Opal Lounge

Opal Lounge began to annoy me hours before they even opened. My girlfriend and I went on a Friday night for «Jungle» night. The website said, when I signed up to be on the guest list, that entry is free before 10PM. At the bottom of the page, it said entry is free before 11PM. We’re off to a great start.
We arrived at 9:50 to find that the place is still closed. But wait, Google told me this place opens at 9, and the conflicting information on their site hinted at it being open by 10… Nope.
So we came back at about 10:30 (after checking out El Barrio, a Latino bar that turns out is far better than Opal). Still closed, but somebody inside told us they open at 11. Ugh.
We arrive at 11 to find that they are not checking any guest list, and entry is £5. I guess the only way to get free entry is to work there. We finally get inside to find that it’s a pretty typical club. The décor is nice enough, though we didn’t spot anything jungle-​themed. That was the sole reason we went, and it was an almost comical disappointment.
The drinks were outrageously expensive, as expected (another shout out: across the street at The Standing Order, we had just bought 4 drinks for £11). I want to give this place one star. But they earned a second star only because — despite costing a small fortune — my drink was delicious.

This seems to be a very «popular» place, be it for the worse of the better !
Many reviews, but the low star rating should tell you something about this place :-)
What can I say, and I will keep it brief.
We got there around 11.30 and it was pretty empty. Pubs had not been closed then. After 1.5h it started filling up with locals and tourists alike. If I would not know it any better, I would guess that the majority of visitors are tourists because of the perfect location in the middle of New Town and George street. Well, to the guys I chatted to — they all came from other countries.
I would say that the age range is from 20 to mid 30’s. The music is a mish mash of Hip Hop, Techno, and charts. Lets say I would not go there for the music alone !
Whilst I enjoyed a boogy on the «small» dance floor (just imagine when this place is really packed, how hot and squeezed it can be) a waiter took my drink away and I needed to get a new one. Not very pleased spending money for another glass when mine was still full.
JUST be CAREFUL and keep an eye on your drinks.
If you are on a pull, then yes, this is also a good place to go to. I call it a «cattle market».
You need to experience it to make your own judgement.

After a dinner and cocktail bar shenanigans, we decided the Friday evening (night) was still wide open and we were ready for a little dance. The one that offered no restrictions to trainers and jeans was the Opal Lounge. (Mind they did look like designer trainers and jeans — ish.).
After paying the entrance fee (£5) we staked our spot on the dance floor. We danced, ordered G&Ts and many shots, danced some more and ordered even more cocktails.
They did not have my ever favourite cocktail (Bloody Mary) as they «ran out of Tomato Juice and Tabasco» — you what?! — minus a star! After some deliberation I settled for a personal take on a Manhattan, which was OK but £8 for a 2^nd choice of cocktail — come on, some sort of discount was in order here?!
The dance floor was appropriately darkened and flanked by mirrors. The DJ Booth suitably filled with stage smoke and lighting sparse but effective. The music was obviously loud, but not headache inducing so. Most communications was done via hand signals and through a weird form of ‘face-​rsice’ — you know, making those faces to indicate you like the song to dance to or not, so your friends know your are going to sit this one out. Throughout the mist it came over as a war documentary instead.
I was surprised to notice that drinks could be taken onto the dance floor and more surprised that with all the spillage I did not notice anyone slipping.
I did some of my dance moves and I must have impressed many people. yes I am sure I did.
When I needed a bit of fresh air and a smoke they have part of their entrance cordoned off and it is easily accessible though some patio doors. I had some nice chats and well needed cool breeze as inside was boiling, with all these people dancing and all.
I also found they have a ‘Jam Jar Hut’ which provides very nice cocktails in — you guessed it — Jam Jars. The lady serving me was very nice and complimented on my dancing — from what she had seen!
We left when we all got a bit tired, but the Opal Lounge was getting busier and busier. It was good fun, but not somewhere I would go to on a regular basis.

This is one of my regulars. Situated in ‘trendy’ George Street, Opal is typical of the clubs in this area. When the VMAs were hosted in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal, the stars, including Beyonce, had the after partyy here. The drinks are reasonably priced, although entry can be expensive depending on which night you go as with all clubs on George Street, it’s worth getting on the guest list. The staff are generally really friendly, although the bouncers can get grouchy by the end of the night though by 3am drunk people aren’t usually the most pleasant customers. I’ve had some great nights here, all in all it’s a great place to go with good company. Girls, watch out, for some reason, Opal tends to attract more than it’s fair share of sleaze.

