12 Osborn Street,
Brick Lane,
London,
E1 6TE
(020) 7377 1797
The ViewLondon Review
This luxurious haven of cocktails and Indian cuisine at the foot of Brick Lane manages to be both glamorous and accessible.
The Venue
The Lane Bar is located on Osborne Street, the small stretch of road connecting Brick Lane and Whitechapel Road, and it sits sandwiched between a restaurant and hotel belonging to the same proprietors. The vast main room's tinted French windows, adorned with black velvet curtains, run the length of the street underneath red canopies, providing sunlight during the day and a real-time panorama of debauchery at night.
The interior is tasteful and plush, with every surface from the white tile floor to the wooden tables immaculately buffed and polished, and black leather chairs and sofas breaking the large room up into group-friendly alcoves. Slightly hidden towards the back of the room is a DJ booth and functional dancefloor area.
Lighting remains dim and multi-coloured throughout, with spotlights and speakers artfully worked into the low ceiling and hidden projectors showing all the major sporting events of the day on two drop-down screens. The bar is across the room from the main entrance, and immediately attracts the eye with an entire walls worth of expensive-looking, back-lit liqueurs mirrored in the ceiling above, purely for extra dramatic effect.
The Atmosphere
The Lane Bar is rarely too crowded, which is a massive plus for a bar so near to the City and the melee of Brick Lane, where local competitors are regularly overrun towards the end of the week. That said, the pristine interior and eye-watering drinks list is aimed at one demographic only, and non-City-dwellers in search of something less formal would be advised to try further up Brick Lane.
The atmosphere is usually relaxed and friendly, with as courteous service as you could hope for and smooth lounge beats, often from in-house DJs. All the major sporting events are broadcast at weekends and during the week, but come Friday night this is a great place to unwind after the weekly grind, and it boasts a 3am licence.
The Food
Drawing inspiration from the neighbouring Kapok Tree restaurant, the Lane Bar offers sumptuous Indian cuisine at affordable prices – platters of all shapes and sizes can satisfy the hungriest of gatherings (£3-£5), whilst the main courses are generous and delicious, from the popular chicken butter masala to the wonderfully pungent saag ghosht. Those of a more reserved palate can find comfort in a simple burger or fish and chips - all for under £9. Diners should ask to eat at one of the high tables by the window though, since the gulf between the leather sofas and knee-high tables in the central area makes for an awkward eating experience.
The Drink
The Asian influence is felt here as well, with bottles and draught Asahi and Tiger complementing European brands such as Peroni, Sagres and Duvel (£3.30-£4.50), whilst a former Caribbean ownership manifests itself in the wide variety of rum on offer. The bar also boasts a vast selection of soft drinks, hot beverages and smoothies, but it's the cocktail menu which provides the biggest draw – established classics such as the mojito and the margarita (£7) are dispatched with aplomb, whilst extravagant house specialties like the Bollywood Superstar (vanilla vodka, passoa and passion fruit purée with a shot of champagne) and the City Blazer (brandy, honey vodka and butterscotch schnapps) are the brainchildren of the bar’s resident mixologist, and come highly recommended at around £8.
The Last Word
The plush surroundings don't seem to translate into an aloof or distant atmosphere – instead, good food and great cocktails go some way to making it an excellent venue for after-work drinks.
Lane Bar has been reviewed by 5 users