Cafe Lounge - Surry Hills

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.

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!

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. <br/ <br/ I am definitely keen on checking out their Tuesday specials next with $3 pizza nights. A local gem waiting to be explored further.