Review: VQ Chelsea revamps menu with help from Medlar head chef

Four and a half years ago Daddy T and I were walking up and down Fulham Road around midnight. We weren’t out drinking, but we were waiting to see if we were having a baby right then–or if we had another day to go before the c-section.

It struck me how lucky we were to be in a hospital in a great location, and on Thursday I discovered Fulham Road is even good for all-day-dining.

The cafe and diner VQ, which has been serving Chelsea customers around the clock for 20 years, reopened on Fulham Road on February 3 to a new and improved menu and revamped interior with contemporary lighting.

I was invited to try the new menu with a friend, and it felt like a real treat to take a break from all the things I felt I should do while the children are in nursery and school and simply go for a nice lunch instead.

The head chef and co-owner at local foodie favourite Medlar Joe Mercer Nairne has come on board to act as a consultant chef at VQ, and I liked the look of the new menu, which features fresh and seasonal ingredients.

There’s an all-day breakfast menu, which we ordered from, and we both had poached eggs with avocado and chill jam, which the friendly waiter suggested we could have with hash browns. Yes, please.

The new menu also boasts interesting dishes such as halloumi fries with tzatziki and devon crab salad with baby artichokes and endive. For dessert, I went for an all time favourite–brownie with vanilla ice cream–and my friend chose a lemon posset with shortbread.

In between cleaning our plates, we were laughing about the old times when we used to eat out in the middle of the night regularly and would come to places like VQ for the opening hours. Now I’m not so much about all-day dining, but I like good food, good value and a good location.

Tags: Chelsea, Fulham Road, Restaurant, Review, VQ