Me and Kane decided last night was date night so we took a trip to the newly opened Carnero Lounge on St Peter’s Street in Derby followed by a cinema trip.
St Peter’s Street could not be more of a perfect location for this laidback, vintage cafe bar as it’s right in the heart of the city.
It’s easily accessed from any part of the city and as you walk past, you can smell the delicious food and hear what a great atmosphere it has, especially at the weekend.
We arrived at 6pm and wandered over to the bar to browse over the drinks on offer.
After being offered any table in the building, we chose a quaint table located in the middle of the bottom floor of this two tiered tea room.
We had the perfect view of the whole floor plan which was certainly eyecatching.
As we scoured over the large drinks menu, I opted for a Cherry Bakewell (obviously cherry) cocktail and Kane chose a pint of Estrella beer.
What I liked so much about my cocktail was that it was served tall – with a lot of mixer because I’m not too keen on cocktails where all you can taste is the spirit.
Everything in the place matched this kitsch, shabby chic vibe; even the menus!
I loved the whole design of the place, vintage decor with a relaxed atmosphere with smiley but not too fussy staff.
After choosing what we wanted to eat, we ordered at the bar and were told our food would arrive within about 20 minutes, which is pretty decent for a week night.
After chatting and taking all the brilliant art work on the walls in, our food arrived before we knew it.
(Excuse my thumb here, I was DYING to eat)
Kane chose a ‘Hero hamburger’ which was a beef patty covered in cheddar with chorizo, onion, chipotle mayo with chilli served with slaw and fries (he swapped for sweet potato).
I chose one of my favourite meals, mac and cheese. But the loungers edition had a twist, it had roasted butternut squash and tenderstem broccoli baked in with it, served with garlic bread. I also added some crispy bacon because who doesn’t love bacon?
I tried the garlic bread first off which was super crunchy and wasn’t all that garlicky but still pleasant.
I delved into the baked dish which was perfectly piping hot and had a great big mouthful.
At first I was unsure about the butternut squash but it suited the macaroni cheese quite nicely; it was soft and melted in your mouth.
I’d have liked a little more of the broccoli but what I did have was yummy.
Although super cheesey, I found the actual pasta to be quite oily, perhaps from the cheese.
It was super yummy but very filling, I couldn’t even finish it all!
Kane seemed to enjoy his burger too but he found the portion to be a tad small.
His sweet potato fries were lovely though as I nicked a few. Oops!
Knowing we were heading off to the cinema, we decided against dessert so we could grab some in there.
Although the food was pretty yummy and the smiley waitresses made us feel welcome, something just felt a little off.
I love the decor and I think on a weekend, the bustling atmosphere might make you feel more involved.
I love the venue itself though and being sister bar to the Cosy Club a stone’s throw away, it’s a lovely alternative to an upbeat, fast-paced bar.
I’d give our visit a 7/10 based on price, service, food and atmosphere.
I’d like to see more drinks offers with a happy hour or a drink at a discount with certain meals.
A big thanks to supervisor Jess, though, who made us feel welcome and we had a friendly chat over paying the bill.
Lovely venue with a lovely atmosphere and comfort food to please anyone!
Comic Books & Yellow Ducks 