An evening of duds at Loungelover
By Patito, published on 19 February 2009
Loungelover had been on our wishlist for a while, so when we were invited we jumped at the chance. A hideout in Shoreditch with a reputation for cool, expectations were high. Too high, perhaps.
A table was booked for 6.30pm and we were asked to arrive promptly. Our nervous host even called to let them know we were running 10 minutes late … was he over cautious or did he know something we didn’t? Following some confusion (the address is actually Whitby Street and not Redchurch Street as we had been told), we took our seats at the long table located directly in the entrance. The decor is no doubt what makes this venue special. A bizarre collection of bric-à-brac (glitter antlers, anyone?), it’s one of those things you either get, or you don’t. Aficionados describe it as baroque-kitsch, to us it was just weird.
A waitress came over to take the order. Seduced by the lengthy drinks menu, we all opted for cocktails. A mistake. The signature house drink, the Loungelover, was the first dud of the night. A champagne, lemon zest and vanilla oil concoction, it tasted like a lemon tart. The ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ with the edible flower was dud number 2. Where is Lukas when you need him? Let’s try again. Stick to safer options. One of only two gin cocktails on the list (what kind of barman doesn’t use gin?) was the worst yet – it smelt and tasted of Fairy liquid. How did they do that? The classic dry Martini was ok (but don’t bring the Chariman here). It was about then that we all switched to beer … expensive beer.
Which overpriced dish would you like to accompany your drinks: edamame at £4, Japanese crackers (read Bombay Mix) at £2.50, chilli squid (4 slices of) at £4.50? To be fair, the squid was perfectly cooked but another 4 servings wouldn’t have gone a miss. Two mouthfuls and it was gone.
At 10.25pm, the waitress came over to tell our host that his time on the table was almost up and the next guests had arrived. When we asked if we should cancel our drinks order, the waitress smiled: “yes, that would be a good idea”. What? Had we been transported unwittingly back to Belgium? Actually, given the crowd at Loungelover, this could have been Brussels. A decidedly Euro group, they were the best thing about this place.
Madonna apparently celebrated her 48th birthday at Loungelover. Why?
Loungelover, 1 Whitby Street, London, Tel: +44 20 7012 1234
An evening of duds at Loungelover
Loungelover had been on our wishlist for a while, so when we were invited we jumped at the chance. A hideout in Shoreditch with a reputation for cool, expectations were high. Too high, perhaps. A table was booked for 6.30pm and we were asked to arrive promptly. Our nervous host even called to let them [...]
The Prodigal Fool
19 February 2009
Love your reviews!
Many years ago, I bumped into Madonna at a rather better London restaurent: Roussillon. Hmmm, maybe I can feel another review coming on….