Hire Main Bar , Lounge Lover (E1 6JU)

Loungelover’s decor couldn’t be further removed from its surroundings if it tried. Firstly, it’s located within an old meat-packing factory. Glam. Then there’s the fact it’s located on one of East London’s bleakest stretches of road. But this just makes Loungelover all the more sumptuous. You step in off the cold grey street and are thrown into a crazy world dominated by bold pinks, jewels, trinkets and OTT lighting. You’ll need to visit several times and sit in various places just to take in all the little embellishments but they include a roaring hippo’s head, carousel horses and images of human anatomy (nothing rude, actual anatomy). You’ll also spy vases taller than you are and murals designed to look like they’ve been ripped straight out of a castle. And even the seating is a crazy mix of banquettes, sofas and ornate chairs nestled against wooden or glass tables. It really is a schizophrenic take on bar aesthetics, but it’s so cool you won’t even care if you end up in a straight jacket. The food at Loungelover is Japanese and is quite a number of notches above the usual bar snacks. There’s a lot to choose from and the majority of the dishes fall into the £5 or less category, which is reasonable, although the plates are small. The sashimi salmon is £5 for a few slivers of perfectly fresh, delicately salty pieces of fish. Alternatively, the soft shell crab futomaki is more expensive at £7.50 but you do get 5 pieces of well-seasoned soft shell crab in delicate, nicely put