The buzzy but snug room that is Don't Tell Dad
So what do we need to know about Don't Tell Dad?
To begin with, you may have already been aware of this bakery/restaurant in Queen's Park. The bakery and its amazing patisserie have been all over our own FYP for weeks now. But after giving that side of the business some space to settle down, the restaurant side of things has now opened as well.
The brains behind it is local man Daniel Land who also co-founded Coco di Mama, the pasta-to-go spot which has branches all over London. For this latest venture, he's brought in a formidable team of talent. The head baker is Keren Sternberg (previously Head Baker at the super popular Notting Hill bakery Layla) and in charge of the kitchen is Head Chef Luke Frankie whose CV includes Noble Rot, Forza Wine and Spring.
Where is it?
You'll find it on Queen's Park's very own restaurant mile - aka Lonsdale Road - opposite Carmel and Milk Beach. Queen's Park is the nearest tube although Brondesbury Park's also handy if you're on the overground.
Where should we meet friends for a drink first?
Don't Tell Dad does have a bar counter with a few stools available, but if you need more space then Wolfpack down the road is a handy spot to meet. It's a taproom that also has a tight list of cocktails and wine too if you're not into beer.
Where's a good place to sit?
This is a super cosy dining room, with the odd booth and counter seating to choose from. We also rather liked the large cross-section of ages of the clientele with everything from cool Gen Zs to silver foxes (both male and female) enjoying the vibes. We mixed up the seating ourselves, starting with a corner table in the main dining room for the main part of our dinner and moving to the bar for our desserts.
The main part of the dining room
What kind of food are we talking about?
It's that sort of interesting modern British kind of menu that leans into the seasons with plenty to please the carnivores, pescatarians and plant-forward diners. We had a decent roam around it but it's generally in the classic starter, mains and dessert format with a few interesting sharing options too.
Here's a selection of what we tried from the snacks and starters section:
Tea Smoked Trout, Soda Bread, Horseradish, Pickles (£9)
Truffle & Cheddar Beignet, Mushroom Ketchup (£3 each) from the snack section - light but also deeply truffly.
Crab tart with crab oil mayonnaise and watercress (£14) - a deeply umami tart of brown and white crabmeat with a super thin crust. Gorgeous.
For the mains, there are a choice of four options with some game, veggie and fish dishes, but we decided instead to go for one of the two sharing dishes. These are billed as serving two to three and ours was definitely on the generous side.
Duck & pork cassoulet (£48) - on a Baltic January evening this was the perfect kind of rib-sticking dish that warms you from the inside out.
Whatever you're ordering make sure you get a side of the Pommes Anna (£6) - a potato dish that merits legendary status.
Room for dessert?
Given the presence of an on-site bakery here you'd be mad not to leave at least some room for desserts and both of these were stellar options.
Rhubarb and almond tart with creme fraiche (£9)
Madeleines with orange and cream (£9) - 100% the don't-miss dessert given that these are made to order.
What's on the drinks list?
Roving sommelier Bert Blaize is the man responsible for Don't Tell Dad's wine list which boasts some interesting English sparkling wines, including one by the glass from Norfolk, on a list that mostly (although not exclusively) roams around Europe. Prices are mid-tier for London with the house wine starting at £36 and a few in the low £40s before it heads up into spendier territory. Going big for a special event? Then there's a magnum of Saint-Julien with your name on it for £480.
Rhubarb and almond sour (£12) and an exemplary DTD dirty martini (£12)
Overall thoughts:
Dinner at Don't Tell Dad was one of those bittersweet London moments where you have a great time but as you head back across town you can't help feeling sad that this isn't your neighbourhood and your local restaurant. Queen's Park residents must be feeling duly smug to have this land on their doorsteps.
More about Don't Tell Dad
Where is it? 10-14 Lonsdale Road, London NW6 6RD
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @donttelldad_qp.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Don't Tell Dad. Prices correct at time of publication.
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