Are we finally getting decent restaurants in The City? While the Mayfair branch of Goodman has been much lauded, the Goodman in Old Jewry (just off Cheapside/Poultry), open for these past seven months has been even in their own words, 'under the radar'. That said, sufficient locals know it (and like it) to give the place an active buzz throughout a Friday afternoon, and that evening, they are booked out for the full 130 covers also.
Being just a stone's throw from One New Change, the stealth like shopping centre that hosts Jamie's disappointing Barbecoa and shortly, a new Gordon Ramsay outlet, it seems like restaurateurs have re-discovered the City pound. To be fair, The City has not been entirely without good restaurants let alone steakhouses: for those in the east, there has been Hawksmoor (Spitalfields) which we rate as excellent as well as Marco Pierre White Steak & Alehouse (not yet tried), and for City workers everywhere, multiple branches of the chain Gaucho where to be fair, we've enjoyed some good meals.
But when it comes to the title of best steakhouse not just in The City but in London, who is the winner? Given our experience to date, it is in our view a close run thing between Hawksmoor and Goodman with.... Goodman inching ahead to take the title. Both places share similar characteristics including a comfortable eating environment, friendly staff and great tasting food but Goodman delivered for us today a small but perceptibly better experience overall. Among the many caveats that must be applied to this most personal of opinions is that we need to eat at Goodman several more times before we can make any comments on consistency for today was our first visit; we do however very much look forward to ticking that particular box.
So where shall we start? First, the venue itself offers spacious and comfortable dining in what could probably best be described as a classic but classy steakhouse style: dark wood panels, dark wood tables, brown leather chairs etc. And on a minor table point, they also had decent red wine glasses in which to serve decent wine (which is not true of all of their rivals).
The staff too were excellent. Our waitress, Rachel, was friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and added another layer of engagement to the meal. General Manager James Gannon was wonderfully welcoming while Head Chef Olly generously gave us his time to talk about the 'Goodman way' and even allowed us to poke our head into the dry ageing room - a sort of beefy paradise, heaven for beef eating foodies, hell for veggies no doubt.
We also were shown the Josper oven where at temperatures between 400-800 degrees, the steaks are turned every 30 seconds to keep the juices inside. Olly tells us that it takes six months to fully train staff in its proficient use; we're not surprised. Just standing in front of it it, the heat is fierce but the promise of a good steak is almost tangible in that smoky heat.
Being just a stone's throw from One New Change, the stealth like shopping centre that hosts Jamie's disappointing Barbecoa and shortly, a new Gordon Ramsay outlet, it seems like restaurateurs have re-discovered the City pound. To be fair, The City has not been entirely without good restaurants let alone steakhouses: for those in the east, there has been Hawksmoor (Spitalfields) which we rate as excellent as well as Marco Pierre White Steak & Alehouse (not yet tried), and for City workers everywhere, multiple branches of the chain Gaucho where to be fair, we've enjoyed some good meals.
But when it comes to the title of best steakhouse not just in The City but in London, who is the winner? Given our experience to date, it is in our view a close run thing between Hawksmoor and Goodman with.... Goodman inching ahead to take the title. Both places share similar characteristics including a comfortable eating environment, friendly staff and great tasting food but Goodman delivered for us today a small but perceptibly better experience overall. Among the many caveats that must be applied to this most personal of opinions is that we need to eat at Goodman several more times before we can make any comments on consistency for today was our first visit; we do however very much look forward to ticking that particular box.
So where shall we start? First, the venue itself offers spacious and comfortable dining in what could probably best be described as a classic but classy steakhouse style: dark wood panels, dark wood tables, brown leather chairs etc. And on a minor table point, they also had decent red wine glasses in which to serve decent wine (which is not true of all of their rivals).
The staff too were excellent. Our waitress, Rachel, was friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and added another layer of engagement to the meal. General Manager James Gannon was wonderfully welcoming while Head Chef Olly generously gave us his time to talk about the 'Goodman way' and even allowed us to poke our head into the dry ageing room - a sort of beefy paradise, heaven for beef eating foodies, hell for veggies no doubt.
We also were shown the Josper oven where at temperatures between 400-800 degrees, the steaks are turned every 30 seconds to keep the juices inside. Olly tells us that it takes six months to fully train staff in its proficient use; we're not surprised. Just standing in front of it it, the heat is fierce but the promise of a good steak is almost tangible in that smoky heat.
Beef in the ageing room
Foodwise, there's much we crave and the kitchen kindly let us try a small selection. Across the plate of starters, the Irish Smoked Salmon by Frank Hederman, pickled beetroot, cream cheese and dill is divine. We'd been told by the Twitter world to try the salmon as it was 'the very best' and we're hard pressed to disagree. The salmon is smoked over Beech rather than Oak to give subtle but complex flavours.
