Carlo Lounge in Mid Sussex

Food was great but too expensive and things were missing

Good food, nice atmosphere, friendly staff. Love coming here

Excellent as usual but rather chilly, I said in my first review. If I'm in Grinners, I'm in here...

Absolutely lovely place. Perfect for vegans with an entire vegan menu.

Lovely decor and service was great. I took my two grandsons age 12 and 11 last weds. Place was pretty quiet tbh. The girl that took my order was really good and took time with the boys to explain menu etc. service was quick. The food was absolutely dire. They both chose a build your own option but both went for burger and chips. Honestly the chip portion was really tight. Hardly any. Shame as they both said they were nice. The burgers were awful. Tiny size ones but in a full size bun so was literally all bun. Which was dry and stale as if been sat out for ages. Wouldn’t recommend and certainly wouldn’t waste my money to go there again. Certainly need to try harder.

Absolutely stunning! This place is like stepping into a dream. The eclectic decor, with its vibrant colors, unique lighting, and stunning artwork, creates an atmosphere that's both inviting and captivating. It's the perfect place to unwind and enjoy a meal. Speaking of food, the cuisine is simply divine. Every dish is a masterpiece, bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. Whether you're craving a hearty meal or a light bite, you won't be disappointed. And let's not forget the friendly and attentive staff who make you feel right at home. If you're looking for a truly exceptional dining experience, this is the place to be. You won't regret it! One of the best, if not the best place in EG!

Daisy was an absolute pleasure and looked after us very well. Coffee was lovely and great outside seating area

Had a beyond burger that was delicious, shout-out to the head chef!

Good morning Clare and team I wanted to forward my thanks for earlier discussion Clare and have deleted review. I love coming to Carlo's and I am extremely fond of all of the team The service team are lovely and accomodating and the food always looks divine The vibe is a testament to your leadership Clare and the management team and I look forward to seeing you all very soon Kevin 😎

Just stopped to have a quick breakfast with my mate and it was stunning! We both had the Miami brunch and it was amazing! The eggs were cooked to perfection! 10/10 highly recommend

Always an enjoyable experience.

The food was lovely, the pepper and chorizo soup was to die for! Will be back!

Went yesterday with our grandson. Lattes very good but no pastries. Although only 9.45, attitude was we've run out, only cake! So we had toast. How about a few more pastries in the oven!

Visited Sunday morning for breakfast. I had the eggs Benedict which was delicious. The bacon was very good. Eggs were a touch overdone in my opinion but still was good. I just prefer them a little runny. The coffee was absolutely fantastic. Not sure on the beans used but they were great. Full of flavour, and not bitter like some can be. I’d definitely return if just for the coffee. Decor is pretty cool and quite eclectic.

A cosy place to grab a coffee and cake, a cold drink on a hot day or a tasty meal, with fair prices and while the service in terms of hot food arriving can be quite slow the staff are very friendly and attentive.

We only popped in for coffee. There was lots of room, no waiting, fast service.

A great place for lunch, quiet and cozy, I advise everyone!

Imaginative menu, friendly staff, good drink and cocktail menu. QR ordering system flaky, best to order at the bar

Paid £10 for a drink and the waitress wouldn't let me eat a sandwich I'd brought in and was rude, though was more than happy to leave a messy table with a huge water spill. Response: sure blame the customer why don't you, hugely convenient to leave the part out about your waitress not doing her job. From what I can see there are many reviews about rude staff.

Been twice now - one at lunch and one evening - both very enjoyable - somewhere abit different - def will go again 🤞👍

Food is always delicious. The Miami brunch is my favourite brunch anywhere. The atmosphere is lovely. Always feels welcoming when I’m there with my kids.

Consistently good, been going here since it opened, friendly staff, good food, reasonable price. Unlike some of the other local venues, 1 in particular has lost us as customers. Keep up the good work Carlo team

Normally fast service but today was shocking. Over 1.15h wait - which they didn’t mention until we were 45 mins in that the kitchen was backed up. It’s well over half empty. We resorted to getting pastry from the bar. I’d have left and not paid but it’s pre paid and they can’t refund. I wouldn’t mind if they apologised but staff are milling about aimlessly. Clearly no manager in.