This is one of my regulars and overall a student favourite. Situated in ‘trendy’ George Street, Opal is typical of the clubs in this area. When the VMAs were hosted in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal, the stars, including Beyonce, supposedly had the after party here. Drinks are reasonably priced, although entry can be expensive depending on which night you go — as with all clubs on George Street, it’s worth getting on the guest list. The staff are generally really friendly, although the bouncers can get grouchy by the end of the night — though by 3am drunk people aren’t usually the most pleasant customers. I’ve had some great nights here, all in all it’s a great place to go with good company. Girls, watch out, for some reason, Opal tends to attract more than it’s fair share of sleaze.

I visited on the Saturday night after the Royal Wedding and all the princesses were out in force looking for THEIR prince.
I agree with all the other reviews in that it is expensive, (£4.10 for a bottle of Peroni), and that the bouncers are like cast members of The Sopranos, but, to be fair, the barstaff were all tall young chaps that knew how to serve fast and efficiently. There was a total lack of scruffy students. All the girls were scrubbed up well and the guys had their ‘Brokeback Mountain’ checked shirts on. I like to see a club where people have made an effort. (In my day people were knocked back for wearing trainers or jeans). It makes the place feel better.
There was a small hen night in and they seemed to have a good hassle-​free time. There are plenty of places to go in Edinburgh if you don’t like making an effort on a Saturday night. The prices probably keep the scruffs away.
The DJ played quite a few mash-​up tracks which gives a bit of new variety to the usual tracks. The dance floor was full of young ladies up until about one o’clock in the morning when the alcohol made the guys bolder and they descended in numbers hoping to score.
Overall, I think it was a pleasant place to be on a Saturday night. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and the DJ played a good variety.

Excuse my unladylike langauge but Opal Lounge can be a bit wanky — largely populated by pretentious attention seekers who are too busy trying to be seen than actually enjoying themselves.
The attitude seems to have extended to the door staff who I have found to be moody and on a power-​trip on various occasions. My friends and I are professionals and pretty clean-​living other than a penchant for cocktails but if there are guys in your group who get even slightly rowdy after a few beware that there is a likelihood of them being manhandled out.
We went there earlier this month for my friends birthday and after a quick chat with the doorman he let our all-​female group through to the VIP area but then stopped my friend from getting through without any explanation whatsoever! It was bizarre and really put a dampener on the evening. My friend is a pretty, friendly, primary teacher and she wasn’t drunk so it was really odd.
The three stars I’m giving Opal are due to the fact that it is nicely decorated, spacious with three main areas and there’s plenty of room to shake your shimmy. The toilets are also nice which is really important to me :)
There are plenty of seats and booths, especially if you go quite early so it’s great for having a catch up with your friends.
It’s Ace card is their scrumptious cocktails which are made quickly without compromising on taste or authenticity. I’ve been a fan of the Geisha Martini for years and the bar staff are normally really down to earth and pleased to make you up something special if you tell them a couple of things you like in a drink.

George Street is really not my scene to be honest. I really hate the pretentious rahs that flock there for student nights, or on weekends you get all the lads and slags out. Opal is not the worst club down there, but just can’t escape the fact that the clients are generally douchebags. Yes I will admit that the student nights are ok, the music is popular (but shite) and the drinks are pretty cheap (£1.50 for a single mixer, or £2.50 for a double) so you can get suitably drunk to forget about the people around you.
The dancefloor is pretty small so as soon as the club gets quite busy it is completely rammed. Also generally the music is not my cup of tea, with a load of chart and house «choons» blaring out of the PA system. I am quite happy to admit I’m not the best dancer around but can normally have a bit of a shimmy to most songs but the remixes here are pretty bad and most people just stand about swaying a bit to the inaccessible music (I’m being generous with the term ‘music’ here).
There are some good booths in the rooms either side of the dancefloor (one of them is VIP), but I don’t want to go to a club where the only advantage is that there are good places to sit down. The bar is pretty big though, so you can normally get served in a short (ish) time, and the bar staff are pretty nice.
If you really decide to go to George Street then you’ll probably have an ok night here, it’s one of the better places around. But if you’re not a rah /​pretentious arse or a bit of a pervy old man looking for girls in short skirts impressed by money, then you really should steer clear of here.

