It’s safe to say that Bristol is a music-loving city. When there’s no drum ‘n’ bass playing in our cafes, bars, restaurants and parks, you’ll hear everything from rock to folk to jazz to techno to metal and everything in between. But how often do you sit down and really “listen” to the music?
Rather than the incredibly busy nightclubs that Bristol is known for, in Japan, they specialise in what’s called a “listening bar”. Here, the focus is on, well, focusing on the music. Don’t chat, don’t dance, simply hear the incredible sounds on top-notch soundsystems. It’s an audiophile’s dream, where the music is always more important than what’s on the menu.
Inspired by the uniquely Japanese spaces, Bristol now has its very own listening cafe on Gloucester Road. Taking over the former home of Burra, Lonely Mouth (from the Japanese word, ‘kuchisabishii’, meaning “When you’re not hungry, but you eat because your mouth is lonely”) is now serving Japan-inspired food and drink.
Open 8am to 5pm (Tuesday to Sunday), you’ll be able to tuck into a traditional Japanese breakfast – with rice, ajitama egg or silken tofu, housemade pickles, and miso soup, plus either streaky bacon, salted salmon or spicy plum crispy tofu – and the tea/rice-based chazuke. Lonely Mouth also serves a less traditional French toast.
Outside of a cooked breakfast, you’ll be able to grab a quick Asian-inspired toastie (think miso, katsu and kimchi flavours), alongside an array of goods – from burnt basque matcha cheesecake to coconut water matcha creams. Meanwhile, chef/owner, Olivia Maxwell-Yates is already hinting at ‘once-a-week’, experimental menus that show off her Japanese soul food skills in the kitchen.
Of course, Lonely Mouth is first and foremost a Japanese listening cafe. Kitted out with a high-end sound system and turntables, you’ll often find DJs spinning tunes in the cafe. To keep updated with Lonely Mouth you should follow its Instagram page here.
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