The tiger prawns tempura (with mango, avocado and Cajun mayonnaise) were also fabulous, a light crisp batter coating a crisp succulent prawn. Calamari was good but didn't hit quite the same highs as the previous two seafood starters.
The slow cooked pork belly was interesting. Having been marinated with apple before being slow cooked, the flavours were right there but it had dried out a little giving us mixed feelings but ultimately meaning that the dish fell short.
The tiger prawns tempura (with mango, avocado and Cajun mayonnaise) were also fabulous, a light crisp batter coating a crisp succulent prawn. Calamari was good but didn't hit quite the same highs as the previous two seafood starters.
The slow cooked pork belly was interesting. Having been marinated with apple before being slow cooked, the flavours were right there but it had dried out a little giving us mixed feelings but ultimately meaning that the dish fell short.
Irish smoked salmon by Frank Henderman, pickled beetroot, cream cheese and dill
Pork belly, slow cooked and pan fried, apple puree
Tiger prawn tempura, avocado, mango and Cajun mayonnaise
Calamari
With the starters dispensed, it's time for the steaks, what we're really here for, and we are lucky enough to try three varieties of ribeye: Belted Galloway, O'Shea's (both bone in) and the USDA 150 day corn fed. You first note that the Josper grill really does the trick, the outside is beautifully charred while the inside screams red like a raw wound. Second, that char has also imparted a beautiful flavour to the meat. Third, this is great quality meat, driven through with fat giving a rich luscious juiciness to each bite.
Comparing all three, it was the bone in UK steaks we preferred, possessing as they did a more intense flavour, a reflection of the dry ageing process that concentrates the flavours into meat sealed on one side by bone and on the other, a layer of fat. To be fair, they were all good and it wasn't the case that had we ordered individual plates rather than shared, anyone going for the USDA steak would have major envy, they wouldn't, but the bone in was better in our view. Between the Belted Galloway and O'Shea's? Very little to choose between, both superb.
Sauces of Bearnaise, Pepper or Stilton were all good but a deep flavoured and appropriately sharp Bearnaise was the star here. Chips were crispy soft and moreish while a side of spinach creamed with Gruyere cheese was again, right up there with the best of its kind.
Overall, the main course steaks, sides and sauces were a huge hit.
Comparing all three, it was the bone in UK steaks we preferred, possessing as they did a more intense flavour, a reflection of the dry ageing process that concentrates the flavours into meat sealed on one side by bone and on the other, a layer of fat. To be fair, they were all good and it wasn't the case that had we ordered individual plates rather than shared, anyone going for the USDA steak would have major envy, they wouldn't, but the bone in was better in our view. Between the Belted Galloway and O'Shea's? Very little to choose between, both superb.
Sauces of Bearnaise, Pepper or Stilton were all good but a deep flavoured and appropriately sharp Bearnaise was the star here. Chips were crispy soft and moreish while a side of spinach creamed with Gruyere cheese was again, right up there with the best of its kind.
Overall, the main course steaks, sides and sauces were a huge hit.
Belted Galloway & O'Shea's bone in ribeye
USDA ribeye
We were torn on desserts too so again we let the kitchen decide. A banoffee pyramid arrived: a banana mousse in a chocolate pyramid with a ginger biscuit base together with with caramelised bananas. The mousse was reasonably light though with the dessert scaling the third dimension, there's a lot of volume after a big steak though this isn't a complaint. Good rather than great though, but perhaps we were just too full to properly enjoy.
Banoffee Pyramid
There were enough real high points within the meal to declare this as great meal within the steakhouse genre and that alone would be reason enough to return. With the staff so friendly and the environment comfortable, it made for happy eating indeed. What's more, there's more on the menu we'd like to try including the Beef Carpaccio starter and the Porterhouse cut on the main. The Lobster cocktail as a starter and lobster mash as a side for the mains also sounds enticing though we're surprised that bone marrow is not on today's menu at least.
Hawksmoor and Goodman are sufficiently close to make it a matter of preference in choosing between the two. If Goodman can deliver on consistent quality (and there's no reason to doubt them here), then for us at least, we have a new go-to steakhouse. Goodman, stand up and take a bow.
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Hawksmoor and Goodman are sufficiently close to make it a matter of preference in choosing between the two. If Goodman can deliver on consistent quality (and there's no reason to doubt them here), then for us at least, we have a new go-to steakhouse. Goodman, stand up and take a bow.
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