If you find yourself in Westbourne and want a coffee without feeling rushed, Coffee #1 on Poole Road is the obvious place to land. It is a large-format, cosy coffee shop sitting at 86 Poole Road, right in the middle of Westbourne, and it has been doing exactly this since it opened in 2001. The whole idea behind it is simple: great coffee made by talented baristas in a relaxed and welcoming environment where your time is your own, which is a nice thing to be told before you even sit down.
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The coffee is the obvious draw. There is a wide selection of barista coffee, seasonal blends, cakes, tarts, sandwiches and snacks, so it works as well for a proper lunch as it does for a quick caffeine fix. The seasonal offerings are worth keeping an eye on, with a Colombian coffee carrying notes of green apple, pear, caramel and licorice, and a winter blend with dark chocolate, cherry and cinnamon. If you have allergies, the allergen information is available online, so you can check before you commit.
One of the nicest things about the place is the building itself. It sits inside an attractive former bank, and it keeps a good amount of that character, which adds to the cosy feel. It also has outside seating, which is described as a rarity in the area, so on a decent day you can sit out rather than huddle inside. Facilities are well thought out too: there is baby changing, disabled access, a dog-friendly area and Wi-Fi, so it is easy to bring the kids, the dog or a laptop and settle in for a while.
Opening hours are generous enough to cover most plans. It runs from 7:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 18:00 on the Saturday and 8:30 to 17:00 on the Sunday, so whether you are an early riser or a late luncher it is rarely closed when you want it. The reviews back up the reputation, with Just Eat giving it five stars from 26 reviews and other sources landing on four stars across 52, which is a solid showing for a place that does not try to reinvent the wheel.
It helps that Westbourne is a pleasant enough part of Bournemouth to be in while you are at it. The area sits to the west of the town centre, between Bournemouth and Poole and just off the A338, and it is very much a residential and shopping neighbourhood rather than a tourist strip. The main high street is home to a grade II listed Victorian shopping arcade, built between 1884 and 1885 in polychrome Gothic style, which is worth a wander if you have a bit of time after your coffee. With a population of around 10,000 and several bus services running through, it is an easy place to reach and an easy place to linger. If you are after a coffee shop that lets you take your time, this is the one.
