Mocha Lounge

Mocha is meant to be delightful. My mate raves about the American style pancakes and wonderful coffee. To be fair, he also raves about X-​Men. But being hidden away, and independent, it does intrigue me.
The sucker for coffee-​shop chic that I am, then, it was only right I pay it a visit. Chillax with my Cormac McCarthy (The Crossing), perhaps even write down some disconnected thoughts in my own notebook — they haven’t come to life yet, damn you Oxford.
So I trundled along before work one Wednesday at about 8am, only to find it closed — even though it says 7.30am on the chalk board listing its opening times. Nevermind, I thought.
So I trundled back one Thursday, at about 8.30am, to find it closed — even though it says 7.30am on the chalk board listing its «opening» times. I’d walked from Lime Street station especially as I had time to kill too.
Now I’m just vexed. If you say you open at 7.30am, it would probably be a good idea to open at 7.30am.

Another independent coffee shop giving chains like Starbucks and Costa a run for their money is Mocha Lounge.
A thriving independent on Thomas Street, it’s hidden in the basement of a historic building and seems to attract a mix of mature students, locals, office workers and couples. There’s lots of cosy leather arm chairs to choose from and the décor is a mix of French and shabby chic with exposed brick walls, glistening chandeliers and contemporary wallpaper.
Open from 7.30am to early evening in the week, Mocha Lounge serves croissants, pastries and panninis for breakfast and soups, salads and wraps for lunch. It also sells a small selection of home-​made cakes and an impressive selection of hot and iced java. I enjoyed my flat white but have to admit, I prefer the beans and the music at Bold Street Coffee.

Known as the Mocha Lounge, this sophisticated basement café is the place to go if you want to instantly feel more intelligent. Again, it ticks my plush-​furniture-​and-​exposed-​brickwork décor boxes, and there are some truly elegant touches such as chandeliers and curtains which really add a sense of intimacy and occasion to the place. Definitely one for bringing a close friend or a date and having a good old chinwag about life, the universe and everything.
The culture factor is huge here. Between acoustic performances and poetry nights and its highly strict green credentials, it’s a guilt-​free and highbrow experience. The coffee is strong, the takeaway cups are 100% biodegradable and compostable and the vibe of the place attracts a varied clientele from alternative types and quirky creatives to high powered suits and a more mature crowd. It’s the ideal place to curl up with a good book as well, during the day, when it’s tranquil and quiet. On Thursdays and Fridays they keep the place open into the evening and they serve alcoholic beverages throughout the week too.
Breakfasts here offer plenty of choice from pastries and croissants to breakfast paninis and meaty English muffins. The prices are massively reasonable considering the quality, and at lunchtime you get your usual substantial coffee house fare like sandwiches and toasted melts as well as some more varied options like soups, salads, jacket spuds and the like, all with interesting and creative ingredients or fillings. Prices only really stretch to the best part of a fiver. The coffees here occupy a starring role with expertly sourced beans and they have the quintessential caramel macchiato on the menu which means I’m one happy bunny. Meanwhile the frappes are just as impressive, and the speciality teas are wonderful for herbal junkies like myself with some wonderfully unusual options including a gorgeous Jasmine green tea.
Another fantastic option if you’re looking to steer clear of the chain coffee houses, with hippy ideals and a sophisticated ambience. A fine contender for the best coffee shop in the city, easily.

This is a big space that is surprisingly easy to miss as you pass the doorway that descends underneath one of the big old buildings on Thomas Street.
Mocha has kept many of the old features of the building and added dark floors and furniture in keeping but with bright paintings and contemporary wallpaper managed to update the place tastefully.
The coffee was not the best I have tasted, bit weak for me. The menu had the usual selections of soups, salads, paninis and baguettes and a large selection of breakfast choices. I ordered a baguette and was disappointed by that too. Although clearly cooked fresh to order, the cajun chicken filling was a bit oily but I liked the good helping of salad and coleslaw that accompanied it.
It’s the type of place to remember as an alternative if you work in the area but I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back.