Velo Lounge, Oldfield Park, Bath

Much as described by Blackthorn, below, this former bicycle shop (hence the name) has a community feel to it, but not in the way a pub normally does. It does indeed feel more like a continental cafe bar. People seemed to want to wait to be seated, whereas we just walked in and up to the bar, bought our drinks and sat down; no-one seemed to mind. The young staff were pleasant, and it was quite a vibrant place, though the large number of young ladies with screaming babies and large prams (ladies coming here on their cycle has taken on a new meaning) made it less enjoyable than it should have been. No real ale, but 2 keg beers from Brewdog, Punk IPA and Planet Pale Ale. Probably fine if you live here but not somewhere I’d seek out again.

Yet another outpost of the expanding Loungers chain, this one, like most of their outlets, sits in a suburban High Street alongside corner shops, newsagents and such like, and is in reality more of a café/bar type establishment that your traditional pub with all day opening and an emphasis on food. It has something of a vintage/retro feel to it with tasselled lamp shades on the ceiling, a wood strip floor and burnt orange paintwork. The walls were covered in all manner of bits and pieces such as old mirrors, portraits, black and white photographs and the usual generic country scenes. It’s divided in to two with the rear level being up a few steps, but décor wise they are broadly similar. Being fairly long and narrow, it was a little gloomy with little natural light, although a roof window at the rear helped a little. A couple of shelves of books were presumably part of a swap scheme, and there was also a pile of games stacked up below this. Food wise, the menu was divided in to various sections such as tapas, burgers, sandwiches and brunch, as well as the “Loungers” section which is essentially more regular main meals. These offered a few pub favourites such as Fish & Chips but on the whole were something trendier with options such as a grilled haloumi salad or a sweet potatoes, puy lentil, butternut squash and spinach curry. Most of the main courses were on the £8 - £10 range. We were only there for breakfast and went for the triple stacked buttermilk pancakes, which were ok, but could have done with more topping. At £5.95 I thought they were a little expensive for the portion size. Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, only their own keg Cruiser. The solitary cider was Stowford Press.