Cafe Fifty-Two

Featured reviews

• A

  Angeline Crook

  ·2 weeks ago

  “Lovely place for breakfast. Small with website, saying it was closed. Proprietary was welcoming & chatty. Food very reasonably priced.”

• H

  Harley Allaway

  ·3 months ago

  “Amazing service with great food. Very beautiful interior design which felt both stylised and welcoming. Lady serving the food was very lovely and very attentive and the other two gentlemen behind the bar making the food and drinks were lovely too. Great to see such efficient and good teamwork between the small team working to serve the cafe. Would highly recommend and definitely will be coming back again, especially with the great prices”

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• D

  David Geraghty

  ·3 months ago

  “We visited Fifty Two today and only had a smoothie each, so I can’t comment on the food. We seemed to arrive during a quieter lull, as several tables needed clearing. I asked if I needed to order at the counter and was told someone would come to take our order. We waited quite a while before I had to flag someone down myself. Our two drinks eventually arrived. My Princess Peach smoothie was good — nice and cold with plenty of flavour. The Coconut Blossom, however, was frankly awful: tasteless and lukewarm. We only managed to drink about half the glass. When I mentioned this at the till, I was told it hadn’t been mixed with ice and was not meant to be cold. I wasn’t offered a replacement, nor was it suggested that it be taken off the bill. Overall, not a great visit. Once the tables were cleared, it did seem like a pleasant spot to sit and watch the world go by.”

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• B

  Bethany Hayling

  ·3 months ago

  “Absolute carnage of a morning at this place - would not recommend if you want to do anything else with your day other than sit and wait indefinitely feeling stuck in a sunk cost of time purgatory. We arrived at 10.15, eventually had our order taken at 10.40, our coffees didn't arrive until 11.50 (I AM NOT JOKING!) and at this point, I was told they had given one of the croissants I ordered to an elderly woman who had walked in about 10mins prior. What an absolute joke! It was clear there was nobody managing the shift and the staff, despite being apologetic and friendly, were not trained to manage a Sunday morning brunch shift. The backlog of drinks and food was ridiculous and chaotic, and the cafe wasn't even half full. There were three staff on shift, so it didn't even seem like it was an understaffing issue per se. The place was full of unhappy and frustrated customers so the whole atmosphere was pretty unpleasant despite how much we wanted to enjoy the sun and a spot of chill Sunday brunch. You could tell the menu had actually been put together with care and this was clearly an off day. But it's inexcusable to let people sit down knowing you won't serve them even a drink for over an hour! We never got our food as we had to leave for our train (which was already an hour later than the one we'd planned to get after hoping to grab a quick brunch!) I really hope the owner of this place puts something in place to resolve these issues because you can only feel just very sorry for the staff put in that position!”

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• J

  Jessica Burt

  ·3 months ago

  “Haven’t been to Bournemouth in years. This was our last stop before leaving and I can honestly say the customer service was amazing. They are very welcoming and polite and even if busy they were very attentive and the food I would say was delicious. I had the vegetarian breakfast. I’m not vegetarian but it was soo lovely and presented well to. The prices are good and not too pricey. Overall lovely experience before we left travel home.”

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• S

  sophie frith

  ·3 months ago

  “We were told that food would take 25 mins but we had to wait 30 minutes for coffees and over an 1 hour 20 mins for food. The avocado on toast wasn’t even avocado on toast it was avocado thinly spread on some bread. The Mediterranean was just veg, eggs and cheese on a plate. There’s no organisation here. When asking how long food would be, they said 8 minutes left and it was still over 20 more. If you have anywhere to be for the rest of the day I wouldn’t recommend here. This cafe needs to start saying no to customers if they cannot cope with having people at their tables.”

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• S

  Sarah P

  ·3 months ago

  “The strangest experience I have ever had in a cafe. Cafes have existed for hundreds of years, but it felt as though the staff here had been asked to invent the concept from scratch. We arrived at 10.15am. Our order was taken at 10.40. Our coffees arrived at 11.50. After two hours, we gave up and left without receiving any food whatsoever. The cafe was not full. I have worked as a waitress myself before, and regularly had more tables in my section alone than appeared to be in the entire cafe (see photo). Even the customers who did receive food were served one plate at a time, sometimes with 15 minute gaps between people at the same table. Every task seemed to be treated as though it were the only order the cafe would be dealing with that day. Nothing appeared capable of happening at the same time. At one point, I asked if I could please just have a Coke while we waited. The waiter said no because ‘everything has to be done in order.’ Shortly afterwards, my friend’s croissant was given to a woman who had arrived long after us. When we asked why, the explanation was: ‘That woman is only one person.’ We were two people. I am still unsure what they meant. An hour in, the staff asked what we had ordered because they could no longer remember. Once we had fully lost all hope, the card machine was produced with a speed we had not previously witnessed, and we were charged £11 for the coffees. The interior is gorgeous. But without food, a cafe is just a very nicely decorated room.”

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• A

  Atiq Rehman

  ·3 months ago

  “Visiting Bournemouth and was looking for quick breakfast options. Came across this and had a lovely meal. Quick efficient service and dog friendly sitting outside. Cheesy omelette went down nicely! 😋”

• A

  Ash M

  ·4 months ago

  “This is a cozy café located conveniently adjacent to Bournemouth Rail and bus station, situated on the corner, making it easily accessible for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. The menu offers a wide variety of options catering to vegetarian, vegan, and non-vegetarian preferences. Personally, I prefer the full vegetarian English breakfast, which also functions as an excellent brunch. This hearty meal includes sourdough bread toast, sautéed mushrooms, fresh tomato slices, red beans, haloumi cheese, vegetarian sausage, and hash browns, all served with a steaming cup of coffee—making it a satisfying, complete meal. Alternatively, egg enthusiasts can try the classic Eggs Benedict, featuring poached eggs atop toasted English muffins with hollandaise sauce, for a delicious and savory option.”

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• K

  Kent Lam

  ·6 months ago

  “Café 52 is a hidden gem that truly delivers a memorable breakfast experience. Despite having a small team, the service was impressively warm, attentive, and efficient, making us feel genuinely welcomed from the moment we arrived. The highlight of our visit was undoubtedly the omelette—it was easily one of the best I’ve ever had. Perfectly cooked, fluffy, and full of flavor, it stood out as a dish made with real care and attention to detail. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, ideal for a calm morning meal. Even during a busy breakfast period, the staff handled everything smoothly without compromising on quality or friendliness. It’s refreshing to see a place maintain such high standards with a limited team. If you’re looking for a cozy spot with excellent food and heartfelt service, Café 52 is definitely worth a visit. I’ll certainly be coming back.”

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