Finding somewhere to go on a summer evening in the city is hard, with many of us resorting to sipping wine in roped-off pavements or having to eat elbow-to-elbow on tables as the traffic shuffles by. On a mission to find a sunny spot Grazia's Associate Editor Lucy Dunn visited new pop up On The Roof With Q.
It’s Wimbledon week which means the weather will almost likely take a turn for the worst and we’ll all be taking up the chorus of ‘are we ever going to get a summer’. But while the forecast may be unpredictable, On The Roof With Q is most definitely not. If you want a reliably good place to go for a summer lunch or post-work bite to eat, you won’t go far wrong than this new pop up on the rooftop of Selfridges Oxford Street. Even if it’s raining, you’ll feel as secure as Andy Murray, because, like Centre Court, On The Roof With Q has a retractable roof.
That’s mostly where the comparison with Centre Court ends. Q is on grass, but unlike Wimbledon it's astro turf. Instead of Henman Hill for a view, there’s the London skyline in all its glory, with flower borders and Union Jacks flapping in the breeze. All that’s missing is the strawberries and cream, and I’d have liked to see some daisies in the lawn. But then that’s just me.
THE ATMOSPHERE
One of the best things about Q is that you don't feel at all like you're on the top of a big department store. Along with the plastic grass, this big sunny greenhouse is furnished with mismatched furniture, stripped wood dressers, big pots of herbs and ivy-clad walls. In keeping with the summery vibe, the food is sunshine on a plate too. Owner Des McDonald, former head chef of the Ivy, has taken signatures from his Camden restaurant Q Grill and together with Head Chef Lee Bull they have created a menu that concentrates on fresh, in-season ingredients; simple dishes, nothing too trendy or quirky. The portions are generous enough to be shared, which was good, as my companion for dinner was a girlfriend I’ve known for years and picking over each other’s plates was definitely the order of the night.
THE MENU
Sometimes on a sunny evening I crave the whole salad-with-chips thing; something light with something sinful, washed down by a few glasses of rosé wine. We were in that kind of mood that night. London was warm, bathed in a golden glow, so my girlfriend and I decided to steer clear of the ribs and steak options and go for healthy dishes, with a side order of naughtiness. We began with the starters Homesmoked Q beets with Kiln Salmon and Horseradish and Seabass Ceviche with Spiced Plantain. The beets were standout. I’ve never had smoked beets before and I’ll definitely by trying them again. The ceviche was good; sweet and salty, though, if I was being ultra-picky I could have done with abit more marinade. Mains we went for grilled John Dory and Tiger Prawns with sides of Green Beans and Chilli and our favourite, Smoked Cheddar Glazed Spelt With Chorizo, which was sort of like a (healthy-ish, spelt is gluten-free) macaroni cheese. Delicious.
THE PUDDING
When eating with a girlfriend there’s always the same ritual. The vow not to have a pudding, followed by the ‘I’ll just have a quick look at the menu’, followed by the suggestion to ‘share one’. In minutes we had both surrendered to temptation and ordered our own dishes. I succumbed first – the Chocolate Caramel Torte – and my friend quickly followed suit, with the Gin And Tonic Sorbet. Her's was pretty; gin and tonic-y, served in a lovely duck-egg blue bowl. Mine was lovely – not too sickly or rich, yet a proper chocolate ‘hit’. The dish of the night and devoured by us both.
THE VERDICT
On The Roof With Q is the perfect place to while away a sunny evening in the city. We'd arrived at the restaurant bemoaning the fact the roof was down and that we were missing the chance to get the last of the day's rays on our faces. Over the evening, snug as we were in our glass rooftop house, we barely noticed the wind and rain starting to whip up as we ate. As we left the restaurant and tumbled out of the revolving doors of Selfridges into the soggy wind-lashed London streets, it was back down to earth with a bump – but with the memory of a satisfying summer supper left lingering.
On the Roof With Q Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street W1A 1AB is open until 27 September.
Telephone: 0207 318 3287 for bookings.