‘Lounge’ is a chain of restaurants that has been running since the early 2000s. Originally from Bristol, it has expanded across the country by offering a unique type of quirky yet traditional interior, a diverse menu, and a fun atmosphere.

I had done no research on the Ivo Lounge prior to my visit but my father spoke very highly of it since his last visit. I had no idea what to expect other than the little he had told me, so I decided to just take the plunge and see what it was all about.

Upon entering, I was struck by the style of the restaurant. The entire place is covered in very noisy wallpaper and is heavy on framed artwork. It is bold and won’t be to everyone’s tastes but I thought it worked quite well. I’d call it “quirky traditional”. One thing is for sure, there isn’t anywhere else in St Ives like it, so is a truly unique place to visit.

The lighting is dim, which gives it a nice atmosphere, but it did mean my photos were a little choppy. So, I apologise in advance.

There are numerous seating arrangements, from formal tables and chairs, to the more casual arm chairs and sofas. The windows are large, which will be great in the summer, and you’ll be pleased to know there is outdoor seating available.

The Lounge chain are dog friendly 🐶

I was surprised at the size of the menu, with a large choice available. Sub menus were brunch, tapas, sandwiches, burgers, flatbreads, puddings and cakes. You name it!

There is also a vegetarian and vegan menu, as well as gluten free and kids menus, so nobody should feel left out.

The menu has dishes from all over the world, with goan curry, quesadillas, Philly cheese ciabatta sandwiches, and nasri gorang. I enjoyed their beer selection, even though it didn’t host any craft beers but they did have a rather refreshing ‘Cruzcampo’ Spanish pilsner.

I ordered one of their more worldly dishes, called ‘Nasi Goreng’ after a recommendation from my father. He had tried it during his last visit and absolutely loved it.

This is a Malaysian-style rice dish that comes with chicken, prawns, and a fried egg on top.

The dish wasn’t huge but should be enough to fill the average person. I was fond of the red chillies that gave it a mild kick for that added excitement. The spring onions gave it a lovely crunch and the sesame seeds were a nice touch.

The prawns were small and inoffensive. I didn’t really find many in there to be honest but the chicken was nice and was a little more present than the prawns.

The dish was delicious and really excited my taste buds. This is mostly credited to the mixture of meats and spices that gave a lovely mix of flavours. There was a lot going on at once and it was truly different to anything else I have had in town. I would certainly recommend it for anyone visiting.

With that said, I couldn’t help but feel like for an extra £1-2 that this could have been something extra special, especially in terms of the portion size or bigger prawns. I would love to know what you all think on the Cambridge Foodies.

My father had Rose’s Truffle Chicken, a pulled chicken dish with fried potatoes, and a creamy truffle and mushroom sauce. This was then topped off with crispy bacon, tenderstem broccoli and garnished with parsley.

I didn’t get to try any myself but it was very well received by my dad.

I asked my son what he wanted to drink, so naturally he ordered a milkshake 🙄

Pictured above is the Biscoff Banoffee that claims to be the ‘worlds best pie, turned shake’. I’m not entirely sure about all that but I will say that the milkshake didn’t last long. £4.50 well spent! 🤣

Conclusion

I really enjoyed my time at the Ivo Lounge. It offers a truly original restaurant experience for St Ives and has a menu that should have something for everyone. This was also confirmed by the wide variety of people present during my visit, from families to youngsters on a night out. Lounge works hard to make sure that the invitation is wide and nobody is excluded through dietary requirements.

It’s a fun place to be, with the flexibility to act as a bar with your mates or take your family out for dinner. Heck, you can even bring your dog in for a drink.

As for me. I enjoyed my meal. Thanks to the wide variety of choices on the menu, I could return ten times and still not scratch the surface of what they have to offer. I am particularly curious to try their brunch.

I’ll be back for sure.

Thanks for reading…