The Lounge Cafe, a hidden spot in Belfast City Centre. Located on one of the busiest streets in a buzzing city, how could such a unique dwelling place remain almost a secret? To be honest, unless you're looking for it, the only way you would stumble across The Lounge Cafe is the chalkboard outside crammed with the specials they have on that day.
Being a person who is always looking for authenticity, I was happy when I saw it to say the least! I had seen it the day before I actually went in so marked it as tomorrows lunch spot.
A small entrance boasting 2 old style wooden doors with large windows in each, vintage brass handles which to be honest were a little stiff to open, but added to the character. Undeterred by this minor flaw, I entered The Lounge Cafe to be greeted with a reasonably sized narrow walkway and dining area to the left. My initial thoughts were that I liked the outlay. There were just a few customers in at the time, dawning suits and looking over some paperwork which may have helped set the scene of a nice place to go, have a coffee, read a paper and some nice food.
One friendly guy behind a glass counter was serving and to be honest, he couldn't have been more customer focused calling me sir at every opportunity. This isn't a common occurrence for me, so I let him carry on! For my first ever order in The Lounge Cafe, I went for one of the huge blueberry scones just beside the counter and a cappuccino. Served with butter and jam, milk and sugar and a friendly member of staff (who even filled the waiting silence with general chit chat) my thoughts, from what I seen on the outside were being fulfilled with the high standards of service before I had even sat down.
For a small cafe in the heart of Belfast, I would've expected this place to be buzzing, long queues, extortionate prices for medium quality and small quantity, but the blueberry scone that took me quite a bit of time to finish, the cappuccino that tasted perfect and a price that didn't even top £3.00 you really could not ask for anymore. So anyone looking for a good place to "Lounge" whether you be a local or tourist, it is definitely worth giving this place the once over. It is situated on the corner of Wellington Place, approximately 200meters from City Hall, it's not hard to find, just look for the Chalk Board outside. read more