Popular cafe bar opens the doors to its new premises

ONE of Penarth’s best-loved venues opened the doors to its new premises last night.

£700,000 has been spent transporting Ocho Lounge cafe bar from 16 Windsor Road in the heart of the town – where it has spent the past decade – to its new address just across the street at number 17.

And the look of the the new place won’t be far removed from what punters are used to. Once again the family-friendly retro-inspired cosy retreat boasts familiar eclectic artwork and quirky curios, which sit next to over-sized vintage sofas and old school benches, painted table tops and statement lighting.

Indeed, the main difference seems to lie with the size, the new Ocho Lounge being able to accommodate 150 people over two floors, including a small covered terrace with heaters – doubling the capacity of the original venue.

And, as well as providing a bigger space in which customers can relax with a bite to eat and something to drink, an expanded menu will also mean there’ll be more treats for them to tuck into.

Catering for all tastes throughout the day, it includes everything from authentic tapas to burgers and beef chilli, packed paninis to mac and cheese. Little Loungers, vegans and those favouring a gluten-free diet are also well looked after with their very own range of meals.

An established part of the local community, Ocho Lounge’s tradition for holding fundraising evenings will also continue.

“These are really exciting times for Ocho,” says general manager Toby Sauter. “We’ve massively enjoyed being part of the Penarth eating and drinking scene since we opened 10 years ago, and we’ve been looking to giving the place a bit of a spruce up for some time now.”