The Queen's Larder

AlexWoods

A new entry in the Top 5! Best ploughman's in town 3rd October 2008

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I wrote this review some time ago after quite a long, boozey lunch in the Queen's Larder (is that a euphemism?) and decided that it was probably drunken nonsense and best not to post it. Having re-read it, and revisited the pub many times I've decided to post it anyway! There is not a word of a lie, not a single exaggeration in the following review. One of the best pubs in London!

"I don’t know how often you go to a restaurant or pub, or meet a new friend that you just love SO much that you want to tell everyone you know about it. But what then?! All of a sudden everyone knows about your new favourite place, everyone wants to hang out there, it gets busy, the place tarnishes, it’s no longer special, and beautiful and ALL YOUR VERY OWN! So, Phil and I don’t really talk to each other any more….

On a less creepy note, The Queens Larder is much like my former-friend Phil.
Quite simply, it’s perfect. Tucked away off Southampton Row, Queen’s Square is like the Secret Garden, just with out any locked doors or creepy Franciscine boys conversing with robins – a little haven of peace and tranquillity, flowers and trees, complete with market squarette and the wrought iron gated Queen’s Square Gardens. Seriously, if Peter Pan had been a little less ambitious he could well have ended up by here instead. And, by Zeus’s beard! Is that a Green King boozer I spy?!

Now, you may have realised from the timbre of my musings (and by my use of the word “timbre”) that I have just been enjoying a rather lengthy and boozy lunch there. As a consequence I am in much trouble at work (despite a LARGE box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to apologise for my late return and the delicate bouquet of ale and pickled onions I brought along) but I would gladly suffer the indignity all over again for the pleasure of sitting outside this charming old town boozer, in the sunshine, with the best Ploughman’s I have had in a long time, a good pint or two of Green King’s finest, and a facefull of sunshine.

On to some less abstract information – to drink. There is the standard selection of lagers, cider, etc plus a couple of Belgium “poncy” beers. Most important, there are three Green King cask beers (both the IPA and Sunchaser are top drawer) and a wine list which no pub should be ashamed to have (though I can see the wine bar brigade’s heckles bristling slightly…)

The food menu is to die for! I know this is a subject on which I have moaned before but there are so few pubs where you can go these days and have a proper pub lunch. I’m talking Ploughman’s, a proper Club Sandwich, pie and mash, a huge array of sandwiches which revolve largely around cheese and/or cold meats. Having seen a laden plate making it’s way to a neighbouring table my friends and I all went for a Ploughman’s, though for sake of variety we ordered one of each – ham, stilton, cheddar & brie. I also ordered a bowl of chips.

Although it wasn’t the most rapid service in the world, I don’t mind! There were plenty of other diners, and the food was evidently carefully prepared and beautifully presented. I’m impressed at their ability to get so much food onto one plate with out it looking like… well, a pile of food! The ham, home cooked, cut thick as y’tongue, delicious, juicy and flavoursome. The cheese was served in huge, door wedge chucks, mature, at the right temperature, just as it should be! All this was accompanied by pickled onions, pickled gherkins, a hard boiled egg, a generous helping of salad, discretely dressed, creamy soft butter, sweet pickle, a hot apple pie (move over sliced-of-Brabourne! You’re old news) and generous slices of fresh, crusty bread. I don’t think that any one touched the chips. There was just no need.

Sarah_W

Good Bloomsbury pub 7th August 2008

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This is one of my favourite little London pubs. It's in a great location on the western side of Queen Square, one of the less visited parts of Bloomsbury. With outside seating on the square and on pedestrianised Cosmo Place, it's a good choice if you want to sit outside without being smothered in traffic fumes. But sitting inside is an equal pleasure, as the bar area is cosy and quite attractive - although my friend with the clown phobia squirms whenever we come here, as a cheerful row of them sit above the bar! Other decorative touches include a number of theatre posters.

Its small size can mean finding a table on a week day evening a challenge, but a flight of rather steep stairs in the corner takes you to an upstairs room, with a quaintly rickety floor, which is often quiet and sometimes deserted. We've had several post-work gatherings here, with windows open overlooking the square, our choice of viewing on the TV (football for preference) and the beer and conversation flowing in equal measure. Talking of beer, there are always several real ales (among them on a recent visit I spotted Greene King IPA) and a good selection of draught lagers, but I usually favour the Leffe Blond or a glass of wine, which is of a reasonable quality here.

This isn't a fancy pub, by any means, but it's comfortable and welcoming and after all, what more do you need?

mazphd at 08/08/08

oh fab! another pub i was yet to discover in bloomsbury! thanks for the review, i'll be sure to poke my nose in here for a 'non-fancy' , but comfortable and welcoming experience !

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