Blacklock City
City, London
Tailor-made for the Square Mile, this branch of the Blacklock mini chain peddles its reimagined chophouse wares in the cellar of a Grade II-listed building a couple of minutes’ walk from Monument tube station. Inside, it has the now-familiar stripped-back feel, with old brickwork, stained glass partitions, concrete floors and booming music providing the soundtrack. There's a cocktail bar too, if you fancy a sharpener before tackling the hefty servings of prime British-reared meats (butcher’s prices for various cuts and weights are chalked on pillars in the dining room). The best deal for sharing is the £25 ‘all in’ option (a stack of beef, pork and lamb piled high on herb-flecked chargrilled flatbreads to soak up the juices); otherwise kick off with, say, pig's head on toast plus a 'boat' of proper gravy, before gnawing on a plate of blushing-pink ‘skinny chops’ (grilled using vintage Blacklock irons). 'Doorstop-thick’ prime ribs, lamb rumps and grass-fed, dry-aged steaks with moreish sauces, sides and salads are also in demand; if you make it to pudding, you might be tempted by the white chocolate cheesecake, which is doled out tableside. Lunch-break staples such as pork belly buns and steak sarnies go down well, while Sunday means Blacklock's hugely popular family-style roasts. Apart from jazzy cocktails, drinks include wines on tap (as well as heavyweight bottles for serious drinkers), plus some own-label beers.
