Since 1999
A familiar landmark
Our circular, glass-fronted home has become part of the everyday life and identity of Bournemouth town centre.
About Obscura
A café at the heart of town
A relaxed place to meet, eat and watch Bournemouth go by — all beneath one of the town centre’s most recognisable clocks.
Welcome
Everyone meets at Obscura
Our position in the middle of The Square makes Obscura a natural meeting point for shoppers, visitors, families and friends.
Stop for coffee, stay for lunch, enjoy a cold drink outside or, when the upper floor is open, take in a different view of the town centre and gardens.
Our location
More than a café building
The pavilion was created as the centrepiece of Bournemouth Square’s Millennium pedestrianisation. Designed by Trinity Architects, it brought together hospitality, public space and a first-floor camera obscura beneath the clock saved from the former tower.
All around us
The best of Bournemouth
The shops, Lower Gardens, Pavilion, BIC, beach and pier are all within easy walking distance.
The full story
Clock & camera obscura
Discover how the old “Leaning Tower of Bournemouth” became part of our present-day building.
Business details
Company information
Formal information about the company operating under the Obscura Café name.
| Company name | OBSCURA CAFE LIMITED |
|---|---|
| Company number | 03546350 |
| Company type | Private limited company |
| Registered office | Ebenezer House, 5a Poole Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, England, BH2 5QJ |
| Trading address | The Square, Bournemouth, BH2 6EG |
Acknowledgements
History & photographs
Our building history draws on Bournemouth’s official cultural trail and the record of the award-winning town-centre pedestrianisation project.
- Explore BCP: Bobby’s and The Square
- Worshipful Company of Paviors: Town Centre Pedestrianisation
- Savills: Obscura Café building particulars
Photographs by Derek Harper and Chris Downer, sourced from Geograph via Wikimedia Commons under the CC BY-SA 2.0 licence. Day photograph · Evening photograph · Historic tower photograph.