Quinto Lounge is one of 50 "loungers" that are located all around England. I didn't realise until I was looking on their site that I used to frequent one of their branches in Bristol, named Porto Lounge, it was one of my favourite places to eat and was 2 minutes from my halls of residence at university. I remember the food there being amazing and liking the feel of the place, especially for brunch, lunch or even for a quiet spot to study and eat. Enough of the nostalgia, back now to Sutton Coldfield's Quinto Lounge. This branch is located on Birmingham Road, it is really easy to get to from the Sutton Coldfield train station, google maps will help, and parking shouldn't be too much of an issue.
As with all the "loungers", this branch has a very rustic feel that is both hipster and chic. I liked how I could see all age groups within the branch, always a good thing when you are able to cater to all.
I decided to sit at the back of the second floor of the restaurant on my first visit, I found a comfortable sofa next to the window, that didn't have too many people around and enough for me to take some pics. The second time I sat near to the tills on the first floor, which was near to the door and a cold draught was coming in, so I recommend going for the second floor if you can.
To eat, I had the Vegetarian Breakfast, which had sweetcorn fritters, hash browns, grilled tomato, baked beans, button mushrooms, spinach, roasted red pepper, poached egg and toast. It is supposed to have fried egg but I asked for this to be switched to poached and this was done very easily. Just looking at the pictures now I am feeling hungry. Everything was well made, nothing was burnt and it was satisfying. I especially liked the bread, it was buttered beautifully and I ended up enjoying it by itself and dipping it in my beans. The sweetcorn fritters and hash browns were also fantastic. I just wish the mushrooms would have been made with some spices, as they were a tad bland but when mixed with the beans and hash browns, wasn't a problem.
As you can see, I was very happy and no, I don't like tomatoes.
I saw on the menu that they have 2 vegan desserts on the menu, so I decided to try one. Dairy free desserts are a rarity so I always take advantage when I spot one. I chose a Ginger and Dark Chocolate Torte and I wasn't disappointed. It was soft and hard all at the same time, which when referred to other things is bad but in this instance it was perfection and the ginger wasn't too strong either.
On my second visit a week later, I see a trend forming, I chose to have something off the lunch menu this time. My choice was a Falafel Burger, which was butternut squash and nutmeg falafel burger with red pepper and tomato chutney, wood-roasted peppers, red onion and rocket in a sourdough bun with house slaw and skin-on fries. I chose to forego the red onion, add hummus and have mushrooms on the side.
I found the burger quite dry and the bread too heavy. However, I think the addiction of hummus made it dry, so I would forego that next time and have a bun less burger. I didn't enjoy the burger as much I had the breakfast a week before.
I wasn't really fond of the house slaw but that is my own fault for opting for the vegan option, which was obviously going to be without the mayonnaise, so I would ask for the regular kind next time.
I loved the fries, they were fresh, hot and had the skin on, perfection
I thought the mushrooms were going to be in the burger but I was glad they were on the side and I think that if I didn't want fries next time, I would ask for these instead.
As I was there for a second time, I decided to try the second of the vegan desserts and really enjoyed it. The Fruity Flapjack was so good, I ate some before taking this picture, naughty blogger. It was still in tact, had nice chunky pieces of fruit and the oats worked well with the cup of tea I had. I need to know the recipe!
Food - 4.5/5
Great selection, high quality ingredients and made well. I want to see what else I can try and I am having fun going through the menu, as I am sure others will be too.
Dairy-free options? - 5/5
They have a separate menu for vegans, which makes life easier and they have tasty alternatives.
Service - 5/5
The first time I visited was 2 days after they had opened, you wouldn't be able to tell that this was the case, as they were efficient and knowledgeable. The lady at the counter had no problem catering to my intolerance and she had a wealth of knowledge, which made answering my numerous questions easy. The second time, the lady was just as informed and knowledgeable. Great staff is something that I will always go back to a restaurant for.
Cleanliness - 5/5
The place is brand new and has been maintained well so far.
Location - 5/5
As mentioned before, it is easy to get to, this counts for both whether you are walking from the train station or driving. Also if you cannot make it to this location, I am sure there is another lounger nearby to you.
Value for Money - 5/5
The vegetarian breakfast with tea cost me around £8 and with the torte, it was around £10 in total. For the burger, with the added extras, tea and flapjack, I paid around £13 in total. Good value for the portions and high quality ingredients.
Let me know if you agree or disagree by voting below.
*All views are my own, don't get it twisted*
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