Stopped here for coffees- cue two enormous mugs of coffee- and decided to stay for brunch. The menu is extensive and the choice never ending! Changed our minds three times before settling on the smashed avocado. The food was quickly delivered -with a smile- and the both of our meals were delicious. Having "discovered" this café we will be back with our family this weekend!

The design of this restaurant is a work of art! It’s very comfortable and tastefully designed. Love the way the chandeliers have been done, and the artwork on the walls is impressive. Lovely couches for coffee and chatting. Atmosphere is very pleasing. Low lighting also appreciated. The service was okay. Pleasant and friendly. Food came fast. I had an all day breakfast, slightly modified. It was not the best tasting breakfast, and I would not order it again. So food for this visit was disappointing. The menu is full of different dishes to try, so maybe better luck next time.

Tamisha was fantastic!! Great food and service

Very good place and service. I recomend!!

A much needed space in East Grinstead drawing family and friends for social gatherings, Decor is eye catching and furniture trendy. Service on this Sunday mid- morning was swift and polite as the restaurant was buzzing. Food was appealing and tasty however, the portion sizes were very disappointing for price paid. Presentation of Nasi-goreng in a deep bowl gave the impression that less was more. A poor portion for a hungry male. Miami Brunch sweetcorn fritters were more like balls and a garnish rather than the main substance of the dish. Avocado pear was on the stingy side. Double chocolate milkshake was thin - no straw could stand proud. Lime and soda - very weak. We walked away with the impression that Carlo is trying to hoodwink the customer with alluring ambience and decor and should then be satisfied with sub- standard portions. Will not be eating here again until reviews reflect an improvement on menu quality and quantity.

Varied menu very reasonably priced. Expensive fit out contributes to relaxed atmosphere. Staff always Uber helpful and friendly, terrific value.

I have always found the staff welcoming, friendly, polite, and efficient. Food is good, drinks reasonably priced. More often than not it is often very busy, and due to the high ceiling makes it very loud and so echoes. My only criticism, which sadly is not the restaurant's fault exactly, are parents that do not control their children running and screaming around the restaurant. I love the fact that children, and also dogs are welcomed into the restaurant. However, my last visit, a dog that constantly barked. A member of staff had to ask them to move so it did not echo so much. Visit before that, a member of staff had to in effect ask parents to control their children running around screaming. Today? Dogs and children in a full to almost capacity, were perfect. Luck of the draw, but guests/customers should take some responsibility

Loved the decor. Friendly staff. Very good food. Would of liked full table service. Need to go to the bar to order or use the app.

Absolutely gorgeous interior and immaculate vibe, their coffee is amazing staff work really hard and are very friendly.

Nice place, very busy at lunchtime, had simple sandwiches, but were served inside 5 minutes. All the staff servingi were young and genuinely friendly. Will definitely use again when in East Grinstead.

I’ve been in Carlo Lounge a couple of times with the better half. The inside has a visually stimulating design with a floor to ceiling glass front and many pieces of art around. The lighting is bright and imaginative. The ambient music enabled us to hear each other in conversation. The restaurant is dog-friendly and wheelchair accessible. The staff are attentive and service was fast, indicative of deep fried and ping cuisine. Food was tasty but with small portion sizes and poor presentation. There are the usual selection of beers (Birra Moretti, Heineken etc) but no real ale. It was ok...

Delicious brunch on Christmas Eve. Friendly, quick service and delicious food.

Really yummy flavoursome food. The deco is so different and lots to look at. Lots of different food and drinks to choose from.

Great vegan menu, great staff, nice music. However, a side of fries was £3.25 and I got a miserly 26 fries. So each chip cost 12.5p. The vegan butty was £5.50. It was small and not worth the cost. Sorry all, I appreciate that food costs must have gone up, but it’s too pricey for what you get. Had no oat milk either on a Saturday brunch time.

Always amazing, best customer service. Staff are supper sweet . I love they soup,every time different and every time delicious! Never disappointed! ❤️

We went for dinner on Thursday, there were 4 tables and two waitress staff. We were left at the door for ages, no 'I'll be with you shortly' we were ignored while the young girl served food from the kitchen. We were happy to wait but after watching her wipe her nose with her hand numerous times and put her fingers in her mouth while back and forth to the kitchen, having looked like she had just got out of bed we promptly left.

