Lounges in London & Edinburgh

[HelperMonkey]

I was hoping to get some help finding some lounge-type spots in London and Edinburgh. We're going to be in Ireland and the UK for a week and will have our fair share of pubs, so a lounge or really unique bar is what I'm after.

I'm not going to be travelling with any clubbers so the places I'd love to go (Fabric) are out and we need a more low-key vibe. Something pretty hip with good background music (deep house, tech house, minimal techno, etc). Or just a really great unique bar that can't be missed.

In London, we'll be doing dinner at Arbutus in SoHo and staying in Belgravia, so something relatively close to those neighborhoods would be preferable, although we don't mind taking a taxi somewhere further out. We'll probably be swinging through at around 10PM so hopefully things will be going by then.

Similar spots in Edinburgh would be appreciated as well. We'll be at a pub one night and I'd like to switch it up the next. (someone who used to live their recommended Bongo Room to me?)

(Longshot -- but if people have off-the-map Venice or Lake Como bar suggestions that'd be great too)

thanks for the help.

[ally fu]

The Bongo Club is good, depends on whats on though, I'd recomend Headspin. However it is NOT a lounge!!

Medina is pretty cool too, but again it's a club rather than a lounge.

If you're looking to impress, and you don't mind paying over the odds for your drinks, you should head for George Street and visit the Opal Lounge or Le Monde and Tiger Lilly, I don't drink there myself as it can be a bit pretentious, but all my pretentious friends love it! There's also Ricks Bar and loads of others around the same area, so you can move about if you don't like where you are.

Deep house, tech house, minimal techno etc is not my thing these days so I'm not sure where's best to go, but I'll have a look around for flyposters and see what's coming up, but there's always loads of flyers and stuff kicking around so you're best just to pick some up once you get here.

Clubs to look out for would be the Bongo, as already mentioned plus Liquid Rooms and Cabaret Voltaire, also possibly City or Ego (most club nights at Ego are gay/gay friendly)

If there's anything I can help you with with regards to Edinburgh then just let me know.