Playing chips only
Social games use playing chips only. They are a simple part of the table ritual, giving the group something physical to arrange and follow while the focus stays on the people, the conversation and the shared evening.
The Card Lounge
A Card Lounge made for long evenings
Lantern & Lore is an Australian restaurant where contemporary Australian cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, local wines and shared dining meet premium Offline Poker. Settle into the Card Lounge, or Poker Lounge, for a considered evening around a table—whether cards are part of the plan or dinner is the whole occasion.
Every poker session is in person and cash-free, using playing chips only. There is no wagering and no cash prizes—just a relaxed social ritual around the table.
The house format
In person, around the table
Offline Poker at Lantern & Lore is face-to-face social play at dedicated Poker Tables in the Card Lounge. The point is the table presence: conversation between hands, familiar people and new company, and an evening that can move naturally between dining, drinks and cards. It is a tactile, unhurried alternative to screen-based play.
Cash-free entertainment
There is no wagering and no cash prizes. Offline Poker here is cash-free entertainment: an in-person social experience using playing chips only, clearly framed so every guest can relax into the occasion.
A social pace for every table
Beginners, friends, corporate groups and private-event guests can approach the table in their own way. Join the cards, pause for a shared plate, or simply enjoy the company; the lounge makes room for relaxed participation rather than pressure.
The Card Room
Settle into the room
The Card Lounge brings together comfortable leather seating, dedicated poker tables, timber surfaces and warm lantern light in a quiet restaurant setting. It feels considered without being formal: a Card Room where guests can linger, talk and take in the rhythm of the evening. Deep green shadows and tactile details make the table feel like a destination in its own right.
“A table can hold a game, a meal and a good conversation.”
A table with room for the evening
Each Poker Table supports more than the cards. Shared dining, handcrafted cocktails and local wines can sit naturally alongside Social Poker, with space for a plate, a glass and the conversation that unfolds in person. No one needs to make the game the centre of their visit.
Restaurant hospitality
Dining belongs in the conversation
Contemporary Australian cuisine and shared dining are central to Lantern & Lore. In the Card Lounge, food gives friends and groups an easy reason to stay at the table, return to a story or take a breath between cards. A Poker Dining Experience can be cards-led, dining-led, or simply shaped around the kind of evening your group wants to share.
At your pace
Handcrafted cocktails, at your pace
Handcrafted cocktails are part of the restaurant’s hospitality offering, available for guests who choose them as the evening settles in. They can sit alongside a shared table and easy conversation, without becoming a requirement for taking part in the lounge.
At the table
Local wines for the table
Local wines offer another table-friendly option for guests enjoying shared plates and a longer conversation. The emphasis remains on the company around the table and the ease of a restaurant evening spent together.
One occasion
One considered social occasion
Lantern & Lore brings restaurant dining and premium Offline Poker into one Social Poker occasion. Playing chips are used for in-person, cash-free entertainment only, with no wagering and no cash prizes, so dining and conversation can remain the heart of the night.
For your occasion
A room for the people around your table
The Poker Lounge suits gatherings that value a little more atmosphere than an ordinary catch-up. From friends making a night of it to a workplace group, a birthday table or a private card room booking, the mood can remain welcoming and flexible.
Friends’ nights
Bring friends together around shared dining, conversation and playing chips used for relaxed Social Poker. Guests can join in at their comfort level or simply enjoy the restaurant atmosphere around the table.
Corporate gatherings
For colleagues gathering in person, the Card Lounge offers a personable setting for conversation and connection. The poker element remains cash-free entertainment, leaving room for the people and purpose behind the gathering.
Birthday celebrations
Mark a birthday with contemporary Australian cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, local wines and shared dining. Cards can become an optional social rhythm around the celebration, while the group keeps the evening in its own hands.
Private Card Room bookings
If you are considering a Private Poker Room-style gathering, begin with an enquiry about your occasion. Private card room bookings can be discussed around your group’s intent, with playing chips only and no wagering or cash prizes.
Enquire about a private booking
Private gatherings
Bring your own gathering to the Card Room
A private card room booking is a chance to shape an evening around your own people: friends getting together, a corporate gathering or a birthday celebration. Share the occasion you have in mind and how you hope to spend the night, whether that includes shared dining, handcrafted cocktails, local wines or a little Social Poker. A Private Poker Room search may bring you here; the conversation starts with your gathering rather than a fixed format.
All poker sessions are in-person, cash-free entertainment using playing chips only. There is no wagering and no cash prizes.
Helpful guidance
Before you join the table
Here are a few practical answers for first-time visitors, diners and group organisers considering the Card Lounge.
Do I need to be an experienced player?
No. The Card Lounge welcomes beginners as well as people who already enjoy cards. Social Poker is about sharing a table in person, so you can take the evening at your own pace, join the conversation and enjoy the atmosphere without needing to make cards the whole focus.
Can our evening focus on dining as well as cards?
Yes. Lantern & Lore is a restaurant offering contemporary Australian cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, local wines and shared dining. Poker can be part of the rhythm of a visit, but it is not required for dining. Your table can centre on food, drinks and company in whatever balance feels right.
Clear social-play noteIs this a wagering or cash-prize experience?
No. Offline Poker at Lantern & Lore is in-person, cash-free entertainment. Playing chips only are used during social games, and there is no wagering or cash prizes. The format is designed to keep the experience clear, social and grounded in the shared table.
What kinds of groups suit the Card Lounge?
The lounge can suit friends’ nights, corporate gatherings, birthday celebrations and private card room bookings. If you are organising a private occasion, use the enquiry form below to share the kind of gathering you are considering. Availability and booking details can then be discussed; this page does not promise a particular setup or date.
Reservation and private booking enquiry
Plan your Card Lounge visit
Share the essentials for a Card Lounge reservation or private booking conversation. Tell us whether you are planning a friends’ night, corporate gathering, birthday celebration or another occasion, along with your preferred date and group details. Your enquiry will be reviewed to discuss availability or confirmation; submitting this form does not confirm a booking by itself.
Lantern & Lore
Make room for a good evening
Choose a dining-led table, a social cards-led evening, or a private gathering shaped around your people. Lantern & Lore brings restaurant hospitality and premium Offline Poker together, with playing chips as part of clear, cash-free social play.