What a lovely find in East Grinstead great food and service is amazing

Another great meal, brilliant service from Shaun and the team

Our go-to brunch spot! Warm welcome as you arrive. Ambience feels like you've been taken on a magic carpet ride to somewhere exotic. Convenience to order and pay for food at your table is a bonus. Friendly smiles and service from the staff. The menu is filled with delicious options, including all-day breakfast/brunch choices. The food is scrumptious and drinks refreshing. Perfect place to visit in East Grinstead if you're looking for a cosy place to catch up with friends/family and enjoy yummy food at the same time!

The staff should be more alert when customers come in. We ordered two mojitos (Awful cocktail and expensive)

Terrible, we had to wait over 50 mins for our food and the waitress was rude. She was extremely off hand about it all her name was Elizabeth.

Bad food extortionate prices rude staff. Couldn’t be worse if they tried

We loved the atmosphere in the Lounge. We often come to drink the hot drinks. Nice place, very interesting décor. Staff friendly and polite. Food was tasty.

Visiting friend East Grinstead we popped in Carlo lounge for late lunch Sunday afternoon, Directed to order on the App, (no option to order at bar) quite abruptly. When you pay ON App it asks how much you want to tip...BEFORE you've had any service! Tip decided at end of meal for me, but it wasn't a great start and meal was just ok. Food, bread hard! Atmosphere, felt like we were putting them out, it was empty very quiet! The wine just dumped on table, no smile or anything. Maybe they know in advance if you've tipped or not, then decide on the service you get.

My granddaughter and I come in most Mondays for Cheeky Mondays we love coming here. Food is incredible, Megan one of the staff members there is always spot on and her service always comes with that lovely smile.

Really friendly staff, good, consistent and reasonably priced food, been going since it opened

Perfect Friday meal. Great atmosphere, excellent service and very best of all amazing food.

Staff were happy and efficient, food was very good , and we will definitely be going back

This place is all style and no substance. The service we received was abysmal. We sat at a table that hadn’t been cleared and proceeded to order hot chocolate, coffee and cake. After what seemed like an eternity the drinks arrived. When my partner told the staff member that we had also ordered cake she said it would come separately. She then left without clearing the table. I then noticed that there was no spoon with my coffee meaning I was unable to add sugar. My partner got up and spoke to a staff member who then brought spoons. However, she made no attempt to clear the table until she was asked to. She didn’t wipe the table and left behind what looked like two tea bag tags.The cake followed shortly and to be fair it was good, as was the coffee and hot chocolate. We sat on a leather sofa, when my partner moved one of the seat cushions to make himself more comfortable we were shocked to see an alarming quantity of crumbs beneath it. I think it probable that no one had ever cleaned under the cushions. I would suggest that management and waiting staff should be given further training and cleaning should be more rigorous and checked thoroughly.

Spent a lovely evening in this place with our three teenage children. Very visually stimulating with lots of reused items all around, ambient music enabling a meal with conversation, staff amazing and can definitely recommend the chops with Sugar!

Wings are over priced, lack flavour, 3 a portion, menu is too extensive for two chef, flat bread was lacking flavour, half the salad was withered and the sweet potato fries are like air.

Food is absolutely great! I love soup,and they never disappointed me with soup of the day. Best service ,staff is polite and friendly and very professional. You should try it for yourselves. Dog and kids friendly as well.

Nice place, very interesting decor. Staff friendly and polite. Food was tasty, but needed to be hotter

Fantastic open mic night spoilt by other customers with dogs that yapped and sat on chairs meant for patrons with staff not intervening. Menu asks about allergies but not pet allergies…

Love this place, always great service

Food tasted fine but the portions were meagre. £8.95 for a flatbread topped with hummus and 2 crumbled falafel. Not good value at all.

Delicious tapas and cocktails for a good price. Super quick service and lovely staff.

Amazing place, we loved everything about it! Very beautiful cosy space, friendly staff, tasty food, everything you need!

We had a really great brunch here. What struck me first was the decor, it's bold and beautiful it's so big and airy and the thoughtful and quirky interior design works with this well. We were warmly greeted at the door and as a vegetarian I was pleasantly surprised with the menu, varied and interesting to suit everyone. It was child friendly too (thank goodness as ours were feral), the kids loved the pancakes. Great value, great place, highly recommend. Ps dogs were also welcome

Staff very friendly and we all had a good afternoon.

