The Garden Rooms Café is a community café inside St George's Church Hall on Haviland Road in Boscombe, a short walk from the beach and the high street. Operating alongside Bournemouth Foodbank, it is as much about training and supporting people as about serving coffee: its placements are designed for people at risk of social isolation, people with developmental difficulties, and refugees finding their feet in the town.
On the menu
Simple and affordable is the approach. In the morning there are toasted brioche breakfast sandwiches and burritos, with a vegan tofu scramble version among them, and at lunch the menu moves on to toasties, wraps and a changing "toastie of the day". The specials board is the distinctive part: daily specials are created from donated food and re-purposed supermarket surplus, so the contents change from one day to the next. The coffee is from Bad Hand Coffee, a Bournemouth roaster, and vegetarian and vegan dishes are clearly marked across the menu.
Good to know
Opening hours are Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 2:30pm, and on Friday evenings the café becomes a "Social Canteen" supper sitting from 5 to 7pm; it is closed at weekends and on bank holidays. With free Wi-Fi and a bookable room that has its own high-speed connection and a TV, it has become a favourite daytime base for remote workers and small meetings, and through the year the café also puts on community events ranging from Mother's Day lunches to open-mic nights. To book a room or check availability, email bookings@thegardenrooms.cafe.
It's a straightforward stop while you're exploring the cafés and community spaces of Boscombe; find more in our food & drink guide, or organise the rest of your day with our things to do guide.