London Steakhouse Company

London Steakhouse Company, the award-winning restaurant owned by Marco Pierre White, was established in 2008 and now has two restaurants in London, one near Liverpool Street Station and one in Chelsea.

The atmosphere was busy but still intimate, smart but a bit more relaxed than some other fine-dining establishments.  On arrival, we had (some very tasty) pre-dinner cocktails in the downstairs bar, which again wasn’t exactly spacious, but made good use of what space it had (this is central London, after all).  We then chose from the three-course set menu.

Starter: Beef short ribs

Demonstrating that you really can’t beat simple ingredients cooked well, this starter was fantastic.  The meat from the slow-cooked beef ribs had been removed from the bone and then smothered in the house BBQ glaze, which meant it simply melted in my mouth, while the BBQ glaze balanced its sweetness and sharpness to perfectly compliment the richness of the meat.  Served on a bed of red cabbage coleslaw that added a nice bit of crunchy texture to the dish, with a drizzle of herb oil, this really was a great start to the meal.

Beef short ribs

Main Course: Chateaubriand

My wife and I got the 16oz chateaubriand to share, and it did not disappoint.  Cooked to medium-rare perfection, this was steak at its best, and the portion was generous too, giving us three medallions each.  We had a selection of sauces (Café de Paris butter, peppercorn and béarnaise sauces) which were fine as sauces go, but the real highlights were the side dishes and so-called “steak toppers”.  For our first “steak-topper”, we had two “half-bones” of bone marrow cooked with parsley and lemon, which were packed full of flavour and a really tasty compliment to the steak. Our second “steak-topper” was tiger prawns cooked in garlic butter, and I’m happy to report that despite being a steak-focus restaurant, these were possibly some of the nicest and most tender tiger prawns I’ve ever had.

Chateaubriand

The seasonal vegetables side dish was just green beans, but the potato croquettes side dish was a revelation – crispy on the outside, soft and sumptuous on the inside and so much more flavoursome than a potato croquette has any right to be.  The chateaubriand was great, and the tiger prawns some of the best I’ve ever had … but it’s the memory of the potato croquettes that will really stick with me!

Steak-toppers, side dishes and sauces

Dessert: Chocolate & Chestnut Truffle Cake

For dessert I chose a chocolate and chestnut truffle cake, which certainly satisfied the chocaholic in me.  Served with cherries and a sugar tuile, the rich and succulent “cake” was on the cusp of becoming a thick mousse, but was absolutely delicious whatever you want to call it.

Chocolate & chestnut truffle cake

We ended the meal espresso martinis, which served as both an after-dinner coffee and a digestif.

“…straddles the divide between fine dining and traditional steakhouses…”

Overall impression:  The London Steakhouse Company straddles the divide between fine dining and traditional steakhouses, and it does it really well.  The quality of the dishes – both in terms of the cooking of the steaks, and the inventiveness of the side dishes – is far superior than you would normally see in a steak restaurant, but at the same time, there is a welcome simplicity to the dishes, which are not overly complicated as some fine dining can be.  The ambience is smart, but not stuffy, and the price (by London standards) is fairly reasonable when compared to other similar dining options.