We headed to 601 Queen’s Rd on a sunny day, looking to enjoy a relaxed family lunch on the terrace. The interior is sharp and modern, with a central bar that gives it a bit of a trendy, lounge feel. But the real draw is the outdoor seating, bright, open, and perfect for a sunny afternoon.
A staff member greeted us and showed us to our seats with a casual warning: “Those are the seats, just be careful, they’re very hot, and here are the menus.” Not exactly warm hospitality, but at least we were acknowledged. Things seemed promising when our waiter arrived, chatty, friendly, and quick to bring over tap water, making us feel at ease. But that early momentum didn’t last.
From there, the service slowed to a crawl. It took far too long to place our order, and even longer for the food to arrive. When a place has this many staff on a quiet day, there’s really no excuse for dragging things out this much.
We ordered a jug of their house lemonade (£20), said to serve six. Realistically, it barely served four. For that price, you’d expect a bit more than a couple of small glasses each.
For the kids, we went with the tomato maccheroni. One child ate it without comment, he eats anything. The other pushed it away, saying it needed cheese. And honestly, he wasn’t wrong. A sprinkle of Parmesan, especially in a pasta-focused kitchen, would’ve made a big difference. Simple fix, easily missed.
I ordered the Niçoise salad, which came with grilled tuna. Unfortunately, the tuna tasted off, not in a food safety way, but just odd. Dry, slightly metallic, and completely out of place. Even more confusing, the salad arrived without olive oil. When we asked, the response was, “Sorry, we don’t do olive oil.” A restaurant that serves salads but doesn’t have olive oil on hand? That’s a serious miss.
All in all, 601 Queen’s Rd is the kind of place that looks like it should be better than it is. If you’re just after a drink in the sun and aren’t too picky about food or service, it might do the job. But if you care about what’s on the plate, and how long it takes to get there, you’ll likely leave frustrated.
It’s a beautiful space, but when the food and service fall this flat, even the sunshine can’t save it.
Lovely bar, nice interior, pretty big place so very relaxing. Lots of different areas to sit on comfy chairs and sofas.
Quick and friendly service, the bar staff even brought our drinks over.