A restaurant named after Steve McQueen is going to have to be pretty cool. The location ticks the trendy box: just off Old Street — home to skinny-jeaned muso types. The crowd at the long brown leather-padded bar, however, are a different kind of cool: young suits, mostly men, knocking back Peroni while music thumps from the impressive speaker system. Many have come from work and are unwinding with colleagues — banter and beer are the orders of the evening.
Named and designed by Dezzi McCausland, former owner of The Kingly Club, the restaurant and bar reflect the King of Cool, whom McCausland views as the epitome of masculinity, shown in the bar's minimalist style and dark furnishing.
Fighting my way through the crowd, and there is a crowd — even though it's a Thursday — I'm ushered through a door on the left-hand side into the restaurant and am amazed by the atmosphere shift. Similar décor, but the banging music has been replaced by a calm atmosphere and dim lighting. Furry throws are scattered on the seats, begging to be snuggled into. Wooden walls are dotted with McQueen film stills, giving the feel of a cabin hideaway with a twist of Hollywood glamour that feels far away from Shoreditch High Street.
Head chef Anupam Som, formerly of Saf, has created a Stateside-style menu that will delight carnivores with its juicy steaks, grilled meats and surf and turf. The vegetarian offering is sufficient, but a few more options wouldn't go amiss.
The goats' cheese and grilled summer vegetables starter is light and tangy, perfect with a spoonful of the accompanying saffron and lemon mayonnaise. Eating the mustard crusted beef Carpaccio was effortless — I'm assured it was so tender it almost melted in the mouth of my dining companion.
For mains the Yukon gold potato gnocchi with gorgonzola was rich, creamy and felt like a real treat, while the salty pork risotto, laced with chunks of ham hock, was so hearty it was a struggle to finish despite being delicious. Traditional American desserts like New York cheesecake (light as a feather) and perfect pecan pie are on offer, so leave room to squeeze them in.
McQueen's family has said that 'Steve would have dug this place,' and I can believe it. At times the staff are perhaps a little too chilled out, with a couple of dishes making it to the table late after being forgotten. That said, the bar is great for a post-work wind down, with the restaurant more suited to a more leisurely catch up with friends over a filling meal and highly drinkable cocktails. A liquid highlight was the Dixie Dynamite: rum, passion fruit, vanilla and apple juice shaken together with chopped chilli, suave with a kick at the end — definitely cool enough for McQueen himself.
McQueen, 55-60 Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4AA (+44(0)20 7036 9229; mqueen-shoreditch.co.uk)
