If you are looking for somewhere that does not demand a booking or a dress code, Circo Lounge in Westbourne is hard to beat. It is an informal, food-led café and bar that stays open all day, every day, and it is part of the Loungers group, so the format will be familiar if you have been to one of their other sites. The address is 66 Poole Road, right in the heart of Westbourne, opposite the historic Westbourne Arcade, which doubles as the Grand Arcade and houses the Bournemouth Colosseum, the smallest cinema in the UK. Westbourne itself sits between Branksome, Poole and the centre of Bournemouth, about a 15-minute walk from town via The Triangle, so it is an easy place to drop into whether you live nearby or are passing through.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Bournemouth and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The first thing you notice is the atmosphere: relaxed, comfortable and lived-in, with a shabby-chic feel that encourages you to settle in rather than rush off. There are board games to keep you occupied while you wait for your order, and a sunny garden area that is dog-friendly, provided your pet is well-behaved. It is genuinely family-friendly too, with full children's menus and a welcoming attitude towards parties, which makes it an easy choice for a group lunch or a slow weekend brunch.
Food is the real draw here, and the menu is a broad mix of British and global dishes. Brunch is a big part of the appeal, with the Byron Bay Brunch — corn pancakes with feta, avocado, tomato sauce, poached eggs, guacamole, green chilli sauce, pickled red onion, coriander and hot honey — sitting alongside a more modest egg and bacon stack for £4.75. For lunch or dinner, the hot honey fried chicken burger is a standout, with fried chicken, almond milk in a brioche bun, bacon, aged cheddar, chipotle mayo, hot honey, jalapeños, ranch dressing, pickles and lettuce, served with house salad and a choice of chips or sweet potato chips. There are also tapas like patatas gratinadas with manchego cheese, crayfish and prawns in a tomato and chilli sauce, and falafels with a red onion and coriander yoghurt dip. Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian menus are all available, so nobody gets left out.
Price is another reason to keep it on your list. Tuesdays after 5pm, you can get three dishes and a glass of house wine for £8.50, which is genuinely good value for a sit-down meal. A typical sample order — an egg and bacon stack, steak and eggs at £8.95, three tapas with house wine and a couple of ginger beers — comes in at around £27.50. For something sweet to drink, the iced blueberry matcha latte is a popular pick.
Opening hours are generous: 9am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday, and 9am to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so it works as well for a morning coffee as it does for a late dinner. You do not need to book for general entry, though a group enquiry is needed for parties of six or more, and there is a click-and-collect service if you would rather take it home. With a 4.5-star rating on Google across nearly 1,600 reviews, it is clearly a local favourite for a reason.