It’s been a while since I was in Opal Lounge. Last time was when I was through staying overnight with a friend.
I’m three starring because it was quite some time ago and can’t really judge the club now. It was sleek, flashy and full of girls with massive blonde hair and intimidating heels. Without prior warning from my friend, I turned up wearing a stupid gimmick t shirt, a pair of baggy jeans and DC trainers. Needless to say I felt uncomfortable as hell.
I’m not the kind of girl who is into power dressing for the evening. I love dressing up but am equally as happy slouching about in jeans (although I am admittedly a bit girly now, and will slump about in a dress more often than not). But you get the drift — I’m not out to take someone’s eye out in killer heels. Loads of pretty ladies in here and sure gents will enjoy that but it’s a bit too high maintenance for me.
We were there on a Saturday so it was busy, expensive and a bit too showy for me. I understand they do student nights which might be a bit more chilled out, but although it was nice for what it was I get the impression it’s style over substance. Liked by many which is evident from how busy it can get, but not for me. Not relaxed enough.

This place is pretty awful, the people who come here seem so pretentious, the type of people who buy champagne not because they enjoy the taste, but because they want their status to be acknowledged by the others around them. I just don’t seem to fit in, or at least don’t feel I fit in with the rest of the clientèle when I come here. I came here a few times in my first year for friends birthdays, or if Why Not wouldn’t let one of my mates in, but now tend to avoid the place.
The drink prices are ok if you keep to the specials, but otherwise it will be pretty expensive and they have a good range of cocktails, but very expensive.
The entry fee is generally £5 and this is the case even if it is not one of their ‘nights’, which doesn’t seem to be worth it when it’s pretty much empty inside. On the other hand when it is a student night, the small club becomes uncomfortably packed.

Some people love this place, but I don’t really get it. The whole thing about George Street clubs (especially Opal Lounge) being full of ex-​Etonians in their coat tails and top hats is just a fallacy and it generally attracts normal people looking for a good night.
My problem with Opal is that the dancefloor just feels wrong! It’s difficult to describe but it’s almost got a garden shed sort of feel. The floor is sticky as hell and there’s always broken glass all over it. Everyone just seems so dour and moody as soon as they get on the Opal dancefloor as well for some reason!
Other than that the drinks are usually well priced and the staff are quick at zapping the queues. I’ve never had an outstanding night here, but I know plenty who have.

I’m with Alice and Jonathan on this one, I HATE this club. To be fair though, it’s because of personal experiences so I’ve given it the benefit of the doubt, star-​wise.
This club and Lulu are the main haunts for the yah’s and socialites of the city. It sometimes screams pretentious, but sometimes it’s actually pretty normal! The main student nights are Thursday and Friday, so avoid them if you don’t want to be asked for a cigarette and what daddy does.
I came here on a Saturday with my mum (HI MUM!) and my brothers after my brothers 21^st dinner. There were about 15 of us, so we got priority entry and a table in a sectioned off area. Hey, we were pretty special. My mum and I went to the bathroom and when we went to go back to our table, they wouldn’t let us in! They said once we had left we couldn’t get back. There was nothing we could say or do, so we ended up going home.
Leading on from this, the bouncers here are amongst the worst I’ve ever come across. Give them a little bit of power and they think they can dictate your life. PAH!
ahem.
So, overall it’s not that bad. It can be a bitty yah, but it does play quite good music and it can be a good night. The smoking area is tiny (they are just steps Opal!) and the queue can be a nightmare. I’ve waited in excess of 1 hour here, in the freezing cold, only to be pushed inside to a crammed bar, crammed dancefloor and no toilet roll in any cubicle. No thanks.

I cant begin to describe how much i hate this place.
Pretty much, its full of people who think money is everything bitching on about others and drinking cocktails that cost more than the extortionate entry fee. Grr. The student nights arent too bad if you catch it on a good week — but most of the time it’s just hammered first years and on all the other nights its odd business men trying to get with the younger girls. Not good.
The bar is self is a bit crap — its atmosphere is like walking in on your parents doing it, has no charm but attempts to cover these major flaws with tacky bling and various other furnishings.
Avoid if you value your morals.

