My first experience of Loungelover came after a few drinks in Brick Lane (an excellent night out if you haven't already been). After walking around East London for a while, me and a friend stumbled, quite literally, across this cocktail bar.
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| Image courtesy of eatdrinksleepshop.com |
Round the corner from its sister restaurant, Les Trois Garcons, the two could not differ anymore. On arrival, I honestly thought my drink may have been spiked. Its exterior was not all too disimilar to the sort of place an Essex Girl might frequent in Benidorm...a sort of neon paradise. Yet I am not one to judge a book by its cover and steeled by the presence of alcohol, I entered.
Inside, I felt as though I had been transported in to another world...certainly not a back street in the East End. The interior decor was truly mesmerising and an altogether different experience to the one I had just had on arrival. With its subtle and elegant Japanese theme, (although please do ignore the giant "Ming Dynasty" vase on arrival, we all make mistakes) it truly is a stunning place to take people if you are looking to impress.
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| Image courtesy of little-birds.net |
Simply sit back in one of the oh-so-comfy chairs, you know the sort of seating that you never want to get out of, and peruse the menu for a cocktail that suits. Believe me, there is something for even the fussiest of tastes. Once you have chosen, an eagle eyed waiter/ess will take your order and within minutes of placing it, your cocktail will be delivered. The table service is an excellent touch, it makes you feel that you are somewhere which is far more exclusive and expensive than it actually is. There is never someone more than a metre from you, yet for some reason it doesn't feel at all intrusive. And whilst you are paying for it (a service charge is included in the bill) you certainly don't begrudge it. It adds to the whole atmosphere.
The cocktails really are beautifully crafted by skilled barmen. Many continue with the Japanese flavours but don't be alarmed by the use of ingredients such as sake because, as a good cocktail should be, they really are only subtle hints of flavour which create a whole new taste upon mixing with its other ingredients. There are many cocktails that remain on the menu, but also some seasonal ones, which provides even more reason to visit on a regular basis.
My personal favourite is the Punk Passion, a simply delightful concotion of vodka, passion fruit, red currants and lemon juice topped off with Prosecco. It slips down a little two easy for my liking but really is quite delicious. Another one to try is the Black Diamond Sour, a mixture of Disaronno, blackberries, lime and violet liquer. It came out decorated with an edible flower and looked a little like that liquid spell made by the Wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which seems rather apt considering the potent nature of the drink.
It really is a great discovery, one which I have taken several friends back to now and I am yet to hear anything remotely bad about it. The cocktails are great, as is the atmosphere. If I have one downside to it, it is possibly the price. But to be honest, it is no differently priced to any other bar in London and is far better than some others I have been to so it is well worth it, but have a few drinks in a pub first! It is also important to note that it gets pretty busy on Fridays and Saturdays and, being a small venue, you may want to consider booking ahead.
Little Miss Pradatini
Loungelover
No. 1 Whitby Street
London E1 6JU
Tel: 0207 0121 234
www.loungelover.uk.com
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