Lounge at Friction works in conjunction with the adjoining Club at Friction (catchy, huh?) to offer the whole club experience, from eating nibbles and drinking to full-on partying. Welcome to the pre-party spot where tapas rules.

The Venue
Lounge at Friction is a very well decorated spot with the kind of modern flourish more commonly associated with central London clubs. The space plays heavily on the branding of Friction with its bold pink and white stripes, which cover the walls. This boldly contrasts with black booth seating, black tables, black floors. Then there’s the gleaming modern bar made from dark brown tiling. The effect is slick and strong with a stylish undercurrent that’s impressive.

The Atmosphere
Lounge at Friction is free to get into before 10pm when the vibe is a lot more low key as people tuck into plates of sharing nibbles and work their way through the drinks list. Almost everyone at Lounge at Friction is waiting for Club at Friction to open its doors for the night, and so you can expect a crowd of glammed-up clubbers looking to, mainly, impress the opposite sex.

The Food
The tapas selection of grub is small but well formed, and is made up of cheap platters. Priced at £5, options include: prawns in a spicy tomato garlic, chilli and coriander sauce; a mezze of cold meats served with taramasalata, hummus, olives and feta cheese; or Gruyere and ham toasted and served on bed of salad leaves. Fancy!

The Drink
The wine list at Lounge at Friction is typical of a clubbier venue, with a focus on cheap bottles with exciting-sounding tasting notes that are pretty-much guaranteed to have a vinegary undertone. Still, when you’re paying less than £15 a bottle - or £3 a glass - and you're getting ready for a night of dancing, it doesn’t really matter how it tastes, right? For those who fancy something a bit more sophisticated there's prosecco (£18 per bottle) and champagne that starts at £30 a pop and rises to blow-out prices.

The Last Word
Lounge at Friction offers a stylish, convenient pre-club venue to get locals in the mood for a night for a night of partying.

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