Pico Lounge — Restaurant in High Peak

(reviewed September 2021) Took Over A Year.. But Worth It First heard of this place from my foodie partner over a year ago.. On Saturday we both paid a visit, but saw half a dozen people queuing up for a table (a very good.. but annoying sign..) we vowed to return mid-week. Today, we paid another visit, and no queue. Just what the tummy ordered.... First impression inside... its big and lofty and therefore it can get a tad noisy. We were shown a table (for two) and were not rushed to order... which is a good starter.

Drinks to start and dine with: Expresso and Cappuccino.

Main: For my partner, Buttermilk Fried Chicken and for moi, Triple Stacked Buttermilk Pancakes (this was recommended by my foodie partner as way of my introduction to an 'All-American breakfast'). My partner thoroughly enjoyed her BFC and as way of a teaser allowed me to sample the Chicken... hmmmmmmmm.... now THAT is nice. Chicken cooked just right, nice and dry. When my TSP arrived I remarked to my partner 'and you wonder why so many Americans have a weight problem if they took into these most days of the week'. But before I could tuck in, my partner suggested that i hand strip the bacon and dip in into the maple syrup... I did and was hooked.. so sweet and yet tangy (bacon) great mix. Then i tackled the pancaked. VERY filling.... but soon ran out of the maple syrup to soak into the pancakes (Note: a little server/pourer of the syrup would not go amiss.. or am I being greedy?). Everything was devoured and deservedly so.

Drinks to finish with: White wine and a Lager. As the weather seemed to brighten up, we took to the outdoor dining area - enough seat for approx. 40 patrons, with some tables under a heated canopy. Even the Hostess came out to see if we wanted it switch on. We were fine, but a nice touch all the same. And that really says a lot about the staff and the service in general - both excellent. A return visit...

Just literally finished my Big Lounge breakfast here at Pico lounge and have to say I've been extremely impressed.

On arriving at the door our greeter asked if either of us had any allergies. Wow... talk about making a great impression straight off the bat as my wife has a nut allergy. Had seen online that Picos online menu modifies your options to what was available to be safe with your allergy. Again something that I was super impressed with that made me decide to come here. All restaurants, Cafes and Bars should do this as standard.

We were shown to our table and informed to just point out the allergy requirements at the bar.

Ordered at the bar and lady behind the bar went through all the options and tailored my wife's order with her to make sure she was happy with it.

Food and drinks came promptly and again very impressed with the quality and care dedicated to them.

The breakfast had good quality meats and items on it. I could see the seasoning and fresh herbs used by the chefs and its honestly one of the best cooked breakfasts I've ever had..

The staff are hard working, attentive and dedicated and a true asset to the bars owner and the business in the way they have been trained and operate..

The venue itself is large, nicely furnished and plenty of room between tables and is good to see covid operating standards still in place.

I cant help using the word impressed repeatedly but I am and also a little shocked about how good the experience has been as I wasn't expecting it to be this good..

The fact its dog friendly as well is just another massive tick in the box. I'll definitely be back repeatedly and thanks for the great experience Pico and staff. Will be recommending to people regularly so a big thumbs up, a pat on the back, a hug and a high five etc from me.. well done and keep up...

The former 2 * review below reflects one bad experience a couple of years ago. Since then we have had many better ones, service is usually good, although the online ordering is still a bit temperamental Eggs Florentine / Benedict and pancakes are my favourite treats and don't disappoint. Breakfasts also decent, haven't tried many mains. I also like the relaxed ambience, quirky and a bit random decor and how large and airy the place is. Leaving the previous review to show that experiences can vary and businesses can improve - take all reviews with a pinch of salt. Really wanted to like this place as it has a nice ambience and the idea of supplying games etc is a good one, and it's helpful they have a vegan and a gluten free menu. However, we had a rather poor experience recently. It was not particularly busy, maximum half full, but we waited almost an hour for some quite simple dishes - soup, a burger and some tapas. The veg soup tasted like it had pickles in it, really vinegary. The jackfruit burger was OK but the bun didn't look like the stated sourdough to me, and we were given the wrong types of chips first (normal instead of sweet potato), which can happen, but the standard chips were like the worst remains from the bottom of the chip pan, and when we were then given the sweet potato ones they were slightly better but also a bit overfried and greasy. Salt & pepper squid was also fried into oblivion. The place is also a bit noisy but that may be a matter...