Basement

Basement has been closed for some time. It’s been replaced by the grove which is pretty good if a lot more expensive.

Once upon a time the customer was king. During this mythical economic epoch customers who bought more of your excellent coffee than the over priced tat you started your shop for might pause you to stop! Rethink this review!
It’s difficult to tell if Poole’s greatest leap forward in café experience was made by crafty underhand evasion of draconian retail zoning laws or through blind desperation once more conventional avenues of sale were eroded.
The Basement is almost everything a good independent café could be whilst still clinging hard to the high aspirational roots that it’s huge corner window façade must add to the rental value. The shop used to be a swimming pool outlet. In these crunchier, more austere times, it sells designer flipflops, wrapping paper, kitchen utensils, premium olive oil and most crucially the time and attention of extremely talented Italian baristas.
The location is shoe horned, the staff are over qualified and the seating is vastly over sexed upholstery levered in as an over generous after thought. It feels accidental, but its stylings are confident and assured. All the details are right, even the free newspapers and wifi.
So what’s the catch? No catch. Not unless it’s caught on the hole in your throat when you realise it can’t survive the harsh morning reality of this cut throat day and age.