Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 19/06/2026 20:29:00

Inspired by the silent-film era and the figure of Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin's and The Cellar Bar is an award-winning independent pub, smokehouse and live music venue on Christchurch Road in Boscombe, a short distance from the Bournemouth seafront and the Victorian Royal Arcade. Decorated with vintage memorabilia and themed around its namesake, the venue blends a traditional real-ale pub with a busy programme of live entertainment, and has long been a fixture of the local social and music scene. It was named CAMRA Pub of the Year for its area in 2013. The venue is spread over more than one level, each with its own character. The upstairs Chaplin's bar is decorated with memorabilia and screens silent films, serving real ale and locally sourced, often organic food, while a Modern Times lounge offers more substantial dining and a Firehouse bar specialises in rum. Downstairs, the Cellar Bar opens in the afternoon and is the heart of the venue's live music, offering up to six carefully chosen cask ales alongside its stage. Live entertainment runs seven nights a week, with a rotating roster of resident hosts and promoters putting on open-mic nights, acoustic sessions and showcases for emerging and established performers. Regular nights span singer-songwriter showcases, hosted live-music evenings, Caribbean-influenced sets and open jams, giving the Cellar Bar a reputation as a genuine grassroots platform for musicians across many genres. To the rear, the garden is filled with quirky and amusing decorations and serves as another performance and drinking space, hosting several festivals across the year. Together with the smokehouse food and creative menu, this gives Chaplin's a strong outdoor dimension in the warmer months, complementing the indoor bars and stage. The combination of award-winning real ale, distinctive themed decor, smokehouse dining and a packed live-music calendar has made Chaplin's and The Cellar Bar a community hub for Boscombe. While admission charges can apply for some music acts later in the evening, the venue is fundamentally a pub at heart, valued for its welcoming atmosphere and its long-standing support of local performers.