McQueen, Shoreditch, Restaurant Review

Steve McQueen was one of the coolest screen icons of the Sixties and this bar and restaurant brings some Hollywood glamour to east London. I loved the décor which is in a style that the actor would have appreciated – black leather Chesterfields, suitably butch wooden floors and brick walls with macho cowhide rugs.

However, it’s not just for guys who look like they’ve just stepped out of a Marlboro advert. A feminine touch is added in the fur throws on the seats as well as soft atmospheric blue lighting that warms up the walls.

I was amused by the McQueen theme, the Bullitt star has an eponymous burger named after him, which is a hefty chunk of meat with smoked black forest bacon, Monterey jack cheddar, marinated beef tomato, BBQ sauce and fries. Cocktails are named after the actor’s greatest films such as The Great Escape, a powerful mix of Plantation Barbados and Trinidad over-proof rums, with a blend of passion fruit syrup, galliano orange and pineapple juice.

There’s plenty to choose from the menu, including Jerusalem artichoke soup to wine and herb-braised pork terrine. My favourite was the scallops and smoked eel, the strong fishy tang mellowed by the creamy celeriac puree. For the main dish I chose the Yukon gold potato gnocchi with gorgonzola. The pasta had a wonderful chewy texture, working with the pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. Sides were intriguing, and I wish I’d tried the caramelized cauliflower or the creamy truffle mash potato. I’ll just have to come back again. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

Best of all was the pistachio cake. I spooned in a lovely, nutty morsel, whose mellow accent was given a powerful fruity hit with a sublime raspberry sorbet.

McQueen is just too cool for school and don’t be surprised if you come out whistling the theme tune from The Great Escape. (Angela Clerkin)

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