ESTATE LOUNGE
house party!
2303 richmond Aave. | houston, tx 77098
832.581.3196 | www.estatehouston.com
This is the sexiest bar I have ever worked at.” Wow. Who are we to question that? These words, my friends, are words of wisdom from one of the lovely bartenders at the sexiest lounge in town (ok, at least in Upper Kirby) – the new Estate Lounge.
Pulling in we have fond memories of this little enclave of town. Blue Fish House, Hobbit Café, Yelpa Playa Mexicana (R.I.P.). So many good meals here. Estate Lounge recently moved in taking over the former Yelapa restaurant spot. The parking lot…well, those who know it know it’s a little dicey. Fear not. We assume Estate Lounge owners recognized this area to be an adventure and as savvy club owners do, they have it covered with the valet option. Of course there are some interesting street parking options as well. Or, call us crazy, but we bet city cabs would be happy to drop you off and maybe even pick you back up should you want to avoid the parking situation altogether. You might not want to drive after an evening at this house party anyway.
Walking up we are greeted by a friendly doorman, who opens the Estate and lets us inside. Safe to say any remains of Yelapa are long gone. A sleek bar, manned by plenty of hot bartenders, opens the scene as you walk in. The lighting, wood and tile floor and brick arches are nice accompaniments. That’s a huge bookcase. Oh, we get it. It’s an Estate! Stately – we think that’s the idea here. Dimly lit areas with plenty of low lounging tables (preset for bottle service, mind you) in just the right locations – some for privacy or some people watching, just depends on who you are and what you are in the mood for. People watcher? Might as well reserve a table; vantage point is the key to a successful night. Just here for the scene? Dress up and chances are you’ll get let inside. What happens inside, well, that’s up to you: be who you want to be. Back to the layout. With a dance floor and a DJ mixing away, the downstairs was screaming club. Dude played some good selections. It’s starting to feel like a house party, but not just any house party – a real nice one! The outside patio was pretty chill during our visit, not just because of the fans, or the huge fire pits it just hadn’t picked up out there quite yet. Upstairs – it’s a little different. Separate space literally and figuratively, having its own full bar and patio. Upstairs has the lounge vibe downstairs writes off. Nothing wrong with that, we like it up here just fine.
The bars are stocked with some high-quality liquors; no specialty drink menu just yet but they are working on that. We said the bartenders look good; rest assured they can make a good drink too. Vodka tonic, Jager bombs, martini, you name it; it can be yours here at Estate Lounge as they can make any party fuel you want. A modest selection of bottled beers are offered as well, so if need be you can slam a few Bud® Lights. You know, since you cabbed it and in the name of dancing better. Food? Not yet, but looks like that’s in the works too. We were told brunch might be coming in the future.
We know for sure Estate Lounge is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10pm – 2am. Latin Nights dominate the calendar of events, holding down Thursday evenings since the recent grand opening. Guest DJs are planned, as are acoustic nights and some other special events too. We figure if things keep going at this rate, Estate Lounge is going to be open waaaay more often than just 3 days a week.
By Michael Cook | Photography by Nilo Aranzamendez
