Fear not, Eastern suburb dwellers. Great coffee has arrived in Guildford! Whether you’re a local caffeine lover, dropping in on your way to the beautiful Swan Valley or fossicking around in Guildford’s antique shops, you must put The Lounge Room on your agenda.
It’s a busy, bustling café on James Street. The fit out is sweet. In fact, I’d love to steal a few of their decorations for my place &Mdash; especially the bird cages and the rustic coat rack! Out the back are huge, gorgeous couches; the ‘lounge room’ — perfect for curling up with a book and whiling away the hours. The front space is decked out with plenty of tables and banquettes, with a long, communal table down the centre. Being a people-watcher from way back, I park myself out the front.
The Lounge Room serves up much more than fantastic coffee. They have a strong focus on freshly prepared, quality food. The lunch menu caters for a broad range of tastes, from generous salads to seafood and more substantial options such as their curry. And while they offer a range of paninis and tarts (‘standard’ café fare), the presentation is anything but standard. They all arrive with a huge side salad, an interesting combination that puts the limp garnish other cafés offer to shame.
After much deliberation I decide upon the Warm Winter Salad and when it arrives, my eyes nearly pop out of my head. The plate is enormous and it’s piled high with a huge variety of salad greens, cannellini beans, smoked mozzarella (which is devine), roasted tomatoes and a lemony olive tapenade. I count three whole tomatoes, and decide I could have easily shared this with my sister and still walk away sated — outstanding value! TLR’s proximity to the Swan Valley gives it access to some of the region’s most popular wines and beers, a welcome addition with lunch.
While I spy a few people dropping in for a quick takeaway lunch and latte, most people linger at a table to soak up the warm and inviting atmosphere. School kids wander in for milkshakes and paninis, two elderly businessmen hold a lunchtime meeting at the table next to me and a gaggle of young mothers squeeze their prams through the door for a good gossip.
The Lounge Room gets everything right. Great coffee, outstanding food and friendly, smiling service. I’ll be back for more — with my sister, next time!
The Lounge Room
187 James Street
Guildford WA 6055
Opening hours
Monday — Friday 7.00am — 4.00pm
Saturday — Sunday 8.00am — 4.00pm
