VQ DINER

On a rainy Saturday evening in September me and a friend ventured into this sleepy part of London that’s not quite the City and not quite the East End. The Aldgate area always has been seen as an area to pass through. Not anymore. With the transformation of this area, with new and trendy venues such as Lehman Street Tavern and Hotbox, VQ Diner adds to the panache and style that this neighborhood is currently undergoing.

 

Cosiiy nestled on the ground floor of the Dorsett City Hotel, right next to Aldgate Station, VQ Diner Aldgate is stylish, cool, and a completely very comfortable place to and eat. And like it’s sister restaurants in Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Notting Hill, the menu is diverse and plentiful, with something for everyone.

My dining companion had the excellent 3 course set menu. Her starter was the large-sized caesar salad. She opted for chicken to be added to it (at a minimal charge), and it could’ve been a main course, while the chicken was warm! Her main was the Minute Steak, which came with a tin of french fries and her selection of green peppercorn sauce. Served on a nice white place, she said it was very good and perfectly cooked. And for pudding her choice was the strawberry ice cream, and she received three scoops. All in all her meal she said was perfect.

I had opted not to have a starter because I was going to order the steak, and I am glad I did. For the lack of trying to find the right word, it was perfect. It was a 10oz Ribeye Steak, served with sautéed potatoes. I asked for medium well and it came medium well. Grilled, with the grill lines on the steak, it was nice and juicy without it being pink. And the béarnaise sauce was a perfect addition, not just to the steak, but to some of the fries I stole from my friend. The new potatoes were just wonderful – they were sprinkled with dill and were on the well-done side. I didn’t realize how many potatoes the tin held because I was given a lot! It was a very filling and satisfying dish…..just delicious. At £24.95 it’s the most expensive item on the menu but it’s worth every penny.  And to top it off, my pudding, the Apple Crumble & Custard, at only £6.50, was as expected, perfect. Crumbly on top, with apple on the bottom – the custard was a nice top to make it more moist and flavorful.

 

Since VQ Diner is a diner in the American sense of the word, it’s got anything and everything you could want at anytime. Their breakfast menu is served all day, so if you feel like having pancakes for dinner, then go right ahead. Or how about an omelette for lunch? They’ll do that for you as well. And as this restaurant, like most of their other restaurants, are open 24 hours, anytime you are hungry just pop right in. The international staff are all very warm and friendly, and the night that me and my friend were there they made us feel very comfortable and right at home. And that’s what it feels like going to VQ Diner, it feels a bit like home; cozy and comfortable, in a dark setting where you’re not going to want to leave.

Here is more information on VQ Diner Aldgate:

VQ ALDGATE