My Day Out with Fiat: Brunch at Queenswood

Last week I wrote about my day out driving a Fiat 500 S Convertible TwinAir through South West London. I drove to some of my favourite neighbourhoods of London, Chelsea and Pimlico, but I also visited areas I rarely go to because they are difficult to reach by public transport such as Wandsworth and Battersea. Along the way I had time to stop for an excellent brunch at Queenswood, a lovely restaurant and café in Battersea Square.

Driving to Battersea from Clapham with the Fiat 500 was quick and easy, and most of all it was fun! The Fiat 500C is a retro city car with a chic and eye-catching design, inspired by the original Italian car from the 1950s. On my day out I had the chance to fully enjoy the versatility of the 500, whether it was parking on a crowded street, speeding up on main roads, putting the top down and filling up the boot with food shopping.

Battersea Square is a European-style square and a place full of charm, home to independent cafes and pubs. The square has a long history: in the 18th and 19th centuries it was the focus of village life in Battersea. In the past three decades, Wandsworth Council has partly pedestrianised the square to recreate the village life of the old days.

I love this square, it’s a peaceful and charming part of London, made even more attractive by the proximity of the river Thames.

I hadn’t been to Battersea Square in a long time, so chances are I would have never found out about Queenswood if it wasn’t for my friend Federica who recommended it to me a few weeks ago. When I planned my driving route with the Fiat 500 from Clapham to Chelsea, I immediately remembered Queenswood and decided it would be a perfect half way stop. Queenswood was a casual dining room in Battersea Square, sister restaurant to the lovely Damson & Co in Soho.

Update: Queenswood is no longer open, in the same location you will find a new restaurant called Ludlow’s.

The restaurant offers a breakfast menu every day from 8am to 3pm, featuring a good selection of sweet and savoury dishes. My husband tried the ‘Mexican Egg’ with baked egg, smoky pepper sauce, spinach and toast.

I ordered an English classic, the QW Breakfast, with sausage, bacon, mushroom, tomato, harissa beans and fried egg.

After brunch we picked up the Fiat 500, put the top down, switched the radio on and drove across the Albert Bridge into the borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The Fiat 500 S comes with a cutting edge infotainment system, Uconnect™, which includes a 7” high definition touchscreen where you can manage the stereo and follow the TomTom navigation system. Uconnect also supports smartphone app integration. It is easy to navigate and in a few steps I had set the TomTom to our next destination.

The Fiat 500 looks charming on the outside and on the inside, with high quality details such as the leather steering wheel with audio controls.

I am not a car geek, so I probably couldn’t appreciate all the qualities of the car, but one thing is for sure: I thoroughly enjoyed driving the Fiat 500. Those of you who have experienced driving in London know that it can be stressful, whether it’s because of narrow lanes, or traffic, or parking. The Fiat 500 takes away the stress. It’s a small and light car, therefore easy to manoeuvre around the city.

Fiat is an automobile brand renowned for its style, personality and heritage. Nearly 60 years after the original Fiat Cinquecento launched on the market, it remains one of the most iconic cars in the world. A car with character and style. 

Disclaimer: this post was written in collaboration with Fiat UK. All opinions are my own.