£££ Gaucho Piccadilly
25 Swallow Street, W1 (020-7734 4040), open Mon-Sun noon-11.30pm (Thur-Sat
-12.30am; Sun -10.30pm)
The conversion of the pan-American Destino into the flagship branch of the
Argentine steak chain Gaucho has been an unqualified success. The dark and
stylish cowhide-strewn four-storey site is now packed with diners tucking
into some of the most succulent steaks around, washed down with bottles of
equally juicy Malbec.
Large portions mean that many visitors may not have room for anything other
than the five cuts of beef on offer, but the lengthy menu has other tempting
dishes: pasty-like empanadas, zingy ceviches and fresh-tasting salads.
Typically sweet puddings include pancakes with dulce de leche, the fabulous
caramel-flavoured condensed milk. Drinkers can sit in the ground-floor
bar-cum-wine shop.
££ BUEN AYRE
50 Broadway Market, E8 (020-7275 9900), open Mon-Fri 6-10.30pm; Sat-Sun
noon-10.30pm
This is the Buenos Aires expat John Rattagan’s temple to quality Argentine
steak, which attracts a steady crowd of carnivores. The plain wooden
quasi-DIY decor is defiantly unfancy, complemented by the authentic parrilla
(charcoal grill). Numerous steak options include the £20 parrillada deluxe
for two, comprising a 14oz sirloin and a 10oz grilled fillet from Argentina,
two Argentine-style pork sausages, black pudding and provolone cheese.
£££ BIG EASY
332-334 King’s Road, SW3 (020-7352 4071), open Mon-Sun noon-11pm (Fri-Sat
-midnight)
It’s full of gingham tablecloths, TV screens showing baseball, lively
background music and animated staff. Get your chops around breathtaking
portions of meaty racks of ribs, whole steamed crab, steak and shrimp,
sizzling fajitas and pecan pie. It’s somewhat pricey, but visit on a Tuesday
night for half a pound of New York strip sirloin steak with fries, onion
rings, salad and a glass of Malbec for £14.95.
££ FRITTON HOUSE HOTEL
Church Lane, Fritton, Norfolk (01493 484008), open Mon-Sun noon-3pm, 6-10pm
This boho-chic bolthole on the Somerleyton estate at the southern end of the
Norfolk Broads provides rural escapism at its best, albeit with a
cosmopolitan outlook. With the use of a lot of estate produce, the food has
real provenance. Hearty dishes include sirloin steak with dauphinoise potato
and slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with Puy lentils.
£££ HAWKSMOOR
157 Commercial Street, E1 (020-7247 7392), open Mon-Fri noon-midnight (Fri
-1am); Sat 6pm-1am
For a restaurant and bar named after an architect, Hawksmoor is unremarkable
inside, but the huge steaks make up for it. Try the 600g bone-in sirloin or
500g rump steaks, sourced from the Ginger Pig in North Yorkshire and hung
for 28 days. The cocktail list is a purist’s delight, offering juleps,
Martinis, Manhattans et al.
£ KINGHAM PLOUGH
Kingham, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire (01608 658327), open Mon-Sun
noon-2.30pm, 7-9pm
Well-heeled diners are flocking to this Cotswold stone inn thanks to the
arrival of Emily Watkins, a former sous chef at The Fat Duck. The bar is
pubby, with beams, exposed stone, a wood-burner and open fire, while bar
snacks are scrawled on a blackboard. But the main action is in the
high-beamed dining room. Fillet of Hereford beef, triple-cooked chips,
horseradish and mustard butter send out a clear message that sourcing is
very local. Uncomplicated puds are apple pies, treacle tarts and poached
pear, and the mainly French wine list has good choices by the glass.
£ THE MISTLEY THORN
High Street, Mistley, Essex (01206 392821), open Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm,
6.309.30pm; Sat-Sun noon-9.30pm
It is well worth the detour to this idiosyncratic coastal inn where
contemporary art and low-key decor meld with a cooking style that is
bang-on. A relative simplicity in the cuisine exposes the quality of the
buying, much of it local, and the kitchen’s skill, a combination that can
turn a light lunch of day-boat squid, cooked a la plancha and served with
chilli, garlic, lime and coriander, into such a memorable meal. Elsewhere,
an appealing menu of comforts such as rib-eye steak with homemade chips is
complemented by daily changing specials.
££ SMITHS OF SMITHFIELD
67-77 Charterhouse Street, EC1 (020-7251 7950), open Mon-Fri noon-2.45pm;
Mon-Sat 6.30-10.45; Sun noon-3.45pm, 7-10.15pm
Cavernous, clamorous and carnivorous, Smiths has something for everyone on its
four floors – except maybe a table, so book ahead. The buzzy bar-cum-café on
the ground floor is best for lively after-work outings. Hardcore
steak-lovers, however, should head straight to the Top Floor, which plays
host to City types tucking into rare-breed beef hung for a minimum of three
weeks. Cuts are grilled or pan-fried before being served with béarnaise
sauce, parsley butter or fresh creamed horseradish and a side dish of your
choosing.
££ SOPHIE’S STEAKHOUSE & BAR
311-313 Fulham Road, SW10 (020-7352 0088), open Mon-Fri noon-midnight;
Sat-Sun 11am-midnight (Sun -11.30pm)
Since opening in 2002, Sophie’s has tirelessly drawn in the crowds to its
down-to-earth surroundings of exposed brickwork and red banquettes. A
no-bookings policy and cracking cocktails ensure the bar area is always
chockablock and the dining room is no less buzzing. The steaks range from a
dainty 8oz fillet to a whopping 27oz Porterhouse to share, served with
Sophie’s special sauce. Service is impeccable, but arrive early or you could
face a long wait. Let’s hope that the new Covent Garden branch, due to open
in November, will help to ease congestion.
££ THE POPESEYE STEAKHOUSE
108 Blythe Road, W14 (020-7610 4578), open Mon-Sat 7-10.30pm
Vegetarians beware – it’s steak or nothing at this tunnel-vision restaurant.
There’s a good choice of rump (popeseye in Scots), fillet or sirloin, all
from 100 per cent grass-fed Aberdeen Angus, aged for a minimum of 14 days,
and coming in any size from decent (6oz) to colossal (30oz), accompanied by
chips and salad. Adding to the pleasure is a list of affordable reds, which,
though wide-ranging, is particularly strong on bordeaux and burgundy. For
afters, there are farmhouse cheeses and homemade puddings.
PRICE GUIDE
£££ Above £45
££ £30-£45
£ Under £30
Price ranges are indicative of one two-course à la carte meal, plus half a
bottle of house wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT. Restaurant
reviews compiled specially for The Times by Square Meal, for 18 years the
London and UK eating-out experts. Opinions are based on the experiences of
the Square Meal team of inspectors and of thousands of readers, who are
surveyed throughout the year. You can find more reviews and news on their
website www.squaremeal.co.uk
