It’s near where I’ve usually lived in Sydney, and has been around since 2002, so I’m not quite sure how I’ve missed this strange, funky bar off Riley Street in Darlinghurst. It certainly keeps a low profile, and not one of my friends has ever suggested a final nightcap here until… Trevor, who also lives in the neighbourhood, said that he’s always wanted to try it.
I have been to this bar many years ago but never tried the food. I re-visited it at a recent foodie gathering. Established in 2002, Cafe Lounge is one of the original "hidden" small bars before it becomes a norm. The ambience is dark, funky and eccentric with random objects and decorations. On the right hand side you have a full wall painted over and elevated seating against it. Turn around the corner on the left hand side there is the bar at the back of the room and more communal tables. Menu consists of mainly pizza and burgers. I had chilli king prawn pizza. It has just the right amount of heat and the serves of prawns are generous. The pizza has extremely thin base, so crispy that it's almost like having water crackers. My lychee holiday cocktail is refreshing, well-balanced and not too sweet. Later on there was live DJ performance but i didn't stay long enough to witness that. It's a fairly laid back place to have a quick drink or bite.
Love this place, real funky and good vibes. Had the dj going, playing tracks and music video from the 90s, it was great. Burgers, pizzas , cocktail and coolio what more can you all for? Starting with cocktails; pulp fiction was quite strong and a bit medicinal, Mrs Webster was street, syrupy and easy to drink. Cheeseburger is always a classic pick, wedges were thick cut ans crispy, came with a side of tomato sauce (which they had aoli too). Mushroom pizza was good, but apparently the prawn pizza is better. Cant wait to go back for $3 pizza on tuesdays. Oh and service is good, one of the bartenders there looks a bit like hugh jackman in the dim.
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This place is located just off Crown Street. The decor here is eclectic, however, with the beats played via speaker or the in house DJ later in the week it seems to work. The cocktail and drinks menu is as tasty as the burgers and pizzas they serve up. We had the Negroni and Lounge Colada. The burger menu is not huge but they are delicious options and the accompanying wedge chips are crispy and addictive! Go the Deep South option - I am a sucker for slaw and BBQ sauce. For a pizza, definitely try the Charles Chicken - tasty chicken, jalapenos and a thin and crispy base. The prawn pizza also looked like a tempting option! These are reasonably priced although if you head in on a Tuesday pizza’s are $3 - not a typo $3! On Thursday they do $10 burgers and $20 jugs. Great deals. Definitely not the traditional table numbers at this place - we had a green Dino marking our table and it all adds to the overall unique theme. We were there on a Thursday night and there was plenty of room so get a group together and enjoy the vibe at cafe lounge!
The food is way better than I would expect from a dark and occasionally loud nightclub vibe venue. The alcohol is superb, and I love the bar, every time I have been I have taken a pic from the same angle at the end of the bar (see pics or hit up the full article). I half expect burlesque dancers to bust out moves at any given moment. The venue is seriously a work of art, it looks like something that has evolved over years of antique/ garage sale collecting and I love that. For me though, as a foodie that takes a lot of pictures, it can at times be too dark and too loud to hear the person next to me, for this it will hold higher appeal to the younger peeps.
Full review is up so clickety click and get yo hunger ON!
Life And You Photography
+3.5
Café Lounge is definitely a diamond in the rough, where the drinks are stiff and the food packs a punch in flavour. I dropped by on a Thursday burger special night and couldn’t have stopped by at a better time. Within the inviting atmosphere and friendly staff, I was able to enjoy a beef cheeseburger and crispy wedges.
I am definitely keen on checking out their Tuesday specials next with $3 pizza nights. A local gem waiting to be explored further.
This joint is very hipster with random decor. The staff were very frienly and laid back. When you order from the bar they give you some random shark, dinosaur ..... toys etc instead of a number or a buzzer. They do nightly food and bevvy specials. They pour some stiff drinks, love it. We stopped in on a Thursday for $10 burger night. I ordered the southern fried chicken burger. Full of flavour with a kick from the cajun spiced fried chicken and jalepenos, nice. The burger came with some crispy fried wedges. Really crispy and kept wanting more!
Also noticed they have $3 pizza on Tuesday nights and $10 cocktail happy hour on Friday from 5-7 for after work drinks. Bargain
Great spot if you are a uni student, on a budget or just one who loves a bargain.
I came here on a Friday night with a group of friends.
The atmosphere, interior and people are all amazing, absolutely loved the ambience!
The sangria jugs were great and alcohol wasn't too pricey. We also ordered a few pizzas from there menu. The base was thin and delicious, the toppings were all amazing and worked well. I also ordered a walnut salad, which in my opinion was a little bit under dressed, however I still love this place.
Instead of giving us waiting numbers, we were given animals which also made the table and waiting time really amusing for us! I totally recommend this place, absolutely love it!!!
$10 Burgers! Could there possibly be a better sequence of words? The last time we visited @cafelounge we luuuurved the fried chicken burger and were told we had to try the PORTRU' GEEZER the next time we visited. We're pretty obedient soooo... Here it is.
Marinated Portrugese chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, avocado and chipotle mayo. Yep... This is everything you wanted but never got when you made those hungover/drunken trips to Nandos. That chicken breast. That bacon. Those wedges. Could you possibly get a better feed for $10?!?!
Love cafe lounge!! I have been a couple of times now to this sexy underground bar. Cafe lounge has a great vibe as soon as you walk through the door and has the music to match. The staff are incredible and always super friendly.
They have a great range of pizza's that hold their own against the yummy cocktail range. I can't go past the Pulp Fiction cocktail - I've been trying to work out why the taste is so familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it! Looks like I'll just have to keep going back until I work it out!
A great spot for Friday night drinks.
Has been closed down for two years google won't remove listing and my phone number
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