Fresh from a red eye flight, I quickly dropped my bags at a nearby hotel and took an Uber over to our meeting spot. Tucked away on the quaint street of Westminster, lies the Old Queen Street Café. The cafe served as the perfect location to have a reunion dinner with two writers from House of Coco, Anna Willatt and Anji McGrandles.
I was greeted at the door by a friendly host and upon entering Old Queen Street Café, I was immediately charmed by the location and décor of the cafe. The cafe is housed in a brick building, below the HQ of the political magazine, UnHerd. Inside the restaurant, there are Winston Churchill’s floorboards from the Old War Office, rows of books and a collection of Martin Parr photographs of English life. I adored the plush green velvet banquette seating that lined the windows. The Old Queen Street Café offers you old heritage atmosphere without the stuffy pretension.
Come for the décor, but stay for the classic British Brasserie fair. While Anna and I arrived early, we caught up over a few cocktails. Anna had the Picante, with Espolon Reposado and Agave Nectar and I had the Cherry Cherub with Cherry Brandy, Vodka and Cointreau. As my Cherry Cherub was surprisingly not too sweet and went down easy, I soon ordered a second.
Much to catch up on, our server for the evening was exceptionally patient. Our conversations took us away from ordeing several times throughout the night. A sign of a great reunion.
When Anji arrived and settled in, we ordered out appetizers. For starters, we feasted on scrumptious Shrimp Cocktails and crisp Goat Cheese Salad. By the time we were ready for mains, the hunger pangs from a full day/night of travel kicked in and I was ready to devour my Sirloin Steak. Cooked to my medium-rare taste, and complete with crunchy fries, it was exactly what I wanted. If I was not craving meat, I would have had the hearty salad Anji ordered; the OQS Harvest with added grilled Chicken Breast and English Halloumi.
Though we were stuffed, we found room in our stomachs for dessert. Just learning that a Knickerbocker Glory is a traditional British dessert, I ordered one for the table with three spoons. It was such a delightful way to end an evening, amongst favourable food and friends.
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