Bar So

You head down Exeter Road towards the seafront and find yourself in Bar So's fairly straightforward space—nothing trying too hard, just solid drinks and a genuinely good atmosphere. The place fills up proper on weekends with locals and visitors mixing easily, the kind of spot where you'll actually enjoy the person next to you at the bar rather than getting elbowed constantly. They take their cocktails seriously enough to get them right, but it's never going to feel like you're being judged for ordering a simple gin and tonic. It's the sort of place Bournemouth does well: unpretentious, friendly, and consistently busy because word's got around that it's actually worth your time.