Francisco Lounge review: Welcoming atmosphere, great decor and a doughnut to die for

When I went along on a Saturday afternoon for a meal with the family (Amanda and hungry 13 year old Noah) we weren’t sure a table would be free as it was so busy.

It was great to see a restaurant busy and buzzing. It is situated in a great place - pretty much in the centre of South Road in Haywards Heath. Not many shoppers would have walked by without having a nose in to see the impressive decor and atmosphere.

That is the first thing you notice when you walk in, the decor. It’s so vibrant with pictures and art from around the world.

There was no real uniform to the layout of the tables which made it feel homely and relaxed.

We shown to our table by one of the ‘Lounges’ managers Barry. There are more than 170 lounges across the UK and they are continuing to grow with the Carlo Lounge opening in East Grinstead on November 30.

We then met general manager Chris Gething who couldn’t do enough for us and told us how much he is enjoying working there. And we were even offered games to play while we waited between courses – we payed some chess.

The first challenge was deciding what we wanted. The menu had so much choice it was no mean feat to pick what we wanted.

We went for Tapas starters (three for £12.50). There were 12 dishes to choose from - we plumped for Salt and Pepper Squid (delicious, not greasy and garnished with a lovely roasted garlic mayo), Pulled Chicken and Chorizo (a lovely warm dish with perfect croutons - could have eaten a lot more of it!) and Cherry BBQ Chicken wings (succulent chicken and a wonderful sauce).

The main course was harder to pick. On the menu there were a number of Brunch dishes, which are served all day including a Lounge breakfast, Shakshuka and vegetarian options. There are also a number of sandwiches and salads.

But Amanda went for the Lounge Bacon Cheeseburger (a perfectly cooked 6oz patty with bacon, cheese, gherkin and lettuce). The burger was a generous size, so much so Amanda couldn’t quite finish it.

Noah went for Buttermilk Fried Chicken. It was a deliciously lightly spiced crumbed chicken breast and came with the very tasty cherry BBQ sauce.

I went for the Bang Bang Chicken - firecracker noodles with buttermilk fried chicken, pak choi, tenderstem broccoli, mushrooms and sugar snap peas tapped with a bang bang coconut sauce. There is always extra pressure to like a dish when you are told it is one of the most popular dishes on the menu.

But luckily it did not disappoint. It was a bowl full of flavour and there were plenty of red chillies in there but it didn’t low your head off, it was a slow burn of a kick and was gently warmed the mouth and throat. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular.

I should have said earlier that Noah found it hard to concentrate on the other dishes after seeing the dessert options. On that list was a Biscoff Caramel Doughnut. This is where his focus was the moment he finished his main course and, I must admit, I found it hard to resist as well. So we both ordered it -Amanda went for the churros (these were nice and came with two dips).

Noah had great expectations for doughnut and luckily not only were his expectations met, they were exceeded.

It was a baked doughnut filled with Jude’s salted caramel ice cream, Biscoff sauce and whipped cream, topped with a Lotus biscuit.

It’s hard to describe how nice this dessert was. Barry told us he thought it might be too much - and for some it may be - for me and Noah, it was delightful and the dish of the day. We might even got back just to have that again!

Francisco Lounge is a restaurant which has welcoming atmosphere, lovely decor and fantastic food. It would be hard to walk past it next time I m in Haywards Heath.

The Lounge also has a Christmas party menu with menu options from £21.95 per person and available from November 24 to December 24 (crackers included).

You can book a table at https://thelounges.co.uk/francisco/