The menu of pizzas includes classics with a twist, like a smoky margherita and hot honey salami. Photos: Lucy Ridge.
Residents of the Kingsborough precinct in Kingston just got an extension to their apartments with Lounge Room – a newly opened pizzeria and cafe in the heart of the development.
Lachlan Exton is the managing director of newly formed hospitality group Home All Day, which owns Highroad in Dickson and On Lonsdale in Braddon in addition to Lounge Room (and they’ve got their eye on more venues around town).
The space was previously occupied by Tumut River Brewing Co, who ran it for less than a year in 2024.
The Canberra local told Region he wants Lounge Room to be a community hub for Kingsborough residents.
“We started out with a housewarming party and invited all the residents. We’d barely opened the door and there were kids running in: everyone was so excited,” he said.
“I want it to feel like an extension of their home and I want it to be comfortable. But even though it’s a relaxed space, we’re serious about food and beverages.”
Managing director Lachlan Exton, social media manager Bianca Pavlic and front of house manager Denil Maharjan.
Lachlan went searching for the perfect pizza chef to run the kitchen and found Raphael Cruz who had worked the ovens at Rosa’s and East Pizza.
This guy is serious about his pizza and has even created two distinct recipes depending on whether the pizza is dine-in or takeaway.
“For dine-in pizzas, we use a high hydration dough which suits a very fast, very high temperature. But for takeaway, it’s a lower hydration which helps to retain the crispiness,” Raphael said.
The team did lots of trials of the takeaway pizzas, driving them different distances and testing the results and even leaving them out overnight to see how “morning after” pizza goes down.
Pizza master Raphael Cruz perfected two different doughs for the perfect dine-in or takeaway pizza.
The 9” dine in pizzas are fluffy, charred, and oh-so-delicious. Salami and hot honey goes down a treat and the Italian sausage with rosemary is perfect for any meat lover.
Chef Cruz has been playing around with adding a little smoked mozzarella to the margherita, which was an absolute revelation and paired beautifully with the sweetness of the tomato base.
Bismarck con Cotto was another creative revelation: shaved champagne ham, with a jammy sous vide egg, a handful of fresh rocket and shavings of parmesan. I could have happily mopped up rich egg yolk with slices of pizza all day!
In addition to pizza, there’s a compact menu of toasties and sandwiches to go with ONA coffee and pastries all day.
At night, the team will be pouring local wines, tap beers and a few simple cocktails.
They hope to build on the menu, perhaps using the large oven to slow roast meats or adding a pasta section.
Tucked away inside the Kingsborough precinct, Lounge Room is a hidden gem.
It’s clear that Kingsborough residents are already at home in the space. During the day you’ll spot the work-from-home crowd tapping away on laptops and the same regulars visit in the evenings and on weekends.
Come warmer weather, there’ll be outdoor dining and maybe even a block party complete with music and lawn games. There’s also plans to stock a small fridge with basic grocery items so residents can grab a few necessities along with their morning coffee.
And yes, Chef Raphael does keep a container of pineapple in the fridge, “just for the kids!”
Lounge Room is located at Kingsborough, just off The Causeway, Kingston. They are open seven days a week, follow them on Instagram for opening hours.