Nice great food you can order from the table but both our phones had no internet service ?

Finally came here after knowing about it since it's opened. The good bits first - The inside. They basically nailed the vibe and interior decoration 🛋️ of the place. Lots of good design and art on the walls. And it's dog-friendly too 🐕 so that's a plus! Aspects that need improving - The food. I went for the breaded halloumi burger 🍔 which sounded like a good choice, but in reality the burger overall came out a bit dry 🙅🏽‍♂️. Presentation wasn't anything to cheer about either. I then asked for some ketchup and mustard, the first squirt of mustard that came out was basically water (maybe I should have shaken the bottle first?) which tells me it's been sitting for quite a while. The ketchup comes in this ridiculous squeezy bottle in the shape of a tomato 🍅 a bit inconvenient to get the ketchup out, and the ketchup also looked very cheap too 🤢. Overall I think for the price you're paying I'd have expected the food to be a lot better. The have a wide ranging menu, which in some respects is good because you have a lot of options, but on the downside I feel they might be spreading themselves thin a bit and could probably do with doing a smaller menu really well.. This place has potential, just needs up their kitchen game.

Tapas too small uneven amounts to even share out? Not sure what that’s about. Was only lunch but left still hungry. When ordering a Quesadilla you should get a whole one not half to share. And the wings need to be 4 not 3. Never known such a thing. Cocktail was lovely and decor was beautiful. I left a tip when ordering not sure what the tip is for when it’s self service. 🤦‍♀️

Loved it. Had the smashed avo on bread, was amazing. The chef who made it came out to ask if it was okay which I thought was very kind and personal. ( I didn’t get his name unfortunately )Coffee was nice too. Would definitely return :)

Amazing food. Quick service. Stayed longer than anticipated as really enjoyed. Drinks reasonable. Or party had Bang Bang chicken loads of chilly. The chilly con carne and Nasi Goreng. Couldn't comment on any of the other food. Don't know if I would trust a burger as I prefer mine medium rare which not many places do.

Vast gluten free menu which is a god send when catering for a gluten intolerant daughter. That aside the decor is modern and inviting and the food we had was lovely. Service was prompt and friendly. A great addition to queen's walk.

I like the Carlo lounge on queens walk in east grinsted it has a lot of nice food and a nice view inside to look at but I will say the online ordering is probably the hardest thing to do in there

Great atmosphere, however very slow service

Lovely place with a great selection of food and drink we which thoroughly enjoyed. Will definitely be back soon.

Lounge eggs salmon bloody lovely, and the oat milk in a cap 😋

Lunchtime staff today are great.

Nice place to have a drink and eat

Tapas is small. 3 meatballs and a tiny bit of sauce for £5 with no form of bread. The food is nice enough, but I wouldn't say amazing for the price. A nice environment, though, and it is good enough for a repeat visit, but costly if you frequent often.

A wonderful restaurant, a varied menu for every taste. My family and I really liked the restaurant.

Nice space, tall ceilings. Broad menu. Tasty food. Decent value.

The Pink Lemonade is amazing, as is the Carrot Cake, Coffee's, and the service too.

Really like the place, be it for a bite to eat with friends / family or simply for a coffee whilst working for an hour or so.

Lovely staff, swift service. Will hopefully visit again.

Popped in with son and grandson . Nice food and staff great The only thing that let it down had to order from the app, but really struggled with Internet connection

Really surprised to see the bad reviews on here. Of course everyone’s experience can be different but I’ve been in here on a couple of occasions now, with friends, as a couple and as a family. On each occasion staff were attentive and service was in good time. Food was really tasty with great portion sizes and presentation. I’m sorry to read others haven’t experienced this but based on my visits, most recently being lunch time today, I would highly recommend.

Good meal in great surroundings

Lovely friendly staff, great atmosphere and both family and dog friendly. Food was gorgeous and great value for money.

Food is great - one of the best burgers I had and also a chichen salad. Service is ok - well... you need to register online to order, but your phone doesn't get service, so you have to order at the bar. Apparently, there is no free wifi. Atmosphere is ok - music was on the loud side but not too loud, and I loved the decorations. Price is on the higher end, but all in all worth it. Give it a go! 😀

Decent prices and a nice choice of food. This is a good place to visit if you want to take a break from the normal pub lunch and try a new cuisine.

