Cafe Riva stands on the clifftop on Boscombe Overcliff Drive in Southbourne, and its long glass frontage looks straight out over the English Channel, taking in the Needles on the Isle of Wight and, when the air is clear, the Purbecks and Swanage. Few places along this section of coast are better positioned for a coffee with a view.
The food
The breakfast menu starts at 9am and includes a build-your-own "Pick 'N' Mix" option as well as eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine and the usual all-day breakfast dishes. From noon, lunch takes over: fish and chips, burgers, panini and jacket potatoes, backed by a well-stocked bar that runs from fresh juice to champagne. Pastries and traybakes are baked fresh on the premises every day, and the separate Dough Box service adds pizza from Tuesday to Sunday. Dishes and prices shift with the seasons, as at any café, so look at the current menu on the website before you set off.
Beyond the café
Cafe Riva works as a family day out as well as a meal stop. There's an 18-hole mini golf course on site, a seasonal ice cream kiosk and an outdoor bar ("The Shack") operating through the summer, plus live music at weekends when the weather cooperates. Dogs are properly catered for, with puppachinos and doggy ice cream served on the terrace. Private events for up to around 70 guests can also be booked, with a licensed bar open until 1am.
Good to know
Opening is daily from 9am, with Christmas Day the only closure, but precise hours vary through the year, so it's best to check ahead, especially for evenings or event days. Because it sits on the clifftop, the café gets the weather as well as the view: think of the outdoor seating as a fair-weather bonus rather than something to count on.
It pairs naturally with a walk along the Southbourne clifftop or down onto the beach. Our things to do guide covers more of the nearby coastline, and you'll find plenty of alternatives in our wider food & drink guide.