Leytonstone’s most famous son is Alfred Hitchcock and Luna Lounge has a contemporary London multicultural feel that wouldn't be out of place in a quirky modern update of one of the legendary director's films.

The Venue
The Luna Lounge is close to Leytonstone Tube station on the Church Lane shopping street. At street level it’s an Indian buffet restaurant; below is a basement lounge for entertainment and events.

Inspiring Luna is Suja ‘Luna’ Khaleed, its owner, chef, manager and promoter. He’s Bengali in origin, raised in Tottenham and a one-time rock drummer. He uses all these influences to run a markedly diverse venue.

The Atmosphere
The Luna Lounge offers an eclectic mix of evening entertainment. Wednesday night is Jazz Cookbook with different London groups featuring. There’s a Jazz Jam with open mic on Thursdays, and Fridays are a combination of bands and DJs. Saturday is dedicated to emerging groups and Sunday reverts back to jazz but with a more traditional bent.

Interestingly the Lounge is a result of serendipity. Suja used the basement storage area as a jamming place for himself and his musician mates. The customers upstairs heard and asked to go down to listen. Suja realised that making music a feature would give the Luna an edge of appeal. So the basement was transformed in 2008.

The restaurant area has a TV monitor so customers can see what’s on down in the basement and it’s inexpensive if they decide to head down after their meal. Many nights, like the jazz evenings, are free and entry charges are never more than £5 a head.

The Food
Solid bargain-value Bengali-Indian food is provided by the buffet which offers an all-you-can-eat. Samosas, curries, masalas, biryianis and dansaks are among the varying offers. All are freshly cooked from quality ingredients and the hot naans are especially recommended. Yet the charge is only £4.99 at lunchtime (12noon-3pm) and £7.50 (3pm-11pm). The choice of dishes is greater in the evenings and a dessert is also provided.

The Drink
To complement the Indian food, Cobra is the house draught beer. Bottled beers include London Pride, Beck’s, Stella Artois and Guinness and there’s the usual range of wines, spirits and mixers.

The Last Word
The Luna Lounge and Eatery is a cheap and cheerful multicultural medley of Bengal cuisine, East European service and jazz from the UK and the USA. Hitchcock would have treasured it for its quirky characteristics and in these austere times it’s great value.

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