "his collegue " job.. OMG, just forget it, to be fair the young staffs were really nice an apologetic but they clearly do not care about visitors as prime spot! a place to avoid unless you want to be ripped off.. and yes.. 2 espresso 5.40??? serious?

During a visit to Bournemouth for the Christmas Wonderland & Coke a Cola lorry visit we stopped for a drink at Obsucra, what a disappointment. Yes, the drinks were served ok & yes they were busy but having to wait over a hour for our change & having to ask three times for it they obviously didn’t not care about the customer just taking money. We were not the only table that had this problem another customer also had to ask for their change. It appears they are more interested in taking money than customer satisfaction.

This cafe has a prime spot in Bournemouth Square. There is outside & indoor seating and surly staff.

We were swiftly served with a smile from two waitresses...tea was nice and strong and the cafe has a great vantage point for people watching whilst enjoying the last of the sunshine.

Popped in to buy an ice cream during half-term and went to the bar as I always do, to order. An extremely miserable bar man spent as long as possible ignoring me with his back to me and when he could avoid me no longer gruffly told me to take a seat. When I explained I only wanted to buy an ice cream cone to take out he said I still had to take a seat in the cafe which I did.

We stopped for coffee. All was good. Nothing special. Nice view over the square from 1st floor. A bit pricey.

We had a seat upstairs next to the windows which allowed us to sit and people watch and because the Bournemouth Marathon weekend was happening there were plenty of people milling around.

Visited as a group of 6 friends, we all ordered food at same time but it arrived in dribs and drabs, some people had finished eating when the last meals arrived. These had obviously been forgotten as they were stone cold and the batter on the fish was like the shell of a crab.....shattered everywhere when a fork was pushed into it ! When the waitress was called over she insisted that it was freshly cooked ‘exactly one minute ago’ and persisted to argue this becoming increasingly rude and abusive. As the rest of our party had finished their meals we asked for a refund, as this didn’t arrive within a few minutes we went inside to the counter and waited for it only to have it virtually thrown at us. Such a shame as the location is fantastic with lots of outside seating, perfect for watching the street performers and enjoying the glorious Bournemouth sunshine. Will we visit again ? maybe if we see different staff there !!

Ordered double espresso, hot chocolate, chocolate muffin, a j20 and tap water. Bill came to £14.

Very pleasant server, drinks and food arrived fairly promptly, all together. Prices were a little high, but everything seemed good quality. It's the right establishment for the location.

Very weird atmosphere, expensive for what it is (over £8 for an English Breakfast. Ordered 2 meal and asked if they could heat my baby's food (she is just being weaned and we wouldn't be able to order her anything off the menu) they said a flat no, They also refused to sell us a banana which they said they had in the kitchen.

The food was average but overpriced. Customer service lacking. Before we had sat down at the table we were asked if we were ready to order (in fact one member of the group was still stood up at that point).

I always try to write something positive when writing a review on any restaurant or cafe because it can be hard work often in difficult circumstances. I am really struggling. Great location for people watching? Yes but so is the wall opposite. Friendly staff? Not really. Great food? The people on the table next to us left most of theirs untouched. Reasonable prices? £6-60 for 2 Lattes ( roughly the size of a small Costa ) We have used this place in the past and the general attitude towards customers has always been " never mind the quality, look at where we are letting you sit" Never understood the system where you pay and your change comes ages later up to the point where you think it's never coming ( its been the same for years). I guess the most positive thing I can say is that it must work for the owners. We live locally and probably use it once or twice a year after which we invariably say never again. This time it's Never Again! It could be so much better. It seems to have everything going for it. Maybe the opposition is to strong, I don't know. However, you pays your money and you have your choice, just make sure you have plenty of money!

I visited this cafe today and found the staff to be very rude to my daughter. They upset us a lot. We will not go back there again .

