"Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. A candlelit wine bar serving fancy cheeseboards and bottles of primitivo opens in a disused London archway. Only, Quill—housed in one of Borough Yards’ railway arches—is different because it shows the kind of commitment to its charming, ye olde cause rarely witnessed outside of a steampunk convention. Here, the superbly meaty tennis ball-sized scotch egg is cured in tea, dessert is headlined with the words ‘is one not done?’, and inexplicably, Victoriana Daniel Craig is printed on a perch-ready cushion. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Hours melt away like evenings spent with a beloved novel. Between admiring the kitsch chandeliers up in the ‘treehouse’ mezzanine and smothering a juicy hot dog in a cheese and mustard fondue-style sauce, Quill is so cosy that excuses to stay come easy. It might be that someone's dog is curled up asleep at your feet, the chatty server has sat down beside your table to introduce you to a bottle of buttery, fizzing crémant, or a glass of mulled wine is merrily holding you and your date hostage out on the heated terrace. Don’t expect too much high-brow faff from the food—almost everything at Quill follows the comforting cheese and carbohydrate equation, but sometimes all you need is a bite of gloriously stinky stilton and another bottle of something French and spicy. Food Rundown photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Tea Cured Borough Scotch Egg Now That’s What We Call A Scotch Egg. In case you’re not willing to wait for our debut sausage meat snack compilation, just know that this would feature on side one. The tea flavour is very subtle and the richness of the yolk takes centre stage. One of London’s most comforting drinking snacks for under a tenner. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Quill Hot Dog Nothing feeds our secret inner après-ski enthusiast quite like being handed a little white jug of fondue-esque cheese and mustard sauce. It has a wickedly thick consistency, and although the hot dog itself is just fine, we’re very into the sweet, smoky bacon jam that comes on top. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Golden Boy Grilled Cheese Scientists have spent years trying to ascertain the perfect level of crunch for toasties. Now, technically we’re the bread scientists in question, but this grilled cheese walks the line between too soft and too crispy perfectly. The rich, slightly nutty flavour of the cheese will please anyone who enjoys nibbling on the remnants of a baked camembert. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch All Aboard Even if you’re allergic to train-based puns, you should still get involved in Quill’s cheese and charcuterie board. It’s a class act and our personal highlights include the rich, indulgent rind of the gooey British soft cheese, the near-sweet coppa, and the briney pickles. Our only complaint is that the accompanying crackers are a bit lacklustre so opt for an order of the warm, toasted sourdough instead. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Shaved Parmesan Sharing Chips Thick, fancy chips are our favourite genre of stomach-liner. These are particularly good thanks to the thick snowfall of shaved parmesan and the lemony garlic sauce that gives each bite a hit of creaminess." - Heidi Lauth Beasley
