The London Steakhouse Company, Chelsea

The blurb

10 years ago, James Ogilvie Robertson and renowned chef Marco Pierre White, founders of the London Steak Company, opened their second restaurant on the King’s Road, Chelsea. To celebrate the last decade of bringing some of the best steak to the Capital, the restaurant has created a limited-edition menu, featuring its renowned 24oz Porterhouse Steak. Served with a glass of Champagne, expect fresh ingredients, quality cuts of meat and cooking perfection.

The style

Crisp white tablecloths, glowing lamps on tables and cream leather chairs, you know you’re somewhere special the minute you walk into this restaurant. Quite an intimate affair, the main dining area is rather cosy, with tables placed closely together. The walls are lined with impressive artwork and grand chandeliers hang from the ceiling. After tucking into your perfectly cooked steak, the ambience makes it very easy to sink back in your seat, as you meander in a delightful haze of great wine and food.

The crowd

Situated on the King’s Road, just a few doors down from well-known eateries and bars like the Bluebird and Beaufort House, the crowd in the restaurant is cultured and sophisticated. From date nights to celebrations, this is certainly a restaurant to visit for a special occasion, though for those living in the area I don’t doubt it’s become somewhat of a ‘local’. The waiters are friendly, happy to recommend their favourite dishes and wines to match, which certainly didn’t disappoint.

The food

Though modest, with just a few dishes to choose from for each course, the Birthday Menu really does offer something for everyone, with meat, fish and even vegetarian options. The menu also includes a glass of Champagne, so naturally we started with this, happily sipping on our bubbles as we decided what to choose. To begin, we shared the Burrata and Fig Salad, and the Pork Croquettes with an apple gel. The cheese was creamy and the croquettes packed generously with pulled pork, though the ratio of apple gel to pork was a little underwhelming. For our main we selected the Porterhouse Steak; the fish of the day and fresh pasta were incredibly tempting, but we were in a steakhouse after all. We enjoyed our perfectly cooked steak with a side of creamed gruyère spinach, potato croquettes and a peppercorn sauce. Our waiter selected a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, rich and aromatic in flavour, with notes of vanilla and black fruits, to enjoy with our meal, and enjoy it we did. Unfortunately, by the time we reached our final course, they had run out of their pistachio & chocolate crème brûlée, something my French companion was especially looking forward to. Instead, we shared a lemon posset and the homemade soft serve vanilla ice cream – light, simple and refreshing.

In a nutshell

The three-course Birthday Menu is running throughout September, at the Chelsea establishment. At £45 per head, this is a great way to eat your way through some of the best steak in London, for what really is a rather modest price. Champagne, delicious steak, great wine and service to match, I may even return, just to try that famous crème brûlée.

The details

386 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UZ; 020 7351 9997; chelsea@londonsteakhousecompany.com; londonsteakhousecompany.com

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