There are a few places in Bournemouth that lean on a name for more than just signage, and Harry's Coffee House is one of them. Tucked into Southbourne Grove at 52a, the café is named after Harry, a well-loved horse that passed away the year before it opened, and that back story sets the tone for the place: warm, unpretentious and genuinely local. It is dog and family friendly, with a chilled-out atmosphere, a carefully chosen playlist and fresh flowers on the tables every week.
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The coffee is the obvious starting point. Harry's works with BOMO Roast, a Bournemouth roaster that specialises in Southern Sicilian and mainland Tuscany beans, and the house blend is the award-winning Tuscan Classico, all caramel notes. An espresso sits at £2.20, a cappuccino at £3.40, and a flat white at £3.70, with plant milks at 50p extra if you prefer oat, soya, almond or coconut. There is a full range of lattes, mochas and hot chocolates, plus matcha, chai and smoothies for when coffee is not the answer.
Breakfast runs from 8am until midday, and it is the poached and scrambled eggs on toast, sourdough, bagel or wholemeal at £6.50 that do the heavy lifting, alongside scrambled eggs with bacon at £9.50 and a range of mashed avocado options that climb from £8.50 with tomato up to £12.50 with smoked salmon. From midday onwards, the brunch and lunch menu takes over, and it is a broad one. The toasties run from a simple bacon one at £6.50 to a fish finger, tartar and rocket version at £10.50, while the bagels, served in halves, include B.L.T. and Italian meats at £9.50 and £10.50 respectively. Jacket potatoes are a steady £8.50 across the board, and the house specials are where things get a bit more interesting: a slightly spicy Welsh Rarebit at £10.50, a Croque Madame at £12.50 with turkey ham, béchamel and a fried egg, and a couple of salads at £12.50 each, with the house salad at £14.50 adding avocado and smoked salmon. There are also soups, salads and homemade cakes, with the Victoria sponge being the one to look out for.
What makes it worth the walk down to Southbourne is how much it ties into the neighbourhood. Beyond BOMO Roast, the café takes produce from Marks Family Butchers and TD Fruits, and the menu shifts with the seasons, so the daily specials are worth asking about. It is open seven days a week, Monday to Saturday 8am to 4pm and Sunday 9am to 3pm, so it works as well for a proper sit-down brunch as it does for a quick coffee and a cake. It holds a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 from a December 2022 inspection, and the Google reviews, numbering over 200, tend to land on the same things: smooth coffee, friendly staff and a relaxed environment. If you are after somewhere that feels like a proper local rather than a chain, this is a safe bet.
