You might have recently noticed a new brand of café-bars springing up in towns across the region that go under the Lounge moniker. Complementing the Vintro Lounge which opened a few years ago in Blackpool comes the Trevino Lounge which recently opened in Lytham in the former Forsyth’s building.
A neighbourhood cafe-bar with surprises
The concept is a simple one: a neighbourhood café-bar with elements of a restaurant, pub, and coffee house. If all that sounds a bit of a mix you would be right, I haven’t come across anywhere else like this which probably explains why they have become so successful by finding a gap in the market.
The laid-back feel of the place seemed to have been replicated by the staff uniforms – there isn’t one, staff it appeared were free to wear their normal day wear, which sometimes made it hard to decipher who was staff and who was a customer – especially if the place was full. Service, however, was friendly and attentive.
The name of the restaurant comes from the golfer Lee Trevino who made his Open Championship debut at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 1969, taking home the Gold cup in 1974 at the Lancashire resort.
Raising the Bar
The restaurant is dog friendly – even your canine friend will find their own doggie treat available at the Vintro Lounge. I liked the idea of free board games for their owners – and other guests too, as well as the various paintings that adorned the walls, alongside the wooden flooring and chairs that were ergonomically correct as regards being able to sit at your dining table at the correct height. Newspapers were available to read as well. The décor did remind me slightly of a fortune teller’s parlour – especially the stand-alone lamp shades with their hanging tassels!
There is an outside terrace shaded with a canopy, should you wish to watch the world go by – or to see what the latest fashions the upmarket Lytham ladies are wearing this season!
Reasonable prices and some special deals
A glass of wine starts at a reasonable £5.50 with two cocktails for £12.95 from 5pm onwards. Soft drinks start at £2.20.
The menu however will not set you back a fortune either as the food is reasonably priced and comes with offers such as the Cheeky Monday deal where if you order any burger, main or salad you are offered a free glass of house wine, pint of beer or soft drink or a pudding – all from 5pm.
Orders are taken either via a QR code on your table or at the bar – which I found gave a more personable touch and a chance to interact with the staff. The menu concentrates on all day Brunch offering, Burgers, Sandwiches, salads and Tapas besides puddings and cakes.
My Bacon Cheese Smash Burger (served with house slaw and fries) was a good combination of smoked steaky bacon, American cheese, lettuce, red onion, gherkins, burger sauce and two smashed patties which was more substantial and filling than one you might have at a fast-food restaurant.
My partner decided upon the Bang Bang Chicken – a hearty Buttermilk fried piece of chicken, topped with bang bang coconut sauce, sesame seeds and chilli which she described as one of the best she had ever tasted.
Sweet Dreams Are Made of This
I got the impression that puddings were not too big of a deal as there are only five options on the menu with the cake selection being more like snacks with temptations including Toasted Teacake, Banana Biscoff and Carrot Cake amongst others. I indulged on the Cookie Dough Ice Cream which was worth the 728 calories I had eaten: the combination of a salted caramel lava centre with chocolate and caramel sauces was a guilty pleasure.
The cake stand was suggestively situated on the bar counter which seemed a good idea, especially when the selection looked so inviting – many with a sweet tooth would find the temptation hard to resist.
Impressive too was the cooled water available on the edge of the bar, with a dash of lemon included the thoughtful addition was something you might not find in other pub-cafes. This sums up the ethos of the Lounge concept- they are offering something different to their competitors. Hopefully, the rapid expansion of the chain will be sustainable in the long run, which certainly seemed achievable given the popularity of the Lytham restaurant when we dined there.
Access for all
With the Trevino Lounge being all on one level, access to the restaurant is available to everyone. There was plenty of space between the tables so that wheelchair users could be easily accommodated. A disabled toilet was also available, which was locked though if you have forgotten your Radar key the obliging staff will unlock the door.
Bacon Cheese Smash Burger (£15.75) Bang Bang Chicken (£15.50), Cookie Dough Ice Cream (£6.95)
Trevino Lounge, 61/63 Clifton Street, Lytham St Annes FY8 5ER
All pictures by Graham Clark
