Harden's survey result
Summary
Wanting to eat in the wee hours? This stalwart chain has fed tolerable diner food 24/7 (VQ = Vingt Quatre, geddit?) to the denizens of the Fulham Road for as long as anyone can remember (before 1995 it was called ‘Up all Night’); and has a more recent outlet (unusually, licensed till 4am, though you must be eating) that’s more convenient if you are clubbing in the West End on the ground floor of a Bloomsbury hotel.
Summary
“Open 24 hours, with flexible options for breakfast” – these round-the-clock cafés are worth remembering if you’re out on the town and need to refuel. Only the SW10 original generates much in the way of feedback – “the cuisine is not fine food, but it’s a convenient option that’s good value” and “reliable”. (Aldgate also has a standalone bar with a 24-hour alcohol licence).
Summary
“Don’t think high end, but these local 24-hour cafés are reliable and pleasant for a plain meal at any hour of the night or day”, but particularly come into their own in the wee hours. In fact, only the well-known Chelsea original and the Aldgate spin-off (in a hotel) are open 24/7: opening hours in Bloomsbury are more selective. (Aldgate also has a standalone bar with a 24-hour alcohol licence).
Summary
“Reliable, whatever the hour” – this small group of upscale diners has grown from its long-established Chelsea base, although – with closures in recent times – its only two siblings now are within midtown hotels in Aldwych and Bloomsbury. Aldwych is the only one actually open 24/7 (VQ = ‘Vingt Quatre’, i.e. 24-hour), but both its siblings are open for most of the wee hours, which is when they come into their own as a pick-me-up post clubbing. “It’s a very cosmopolitan menu, but drink may dull the senses of fussier gastronomes…”
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at VQ?
Restaurant details
Opening hours
all day till open 24 hours
Last orders: open 24 hours
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