Balearic style comes to the East London countryside in the shape of RS Lounge.

The Venue
Nestled into the heart of Epping Forest, on the border between East London and Essex, the bright lights of RS Lounge stand out amongst the trees along Woodford New Road. This bar, formerly known as the Rising Sun, was reopened in May 2008 after a £2million refurbishment, and the hard work and effort put into rejuvenating this local’s favourite definitely shows.

The whole design is not dissimilar to a stylish bar in Ibiza. The main bar has been designed in dazzling white Phillipino marble with 300 LED ceiling panels and neon underfloor lights to create a stylish club atmosphere. In the middle of the room is a large central bar, surrounded by bespoke cream and black finished sofas with glass tables. Nearer the back of the bar are two cordoned off VIP areas, designed to the same high standards as the rest of the bar. To drink in here requires a minimum spend of £500 per table. Adorning each wall is a top of the range plasma TV, and the DJ booth is as hi-tech as you’d find in a club with decks, CDJs and Bose speakers. It’s clear that no expense has been spared when designing this venue.

At the back you’ll find the Al Fresco terrace, a large wooden veranda made out of British Oak with giant white parasols covering in case of bad weather. The white theme continues to the outside furniture, think comfy sofas with white linen covers to lounge on. Completely surrounded by the lush greenery, this is a cool and relaxing environment for drinking outside. Heading upstairs you’ll find yet another large bar, this time with a chilled atmosphere. The same music plays throughout both bars, but the chill out bar offers a more relaxed atmosphere for it’s guests who wish to just have a drink, but also a chat with friends. Glass patio doors lead out to another large outside terrace area with high tables, perfect for standing whilst drinking and looking out into Epping Forest.

The Atmosphere
The stylish surroundings of RS Lounge impact on the clientele that it’s trying to attract. With a door policy of smart-casual with no trainers and only smart jeans allowed, this bar should appeal only to the people who want to dress to impress. The age limit here is over 21; identification searches at the door are strict to prevent any underage drinking here and to promote the mature, sophisticated atmosphere. RS Lounge is trying to bring a new type of bar to East London and Essex. You’ll find a large portion of the crowd are from the nearby Essex towns. Expect to see WAG-style glamour - big hair, tanned skin and expensive shoes (and that includes the boys!).

The Music
With DJs on rotation each night, the music policy is varied. Separated across two floors, DJs pump out funky house, electro and dance music in the main room, RnB, hip hop and old school classics in the first floor. Regular house events and the occasional celebrity afterparty are also held here - American singer T-Pain hosted a party at RS Lounge.

The Food
Keeping to its usual high standards, RS Lounge offers a food menu of a different class to most bars in the area. Slow-cooked rabbit with a cider and wholegrain mustard sauce with garden vegetables or smoked haddock are two of the favourites on the menu, or for those who want a smaller snack, fat chips, onion rings and nachos are amongst the choices. A main here will cost you around £8-£10, whilst the snack menu ranges from £3-£4. They also offer a tasty breakfast menu at the weekends, finishing at 1pm for those who like a lie in. RS Lounge is predominantly a bar, however, so there are limited options to have a sit down meal here. If you don’t mind balancing a plate on your legs whilst you sit on one of the comfy sofas, sampling some of the food here is a great way to start the night.

The Drink
With a fantastic range of only the best alcoholic beverages on offer, RS Lounge is top of its game when offering a choice of drinks to guests. The cocktail menu is vast and the drinks are made with quality ingredients. Cocktails sell at £6.95 each, with favourites including the classic mojiito and the unique house speciality concoctions. The spirit list reads like any top end bar in London with names like Grey Goose, Courvoisier, Havana Club 3yr old rum lined up in the range of optics. A single measure of a spirit here will cost you from £3.25-£4.25, and a bottle of soft drink as a mixer is 75p.

There is a wide range of Champagne available. For the millionaires among you, a prestige selection is offered, with a bottle of Dom Perignon Vintage 1995 Matuzalem priced at a wallet crunching £7500! A more affordable range of quality Champagnes is also offered, from £40-£320. They also offer a premium selection of beers (bottles and draft), wines, soft drinks, juices and smoothies.

The Last Word
Whether to your taste or not, RS Lounge is bringing glamour to East London. If you want to put on your best outfit, drink a top class selection of drinks, and dance in funky style, head east.

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