Me and my partner ordered two drinks and a chocolate sundae whilst we waited to go to the cinema, the service from the staff was disgraceful, they didn’t understand anything we said and made us repeat is at least 3 times! We then finally got our order only for my disarano and come to taste like water as if the coke had gone flat, I kindly asked for it to be re-made up at the bar to which I was confronted by a tanned curly haired women who didn’t even make eye contact with me and just nodded then eventually re-made my drink! I took it back to the table and took a sip and it hadn’t changed so I asked a waitress to please get me a refund as I had to go she kindly apologised and took it back but then we waited another 15 minutes and no sign of my refund!! I went up to the bar to ask for my money back to be confronted by a nasty bold guy in a white shirt (think he was the manager) who spoke to me like I was nothing and said ‘it’s table service’ before I could even speak and when I asked for my money back and explained my situation and that I was not happy he said ‘yeah it’s table service go sit down and I’ll send someone to you’ I ignored this and waited there to then be served by the rude curly haired woman again and finally got my refund. I will not be returning to this place I’m shocked with this and the reviews on here that they are still open to be honest!!! Much better going to a nicer place like flirt in the triangle where they aren’t rude and don’t speak to their customers like they’re a piece of dirt off the ground! The manager needs to be replaced and someone from higher up needs to investigate this place and see what the hell is happening!!!

We had breakfast here with live music in the background from street entertainers. Pity the very average food didn't match the entertainment! Staff seemed like rabbits in car headlights, every query was greeted with a shocked negative, or puzzled reply. Anyway, our full English breakfasts were very average and not the best of value. Pot of tea for two managed two cups exactly. This is a great place for 'people watching'.

If this cafe was located anywhere else it would be out of business. Slow disorganised service. Lack of ownership of queries by staff and overpriced. Needs someone to go in and sort it out.

Over priced , cheap produce , low quality food , you must be insane if you want to eat here , I would never come back , actually surprised they are still going , sausages are disgusting , toast burnt , it is not hard to make a fry up

Rude Scottish Man, manager I thing. If the manager leads like that, what hope do the staff have!!!

Give it a wide berth, Slow service with very impolite staff, the cheek to charge £3 for a tiny cup of tea that was warm and similar price for a coke, It took 15 mins for waitress to return change was thinking she thought it was her tip, feww yards away 2 full pots of tea and a coke for £5

Well this was an experience I don’t want to ever repeat ( neither does my wallet)

Decided to make the most of a glorious sunny day with an early morning coffee & a catch up with family. As this cafe has extensive outside seating it seemed to be a good choice... The outside seating is the only good thing about this cafe.

Stopped hear for a beer, staying in Bournemouth for a few days great location but service is very slow.

Great location, food just about average, drinks average, service appalling. Dirty tables and plates everywhere. Staff lack manners.

Went here on a sunny day over bank holiday weekend. It is a sun trap but there were tables under umbrellas free.

Waiting to meet a friend in Bournemouth I decided to pop in for a cold drink, very limited choice but went for an iced latte, when it arrived it was in a small glass, full of ice so very little latte to be found. Payment required immediately from a most unfriendly server. When, after finishing my drink, which to be fair, didn’t take long there being so little of it, my change has still not been brought to the table. Went inside and was confronted by the rudest of men who when he eventually acknowledged I was there, then demanded my table number, shoved the change at me, which almost the same as the cost of the drink so can’t believe they thought it was a tip, without a smile of a word. Will not be returning and would suggest if you like a modicum of customer service, give this place a miss.

An absolute embarrassment coming here with visitors from Australia. What a difference two years can make. In such a central location in Bournemouth it should offer so much more. Over an hours wait for paninis and a vegetarian breakfast. When asking for an idea about when food was likely to arrive I was told five minutes each time. Hot food was just sitting in the the kitchen. No Organisation, felt very sorry for the Staff. Refunded for two cold paninis with very little filling. Will not return here which is a pity based on our previous good experiences.

The cafe is in the centre of town, lovely place to sit in the summer. Unfortunately, staff are unwelcoming, they look so miserable and bored with life. They seemed very under-staffed as next to the bar was full of dirty plates and glasses stacked up, visible to everyone...Looked disgusting! Just didn't feel a good vibe from this place.

Really busy (20-25 occupied tables) but only one waitress and one member of staff behind the bar. Both working their socks off but woefully understaffed. Waited 15 minutes without anyone taking our order so grudgingly gave up and went elsewhere.

Great location in the centre of town but service was slow. Apart from that the food was nice and reasonable prices

Saw this place so went in for breakfast, after looking at the menu the waitress asked for my order