Athro Lounge Cafe, Aberystwyth - 13 September 2025

_{The sandwich needs some 'green' garnish.}

I met a friend for a light lunch in a cafe I’d never been before called The Athro Lounge. The cafe or bistro is in a seaside town called Aberystwyth which is a lovely place I've been before and will definitely return to visit. The place was busy as it was around lunchtime and it was a warm day.

I had a vegan sausage butty (or sandwich) for £5.75, or around 60 Steem. I also had a decaff latte with oat milk for £3.80, or around 40 Steem. I enjoyed my lunch because I was with my friend who’d just been for an interview so it was a bit of a stressful day for her. The food was okay but as it was a bit hot the bread felt slightly dry for my liking. I appreciate the effort of offering a vegan item on the menu though. I’d definitely visit that cafe again but I might just take a small butter with me to add to my sandwich.

_{I liked that little 'oat' label on my latte.}

My friend had been to this cafe before so she ordered everything on her phone and paid for mine too ! She had smoked streaky bacon and maple syrup for £9.95 or around 100 Steem, and a cool mango, coconut, pineapple, lime and soda drink for £4.10 or around 41 Steem.

The cafe was very busy with families visiting this lovely coastal area so I took no indoor photos to avoid attracting attention.

_{The courtyard above is apparently dog friendly.}

The cafe is in a former school building and it seems to be owned by a chain called The Lounge. You can visit the cafe website and see the impressive display of lampshades there. The photos above and below show you part of the entrance and courtyard which I reckon it needs a bit more shade. Apparently the building has fairly recently been refurbished so perhaps they will plant bigger shady plants for summer days.

This is a very accessible refurbishing so you can see the long rails on both sides of the entry ramp.

That’s another view of the entrance or exit to the cafe.

When I looked into this building to find out about its history I read that :

Alexandra Road School was built in 1874 for 600 children aged 5-14
It had three departments: Boys', Girls' and infants', each with their own headteacher.
In 1910 a new block was built for 240 more boys with a manual room for 20 boys and a new class room for 40 girls with a cookery centre.
In 1948 part became a secondary school for children who did not go to Ardwyn grammar school. Infants continued to use rooms in the school, while juniors (7-11 yr olds) went to the North Road School.

The page here also states that it’s been available for business since 1992. There’s no clear date as to when it closed as a school though.

After finishing our food we walked to the seafront and I took this photo :

It was warm but as you can see the sky wasn’t that clear. I still enjoyed the visit though.

Category	Details
Website	The Athro Lounge
Address	The Old Welsh School, Alexandra Road, Aberystwyth SY23 1LF
Menu	Menu - Summer 2025
Phone Number	01970 624053
Email	athro@thelounges.co.uk

Thank you for reading !