Tuesday, 25 August 2009

24-Hour Dining, Vingt-Quatre – Fulham, 21st of August, 2009

There’s something about food that stirs a primal feeling of need, of instinctive desire. Usually, said feeling occurs after prolonged periods of tiredness, hunger, drinking or all three. Vingt-Quatre of Fulham is a place that caters to these needs whilst serving up most agreeable eats. Convenience has never been London’s speciality, but there are times when you really appreciate exceptions such as this…

As you might expect, this restaurant is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which I have to say I am impressed by. Of course, you can get 24-hour Chinese nosh in the West End, and goodness knows how many all-night pizza/chicken/kebab places there are operating all over the capital. Yet Vingt-Quatre stands alone (in my mind at least) as somewhere you can retire to at 2am to enjoy a superb Eggs Benedict, or a properly dressed, properly cooked rare burger with chips.

On this (rather early) visit on a Friday, I enjoyed a well-layered and delightfully cucumber-less club sandwich with frites. Just the job with a dollop or three of ketchup on the side. Lightly toasted white bread, stacked properly (although a smidge on the dry side), it certainly sorted me out. My other half plumped for the American breakfast, which I have eaten and enjoyed there, but is possibly a little too rich for me. Scotch pancakes, crispy bacon, powdered sugar, fruit and syrup… I think the description alone suffices.

Desserts aren’t half bad either. Decent apple crumble with ice cream certainly filled a hole, and the chocolate brownie (considering I could only try a small amount of it since it contained nuts which I cannot abide) was pretty good too. I also most heartily recommend their banoffee pie.

The downside is the fact that the menu is limited (but it would always have to be in a place like this), and it is also hampered by the need to get tables turned around quite quickly the later into the night you get. However, I strongly suggest checking this place out. My recommended time to do so is any time after midnight on a Friday or Saturday night. Go out for a while, have a few, enjoy yourself… and when you think the night’s ending at a reasonable hour – but ooh! Wouldn’t some tucker be great right now? – then you will know it’s time.

Vingt Quatre

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