412 Uxbridge Road,
Shepherds Bush,
London,
W12 0NR
(020) 8746 2573
The ViewLondon Review
A pub and dining room on the ever-hectic Uxbridge Road, the Queen Adelaide offers a welcome refuge for drinks, and pub food that’s way above average.
The Venue
If you have to catch the 207 bus up and down the Uxbridge Road, you’ll know this pub like it’s an old friend. It sits on a corner spot close to Loftus Road, in a listed building right next to the Adelaide Grove bus stop. A picket fence, nicely maintained hedge and big Sagres-embossed umbrellas provide a bit of protection from prying eyes and the building has distinctive olive green tiles wrapped around part of its frontage. Inside an island bar dominates, with the pub section taking up half the floor space to the front, and the rear section reserved for dining. An open-plan kitchen can be found in one corner, where a couple of talented chefs knock out food that’s way above your usual gastropub fodder.
The interior is by and large open-plan, wood-panelled and full of original features. Like so many food-focused pubs these days, there’s a fetish for vintage lampshades and here you’ll spot all kinds of shapes and colours dangling around the bar area.
The Atmosphere
The road outside is hectic at the best of times, but the Queen Adelaide is a refuge from the fried chicken shops and battered boozers nearby. As it’s so close to QPR’s home ground, it’s best to avoid match days if you’re averse to footie fans, although it manages to attract a less lairy crowd than many other pubs nearby.
The Food
Pub food is big business these days and the Queen Adelaide certainly has enough quality to mark it out from the crowd. As part of the Real Pubs group, it can name quality pubs like the Vine in Kentish Town and the Crabtree in Fulham as stable mates, and the food here is pretty damn good.
Starters include a perfectly deep-fried squid (£6.50), all soft, supple and peppery from its crispy coasting, paired with salty samphire and a simple garlic aioli dip. The only duff part of the meal comes in the form of an artichoke starter (£6.50), again fried and battered, with the delicate flavours of the vegetable overawed by the thick batter and the accompanying gloopy sauce made out of yoghurt and cinnamon.
The main courses really show the kitchen’s mettle - a lamb risotto (£15) is simply sensational. Thinly cut slices of crimson West Devon lamb rump sit atop a bed of rice laced with porcini mushrooms and spinach. The risotto’s reduced stock has plenty of flavour and is pepped up with a splash of red wine. Every mouthful is delicious but the crispy bits of lamb fat on the end of the cut are life-affirming. Another top-drawer dish is the breast of chicken (£13) stuffed with a paste of earthy chanterrelle mushrooms and served with a white bean puree, chunky lardons of smoked bacon, sprouts and a tart Madeira sauce.
Desserts (£4-£5) offer plenty for big kids, including the Eton mess which arrives with lashings of fresh meringue, cream, strawberries and sickly sauce in a knickerbocker glory glass.
The Drink
Several pubs in this part of town carry Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter as a house ale simply because it has such a big following with locals. Queen Adelaide’s one of them and they also have three other ales on handpump offering guest brews from the likes of Sharp’s. The wine list is also carefully selected with a bottle of the Devlin's Mount Shiraz (around £21 bottle) a great pick from the reds.
The Last Word
The Queen Adelaide should be considered in the same bracket as the Princess Victoria and the Defectors Weld as the best pubs in the area. It's a good all-rounder with the ability to cook up a storm.
The Queen Adelaide has been reviewed by 5 users