Alfredo Lounge Louth review – exotic food certainly packs a punch

A new restaurant offering a quirky, modern vibe and dishes packing a punch has been turning heads in Louth since it opened two months ago in a landmark building – so of course I had to go down there to see what all the fuss is about.

Alfredo Lounge is located inside the former Eve and Ranshaw department store and is part of a nationwide chain. We headed to the Market Place venue on a chilly Monday evening and were instantly struck by the attractive décor, which combines classic floral patterns and art deco-style mirrors, with Victorian portraits and grand-looking furnishings.

The menu offers a great deal of choice, from all-day brunch options and burgers galore, to Middle Eastern flatbreads, tapas bowls and curries with a kick, and I loved the fusion of different cuisines. We both decided to go for dishes we’d never tried before, including a Goan lamb curry (£10.95) and nasi goreng (£12.95).

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The food arrived speedily, within about five to ten minutes, and both dishes looked delicious. I did feel that the portion sizes were a tad on the sparse side, but the taste definitely made up for it.

The curry dish was described on the menu as slow-cooked lamb shoulder, with roasted sweet potato and sugar snap peas, in a coconut, tomato and tamarind curry sauce, with lime and coriander rice and pickled red onion. It certainly packed a punch: the tasty, tender lamb just melted in my mouth and went together amazingly well with the tamarind curry sauce, which had a rich, tangy and exotic flavour.

The dish, which originates in Goa, on the west coast of India, was absolutely delicious and each element of it complemented the others wonderfully. I like a bit of a spicy kick to my food, but not to the point where it’s painful – so this is a great curry option for those who aren’t great with too much heat.

The nasi goreng was described as Malaysian-style fried rice with chicken and prawns, red chilli, spring onion, sesame seeds and chilli sauce, topped with a fried egg. Now this WAS spicy! I’d eaten this dish before while travelling in south-east Asia and I can honestly say that it really did match expectations – it was pretty much identical to the nasi goreng I enjoyed on my travels. But here’s a warning – I’d recommend removing the chopped chillies from the bowl if you’re not good with the heat.

Like I said, I can usually handle a bit of spice in my food, but the spiciness of the chillies in this dish was just on another level and too much for my partner and I. Aside from that, though, the dish was beautiful, with the combination of moreish fried rice cooked to perfection, mild and buttery prawns, chilli sauce packed with flavour and perfectly runny fried eggs sitting on top – just yum.

My verdict: I’ll definitely be returning to Alfredo Lounge in Louth at some point in the near future. It’s a great addition to the high street, and I’m curious to try all the other items on the menu – especially the tapas and flatbread options. The eatery has a real modern, swanky and almost exclusive feel to it, and has its own unique, playful character, which I think is quite uncommon when it comes to chain restaurants. I really liked the atmopshere and décor of the place, with its Victorian-meets-botanical vibe.

I thought the pricing of the dishes was standard – not too pricey but not too cheap, either – although I would’ve liked a bigger portion. Saying that, there’s plenty of deals for diners to take advantage of – including the Cheeky Mondays and Tapas Tuesdays offers, which are worth keeping in mind if you’re on a tighter budget.