Queen's Wood Cafe — Restaurant in London

I’d had my eye on this little café for ages, like a fairy tale spot I kept hearing whispers about, tucked away somewhere in the wilderness of North London. The photos gave off full-on Hansel and Gretel vibes, gingerbread cottage energy, whimsy dialled up to eleven, and honestly, I had high hopes. The kind of hopes you don’t dare speak aloud in case they float away.

And I’ve got to say, on first glance? It delivered. It’s a proper diamond in the rough. And I mean proper, especially considering I fled London recently, after deciding it had become a bit of a stinky, overpriced shithole (sorry, not sorry). But here I was, lured back into the wilds of North London, which to me, as a die-hard South East creature, has always felt a bit like venturing into Mordor. But off I went, staff in hand, imaginary One Ring in pocket (alright, maybe just a tote bag and my phone), ready for adventure.

Naturally, I got lost, took a wrong turn and ended up wandering into their community garden, which was actually a gorgeous little detour. Serendipity, innit.

So far, so magical.

But then I stepped inside.

And that’s where the spell started to wear off.

You know when a place looks like it’s going to be warm and inviting, but then the inside gives off that weird, slightly uncomfortable energy? Like the feng shui’s had a bit of a nervous breakdown? That. There was this tiny little side room that could only hold one person, truly, just the one. It looked more like a Harry Potter cupboard than a café nook. Lonely, claustrophobic, and not in a poetic way. And the main room? Absolutely swarmed. You open the door and it’s like, bam, a wall of bodies and noise. No natural flow. It didn’t feel cozy, it felt chaotic.

The outside whispers ‘enchanting woodland cottage’, but the inside says ‘pop-up on a rainy market day’. The spatial harmony was just off, like someone forgot to balance the negative and positive space. It’s hard to put your finger on, but I didn’t feel welcomed, not really. Everyone seemed to be squished into this one central space, like moths to a lamp, while the rest of the café just sort of… stood there, unused and unsure of itself.

And then there was the food. Or lack thereof.

Visually, the place is a delight, but the menu? Not so much. I came ready to feast, inspired by the fairytale vibes, expecting cakes with elderflower glazes and maybe the odd foraged berry, but no. The options were few and far between, and what was there felt more service station than storybook. By 11am, you’d think things would be in full swing, but I was left with a cuppa and a slightly bored expression. No pastries to tempt, no treats to thrill.

And it’s a shame, because the potential is enormous.

If they just leaned into the magic they’ve already got going, added a few more benches, some warming lamps, a bit of music, brought some of that lush outdoor greenery inside, it could be stunning. I’m talking cozy corners, soft lights, that scent of cinnamon and woodsmoke in the air. Something that makes you want to stay. As it stands, it feels like two different places trying to share the same postcode. There’s a beautiful exterior world, and then an oddly sterile interior that doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.

So yes, a lovely outing. A magical beginning. But a café like this should make you feel hugged when you walk through the door, not like you’ve stumbled into the wrong room at a village hall. There’s something special there. It just needs a little more heart, and maybe a cake or two that doesn’t look like it’s...

We have been trying to book for a wedding reception and have been to the cafe and spoken with both owners Ismael and Sarah who asked me to email. I have now sent 4 emails in total over a period of 10 days and had absolutely no response. I've called and asked staff to pass on a message to reply and still nothing. It's so sad that this place which we have been visiting for so many years and which has so much potential is being run with so much incompetence. Unfortunately it seems a common theme amongst the locals I've spoken with. What a massive pity.

P.S In response to your reply Ismael. I only happened to speak to you very briefly because I was lucky to catch you when I popped in to collect a jacket that had been forgotten. I was there earlier in the day hoping to catch someone as no-one had replied to my emails for over a week! You then said you would reply to the emails sent by the coming Friday. Of course that reply never came. I did impress upon you the need for us to secure a space via a deposit or something more formal so we could continue with our plans. Just a tip for future reference: If you aren't sure how to manage a wedding reception for 25 people just be honest and say so, but not getting back is most definitely not the way forward. A simple response to emails is ABSOLUTELY required when running any business. Ignoring email after email is difinitively NOT the right way forward. That space has been hired by people for as long as I can remember and speaking with Sarah who told me the hire fee was £250 and then you who told me the hire fee is £450 is also a no no. When I mentioned to you we had been told it was £250 all you did was shrug. Arrogance isn't a good look on anyone I'm afraid. Especially when one doesn't really know what they're doing.

PPS. Surely you must realise it's far from ideal to have to resort to leaving a bad review to illicit a simple response from...

A beautiful cafe which has been unfortunately ruined by internet fame. My partner and I used to visit Queen's Wood Cafe regularly and recently came back for a quick lunch. We were surprised to see a queue wrapping around the side of the building. Apparently this is due to the cafe going viral on Instagram. Due to the length of the queue we couldn't get in to get food or coffee. My frustration comes with the fact that this situation is not new; based on the negative reviews it has been happening for at least 3 weeks. I understand that it takes time for a business to adapt, but there are several easy steps they could have taken to improve customer experience and none of these are in effect. They could have a paper sign in sheet with return times available for tables. They could have a sign at the end of the queue with estimated wait times. They could have a separate queue for takeaway and coffee. I am also upset because I contacted the business to voice concerns about the crowds and received a very canned response about how happy they are that more people are finding their restaurant. Well... That's great, but what about customer experience for locals who have been coming here for a long time? Very disappointed and hoping that the mania around this place settles soon.

EDIT - I initially gave them two stars to account for how wonderful this place used to be but I just saw that the canned response they gave me is EXACTLY word for word the response they gave to the negative comment below mine on Google. This indicates to me that they didn't even read my feedback and this is especially upsetting. Due to this level of lack of attention to customer feedback I am changing my rating...