Great ambiance and quick service

Poached eggs were hard, not runny as expected but other than that, all good. Nice to see it busy on a Sunday morning.

Wonderfull food. Good friendly service. Loved it .

We ate early morning on a Saturday, it was relatively quiet but customer numbers were steadily increasing. There were no issues with available seating. It is nicely decorated and well presented, with plenty of space. It looks to have a good selection of beers, spirits and soft drinks available. It also appeared clean and tidy, however some tables remained uncleared for some time. I do not understand being made to wait to be seated and then told to sit where we like on arrival, neither was I overly impressed with being made to wait without being acknowledged to for the time we did. I agree with some other comments here as there is nothing to tell you to order on line or at the bar that I could see, it would have been nice to be told. I assume there is more staff available than the one poor lad run off his feet doing everything? When we did get served the staff were however polite and friendly ( yes numbers did increase). The food overall was good, reasonably presented and tasty, but as others have said nearly cold on arrival. I could see our meals sitting waiting to be served for some time. The coffee was however hot and tasty. My wife did not have beans or tomato on her breakfast, no alternatives were offered. Value for money? £27 for two breakfasts (one not being a full serving) and two coffees is not the best in East Grinstead. Good points, appearance, atmosphere, drinks. Bad points, food temperature, staff levels. Worth a visit, but improvements need to be made as there are plenty of other places well established nearby that are better value and provide better service. Yes I would go back just to see if they listen to peoples comments. It is a new establishment and people are trying it out, the trick is to get them to go back.

Really good, good food and the spacing has enough tables that it feels atmospheric but not crammed. 2 bizarre issues though: 1) You can only book tables for 8 or more people? Seemed like a very strange choice for a restaurant as you’re risking consistent customers travelling to the place and then being told there are no tables. 2) We (2 of us) went on a Friday night and by 8:15 the place was slammed because of the 8 person minimum booking rule. There was only 1 guy on the floor who looked 16-18 and was clearly very stressed until around 8:15 when another older guy joined him. Both these staff did a fantastic job, I think the issue is with management/the owner not putting enough FOH staff on the rota for a Friday night. Food was really good, the jam donut desert thing was really unique and I haven’t seen it on any other menu before unlike the usual “churros” and “brownies”. Make it with fresh cream instead of the canned stuff and it’d be so much better. 4/5, only issue was the bizarre choice of 8 or more bookings and only staffing 1 person on one of the busiest nights of the week.

I was excited about this place and then I went and had a chicken ciabatta. Ciabatta was dry, no flavour and hardly any chicken in it. The two stars are really for the decor and the staff. Willing to go back and try something else off the menu. However, I find places with big menus don’t tend to have anything that stands out, it’s basic.

First visit disappointing. Ordered on app but when my burger arrived it was sandwiched between two pieces of broken ciabatta. The waitress said they were 'out of burger buns and hope that's alright'? It tasted fine but the presentation was dreadful. Second visit also disappointing. Tapas Tuesday, ordered at the bar this time but had to wait almost 15 mins. Only four tables in the restaurant were occupied so I queried the delay in ordering and was told by a very pleasant waitress that they are always short staffed and having hours cut. There were only two on duty that night, (another one had gone out to buy supplies as they'd run out again) plus chef. Meal arrived 45 mins later, luke warm. Not sure I will return, the decor and ambience are really lovely but organisation, service and food quality are lacking.

Was very busy and very hot inside Service was quick and food hot and ok.

Dirty fork. Bland food. Bad ketchup (always a bad sign when they can’t get the ketchup right). Online ordering is annoying would prefer table service

Excellent service from incredible staff. Food is great, my new spot to eat in east grinstead!

Food was different and lovely flavours but staff unattentive and lots of tables needed clearing I had to clear one to sit to eat notice on entering says wait to be seated no staff take any notice so found our own table and cleared it they were not busy and 3 staff (all they had on ) just chatting and drinking coffee behind the bar interaction with customers bare minimal shame as with trained staff this place could really work

Perfect for a brush out no issues at all !!

Great looking and tasting food, which was let down by cold mushrooms and barely if at all toasted bread. Look forward to a better performance on my return…