Depending on which night you spend in Opel, the experience can differ.
Student nights (throughout the week) are usually OK. I mean, as a student, you ideally want to have a night out with other students and, for this, Opel Lounge will do.
Weekends are a different matter. Here you’ll find a mixture of pompous business men, the local bruisers, Barbie dolls and a splash of sloshed students. This combination is a little hard to digest and usually results in a naff experience.
Acceptable drinks and a plush atmosphere are typical of the George St club scene and Opel is no different.

Old men leering at underage girls… No thanks.
It’s tacky, unimaginative, expensive, boring and offers nothing more than any other club. This place has the same amount of dignity as buying a fake Louis Vuitton bag from Thailand and pretending it’s real. Fur coat, no knickers soulless, sleazy bar for the pretentious.

Next time you find yourself going out on a wednesday night, I’d definitely recommend this place. Yes, so it’s their student night. But the kind of students this place attracts aren’t the fancy-​dress wearing, pint-​sloshing, scruffy types, so to speak. It’s a George Street night out for a fraction of the normal price: entry is £5 but vodka mixers start at £1.50 or a double is only an extra £1… on other nights of the week you’d pay 4 – 5 times that amount.
As with so many places on George Street, the club is small and so trying to find a table whilst you’re drinking up the nerve to dance is often an impossible task. That said, once you do venture onto the dancefloor you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that it takes up about ¹⁄₃ of the size of the entire club, so getting elbowed by drunken randomers is usually kept to a minimum.
A word of warning… They’re not big on hen/​stag parties. Every time you venture out into the smoking area, which is right by the queue to get in, you see them getting turned away.
Some people slate this place for being a bit up itself. Yes, it’s annoying when you go to the loos and you can’t get near a mirror for all the back-​combing/​bra-​stuffing/​fake-​tanning going on, but on the flip side I’ve never once seen a fight in here, and little things like always having straws and ice behind the bar make a refreshing change from a lot of other clubs.

Opal Lounge is one of the better clubs on the overly trendy George Street. There is a range of different nights which are popular with students and young professionals. Thursday and Sunday nights at Opal Lounge is usually the place to be for the young Edinburgh crowd.
I quite like the fact that the bar staff actually make decent drinks, complete with napkin! And they are reasonably priced too. The toilets are pretty cool with huge mirrors to admire yourself in. There is plenty of seating too for the boring people like myself. They offer a range of VIP packages, I don’t know anyone who can actually afford these sorts of things but I guess there is plenty of people in Edinburgh who can. Prices for a VIP package go all the way up to £500 so you better start saving for a night out here!

Another fashionable club on George Street, and one I have a certain soft spot for. Although the women have indeed all been tangoed, and although the jocks at the bar equally up for fighting or flirting, Opal Lounge maintains a certain charm and even a touch of the dingy that other clubs on George Street fail to offer.
There are even some nights where they play good music!

Argh, you just stuck your finger right in my *** eye — were the first words uttered by myself on my first trip to Opal Lounge and with good reason. (Nobody likes temporary blindness, not even in a night club.)
I only ever went to Opal Lounge when it operates as a night club in the evenings and found it to be a generally pleasant yet stylish club, which has a well used dance floor and nice décor.
However, the failing point for Opal Lounge in my opinion, is its lack of space. Hence almost losing an eye, donning an eye patch and telling everyone that I’ve got scurvy. At times, it is literally almost impossible to move when the bar gets at its busiest. To add to the sheer frustration, one can often come to the conclusion that the crowd isn’t moving at all and your night can be come seriously impaired due to lack of ability to get to the bar, dance or even get out.
In summary, worth a look, even only out of curiosity. Yet also maybe advisable to take out health insurance at the same time.

We rocked up here on Friday night at 10:30pm and asked the bouncer if we were too late for dinner service, he politely told us that we were 2 years too late as they no longer do food.
Great shame as I remember some delicious bento boxes in this place, but he kindly recommended us a place around the corner to go for dinner (Rick’s — see review).
Looked much more like a normal club/​bar judging by the people going in.