Quercus is the flagship restaurant at the Sun Street Hotel - a 14-bedroom luxury boutique hotel between Shoreditch and the City. Sun Street Hotel’s striking Georgian facade sits perfectly placed between Liverpool Street, Moorgate and Shoreditch, making it easily accessible from all corners of East London and beyond.
Quercus - named after the quercus palustris oak tree that dominates the restaurant’s courtyard - is a calm, verdant space. Greenery combines with dark timber tables and wood-panelling on the walls to make the space feel very organic, whilst artwork on the walls brings some of Sun Street’s trademark colour and bohemian spirit to the dining room. The restaurant also has a street-side terrace with awnings, which is perfect for al fresco lunching.
The menu looks to combine British and East Asian sensibilities - an interesting task but one it goes about with care. Among the starters at the time of writing you’ll find white Kent asparagus with kimchi and brown shrimps, Cornish scallops with black sesame and yuzu, and Devon crab with sambal oelek. These dishes are a great example of Quercus’s ethos - bringing great British produce to life with Asian flavours.
A roaring wood-fired Josper grill forms the heart of the kitchen and many of the mains revolve around this, including rare breed steaks, fish of the day wrapped in banana leaf, and miso–roast aubergine. There’s also a whole Cornish lobster with smoked nori and miso butter available for anyone who really wants to splash out on something special.
The wine list is more classic, sticking to tried and testing bottles from old and new world winemakers, as well as Champagnes from the likes of Taittinger, Louis Roederer and Pommery.