Arco Lounge

After 2 years of visiting Arco Lounge on a regular basis I’ve decided to update my review. Basically, I’m adding a star, because Arco is just a really fantastic spot to have a coffee, have breakfast, have some tapas, have a drink… and really, it’s my go-​to for a reason.
This past spring they went through a major refurb, and maybe fixed some issues in management/​with the kitchen (just speculation on my part, but service seems mightily improved these days). There have also been some slight changes to the menu, with the introduction of some new tapas and healthier breakfast options (the avocado brunch… yum!)
Staff are as lovely as ever. Coffee is great as ever. Sometimes service is still a bit slow but I’ve noticed staff really making a point to let you know if there’s going to be a delay and how long it will be, rather than keeping people in the dark.
Keep it up Arco!

I’ve been living in Harborne for 2.5 years and Arco is the restaurant I go to with my wife more than any other in the area, by a wide margin.
While some menu items can be hit or miss, we have never been disappointed with the breakfast or tapas items. The only real issue is that service can be slow when there are a lot of customers.
They also host a quiz night on Sundays which is a lot of fun and they give a prize to both the first and last place teams. I’ve been to a few pub quiz nights around Birmingham and this was one of the better ones I’ve experienced.
I recommend Arco to anyone in the area

Great spot for brunch. It’s a bit of a quirky place but the food is great and the coffee is good.
I had the Diner Brunch which was a plate of BBQ beans, fried potato, 2 pancakes topped with bacon and a sausage patty. At £9.50 I thought it was a little on the expensive side but when it came there was a load of food, it was filling and delicious.
The milkshakes are nice but in my opinion not really worth the £3.50.

You can never go wrong at Arco lounge. It’s my favourite place for late breakfast on a lazy chilled day, quick lunch and candle light dinners. The atmosphere is lovely and staff are super friendly. At times the service is slow but it’s unpredictable when Arco gets busy! I still get quality suppose to rushed and poor service.
Parking is difficult at times but it’s worth waiting for a spot, if your cheeky enough park at the waitrose car-​park its free for 2 hours. It has Free Wi Fi too which is a bonus! it has a great laid back atmosphere that promotes class and relaxation. A must go to place for everyone!

Now, I can’t comment on what Arco Lounge was like before it’s refurb, but after attending a relaunch event last week — I can comment on what I found it to be like afterwards…
Harborne is kicking at the moment. Between gelato, wings, great coffee, tea and cake; it’s somewhere that offers everything you would need for a gastronomical adventure within a 10 minute walk. If you’ve been around Brum for a while (or were born here), you might have heard of the Harborne mile… 13 pubs which make up an epic pub crawl around the main stretch. Well, since this was first formulated; there may very well might be some additions to be made. Arco Lounge would be a very welcome addition to this historic drunken trail.
Situated around the top end of the High Street (nearer Junction than the School Yard) and looks like you would expect it to, a Gastropub. Once you walk in, you can see why this little venue is a treat. Decorated with a slightly Moroccan feel, the very cool basic light fittings, comfy seating and warm glow that has been added to the internal décor makes for a welcoming and enticing space that you would easily lose a few hours in.
On my first visit I tried a selection of tapas including Chorizo, pork and a vegetarian sweet potato dish. It was all piping hot, looked fantastic and very satisfying. To wash this down I had a couple of pints (unfortunately there wasn’t ale on offer, but there was a decent selection of lagers) which were served well.
My little taste of Arco has made me want to go back to try it again. I wouldn’t pop here for a pint nessesarily (down to the lack of ale), but I would go with a group of friends for lunch or tapas. It’s a lovely spot to sit, chill and catch up.

Wow! Ok so it’s only a coffee shop, but, it’s not, they do tapas and breakfasts and desserts and wine and cocktails! A beautiful environment, loads of photos on the wall, stripped pine tables, harlequin chairs (that’s just posh mismatched) hubby and I popped in for a coffee for him and a wine for me and oh what a little treasure we found, I like to hope the good people of harborne have discovered this gem, apparently really nice coffee, I had red wine and presently surprised to be offered a rioja, my favourite, we sat in a pleasant environment, enjoying the ambiance as dusk fell, then the candles came out, big fat candles, rustic furniture, great coffee, wonderful service, lovely staff, I’m so glad we found Arco lounge, it’s given me a reason to visit harbour more regularly. So it’s so very nice we stayed for a second drink, Keith had a sticky toffee pud with ice cream and I perused the menu, some great offers, 3 tapas and a glass of wine for less than a tenner, breakfasts, cakes and snacks all available in a lovely environment. One of the nicest coffee shop bars I’ve found round here.

