
ESQ Resto Lounge
Quick info
About ESQ Resto Lounge
On Old Kent Rd in London, ESQ Resto Lounge is an African restaurant and cocktail lounge that opens Wednesday to Sunday for flame-grilled dishes, with lamb chops on the menu. Sunday is the R&B and Rare Groove night, and the weekly programme also includes Seafood Wednesday and Friday Party Night. A DJ plays music that includes Amapiano. Brunch runs on Saturday and Sunday as a bottomless package with unlimited cocktails and mocktails, or as a cocktails-only option, and drinks come in jugs. Shisha is available outdoors only, with none indoors. Table service is standard, the menu is online rather than printed, and the restaurant takes walk-ins. Groups can enquire about private hire for agreed events.
Good to know
“ESQ Resto Lounge is a restaurant, cocktail lounge and celebration venue at 817 Old Kent Road, London SE15. Visit Wednesday to Sunday for flame-grilled dishes, cocktails, weekend brunch and weekly experiences, including Seafood Wednesday, Pre-Weekend Therapy, Friday Party Night, Saturday Brunch and Party, and Sunday R&B and Rare Groove. Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 3 PM to 6 PM, with dining and cocktails-only packages. Private-hire and group-booking enquiries are welcome for agreed events. Outdoor shisha is available; ESQ does not offer indoor shisha. View the current menu and book on our official website.”
- ReservationsWalk-in only
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, parking lot, restroom, seating
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention bottomless brunch, strong generous cocktails, lamb chops and DJ and amapiano music.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention bottomless brunch, strong generous cocktails, lamb chops and DJ and amapiano music.
Customer Review Summary
Most reviewers come for the bottomless brunch, and the strong, generously poured jugs of cocktails are the draw they mention most. Lamb chops are singled out as tender, and others call the food tasty or full of flavour, though a few describe small portions while one says huge. The DJ's Amapiano and hits get a shout-out, and one reviewer said the DJ turned the music down when asked. Servers are repeatedly praised as welcoming, attentive and quick to refill drinks, with one opening the door on arrival and another joining in the dancing. Guests mark a girls' night and a 20th wedding anniversary here. The caveats are real. One brunch group found the cocktails watered down after hours of bottomless drinks, described the room as louder than the relaxed bar they expected, and said the three waitresses rarely checked in or refilled drinks and were often on their phones. Another reviewer paid a deposit, never got a confirmation, found the listed landline disconnected, and had WhatsApp messages read but left unresolved, with the deposit still unaddressed.
Customer Review Summary
Most reviewers come for the bottomless brunch, and the strong, generously poured jugs of cocktails are the draw they mention most. Lamb chops are singled out as tender, and others call the food tasty or full of flavour, though a few describe small portions while one says huge. The DJ's Amapiano and hits get a shout-out, and one reviewer said the DJ turned the music down when asked. Servers are repeatedly praised as welcoming, attentive and quick to refill drinks, with one opening the door on arrival and another joining in the dancing. Guests mark a girls' night and a 20th wedding anniversary here. The caveats are real. One brunch group found the cocktails watered down after hours of bottomless drinks, described the room as louder than the relaxed bar they expected, and said the three waitresses rarely checked in or refilled drinks and were often on their phones. Another reviewer paid a deposit, never got a confirmation, found the listed landline disconnected, and had WhatsApp messages read but left unresolved, with the deposit still unaddressed.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Rina took her time, made sure everything was exactly to our standard, and honestly almost had me dancing! 😂 The service from Rina has been beyond exceptional — to the point that I haven’t even received my food yet and I’m already rushing to write this review! This is my first time visiting a Nigerian restaurant, and I’ve never experienced such a warm welcome, high energy, and knowledgeable service. Rina has been absolutely amazing — attentive, engaging, and genuinely passionate about making sure we have a great experience. If the food is anything like the service, I already know I’m in for a treat! 🇳🇬🔥”
- Google user
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely perfect for our girls’ Bubu night! I hosted our special girls’ gathering here and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience! 🥰 The unlimited cocktails and mocktails were unbeatable !!! always flowing, so refreshing and never ran dry! The food was absolutely delicious, full of flavour and every bite was amazing. The music set exactly the right vibe for us to relax and enjoy ourselves. And the staff… honestly they were the sweetest, most lovely team ever! So attentive, friendly and made us feel so welcome from start to finish. We all left feeling so happy 10/10, would definitely recommend and we’ll be back! 💖”
- Google user
“Me and my friends had an amazing time last night at ESQ. We had the 2 hour bottomless brunch and the drinks were strong! Food was also great with huge portions, the service was so fast and the workers kind, attentive and an absolute vibe. No problems here, not to remember, Shout out the DJ with the hits and Amapiano, we Obile’d the night away !”
