The best steak restaurants in London
Make your next steak dinner one to remember at one of these restaurants in London that specialise in perfectly cooked beef. Much of meat's flavour is achieved before it reaches the kitchen, of course, and you can rest assured that these experts are probably already ageing, marinating and sous-vide-ing those cuts of cow to perfection. They'll be so tender you barely need a steak knife.
For a trendy but classic hit: Hawksmoor
Any of Hawksmoor's seven London branches offer an experience that's relaxed but professional with interiors that have the glamour and colour palette of a Christmas Day period drama. And the food is just as glorious. Available steaks are chalked up on the board ready to be claimed (try to go in a group as they're usually massive), and the sides are legendary: the anchovy-packed cream-laden potato bake known as “Jansson's Temptation”; the triple-cooked chips; the macaroni cheese; the bone-marrow gravy. But none are as unmissable as the sticky toffee pudding.
Website: thehawksmoor.com
Thomas AlexanderFor an alternative cut: Temper
The smokehouse-style menu at Temper's three branches is fuelled by a whole-animal ethos: prime cuts of beef are used for massive slabs of steak – porterhouse, rump, rib-eye, T-bone – while smaller pieces are made into skewers or carnitas for tacos. As for the rest of the cow, this is where the specials menu comes in. Beef brisket is doused in Tajín and paratha, while house prime cuts such as porterhouse and picaña often feature on the rotating menu; once they're gone, they're gone, however. Can't get enough of the barbecued goodness? Flamed meats are paired with bottomless drinks on Saturdays and Sundays at selected restaurants. If endless fizz isn't of interest, booths and private tables create an almost clandestine atmosphere ideal for long dinners with fellow steak aficionados.
Website: temperrestaurant.com
Scott GrummettFor the best of British: Manteca
For the best of British: Manteca
The Shoreditch restaurant scene gained this special, meat-focused Italian in 2021 – its expertly crafted menu and the cool-but-welcoming atmosphere immediately made it a must-visit. The British beef is bought as a quarter-cow from specialist butchers Casa Txuleta, whose animals are grazed for years longer than your average beef herd. This makes for plenty of marbling and an intense flavour, and Manteca’s nose-to-tail ethos means there are often unusual cuts on offer.
Website: mantecarestaurant.co.uk
For different kinds of meat: Blacklock
There's something especially satisfying about a chop, and Blacklock exploits that in its own way. The menu has six kinds of bone-in beef, but choose their 'all in' option if you have the appetite: a pile of steak, pork and lamb on flatbreads to soak up all the wonderfully savoury juices, plus a side dish – the barbecued baby gems with anchovy dripping is a luxurious way to eat your greens – all for £24 per person. Their cocktail offering is a treat, too, with classics starting at £7.50, and even an alcohol-free Negroni.
Website: theblacklock.com
For Argentinian parrilla: Chimichurris
It’s a little off the beaten track, on the quiet backstreets between Borough and Southwark, but this welcoming Argentinian restaurant is all the more laidback for it. The kitchen centres around the charcoal grill (aka la parrilla) where traditional methods see everything from smoked provolone cheese to Iberico pork cooked slowly until perfectly soft in the middle and charred on the edges. The Argentinian rib-eye steak (£26 for a choice 300g) takes especially kindly to the low-and-slow treatment, to be improved only by a glass of Malbec.
Website: chimichurris.co.uk
For going out-out: Zelman Meats
Glowing neon and counter seating that puts you just inches away from the kitchen action make this hidden gem within Harvey Nichols a Knightsbridge restaurant that can kickstart any night to remember. Zelman's enthusiasm for cocktails extends to the non-alcoholic selection and the Virgin Porn Star Martini makes for a zingy opening act. The meat offering is big and global: American picanha, Canadian rib-eye and Polish fillet are all available, and you can play the world cup of steak by ordering The Zelman Plate, a sharing platter of every cut going.
Website: zelmanmeats.com
For an elegant ambience: Sophie’s Steakhouse, Soho
In the buzz of Zone 1 (especially between Piccadilly Circus and Soho), a serene dinner spot is truly a special find. You can tell Sophie's has class from its front porch – a plant-laden verandah with cane garden furniture – and the main room is no less glamorous, done out in shiny brass rails and Wes Anderson pastels. The open kitchen at the back of the restaurant has a fire-pit as its centrepiece where hunks of meat (and the odd pineapple) hang, soaking up woodsmoke flavours ready for their time to shine. Aside from the excellent steaks, make sure to try the smoked brisket croquettes. And the burnt cheesecake is so fluffy you can definitely fit it in, promise.
Website: sophiessteakhouse.com
For when you're on a budget: Flat Iron
The eponymous cut served at this chic-looking mini-chain is flavoursome but tricky to tenderise, hence its low cost. But with a combination of sous-vide prep and super-hot searing the slabs of meat at Flat Iron come out as soft and juicy as sirloin, and it costs just £12, including a side of house salad. Your bill will come up a little higher than that though, because it would be foolish not to get a pot of dripping cooked chips, and the roast aubergine with tomato, basil and mozzarella is rather special, too.
Website: flatironsteak.co.uk
For steak-on-the-go: Stakehaus
Owned and run by meat enthusiast Lily Bovey (who has also co-founded an ethical burger brand, GROUND) this street food favourite has its permanent home at Camden Market, but can also often be found at Kerb’s Southbank food market. Lily’s menu is the simple stuff done right: the steak is cooked to order and smothered with chilli butter, chimichurri, garlic butter or even a fried egg, all piled on top of super-crispy chips. If you’re properly on the go, the steak sandwich is your friend; the tender slices of bavette are packed into a brioche bun with caramelised onions and garlic parmesan mayo.
Website: kerbfood.com/stakehaus
For surf as well as turf: The Coal Shed
Though the Tower Bridge development that houses The Coal Shed is almost corporate-looking, the chic interiors and smiling staff give the restaurant a warmth that rounds out the excellent food. The whole place smells gently of woodsmoke – a teaser trailer for the fresh fish and steaks that are being crisped on the grills. The wine list here is a treat, too, with an excellent selection of 500ml carafes. Get the deliciously floral Australian Riesling and perhaps also a little glass of Chilean late harvest Sauvignon Blanc to go with your chargrilled pineapple with rum syrup and ginger ice cream.
Website: coalshed-restaurant.co.uk
Ola O SmitFor the eco-conscious: Gaucho Charlotte Street
Founding members of the Sustainable Steak Movement, the Gaucho group are proud to serve carbon-neutral Argentinian beef in all of their restaurants. The Charlotte Street branch is something of an environmentally conscious flagship (in as much as fine dining can be, of course), also offering eco-friendly wines on tap, and hosting a monthly ‘Sustainable Supperclub’ which champions forgotten cuts of beef and seasonal, local vegetables and herbs. And if you’d rather not worry about the carbon hoofprint you will still love the beef bar, where your group gets its own personal chef.
Website: gauchorestaurants.com
For meat to-go: The Beefsteaks at Maltby Street Market and KERB
The beauty of steak is its easy-breezy nature; there's a size, shape and cooking technique to suit every schedule. This is demonstrated by the banging sandwiches that The Beefsteaks whip up with little more than a portable griddle and a gazebo. Known for its full flavour and subtle marbling, their hanger steak is cooked to order and sliced into strips to reveal a lovely pink middle. It fills a Vietnamese-style baguette and is complemented by red-onion jam, watercress and the sauce of your choice. And it's a difficult choice: bone-marrow peppercorn, Béarnaise, chimichurri or horseradish cream – one of each?
Website: facebook.com/thebeefsteaks