Hero Hamburger is designed for meat lover, not me, haha
But the drink is nice
Most important, kind staff and service

Arco is part of the Loungers franchise, which started in Bristol. It’s kind of a combination of a bar/​restaurant and a coffee shop, which does mean that you can get a coffee or a tea and a snack in cosy surroundings up until 11pm.
Arco serves all day brunch, tapas, burgers, sandwiches and has a specials menu to choose from, so there’s plenty of choice and the food is generally pretty substantial. It has a small range of cocktails as well as wine and a fairly good selection of bottled beers and ciders.
We go to the Arco quiz on Sunday nights, which is a nice change from the usual pub quizzes we used to go to. It gets a very good turnout, and it’s worth popping in.
During the day it’s a great lazy place, with board games and other table games available to use, plus free wifi for customers.

I have only been here once for a coffee but definitely wish to return. The décor is quirky — unusual and interesting — but very comfortable and homely. It is quite noisy here but not overwhelmingly so, it’s more a constant low level of happy voices chatting which is incredibly relaxing, feels very European here!
There’s a variety of food and drink on offer here (the eggs look amazing, as I am an egg fan!) but I only went for a latte as meeting a friend. I think this is the best coffee I’ve had in Harborne; strong and rich and a pleasure to drink straight — not too overpowering or bitter.
The staff are courteous and friendly, they do not seem to rush anyone, so if you fancy a break from the norm I highly recommend this place to have a lounge around, as the name suggests!

This is another of my local favourites — they make a lovely latte and a delicious breakfast & brunch. Even later at night, they’re busy and make nice cocktails and a banana split that’s just perfect as an after dinner treat.
My personal favourite is the vegetarian breakfast which consists of eggs, toast, beans, tomatoes and mushrooms, corn fritters (my personal fave) and hash browns. My husband usually opts for a full English and has never complained.
One of the nicest treats is the fresh squeezed orange juice. It’s so refreshing!
There is always a nice mix of families, friends and couples here, which makes it perfect for almost anyone, and there are always plenty of people coming and going so it’s never too hard to get a table.
This place is worth getting out of bed on a Sunday for, even if it is a little bit pricier than your usual Café Nero etc.

My friend suggested this place for a hot beverage after a meal. I immediately felt at home with the cosy and intimate environment and the quirky décor that included floor lamps with old fashioned lampshades, a bookcase at the back, and vintage photos on the wall.
The dining area was busy, with plenty of people choosing to have a meal or some cocktails.
This place has a very relaxed feel about it, and I can imagine it would be lovely to come here on Sunday for breakfast with a book or a newspaper. I noticed they offer a kids menu for breakfast.
The food menu is displayed on chalk boards on the wall. There was so much variety, that I would probably be hard pushed to make a choice but there is something to suit everyone’s palette.
Our drinks were ordered at the counter, and then bought over to our table. My hot chocolate was lovely and was served with marshmallows on top — perfect for a cold wet night. All I needed was my dressing gown and slippers!
A place that I would like to return to again to sample the food.

A cracking breakie at a reasonable rate. I’ve been in Arco a few times and it’s always been busy. I was early in so it gave me time to myself. In which time I looked around and it really does offer everything. From a casual meet up, family gathering, business meeting to one man and his lappy (me!)
Good solid service, clean and overall a jewel in the crown on Harbornes ever changing high street.

Never ceases to be anything less than amazing and welcoming. Great Food, great atmosphere, great staff– I go here to read, lunch with my friends and have a cheeky smile from the baristas! Only wish it was bigger– but I’m being pedantic. They do the loveliest Rooibush tea! :)

If you fancy a coffee in Harborne this is the place to go. Always employ the friendliest of staff and serve some lovely food if you want to grab something to eat.
The interior is well done– large but not cavernous with old style furniture and modern injections.
The coffee itself is good and well priced. Give it a try over the Nero down the road– you won’t be disappointed.

This is the perfect place for a breakfast. The food is delicious and, despite having asked for what would be a pretty standard dish elsewhere (eggs florentine) they really pushed the boat out with presentation and it tasted delicious.
The place is quite large but always pretty crowded, not so much to make it uncomfortable though. There’s no waiter service, you have to order at the counter which irked me a little as the food is pretty pricey. That being said, it’s a very nice upscale café and if you want something a bit classier than a takeaway or a greasy spoon and don’t mind paying extra, this is definitely the place in Harborne.