- Google user
“Was there last Saturday for Brunch with my ladies and it was amazing!! (Extra points because of the waitress rehab) We had an amazing welcome by the waitress as she opened the door for us and she made an excellent job explaining the menu for us and how the brunch worked 😊 as it was a bit confusing through the website menu and also there was no physical menu… The food was quite tasty even though it was a very small portion, but it was expected for a bottomless brunch. We enjoyed a lot. The drinks WERE POURING and VERY generous. we had a blast and the waitress made sure to fill our drinks whenever we finished. We even asked if we could get our drinks made stronger and they DID NOT disappoint 🤣 The music was good too, a little too loud at first but the DJ accepted to turn it down a bit. It felt more like a bar because of it, but i’m not complaining it was a vibe! Overall, me and my friends had a blast and a nice evening. Definitely coming back. Also, lots of love to our waitress !!!”
- Google user
“Really disappointing experience overall. I made a booking on Tuesday and paid the required deposit, but never received the booking confirmation by email or text that I was expecting. From Tuesday onwards, I made every effort to contact the restaurant. The landline listed on their website was disconnected, and I repeatedly called and messaged the WhatsApp number without receiving any response. I also reached out via Instagram. On Thursday, the social media manager responded to my Instagram message, apologised for the communication issues, and said they would contact the relevant team. I appreciated their help, and it did result in someone from the WhatsApp number replying on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, the communication issues continued. The WhatsApp team didn’t acknowledge any of my previous calls or messages. They simply asked for my booking details, and after I provided my booking name and requested that my reservation be cancelled, my messages were read but ignored. I received no further response, no apology from the bookings team, and no resolution regarding my deposit. After reading several reviews from other customers describing similar experiences—including people who had made bookings, travelled to the venue and found it closed—I wasn’t prepared to risk travelling 90 minutes only to potentially find the same situation. With no confirmation or reliable communication from the restaurant, I had no confidence that my booking would be honoured and had to make alternative arrangements elsewhere. I do want to thank the social media manager for trying to help, but unfortunately the overall customer service from the bookings team fell well below what I’d expect”
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Restaurants near ESQ Resto Lounge
- Zaytoon Grill4.54720.9 mi
hummus with bread, shawarma and kebabs, good prices
- Taste of Paradise4.8900.9 mi
curry goat, plantain included, generous portions
- Pedro's Wine Bar4.92,3391.5 miWheelchair accessible
pastel de nata, portuguese wine list, seafood rice
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESQ Resto LoungeWheelchair accessible | 4.61,910 | — | bottomless brunch, strong generous cocktails, lamb chops |
| Zaytoon Grill | 4.5472 | 0.9 mi | hummus with bread, shawarma and kebabs, good prices |
| Taste of Paradise | 4.890 | 0.9 mi | curry goat, plantain included, generous portions |
| Pedro's Wine BarWheelchair accessible | 4.92,339 | 1.5 mi | pastel de nata, portuguese wine list, seafood rice |
The 3 nearest restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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