The Queens Head & Artichoke

30-32 Albany Street
Regents Park
London, NW1 4EA
Tel. 020 7916 6206
(13-06-07)

This is a very new and nice gastro pub in the Regent’s Park area just off Great Portland Street station. I went with some friends who where staying in a nearby hotel. It is a restored Victorian pub that looks exactly like a page from the IKEA Gastro Pub Guide but nevertheless manages to be very pleasant.

The menu is split in two, an extensive tapas menu with a Middle Eastern flavour and a traditional 3 course type menu. For starters we had tapas selections of treated fish and meats that were correct but there where individual tapas on the menu that sounded much more exiting. For example the Jar of foie gras with granary toast and Muscat grapes is actually something I want to go back for.

For mains most of us went for the Rainbow trout, baby vegetable ragout, lemon & almond butter. This was a very satisfying dish that I could have every day. We also tried the Crayfish & avocado tian, mousseline, rosemary crouton and chicken & foie gras boudin blanc with spinach. Both where good, not great, but sufficiently simple that you could eat there everyday.

I’m going back for the spring lamb cutlet, neck & leg, rosemary polenta, olive jus. That just sounds like a winner.

Washed it down with a red duero Portugal. I’ve never had this before but was very happy with it.