I think it’s fair to say that The Lounge and Garden on Hatter Street in Bury St Edmunds doesn’t look particularly enticing from the outside. The signage looks as if it should be for a dated nightclub. The whole frontage looks pretty tired. I wonder if it’s been changed since the place first opened in 2009?
It’s proof, though, that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
Walk up the steps (or head up the ramp – it’s a place that’s wheelchair and buggy-friendly) and you’ll find a sizeable space, festooned with local artwork. The sofas in the centre seem to be a coveted spot to sit, but the real focal point is the courtyard garden out the back.
It’s a real suntrap, and a place of surprising serenity in the bustling town centre.
The food menu at The Lounge and Garden in Bury St Edmunds is pretty much as you’d expect from a café: sandwiches and wraps, paninis and toasties, jacket potatoes and salads – and, of course, cakes. The drinks menu, though, offers more variety than you would perhaps expect elsewhere.
Alongside all the standard offerings, you’ll find smoothies, homemade iced teas and iced fruit coolers. There are frappés and coffee frappés, as well as thickshakes, coffee thickshakes and luxury thickshakes, which come in flavours like Eton Mess, Lemon Meringue and Rolo.
The child’s choice was a luxury honeycomb thickshake, which they were happy to do for around £4 in a child’s size when asked. It came topped with a mound of squirty cream and a few honeycomb pieces – and while he wouldn’t let me taste it, he gave it the thumbs up.
My choice was the vanilla coffee frappe (£5.25) – again, topped with plenty of whipped cream. The flavour was good, coffee and vanilla both coming through strongly, but the drink did separate quite a lot (and was hard to mix with a paper straw!)
As soon as he saw beans on toast on the kids’ menu, the boy’s mind was made up. He chose white bread, which came liberally buttered (no option for cheese on top, sadly), but for £3.95 it was a decent portion and he wolfed it down.
The combination of cheese and carbs is always my downfall. The St Edmunds Rarebit (£8.75) combined the two beautifully. Cheddar, wholegrain mustard and Worcester sauce melted together to create a tangy, savoury topping for the granary toast – it was delicious. The rarebit came with a small side salad with plenty of dressing, as well as a small pot of sweet red onion marmalade. It’s the second time I’ve ordered this dish at The Lounge & Garden – it’s perfect for any cheese lover!
If you’re looking for somewhere friendly, reliable and reasonably priced for a Bury St Edmunds lunch stop, The Lounge and Garden definitely fits the bill. And if you head over on a sunny day, try and grab a garden seat if you can – it’s a proper little oasis!