VQ

As imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, London’s aping of New York is starting to border on the sycophantic. Every new burger joint warrants winding queues, pubs replace traditional menus with sliders and pizza, and industrial décor is the only interior hip restaurants will opt for. That’s not to mention imports like Balthazar, Bar Boulud, Asia de Cuba and Sushisamba, and the many others inspired by the Big Apple’s dining scene (Spuntino, Oblix, Dabbous). So given that New York’s late night dining scene is second to none, why is ours still lacking?

That’s not to say there aren’t any good 24 hour eateries, as the City now has the excellent Duck & Waffle (a floor above Sushisamba) and the newly refurbished Polo Bar along with the beigel shops on Brick Lane; night owls in Soho can still count on Balans and Bar Italia, and Fulham Road’s VQ has just opened a second site on Great Russell Street, attached to the St. Giles Hotel.

VQ’s menu has all day breakfasts, burgers and hot dogs, more adventurous dishes like merguez with harissa and classic puddings like banoffee pie and knickerbocker glory. Booze is available from 8 am till 2 am too.

Bubble and squeak is coated with hollandaise that suffers from having been re-heated, but crispy bacon and poached eggs are good toppings. A croque madame is worth the artery-thickening risk with rich béchamel, gruyère, grilled smoky ham and a fried egg, and a jungle-like heap of rocket over the top.

They’d been open less than a week on the day we visited so were ironing out the odd niggle (I’m first given a croque monsieur, minus egg, but this is quickly replaced). Round-the-clock comfort food is always a welcome idea, and once West End revellers hear about it VQ is sure to do well in the small hours.