A restaurant, bar and club themed around Steve McQueen. Make that a restaurant, bar and club themed around Steve McQueen located on the edge of Shoreditch. Could it be any cooler?

The Venue
McQueens is a lesson in cool. Then again, how could it not be when dedicated to one of the biggest legends ever to grace the silver screen? Located a short walk from Old Street, the exterior doesn’t look like much, it’s only once you get past the crowds huddled outside that you really see what this place is all about. You first enter the main bar – a large area filled with comfortable lounge seating (including one that’s practically a bed), and a bar more than capable of dealing with the crowds. But you’ll barely notice anything else as a huge centrepiece covered in rather spooky black mannequins stuck to one feature wall grabs your attention. And keeps it.

The restaurant is equally comfortable and almost log-cabin like. Much of the seating is covered in thick furry rugs and is certainly not a case of style over substance. Iconic Steve McQueen images cover the walls, set inside ornate picture frames with McQueen-themed flourishes like a huge airplane propeller on the wall (he was famed for his love of flying). Best of all is the large screen on the wall playing Mcqueen’s iconic movies, depicting the man himself in all his glory. Down the stairs is the well-sized club space. Gone is the tacky multicoloured flooring of the old Tabernacle bar, replaced by a simple and elegant black and chrome colourscheme.

The Atmosphere
This is Old Street and, as such, McQueens attracts the usual strange mix of people. Week nights see the suits coming out to play from the nearby offices, and come Thursday and Friday they mix with girls out to impress with OTT glamour, spray tans and big eyelashes. This makes for an upbeat party atmosphere that fits the venue well, with its big focus on the bar and club. The restaurant is calmer, although the booming music from the bar next door does permeate through to give it more of a party edge.

The Food
Expect American food in honour of McQueen, produced by a chef that used to work for acclaimed restaurant Saf – his influence is obvious and appreciated.

The starters are well-priced with the Maryland crabcake proving to be a real highlight for just £7. Perfectly seasoned and well textured with a dense collection of fresh crab meat, the dish includes a floral accompaniment that adds colour to the plate and a saffron and lemon mayonnaise providing a creamy richness to the crabcake without overpowering it. However, the real star is the beautifully presented wine and herb braised pork terrine with pan seared black pudding and Jerusalem artichoke cream. The terrine is rich and meaty with a creaminess that lingers in the mouth. The black pudding adds a deeper flavour to each mouthful, all complemented perfectly by the light artichoke cream. It’s so well balanced that the strong flavours don’t overpower the palate for the main course.

The namesake of the restaurant, the McQueen burger, comes highly recommended, even if it is rather expensive at £16. However, it is undeniably delicious and again well presented on a wooden board with a little pot of crisp chips and a side of tomato ketchup. The burger itself is cooked to specification with a medium-rare burger proving to be perfectly cooked. It comes with a tangy goat’s cheese, an earthy grilled mushroom and sweet caramelised onion. Just be warned: this is not one for a date as there’s no possible way of eating this huge burger without spilling half of it on your lap. Being an American restaurant, Maine lobster, of course, makes a big appearance and is recommended by the staff. From surf and turf to a half or whole lobster, it’s up to you how you eat it. And the quality of the shellfish is obvious, again showcasing the skills of the chef.

Desserts round things off nicely and the pecan pie is a delight. The crisp, sugary pecans sit in a gooey toffee base with a light pastry, all complemented by a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream. Try it, even if you’re full – it’s well worth the £6 price tag. The New York cheesecake is presentation gone mad, however, being cut up into smaller cube-like pieces and spread across a plate. Sometimes, less is more and a simpler presentation of a whole piece – similar to the pecan pie – would have proved more effective. Although on the dry side, the sweet vanilla flavour is well pitched.

The Drink
The drink offering at McQueens has clearly been well thought out and is very reasonable for the area. The wine list ranges in price from just over £20 to just under £100 and, impressively, you can pre-order more expensive, fine wines if it’s a special occasion, which is a nice touch. If you’re trying to save money they do a selection of wine by the glass with a particularly good Cote a Cote Carignan/Grenache 2009 France costing just £7 for a large glass, providing a quality red at a very good price point.

In the bar, cocktails rule with drinks inspired by McQueen and the ‘golden age of Hollywood’. Impressively, the whole ethos of the menu fits in perfectly with the latest trend for being able to taste the alcohol in your cocktail instead of drinking mixes designed to taste like Ribena. And with prices hovering around the £8-£10 mark, utilising quality spirits and good alcohol levels, they’re well priced.

The Last Word
McQueens is a nice addition to the area and is worth seeking out if you’re fed up of the ‘so trendy it hurts’ bars of Shoreditch and ‘OMG they’re so tacky’ clubs of Old Street.

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