An extremely basic cafe, Obscura has no particular draw except its wonderful people-watching location that gives it a great atmosphere.

The Venue
Obscura Cafe is a strange circular building that sits in one corner of The Square, allowing customers to feel in the heart of the city. Large windows let in light and views of the shoppers, students and tourists of Bournemouth, and the outside of the cafe is littered with tables and chairs in case customers want to enjoy a sunny day.

Functional steel and wicker chairs serve their purpose as they are robust enough for inside or outside seating, while everything else in the cafe is kept very simple.

The People
There are always crowds of people in The Square. They’re either listening to buskers, having a break from shopping or just taking in the fun chaos of the centre, so Obscura absorbs all of this life for its customers.

The ideal place to watch the world go by, this cafe has many people chatting away and staring out the window, enjoying the lively buzz of outside that effortlessly filters in. Young and old like to have a coffee here, but the majority are closer to the retirement end of the spectrum.

The Food
The food here is nothing to fuss over, with a basic selection of baguettes and panini with simple fillings for a light snack, plus a few mains for a more hearty lunch, with everything around £5 or under.

Ice creams and cakes are a particular favourite here as the children with their parents never need an excuse to indulge, and the older folks enjoy something sweet with their tea as they have their leisurely chinwag.

The Drink
The hot beverages are basic but decent quality for £2 for a regular coffee and teas for £1.80 a cup. For something more refreshing, there are fresh fruit smoothies avaliable for £2.80 and, for sweet treats which cool you during hot summer days, there are slush puppies at £2.30.

Surprisingly for a cafe, there is also alcohol served with popular seaside drinks such as a shandy for £3.20, plus beers including Stella and Heineken on draught for £3.50.

The bottled selection is also good, with Strongbow, Becks and Newcastle Brown Ale among them for £3 to £3.50. There is only house wine available, with red at £14.90 and white (medium or dry) for £13.90 a bottle.

The Last Word
Obscura Cafe serves its purpose of being a centrally located cafe with a pleasant atmosphere, but fails to deliver high quality or interesting food and drink.

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